Corpus Learning Design Task 2023

Using Corpora for Language Teaching and Research:  

Corpus Learning Design Task 2023

Your task is to design a substantial English-language learning activity (lesson plan, lesson segment, self-study activity…) that makes use of one or more corpora.

Within that, you have a large degree of freedom:

You can design an entirely new activity or adapt something that you already know about;

You can have the students using a corpus directly themselves on screen, or using paper print-outs of concordances etc - or it could be that the teacher has used a corpus in designing the materials and the students do not have direct access themselves;

It can be at any level of language learning, or even a different area of learning where you think corpora could be useful (eg, training translators, psychologists, or lawyers).

If possible, we would like you to present your activity in the form of a video or a screencast or a PowerPoint with verbal commentary. (I used the ‘Record’ and ‘Share Screen’ features of Zoom for mine.) Seek help from our Online Course Development team if you are not sure how to do this.

This is preferable to presenting your activity as a written text or worksheet. (Though you can scroll your worksheet in the video as in my example.)

Your artefact should aim to cover the following aspects:

Who are the students? What is the teaching/learning context? What learning needs does the activity seek to address?  (NB: You may want to choose a context that corresponds to your own teaching or learning situation.)

The aims and learning outcomes of the activity

A description of the materials and the corpus (or corpora) to be used

If practical, a demonstration of how the students (or teacher) might use the corpus

However, we do not ask you, in the video, to justify your activity on theoretical grounds - you simply need to explain the background, which corpus you are using, and the lesson procedure. (There is a reason for keeping it simple like this, which I will reveal soon.)

Please submit your artefact, and any queries, to the Discussion Forum below. When posting a video it’s best to create a link to a shared file (eg, in Google Drive), rather than as a direct attachment.  The deadline for submitting your artefacts is March 20th. Please try not to be later than this or it could compromise Assessment 1. 

Please note, this task does not constitute a formal assessment, but you will need to refer back to it in Assessment 1, so it is important that everyone contributes.

Although you are welcome to do this task as an individual, I would encourage you to work in pairs or small groups - one activity for each pair or group. This is because: some students were late joining the module and may need some help; most successful distance learning involves collaboration and discussion between students; of the general dictum that ‘two heads are better than one’.