Student Handbook
Module Code: U21852
Module Level: 7
Module Title: Using technology and corpora in language teaching and research (DL)
Module Short Title: TECCORDL
Module Credits: 30
Degree Programmes: MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL (+ others)
Academic Year: 2021-2022 second teaching block
School of Languages and Applied Linguistics
Introduction
The aim of this module is for students to see how they can make use of information technology, principally the application of language corpora, as language teachers or communication professionals or researchers. Teaching will focus not only on developing technological skills, but also on creating and critically evaluating relevant teaching & learning materials, with opportunities for linguistic research. Students will thereby develop a set of transferable skills related to the technologies used, and develop their analytical skills through the discussion of how corpus methodologies are applied.
Awards using this module
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Full Time |
C2023F |
Optional |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Full Time |
C2023F |
Optional |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Full Time |
C2399F |
Optional |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Full Time |
C2399F |
Optional |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Part Time |
C2399P |
Optional |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Part Time |
C2399P |
Optional |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
|
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Part Time |
C2023P |
Optional |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Part Time |
C2023P |
Optional |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
|
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Part Time |
C2589P |
Core |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Part Time |
C2589P |
Optional |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Part Time |
C2589P |
Optional |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
|
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Part Time |
C2593P |
Core |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Part Time |
C2593P |
Optional |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
|
|
Part Time |
C2593P |
Optional |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Full Time |
C2593F |
Optional |
1 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Full Time |
C2593F |
Optional |
2 |
FHEQ_7 |
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Aims |
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1 |
To raise students’ awareness of the relationship between technology use in the classroom and theories of learning/teaching |
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2 |
To introduce students to the main concepts and tools in corpus linguistics |
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3 |
To enable students to apply, adapt, and critically evaluate the use of technology - specifically corpus-based technologies - in language teaching and learning |
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4 |
To equip students with an understanding of how to rigorously apply corpus methodologies to language description for teaching and research purposes |
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Learning Outcomes – On successful completion of this module, students should be able to: |
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1 |
Develop and apply practical skills in manipulating and creating language corpora. |
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2 |
Investigate a linguistic, social, or similar research issue using an appropriate corpus (or corpora). |
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3 |
Design and critically evaluate teaching and learning activities that make use of the technologies covered during the module. |
IMPORTANT: You cannot successfully participate in this module using only a smartphone or cheap tablet. In most cases, the screen will be too small for the dense layout of corpus data and you will ruin your eyes. You must have access to a PC or laptop that can run Windows, MacOS, or a Unix-based operating system, eg Linux. Android systems and Chromebooks are not suitable as they cannot run the AntConc software we will meet later in the module.
Syllabus Outline |
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Week |
Available from... |
Topic |
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1 |
07/02/21 |
Introduction to the module. Your use of technology (John) |
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2 |
14/02/21 |
A simple classroom activity using a corpus (J) |
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3 |
21/02/21 |
Introduction to the SketchEngine corpus interface, Part 1 (Glenn) |
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4 |
28/02/21 |
Introduction to the SketchEngine corpus interface, Part 2 (G) |
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5 |
07/03/21 |
Corpora and language learners (G) |
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6 |
14/03/21 |
CONSOLIDATION WEEK Preparatory task for Assessment 1: Designing a corpus-based lesson or activity (J) |
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7 |
21/03/21 |
Building and exploring your own corpora with AntConc, Part 1 (J) |
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8 |
28/03/21 |
Preparing for Assessment 1. Students report back on preparatory task (J) |
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04/04/21 |
EASTER BREAK (2 weeks) Students working on Assessment 1 |
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11/04/21 |
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9 |
19/04/21 (Monday is Bank Holiday) |
Building and exploring your own corpora with AntConc, Part 2 (J) |
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10 |
25/04/21 |
Preparing for Assessment 2 (J); Statistics for corpus linguistics (G) |
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11 |
03/05/21 (Monday is Bank Holiday) |
Using corpora in discourse analysis & metaphor studies (G) |
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12 |
09/05/21 |
Report back on your corpora (J). Corpora in other disciplines (G) |
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Teaching method and module delivery
This module is delivered in distance-learning (DL) mode only, even for campus-based students. Everything is delivered through Moodle on the dates shown. For each topic there will be a mixture of tutor input, recommended reading, required activities and forum discussion. We hope to provide regular ‘live’ online sessions for students to discuss the module in the presence of a tutor, but the timing of these is uncertain at the time of writing.
Prerequisites for this module
There are no prerequisites for this module. No previous knowledge of corpora is required.
Last year's module feedback, and changes for 2021-22
No formal feedback was received for this module in 2021. This could be because of technical problems or because of an insufficient number of responses to the feedback questionnaire. In any case the module has been completely redesigned for 2022, partly in response to previous years’ feedback, in which a common theme was that students needed more time to become familiar with using corpora.
The global pandemic has had relatively little effect on the running of distance-learning modules. However there was a major IT incident last April which seriously disrupted the functioning of the University and thus there was a University-wide decision to delay the spring assessments. Some students expressed dissatisfaction with this, as they felt it did not leave them enough time to become familiar with corpora and prepare adequately for Assessment 2. Hopefully there will not be a further such incident in 2022 and we can keep to the assessment schedule as set out below
Throughout the running of this module in 2021, the tutors received an unusually high number of individual email queries from students, often about information that could easily be found on the Moodle site. Please try to keep these to a minimum, only about issues that affect you alone or need to be kept confidential for whatever reason. For general discussion of the module, it is much better to post a message in the Moodle forums; if there is something you don’t understand, it is likely that some other students don’t understand it either, and the tutors will only need to come in once to answer the query. Remember, DL modules at this level are meant to be about independent and group learning.
Assessment
There are two components to the assessment.
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This artefact covers Learning Outcome 3. In the first assignment (2500 words, Weighting 40%), the students will critically evaluate a corpus-based language lesson or learning activity designed to be used in a specified language learning/teaching context. As well as commenting on the use of corpora, marks will be awarded for a concise, relevant literature review, and for your discussion of the lesson/activity in terms of the overall context of technology-based learning and theories of how students learn. This assessment is due on Friday 22 April 2022
NB: It is our intention to use student-generated lessons / learning activities as the basis for this assessment. However, you will be assessed on your evaluation, not the activity itself; you can get a good mark for evaluating an unsuitable activity, as long as you explain why it is unsuitable.
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This artefact covers Learning Outcomes 1 and 2. For the second assignment, students will produce a research report (3500 words, Weighting 60%) in which they select and/or create a corpus, analyse it with reference to their specific question, report their findings and, if applicable, comment on the impact this may have on the teaching/learning process. (There is no obligation to relate this assessment to teaching but you can if you prefer, as long as it does not reproduce the format of Assessment 1.) Marks will be awarded for the identification of a relevant research area based on appropriate literature, ability to select and/or create an appropriate corpus, ability to interrogate the corpus using a range of relevant tools, transparent and balanced reporting of findings, perceptiveness of analysis, capacity to appraise your own work, and overall presentation of the report. This assessment is due to be submitted by Friday 27 May 2022.
All coursework must be submitted to an online 'inbox' that will be available on Moodle. The marked work with feedback will also be available on Moodle.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT ACADEMIC REGULATIONS
Students should attempt and submit all module assessments. It is especially important that the final assessment is attempted. On this module, the corpus analysis report (60%) is the final assessment. Failure to attempt/submit the final assessment without valid extenuating circumstances has serious consequences: if a student fails the module and has not attempted the final assessment, the fail will not be compensated at the Progression and Award Boards. A student who fails to reach an overall mark of 40% for the module will, in most cases, be offered a second attempt assessment (a summer resit) in order to progress.
It is important that you keep to the word limit specified for the assignment or under. All coursework should include a word count at the end. For work which is more than 10% over the word limit, the mark will be awarded only for the text up to and including the specified word limit plus 10%. You should understand that work which is more than 10% below the word limit is likely to fail because something significant has been omitted. Appendices and tables do not normally count towards the word count, but if the tables within your main text would take your work substantially over the word limit for the assessment, as measured automatically by the software, then please provide separate word counts for each table and show the overall calculation. Otherwise your lecturer will use their discretion as to whether your work falls within the word limit.
Please remember that you must submit a reference list at the end of each assessment. An assessment with no reference list will receive a mark of 0. All references on this module must be referenced using APA version 7. You can visit the library or http://referencing.port.ac.uk for details.
If a second attempt is required students will be asked to rewrite the artefact they failed (or an essay on a title proposed by the lecturer if both are failed).
Full assessment regulations can be found at: http://policies.docstore.port.ac.uk/policy-107.pdf?_ga=2.194119277.1763202376.1575981681-1212183552.1488928902
Recommended books
More specific articles relating to each week’s topics will be posted on Moodle. We have indicated which books are available online. See also the Reading List on Moodle.
Baker, P. (2006). Using Corpora in Discourse Analysis. Continuum.
Baker, P. (2010). Sociolinguistics and Corpus Linguistics. Edinburgh University Press. [e-copy available]
Beatty, K. (2010). Teaching and Researching: Computer-Assisted Language Learning. Longman. [e-copy available]
Flowerdew, L. (2012). Corpora and Language Education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Hadikin, G. (2014). Korean English: a corpus-driven study of a new English. John Benjamins. *****[e-copy available]
McEnery, T., Xiao, R. & Tono, Y. (2006). Corpus-based Language Studies: An Advanced Resource Book. Routledge.
O’Keeffe, A., McCarthy, M. & Carter, R. (2007). From Corpus to Classroom: Language Use and Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
O’Keeffe, A. & McCarthy, M. (2010). The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Linguistics. Routledge. [e-copy available]
Partington, A. (1998). Patterns and Meanings: Using Corpora for English Language Teaching and Research. John Benjamins. [e-copy available]
Thomas, J. (2017). Discovering English with Sketch Engine (2nd ed.). Versatile
Weisser, M. (2016). Practical corpus linguistics: an introduction to corpus-based language analysis. Wiley Blackwell. [e-copy available]
Mark sheet for Assignment 1 (Evaluation of corpus-based lesson/activity)
/ please prepend a copy of this to your assignment when you submit it /
Student number Mark
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Description and understanding of the use of corpora in the lesson/activity |
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A concise, relevant review of the existing literature |
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Evaluation of the lesson/activity |
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Overall presentation of the assignment |
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General comment |
Mark sheet for corpus artefact
/ please prepend a copy of this to your assignment when you submit it /
Student number Mark
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The identification of a relevant research area based on appropriate literature |
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Ability to select and/or create an appropriate corpus |
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Ability to interrogate the corpus using a range of relevant tools |
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Transparent and balanced reporting of findings |
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Perceptiveness of analysis |
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Capacity to appraise own work |
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Overall |
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