Research Methods: Corpus Linguistics
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| ENGL4140 | English | 4 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- ENGL4140
- School
- English
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
Corpus linguistics provides methods for the study of collections of electronic texts (written texts, including literary texts, material from the internet, transcripts of spoken language, etc.). This module focuses on fundamental corpus methods that include retrieving and interpreting word frequency information, studying patterns of words in the form of concordances, and analysing key words and key semantic domains. The module will explain these concepts and illustrate methods through case studies, with an emphasis on the use of corpus methods for the purposes of discourse analysis. Through hands-on sessions students will actively practise using corpus analysis software and several online interfaces. Throughout the module, students are encouraged to reflect on the applicability, potentials, and limitations of corpus linguistic methods in their own areas of interest (e.g. literary linguistics, critical discourse analysis, ELT, etc.).
For the assessment, students will complete a small-scale corpus project on a topic of their own choosing (in consultation with the module convenor). This project can function to test ideas that might be further developed during the dissertation.
Target Students
Only available to on-site postgraduate students in the School of English.
Classes
- One 2-hour workshop each week for 12 weeks
Assessment
- 100% Project 1: 4,000-word corpus project
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to provide students with:an understanding of fundamental concepts, methods, and approaches in corpus linguistics, with an emphasis on their use for analysing discoursean understanding of the potential for using corpora in a range of linguistics and communication disciplinesthe ability to use corpus software in conjunction with concepts from in- and outside of linguistics in order to conduct their own analyses.Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
- Students will be aware of different methodological approaches in corpus linguistics and be able to apply these to spoken and written corpora
- Students will be able to understand key terminology and concepts in corpus linguistics
Intellectual Skills
- Students will be able to carry out analyses of data using appropriate corpus tools and software
- Students will be able to evaluate different corpus approaches and critically discuss published research
Professional Skills
- Students will be able to carry out analyses of data using appropriate corpus tools and software
- Students will be able to evaluate different corpus approaches and critically discuss published research
Transferable Skills
- Students will be able to develop skills in problem-solving;
- Students will be able to apply different approaches as required;
- Students will be able to communicate ideas and findings clearly both in written and oral situations.