1. PALC 2005
Łódź, Poland
My Concordancer
Tailor-made software for language learners and teachers
Yvonne Breyer

2. Agenda Applying corpus linguistics
Core elements of corpus investigation
Concordancers & the language classroom
Proposal: My Concordancer

3. Evidence for continuing interest in Corpora in LL & LT
Great interest at conferences
Workshops for in-service teachers
Growing body of literature

4. The Gap
Research x
Hier kann man die Zitate
Classroom

5. x Christopher Tribble, 2000 Joybrato Mukherjee, 2004
“In reality, the influence of applied corpus-linguistic research on the actual practice of English language teaching is still relatively limited.”
“[D]espite the best efforts of people like Tim Johns, Guy Aston, John Flowerdew and myself [Christopher Tribble] not many teachers seem to be using corpora in their classrooms.”

6. Key ingredients for success
Other factors:
Training for pre-service teachers
Availability of relevant corpora
Functionality of software
Time constraints (curriculum, work load)
IT competence & infrastructure
Zitate die entweder Prognosen oder Statements über das Potential von Corpora in Language Learner machen.

7. Core Elements
Concordance Software
Corpus
User

8. Concordancing in the classroom
Teacher controlled applications
Learner-centred activities
Curriculum decisions
Test correction
Material development
Hands-on concordancing
Self-correction
Serendipity learning

9. Pedagogical Implications
Core Elements: Corpus
Representativity
Authenticity
Concordance Software
Corpus
User
Pedagogical Implications
Availability

10. Training Learners to teach
Core Elements: User
Training Learners
Concordance Software
Training Teachers
Corpus
User
Training Learners to teach

11. Core Elements: Software
Concordance Software
Consider requirements for learners & teachers
In-/Output functions
Concordance Software
Compatible +
Corpus
User
On-screen editing
Affordable
User-friendly Interface +

12. Intuitive & user-friendly interface Less formal training required
Software: User-friendly
Intuitive & user-friendly interface
Familiar controls =
The significance of learner training is important and this has been recognised.
Less formal training required
Less frustration
More autonomy

13. Software: User-friendly1. 2.
Similar comparisons can be made with features such as the right click context menu. This should include familiar features such as cut, copy etc. 3.

14. Software: User-friendly
Proposal:
Contemporary design
Familiar controls
Less training required
More intuitive handling

15. Software: On-screen editing
Wishlist:
Add comments
Search for words in context
Highlight words in context

16. Software: On-screen editing1.
Add comments
Proposal

17. Software: On-screen editing2.
Proposal
Search context

18. Software: In-/Output 3.
Proposal
In-/Output

19. Software: In-/Output 3.
In-/Output
Input formats:
html; htm
txt
doc

20. Planned release of beta version My Concordancer in May/June 2005.
Work in Progress
20. April 2005: online
20 April – 20 July 2005: Seminar at Essen-Duisburg University
25 April – 25 May 2005: National Survey
Planned release of beta version My Concordancer in May/June 2005.

21. Thank you!

22. Training O’Keefe & Farr, 2003
Learner training (Kennedy/Miceli 2001; Gavioli 2001)
Training learners to teach with corpora
Integrating corpus training into pre-service teacher education
“If corpus applications and corpus findings are to reach the right audience (i.e., language learners), they must be integrated at the very core of teacher education courses.”
The significance of learner training is important and this has been recognised.

23. John Flowerdew, 1997 Geoffrey Leech, 1997 Tim Johns, 1988
“[T]he concordancer is, I believe, one of the most powerful tools that we can offer the language learner.”
“[T]here are signs that concordancing has reached the stage where it is about to have a significant impact on the organization and practice of language teaching.”
“There is every reason to believe that language corpora will have a growing importance in teaching.”