Using monolingual and parallel corpora to teach English in Portugal

Using monolingual and Using monolingual and parallel corpora parallel corpora

to teach English in to teach English in PortugalPortugal

Ana Frankenberg-GarciaAna Frankenberg-Garcia

ISLA-LX & FCSH-UNLISLA-LX & FCSH-UNL

What is a corpus*?What is a corpus*?

compatible with specific corpus-browsing software

digital format

A large, principled collection of natural texts

*plural = corpora*plural = corpora

Two free, online corporaTwo free, online corpora

Simple search http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk Full BNC http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/

Simple and advanced search http://www.linguateca.pt/COMPARA/

The British National Corpus The British National Corpus (BNC)(BNC)

►100 million words of general British 100 million words of general British English from the early nineties. English from the early nineties.

►10% transcribed speech 10% transcribed speech ►90% written texts 90% written texts

General English × New words (e.g. landline)

COMPARACOMPARA►Only one genre Only one genre

fictionfiction

►A lot smaller than the BNCA lot smaller than the BNC 3 million words 3 million words

►Two languagesTwo languages Portuguese + EnglishPortuguese + English

PT-EN equivalents

× Words unlikely to be found in fiction: (e.g. paradigmatic)

Two ways of using corpora in Two ways of using corpora in ELTELT

1. Use ready-made, corpus-based materials1. Use ready-made, corpus-based materials

2. Use corpora directly2. Use corpora directly

Using corpora directlyUsing corpora directly

To improve your own EnglishTo improve your own English

To prepare tailor-made materials for your To prepare tailor-made materials for your studentsstudents

To promote learner autonomy in the To promote learner autonomy in the classroom classroom

► DictionariesDictionaries► GrammarsGrammars► Ask a native speakerAsk a native speaker

Native speakers aren’t always availableNative speakers aren’t always available Can’t always explain how language is used Can’t always explain how language is used Sometimes disagree about what is right Sometimes disagree about what is right

and what is wrongand what is wrong► Ask a corpusAsk a corpus

What do you do when What do you do when you are not sure about you are not sure about

how to say or write how to say or write something something in English?in English?

What happens What happens when you query a corpus?when you query a corpus?

►Access to how the people whose words Access to how the people whose words are registered in the corpus have actually are registered in the corpus have actually used the languageused the language

► It’s like asking native speakers to answer It’s like asking native speakers to answer a question about language usea question about language use Without them having to think about itWithout them having to think about it Without you having to bother themWithout you having to bother them

This means...This means...

► Access to empirical evidence of how dozens Access to empirical evidence of how dozens or hundreds of speakers used the languageor hundreds of speakers used the language Results are quantifiableResults are quantifiable Reach your own conclusionsReach your own conclusions

E.g. (O’Keefe et al 2007:101)E.g. (O’Keefe et al 2007:101) He isn’t coming X He’s not comingHe isn’t coming X He’s not coming John isn’t coming X John’s not comingJohn isn’t coming X John’s not coming

► Replaces native-speaker intuition and...Replaces native-speaker intuition and...► ...helps to place native & non-native ...helps to place native & non-native

teachers on equal terms (Aston 2007)teachers on equal terms (Aston 2007)

?In what concerns....

For example...For example...

?Very many people...

Dictionaries?Dictionaries?Grammars?Grammars?Native speakers?Native speakers?

Using the BNC to check what Using the BNC to check what you’re not sureyou’re not sure

In what concerns


Dodgy...


very many people


Okay!

Why not just use Google Why not just use Google instead?instead?

► No control over provenanceNo control over provenance Anyone can publish anything on Web 2.0Anyone can publish anything on Web 2.0 Useful information Useful information A load of rubbish & ungrammatical EnglishA load of rubbish & ungrammatical English

► No control over frequenciesNo control over frequencies Lots of replicated pagesLots of replicated pages Here you see it, here you don’t Here you see it, here you don’t Metalanguage like “click”, “back”, “shopping cart”Metalanguage like “click”, “back”, “shopping cart”

► No control over top resultsNo control over top results Paid, sponsored linksPaid, sponsored links

► Output not very enlightening Output not very enlightening SnippetsSnippets

► No linguistic annotationNo linguistic annotation book (V) vs. book (N)book (V) vs. book (N) do, does, did, donedo, does, did, done

Corpora are better adaptedCorpora are better adapted► Control provenanceControl provenance

You know exactly what your sources areYou know exactly what your sources are Mistakes are limitedMistakes are limited

► BNC: native BritishBNC: native British► COMPARA: native Portuguese, English + professional, published COMPARA: native Portuguese, English + professional, published

translations by native speakers translations by native speakers

► Control frequenciesControl frequencies No replicated textsNo replicated texts Texts don’t disappear Texts don’t disappear Metalanguage not an issueMetalanguage not an issue

► Control top resultsControl top results Frequency or alphabeticalFrequency or alphabetical

► Output more informative Output more informative Concordances, frequency lists and collocations rather than Concordances, frequency lists and collocations rather than

snippetssnippets► Linguistic annotationLinguistic annotation

Part-of-speech tagging: book (V) vs. book (N)Part-of-speech tagging: book (V) vs. book (N) Lemmatization: do, does, did, doneLemmatization: do, does, did, done

► Photocopy exercises from another textbookPhotocopy exercises from another textbook► Download exercises from ELT sitesDownload exercises from ELT sites

General exercises for an anonymous (or different) General exercises for an anonymous (or different) publicpublic

► Prepare your own exercisesPrepare your own exercises Too much work, too little time Too much work, too little time

► Use a corpus to create Use a corpus to create tailor-madetailor-made exercises exercises for for youryour students students

What do you do when What do you do when your students need extra your students need extra grammar and vocabulary grammar and vocabulary

exercises outside their regular exercises outside their regular textbook?textbook?

What happens when you use a What happens when you use a corpus prepare materials for your corpus prepare materials for your

students?students?► Don’t rack your brains to think of good language Don’t rack your brains to think of good language

examplesexamples► Don’t read through long texts for inspirationDon’t read through long texts for inspiration► Find lots of stimulating examples at a click of your Find lots of stimulating examples at a click of your

mousemouse► Use authentic words that native speakers have Use authentic words that native speakers have

usedused Real English can be more thought-provoking and Real English can be more thought-provoking and

memorable than bland, “exercise-book English”memorable than bland, “exercise-book English”► Don’t spend long hours typing out handouts for Don’t spend long hours typing out handouts for

your studentsyour students► Cut and paste corpus output onto a word processorCut and paste corpus output onto a word processor

Using corpora in language Using corpora in language receptionreception

Textbook dialogue (Jones 2005:10) Textbook dialogue (Jones 2005:10)

PASSENGERPASSENGER I was wondering, er… could I was wondering, er… could I have I have a smoking seat? a smoking seat?

CHECK-IN CLERKCHECK-IN CLERK I'm afraid this is aI'm afraid this is a non-smoking non-smoking flight, sir. Would you flight, sir. Would you

prefer an prefer an aisleaisle or a window or a window seat?seat?

PASSENGERPASSENGER Erm, well, I'm not sure. You Erm, well, I'm not sure. You see, see, it's the first time I've it's the first time I've flownflown and I, and I, well, I'mwell, I'm feelingfeeling a bita bit uneasy aboutuneasy about it.it.

Using the BNC to consolidate Using the BNC to consolidate new vocabularynew vocabulary

aisle

BNC concordances for BNC concordances for aisleaisle

Concordances for Concordances for aisleaisle► Authentic sentences with aisle in all sorts of

contexts► Not bland, exercise-book English

Meaningful, memorable, thought-provoking examples

► A word of caution Language that is too difficult Rude language Sensitive language, inappropriate for the classroom Even a few mistakes (that native speakers make)

► Use only what you judge is suitable for your students

► (see example 1 in handout)

Using the BNC Using the BNC to consolidate new grammarto consolidate new grammar

It is the first time

Concordances for Concordances for it is the first it is the first timetime

Again, your results may contain difficult, rude, innapropriate language & mistakes

Select what you judge is suitable for your students (see example 2 in handout)

Using COMPARA to distinguish Using COMPARA to distinguish between easily confused wordsbetween easily confused words

segurança

security safety

Using COMPARA to distinguish Using COMPARA to distinguish between easily confused wordsbetween easily confused words

segurança

Parallel concordances for Parallel concordances for segurançasegurança

Select what you judge is suitable for your students (see example 3 in handout)

Using corpora in language Using corpora in language productionproduction

Let’s talk about about Christmas!

But let’s practise some new

vocabulary as well...

Using the BNC to brainstorm Using the BNC to brainstorm vocabularyvocabulary

christmas*

Collocates of Collocates of ChristmasChristmas

(example 4 in handout)

Using COMPARA as a bilingual Using COMPARA as a bilingual dictionary with contextdictionary with context

How can I say How can I say “compromisso” in “compromisso” in

English?English?

Using COMPARA as a bilingual Using COMPARA as a bilingual dictionary with contextdictionary with context

compromisso

Parallel concordances for Parallel concordances for compromissocompromisso

Using the BNC to find out Using the BNC to find out how words combinehow words combine

What sounds better:What sounds better:““tone of voice” or tone of voice” or

“voice tone”?“voice tone”?

Using the BNC to find out Using the BNC to find out how words combinehow words combine

voice tonetone of voice

BNC frequencies BNC frequencies

3

194

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

voice tone tone of voice

Okay!Dodgy...

Using corpora in language Using corpora in language correctioncorrection

**ActuallyActually I am I am looking for a job looking for a job

Using COMPARA Using COMPARA to focus on false friendsto focus on false friends

actuallyx

Parallel concordances for Parallel concordances for actuallyactually

Using COMPARA Using COMPARA to focus on false friendsto focus on false friends

actualmentex

Parallel concordances for Parallel concordances for actualmenteactualmente

Using corpora in language Using corpora in language correctioncorrection

*She is married *She is married withwith a a

FrenchmanFrenchman

Part-of-speech queries in the Part-of-speech queries in the BNCBNC

married [pr*]

Prepostions after Prepostions after marriedmarried

(see example 5 in handout)

Using corpora in language Using corpora in language testingtesting

Test specific Test specific vocabulary:vocabulary:

safety or security?safety or security?

Using the BNC to focus Using the BNC to focus on alternate termson alternate terms

safety|security

BNC concordances BNC concordances for for securitysecurity & & safetysafety

(see example 6 in handout)

Final remarksFinal remarks Many different ways of using corpora Many different ways of using corpora

creatively to teach English in Portugalcreatively to teach English in Portugal

Corpora can help you Corpora can help you with questions that are with questions that are not dealt with by not dealt with by

dictionaries and grammarsdictionaries and grammars create create tailor-made tailor-made exercises for exercises for Portuguese Portuguese

learners of Englishlearners of English

Monolingual and parallel corpora have Monolingual and parallel corpora have non-conflicting, complementary roles to non-conflicting, complementary roles to play play (Frankenberg-Garcia 2004, 2005)(Frankenberg-Garcia 2004, 2005)

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Using monolingual and parallel corpora to teach English in Portugal