Granger, S. (2003). The International Corpus of Learning English: A new resource for foreign language learning and teaching and second language acquisition research. TESOL Quarterly, 37 (3), 538-546.
This paper introduces the details of the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE) and its applications and benefits on TESOL researchers and teachers.
The ICLE is a very richly documented corpus. The data consist exclusively of written productions of essay writing. The database contains 3,640 essays, totaling 2.5 million words. The learners who have contributed data are all young EFL adults. These learners cover 11 different mother tongues. More than 20 tasks and learner variables have been recorded for each of the texts in the corpus through a detailed profile questionnaire completed by all learners. All the variables have been stored in a database and can be used by researchers as queries to compile subcorpora that match certain criteria, thus allowing for different comparisons.
The method most frequently used to analyze the ICLE is contrastive interlanguage analysis, an approach carrying out either a comparison of learner data with native speaker data or a comparison between different types of learner data. The first type of comparison makes it possible to uncover the patterns of use distinguishing learner data from native speaker data in qualitative differences (misuse) and quantitative differences (over- and underuse). The second type of comparison is essential to establish whether the differences uncovered are developmental or transfer related.
The ICLE can also be used in computer-aided error analyses. Since current grammar checking programs are still not capable of detecting or correcting all errors, error annotation is the only solution.
Learner corpus research also opens up pedagogical perspectives in ELT pedagogy. The link between corpus-based research and teaching is based on the idea that corpus evidence suggests which language items and processes are most likely to be encountered by language users, and which may deserve more investment of time in instruction. The area where corpus information is used most extensively is ELT lexicography. All monolingual learners’ dictionaries are now corpus based.
To sum up, the ICLE data can be used, at a theoretical level, alongside with experimental data to provide SLA theories with a more solid empirical foundation. At a practical level, the ICLE can help produce more learner-aware pedagogical material designed for advanced EFL learners in general or for specific purposes.
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