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Article published In: International Journal of Learner Corpus Research
Vol. 4:1 (2018) ► pp.112–127

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Research note

Building a local learner corpus

Construction of a first-year ESL writing corpus for research, teaching, mentoring, and collaboration

 | Kanazawa University
 | University of Delaware
 | University of Arizona
Published online: 31 May 2018
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ijlcr.16017.kwo
Abstract
This paper describes the construction process involved in creating a robust local learner corpus of texts produced by international students in a first-year writing course at a large public, mid-western university in the U.S. We show how involving faculty members and graduate students of our local writing program in the process of learner corpus analysis provides them with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge as writing instructors, course designers, and, ultimately, knowledge producers. An additional benefit of such an undertaking is that the corpus can become part of the infrastructure of a research community that allows continued contributions by others individually and collaboratively. We also illustrate the usefulness of our local learner corpus for research, teaching, mentoring, and collaboration within our writing program with examples of the research projects and teaching interventions we have developed.
Article outline
  • 1.Background and motivation
    • 1.1Building a local learner corpus
    • 1.2Programmatic infrastructure for research and teaching first-year writing
    • 1.3Promoting collaboration
  • 2.The context of the first-year ESL writing corpus
    • 2.1ESL writing course and assignments
    • 2.2Demographics
  • 3.First-year ESL writing corpus construction process
    • 3.1Sampling framework and design
    • 3.2Data collection
    • 3.3Data processing and de-identification
    • 3.4Continuing maintenance and access
    • 3.5The current corpus
  • 4.Corpus research using the first-year ESL writing corpus
    • 4.1Ongoing research studies
    • 4.2Corpus research community development
    • 4.3Future development and implications
  • References
References (35)
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