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In:Applying Corpora in Teaching and Learning Romance Languages
Edited by Henry Tyne and Stefania Spina
[Studies in Corpus Linguistics 122] 2025
► pp. 40–64

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Chapter 2
Spoken French corpora and listening comprehension

A brief historical and critical survey

 | University of Lausanne
Published online: 20 November 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.122.02sur
Abstract
Since the invention of the phonograph in 1877, technology has enabled recording, and theoretically could have provided authentic spoken data to practice listening comprehension in L2 teaching. However, this has not really happened to the extent that could have been expected, despite the emphasis on oral communication in recent approaches to L2 teaching and the development of spoken corpora. Indeed, advocates of data-driven learning (DDL) often lament that “a lot remains to be done.” But what has been done in French DDL since the pioneering spoken French corpus Le français fondamental was compiled in the 1950s? This chapter addresses some of the challenges raised by listening comprehension, DDL, and the often-cited idea of the “learner-as-researcher”.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The challenge of understanding daily spoken French
  • 3.Which data for L2 language teaching?
  • 4.The importance of listening comprehension in L2
    • 4.1Achieving listening fluency: The challenges
  • 5.“A lot still remains to be done”
  • 6.How can spoken language corpora help?
    • 6.1The written language bias in corpora
    • 6.2From “real language” to corpora
  • 7.Using spoken French corpora in L2 teaching: A brief six-decade overview
    • 7.1The indirect use of spoken corpora
    • 7.2Le français fondamental
      • 7.2.1Description
      • 7.2.2Pedagogical applications
      • 7.2.3Discussion
    • 7.3L’enquête socio-linguistique d’Orléans
      • 7.3.1Description
      • 7.3.2Pedagogical applications
      • 7.3.3Discussion
    • 7.4The direct use of online spoken corpora
      • 7.4.1A brief overview of the challenges of the direct use of language corpora
    • 7.5FLORALE (Français langue orale pour le FLE)
      • 7.5.1Description
      • 7.5.2Discussion
  • 8.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (93)
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