Research in corpora in language teaching and learning

The significance of corpora, and corpus-based research, for second language teaching and learning has, to an extent at least, become axiomatic; however, progress continues and is required in relation to how insights from the systematic analysis of real texts in the real world can be harnessed to enhance second language teaching and learning. This chapter traces the development of contemporary corpus linguistics over the past number of decades, placing it first in its historical and scholarly context before highlighting some principle areas in which research into corpora has contributed in both direct and indirect ways to developments/enhancements in second language teaching and learning.There can be no doubt that the corpus revolution in language teaching and learning has had a major impact on thinking about what we teach, how we approach it, and on teaching and learning resources. In the case of English, not only have corpora changed the face of reference works and other materials, they have also increasingly enhanced our understanding of the differences between speaking and writing and generated fresh interest in aspects of SLA such as the development of interlanguage as evidenced in learner corpora, along with a better understanding of social and pragmatic aspects of competence. Alongside these developments there have been healthy debates on the models of English which corpora can offer and a move from the early days of mega-corpora, compiled to assist the writing of dictionaries and reference grammars, to more varied, smaller and specialized corpora that have underpinned academic, professional and vocational English teaching and given a new impetus to the study of the great variety of Englishes used in the contemporary world.