Speaker
Description
This presentation examines the relationship between a pedagogic corpus and a learner corpus from a university writing course in Japan. Learner corpus research has often focused on describing learner output without examining instructional input. To address this gap, the study develops a pedagogic focus measure to capture how instructional salience and frequency predict output. By linking classroom materials with learner production, the study demonstrates how local instructional practices influence learner language development, offering pedagogical implications.
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Usage-based theories of language acquisition propose that linguistic knowledge emerges from repeated exposure to language in use, with factors like frequency, recency, context, and contingency contributing to the entrenchment of forms (Bybee, 2006; Ellis, 2002; Tomasello, 2003). These perspectives predict that frequently encountered sequences should become established in learner language. However, learners often persist with unnatural expressions, even when more appropriate forms are abundant in the input (Wray, 2002). This study highlights the role of salience and noticing in formulaic sequence acquisition, supporting evidence that frequency without salience may not be sufficient for acquisition (Ellis, 2006; Pellicer-Sánchez & Boers, 2019).
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
To what extent does learners’ use of discourse-organizing formulaic sequences correspond to the pedagogic materials used to teach those sequences?
Abstract section 3: Content/method
A learner corpus of essays written by students enrolled in a university writing course in Japan was analyzed for discourse-organizing formulaic sequences. A pedagogic corpus was compiled from the course instructional materials. The frequency of occurrence and pedagogic focus in the materials were coded for 11 target sequences, resulting in a pedagogic focus measure. This measure was then correlated with both the frequency and appropriateness of learner use of the sequences in the learner corpus.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Results revealed a significant relationship between the pedagogic focus measure and the frequency of sequences in the learner corpus. However, no correlation was found between pedagogic focus and learners’ appropriate sequence use. However, the appropriate use of some sequences improved significantly between draft submissions. This pattern suggests that important learning processes occurred between learners’ initial attempts to use newly learned sequences and subsequent uses. One key task during this period is a self-correction phase, during which learners revise their texts. This phase is discussed in relation to task-induced involvement load (Laufer & Hulstijn, 2001) and how revision may increase salience
Abstract section 5: References
Bybee, J. (2006). From usage to grammar: The mind’s response to repetition. Language, 82(4), 711–733.
Ellis, N. C. (2006). Language Acquisition as Rational Contingency Learning. Applied linguistics, 27(1), 1-24.
Laufer, B., & Hulstijn, J. (2001). Incidental vocabulary acquisition in a second language: The construct of task-induced involvement. Applied Linguistics, 22(1), 1–26.
Pellicer-Sánchez, A., & Boers, F. (2019). Pedagogical approaches to the teaching and learning of formulaic language. In A. Siyanova-Chanturia & A. Pellicer-Sánchez (Eds.), Understanding Formulaic Language (pp. 153-173). Routledge.
Tomasello, M. (2003). Constructing a language: A usage-based theory of language acquisition. Harvard University Press.
Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge University Press.
| Title | Beyond Classroom Materials: How Pedagogic Input Shapes Outpu |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |