Corpus Linguistics Fundamentals

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is the MOST accurate description of how corpus linguistics approaches the study of language?

It relies on theoretical constructs without empirical validation.
It primarily focuses on establishing prescriptive rules for correct language usage.
It prioritizes subjective interpretations of language over objective analysis.
It analyzes language as it is naturally used, regardless of prescriptive norms. (correct)

In corpus linguistics, the continuous form of verbs like 'love' is frequently observed in various contexts.

False (B)

Explain how corpus comparison can be utilized to identify specialized terminology within particular fields.

By comparing a general corpus with a specialized corpus to identify terms that are significantly more frequent in the specialized corpus.

In corpus linguistics, the study of multi-word units is known as ______.

phraseology Signup and view all the answers

Match each corpus linguistics tool with its primary function:

Frequency counts = Determining how often words appear Concordancing = Displaying words in context Pattern identification = Finding recurring sequences Corpus comparison = Analyzing linguistic differences Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following examples demonstrates a common deviation from prescriptive grammar that corpus linguistics would still consider?

Sentences with missing subjects in spoken language. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of collocations in corpus linguistics?

They are words that frequently occur together and contribute to meaning. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Describe how corpus linguistics can be applied in the field of lexicogrammar.

by examining how lexical choices influence grammatical structures and vice versa, revealing patterns of usage Signup and view all the answers

Which 'Concordance' tool search function is best for finding words with a defined ending and unlimited preceding characters?

<code>*,on</code> (A) Signup and view all the answers

Macros in corpus analysis are used to exclude specific documents or parts of a corpus.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements accurately distinguishes Sketch Engine from #LancsBox regarding corpus analysis?

Sketch Engine focuses on user-friendly interfaces and interactive visualizations, unlike #LancsBox, which emphasizes command-line tools and scripting. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of a POS tag in an annotated corpus?

to indicate the part of speech and grammatical categories Signup and view all the answers

The 'Wordlist' tool generates frequency lists of words, lemmas, nouns, verbs, and ______.

tags Signup and view all the answers

When using the 'Lemma' query type in Sketch Engine's concordance tool, the search will only return the base form of the word, excluding any inflected forms.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Match the following 'Concordance' tool functions with their descriptions:

Subcorpus = Limits search to specific parts of the corpus (e.g., genre, topic, domain) Macro = Saves search criteria for quick reuse Filter context = Keeps lines fulfilling additional conditions Text types = Excludes or includes specific documents or parts of the corpus Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the 'Character' query type in Sketch Engine's concordance tool differs from other query types in its handling of punctuation.

The 'Character' query type treats punctuation marks as literal characters to be searched for within tokens, while other query types often assign special meanings to punctuation or disregard them altogether. Signup and view all the answers

The query type in Sketch Engine's concordance tool that allows for the use of regular expressions and part-of-speech tags for complex searches is called ______.

CQL Signup and view all the answers

Which action configures the 'Wordlist' tool to generate a list showing the most frequent word forms in its default setting?

Leave the settings at the default values. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the 'Filter context' function in corpus analysis?

To remove lines that do not meet specific criteria beyond the initial search. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Match each Sketch Engine concordance query type with its corresponding functionality.

Lemma = Finds all forms of the word. Phrase = Finds a phrase composed of several tokens exactly as typed. Word = Finds word forms exactly as typed. Character = Finds tokens which contain the character(s). Signup and view all the answers

The 'Wordlist' tool can only generate frequency lists of word forms, and cannot be used for lemmas or POS tags.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

A researcher wants to find all instances of the word "run" regardless of its form (e.g., "runs", "running", "ran"). Which concordance query type in Sketch Engine would be most suitable?

Lemma (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary limitation of using a concordance tool with very large corpora, despite its power?

The overwhelming number of results, which can make analysis and interpretation difficult and time-consuming. (C) Signup and view all the answers

The 'Simple' query type in Sketch Engine will only find the exact word form entered by the user.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which criterion is NOT essential for a collection of texts to be considered a corpus?

The texts must be stored electronically. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Texts written specifically for the purpose of being included in a corpus, such as eliciting specific grammatical structures, are considered valid components of a corpus.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Briefly explain why authenticity is crucial to the definition of a 'corpus'.

Authenticity ensures the language represents real-world usage, avoiding biases introduced by artificial or contrived language samples. Signup and view all the answers

Corpus linguistics involves a system of methods and principles for applying corpora in language studies and ______.

teaching/learning Signup and view all the answers

Match each characteristic to its corresponding term:

Corpus = A large, principled collection of naturally occurring language. Corpus Linguistics = The study of language in use through corpus analysis. Authenticity = Texts produced in a natural communicative setting. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best characterizes corpus linguistics?

The application of statistical methods to analyze large language datasets. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which is the LEAST representative genre for inclusion in a corpus designed to study natural language use?

Scripted dialogues from a stage play, based on natural conversations. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the definition of a 'corpus' ensures that linguistic analyses based on corpora are ecologically valid.

By requiring texts to be naturally occurring and produced in authentic communicative settings, corpora reflect real-world language use, making analyses generalizable to natural language contexts. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between lexicon and grammar according to the presented perspective?

Lexicon and grammar are so intertwined that treating them as separate entities in teaching or analysis misrepresents the integrated nature of language use. (D) Signup and view all the answers

The verb 'love' is commonly used in continuous aspect, reflecting its dynamic and ongoing nature.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Briefly explain how a usage-based approach to language pedagogy integrates corpora.

Usage-based approaches integrate corpora into language pedagogy by utilizing authentic texts to illustrate real-world language use and frequency patterns, which then inform teaching and learning materials. Signup and view all the answers

Phraseological items consist of multi-word units that are often __________, combining lexical and grammatical components uniquely.

opaque Signup and view all the answers

Match the benefit of integrating corpus use into the EFL classroom with its description:

Authentic language = Using real-world texts instead of scripted material. Empirical answers = Basing teaching on evidence rather than intuition. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of usage-based approaches to describing and teaching languages?

Emphasis on communication and authentic texts. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Explain the process by which learners move from prototypical constructions to abstraction in language acquisition, according to the principles outlined.

Through repeated exposure to similar constructions, learners begin to identify patterns and relationships, gradually abstracting general principles. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary implication of the statistic that the verb 'smile' is predominantly used in the past simple tense (64% of occurrences in the BNC)?

There is a need to integrate corpus data into language teaching to show actual usage patterns, with less emphasis on the continuous aspect. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which tool in Sketch Engine is most effective for directly comparing the collocational patterns of 'random' and 'arbitrary'?

Word Sketch Difference tool (D) Signup and view all the answers

Using authentic language material in worksheets, as opposed to invented sentences, is suggested to make language learning more meaningful.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

When redesigning language learning worksheets, what is a key consideration to enhance their effectiveness, besides using authentic materials?

Identifying actual communicative situations and lexical preferences Signup and view all the answers

To determine whether 'bridge' is used more often in a literal or figurative sense, one can use the Word Sketch to examine the most frequent ______ of 'bridge'.

modifiers Signup and view all the answers

Match the Sketch Engine tool with its primary function for analyzing word usage:

Concordance tool = Examining sentences to understand typical word usage Word Sketch Difference tool = Comparing collocational patterns between words Word Sketch = Identifying distinctions between noun and verb usage of a word Signup and view all the answers

What type of query in the Concordance tool allows you to identify verbs typically used with the plural noun 'bridges'?

Advanced search filtering by part of speech context (D) Signup and view all the answers

The use of signal words should be emphasized when creating a worksheet.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Besides identifying literal or figurative usage, what other distinction can the Word Sketch immediately show about a word’s usage?

Distinction between noun and verb usage and frequency Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Collocations

Words that commonly appear together.

Language in Use

Corpus linguistics examines language as it is used, ignoring strict prescriptive rules.