Creative Collaboration through Corpus

  • David King: Insessional & Presessional EAP Tutor, Language Centre, ADS
  • Helen Hickey: Insessional & Presessional EAP Tutor, Language Centre, ADS

Brief description of session and activities

An overview of the workshop and its anticipated outcomes will be followed by a brief introduction to corpora in general and to the Language Centre’s Research Corpus specifically; what it is, why it has been developed, and how it can help inform teaching, materials design, and preparation of documentation. [Approximate time 10 minutes.]

Data-driven activities. Participants will be given an opportunity to examine samples of data derived from the Language Centre’s Research Corpus and discuss:

  1. What information the participants can glean from the data

  2. Whether the issues apparent in the data resonate with their own experiences of (and, perhaps, difficulties with) international students’ writing

  3. Whether the present focus of the Language Centre’s research Corpus is relevant to the expectations they have of students’ writing and desired learning outcomes.

Feedback and forum for discussion regarding what discipline tutors perceive as the main priorities regarding international students’ writing and how, through enhanced collaboration among discipline tutors and the Language Centre, English language support can be more effectively targeted to address those priorities. Suggestions as to possible future directions will be encouraged. Participants will also be provided with the opportunity to submit, at a time convenient to them, samples of course documentation and/or examples of good practice for corpus analysis. The information gathered from these submissions can be used to better inform the focus of English language teaching on Presessional and Insessional courses and this knowledge will be shared with colleagues. [Approximate time 15 minutes.]

How will students be involved in the session?

No. This workshop is directed primarily at discipline tutors.

What will participants take away from the session?

  • An increased awareness of corpus and its potential to inform teaching and enhance the international student experience.
  • An awareness of another channel of communication and collaboration between English language courses and disciplines
  • An opportunity to submit course documentation and examples of good practice for corpus analysis.