A Methodology for Teaching Corpus-Based English Vocabulary to Korean College Learners

Abstract

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explain and introduce a methodology of teaching and learning cor-pus-based English vocabulary to Korean college students.
 Methods A total of fifty-five students were divided into two groups. The control group included twenty-eight subjects and they took vocabulary lessons in the traditional method. The experimental group had twenty-seven learners and they did corpus-based vocabulary exercises. They were all female students. During one semester, the two groups studied all the same content and amount of target vocabulary, but they practiced two different types of vocabulary exercises at the beginning of the lessons. Four instruments were used to collect data from the learners: vocabulary tests, grammar tests, questionnaires and self-reports.
 Results The result in this study showed that the two groups achieved significantly better scores in post vocabulary and grammar tests. Furthermore, the experimental group did better than the control group in grammar. Through questionnaires and self-reports, the students shared various feelings and opinions of the two classes after lessons. They expressed positive opinions and feelings about learning English and favoured the idea of studying vocabulary with self-reports. Some students felt the class was too easy.
 Conclusions This research suggests an effective method for teaching corpus-based vocabulary. It also states the limitations of the study and has implications in TESOL for Korean College learners as they study the lexis.