Corpus as a Secondary Resource for ELT

Abstract

In this chapter, we propose for utilizing English Language Corpus (ELC) as a secondary resource for developing English Language Teaching (ELT) materials for teaching English to non-native learners. We argue for using ELC as one of the most authentic representative collections of modern English language from where we can extract necessary linguistic data, appropriate information, and suitable examples to develop some of the basic as well as additional resources of ELT, such as textbooks, reference materials, syllabuses, grammar books, dictionaries, and terminology databases, for the learners. Keeping the requirements of individual learners in mind, we also propose for customizing the materials to make these maximally useful within the broader scheme of computer-assisted language teaching (CALT) method. In our view, the ELT resources developed from the ELC can be far more useful for the learners, because the ELC represents diversified varieties of usage of modern English in real life situations, which the learners need to assimilate to be at par with native speakers across the globe. Also, ELC-based ELT resources can be far more interesting and beneficial to the learners if the ELT instructors carefully utilize these resources keeping in mind the requirements of specific learners. If the ELT learners want to compete in the global frame, then utilization of ELC-based ELT resources is the most useful solution, which we can ignore at the cost of our own peril.