Corpus-based research in Chinese as a second language

Abstract

Learner corpus research is the use of learner corpora to describe, analyze, and explain learner language use. Since the late 1990s, following the work of Granger and her colleagues, a rich body of learner corpus studies has emerged and new insights about how a second language is acquired have been gained by this methodological approach that contribute greatly to the understanding of second language development and second language learners. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive overview of learner corpora and corpus-based research in the field of Chinese as a second language (CSL). We start with a brief introduction of the key concepts and research methodologies in corpus linguistics and learner corpus research. We then introduce the major CSL learner corpora. It is followed by a critical synthesis of CSL corpus studies and examination of major findings gained by this line of research. We conclude with suggestions for future research and implications of corpus-based research for CSL learning and teaching.