Enhancing Academic Writing Vocabulary Use through Direct Corpus Consultation: Saudi English Majors’ Perceptions and Experiences

Abstract

Using corpora as a learning tool in Second Language writing has gained popularity recently. The present study aimed to explore how Saudi EFL students perceive and engage with direct corpus consultation activities in academic writing as an effective method of overcoming their vocabulary errors. Hopefully, this study will provide insights into the issue of raising awareness among both EFL university students and writing teachers about the benefits of direct corpus consultation in academic writing, as well as highlighting the potential challenges students might face. Two specific questions were addressed in the study: How do Saudi EFL students perceive direct corpus consultation as a method for overcoming vocabulary errors in academic writing? What are the challenges that EFL students encounter when they use direct corpus consultation? Based on convenience sampling, a total of 32 Saudi female students majoring in English participated in the study. The study employed a mixed-method approach to increase the credibility of the study results. The study data were collected from a structured questionnaire based on a 6-point Likert scale and semi-structured interviews. The corpus used was the Corpus of Contemporary American English. The findings of both the quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that the participants were positive about using direct corpus consultation to improve vocabulary and academic writing. In addition, some challenges associated with using direct corpus consultation were outlined in the study findings. The study concluded with several recommendations for future research and pedagogical implications.