Spoken Corpora

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview on the use of spoken corpora as a research tool for investigating second language acquisition of speaking. It begins with an introduction to and definitions of (spoken) corpora followed by a brief historical overview. This chapter continues with a discussion of the potential benefits of using spoken corpora for researching spoken second language acquisition, highlights the breadth of research questions being explored, and identifies current gaps in the literature. In the Current Contributions to Research part, four corpora are described in detail along with their research findings to date. Next, considerations for corpus building and design are discussed followed by an overview of some widely used digital tools for data transcription, annotation, and analysis. After providing recommendations for research practice, this chapter concludes with some thoughts on future directions and recommendations for further reading.