Corpora in the LSP classroom: A learner-centred corpus of French for biotechnologists

While there is a growing body of research in the use of corpora in the teaching of languages for specific purposes (LSP) since the late 1960’s, learner evaluations of the activity are rarer (see, for example, Yoon & Hirvela 2004 and O’Sullivan & Chambers 2006). This study investigates the use of a corpus of articles on biotechnology in French with native English-speaking university students of biotechnology. After situating the study in the research context, we investigate the issues involved in the creation of an appropriate corpus, describe the integration of the corpus in the French language course, and evaluate the learners’ reactions through questionnaires and semi-structured group interviews. Finally, the implications of studies such as this for applied corpus-based research are discussed, including the need for specialised pedagogic corpora.