- Home
- e-Journals
- International Journal of Learner Corpus Research
- Previous Issues
- Volume 6, Issue 1, 2020
International Journal of Learner Corpus Research - Volume 6, Issue 1, 2020
Volume 6, Issue 1, 2020
-
SLA developmental stages in the CEFR-related learner corpus MERLIN
Author(s): Katrin Wisniewskipp.: 1–37 (37)More LessAbstractLittle is known about the link between Second Language Acquisition (SLA) developmental stages (Pienemann 1998) and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) proficiency levels. Therefore, this study examines the inversion (INV) and verb-end (VEND) stages in L2 German MERLIN texts rated B1 (N = 104) or A2 (N = 32). Two acquisition criteria are applied to individual texts (emergence, Pienemann 1998; 75%-correct, Ellis 1989) and combined with analyses of texts grouped at CEFR levels. Results suggest links between developmental stages and CEFR levels: VEND was emerged in 44% of B1 texts, while most A2 texts did not contain VEND. Many B1 texts (61.5%), but only 37.5% of A2 texts showed emergence of INV. However, analyses also revealed persisting problems with INV accuracy at B1. More generally, the study points out shared challenges for Learner Corpus Research, SLA, and proficiency/assessment research related to the availability of linguistic evidence in learner texts.
-
Exploring the longitudinal development of grammatical complexity in the disciplinary writing of L2-English university students
Author(s): Douglas Biber, Randi Reppen, Shelley Staples and Jesse Egbertpp.: 38–71 (34)More LessAbstractThe present paper employs a corpus-based approach to track the longitudinal language development of university students. Compared to many other longitudinal studies, the present study tracks development over a relatively long period of time (two years) for a relatively large group of students (N = 22). However, the most important difference from previous research is that the study explores the linguistic characteristics of disciplinary writing, across levels of education and academic disciplines, investigating the writing tasks required for disciplinary content courses over two years of university education. We focus on grammatical complexity features associated with the hypothesized stages of development proposed in Biber et al. (2011). Methodologically, the study proposes research designs and statistical approaches that permit investigation of longitudinal development in an unbalanced corpus of natural texts. And linguistically, the results generally support the hypothesized stages of development, documenting a decline in the use of dependent clause complexity features and an increase in the use of phrasal complexity features. As such, the study adds to the growing body of research that emphasizes the importance of phrasal complexity in the development of academic writing.
-
Machine learning for learner English
pp.: 72–103 (32)More LessAbstractThis paper discusses machine learning techniques for the prediction of Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels in a learner corpus. We summarise the CAp 2018 Machine Learning (ML) competition, a classification task of the six CEFR levels, which map linguistic competence in a foreign language onto six reference levels. The goal of this competition was to produce a machine learning system to predict learners’ competence levels from written productions comprising between 20 and 300 words and a set of characteristics computed for each text extracted from the French component of the EFCAMDAT data (Geertzen et al., 2013). Together with the description of the competition, we provide an analysis of the results and methods proposed by the participants and discuss the benefits of this kind of competition for the learner corpus research (LCR) community. The main findings address the methods used and lexical bias introduced by the task.
-
Anne Golden, Scott Jarvis & Kari Tenfjord (Eds.), Crosslinguistic Influence and Distinctive Patterns of Language Learning: Findings and Insights from a Learner Corpus.
Author(s): Valentin Wernerpp.: 104–108 (5)More LessThis article reviews Crosslinguistic Influence and Distinctive Patterns of Language Learning: Findings and Insights from a Learner Corpus
-
Chunyan Wang, Patterns and Meanings of Intensifiers in Chinese Learner English
Author(s): Ying Wangpp.: 109–114 (6)More LessThis article reviews Patterns and Meanings of Intensifiers in Chinese Learner English
-
Ying Wang, The Idiom Principle and L1 Influence: A contrastive learner-corpus study of delexical verb + noun collocations.
Author(s): Gaëtanelle Gilquinpp.: 115–119 (5)More LessThis article reviews The Idiom Principle and L1 Influence: A contrastive learner-corpus study of delexical verb + noun collocations
Most Read This Month

-
-
The Trinity Lancaster Corpus
Author(s): Dana Gablasova, Vaclav Brezina and Tony McEnery
-
- More Less