–Researching writing development with a corpus
Dr Phil Durrant, University of Exeter
6 October 2021, 19:00 (Madrid time) – Register

Corpus research methods have much to offer the study of writing development, enabling reliable analysis of large samples of authentic learner writing and highlighting subtle developmental patterns that are difficult to detect by other means. While the increasing availability of corpora and of software for analysing them are opening up exciting new research possibilities, it is important to reflect on the methodological nature of such work and to consider what corpora can and cannot tell us about writing development. Drawing on both a large-scale literature review and a recent corpus project on school children’s writing in England, this presentation will explore how corpus measures of written language use can be employed and interpreted to inform studies of first and second language writing development. 

Phil Durrant is Associate Professor of Language and Education at the University of Exeter. He previously taught English at language schools and universities in Turkey and the UK. 

Coordination: Prof Pascual Pérez-Paredes

This event is sponsored by the Facultad de Letras, Universidad de Murcia, and the English Department, Universidad de Murcia.