Exploring Corpora for ESP Learning

This book investigates the effects of corpus work on the process of foreign language learning in ESP settings. It suggests that observing learners at work with corpus data can stimulate discussion and re-thinking of the pedagogical implications of both the theoretical and empirical aspects of corpus linguistics. The ideas presented here are developed from the Data-Driven Learning approach introduced by Tim Johns in the early nineties. The experience of watching students perform corpus analysis provides the basis for the two main observations in the book: a) corpus work provides students with a useful source of information about ESP language features, b) the process of "search-and-discovery" implied in the method of corpus analysis may facilitate language learning and promote autonomy in learning language use. The discussion is carried out on the basis of a series of corpus-based "explorations" by students and provides suggestions for developing new tasks and tools for language learners.

Annelie Ädel, University of Michigan, in Studies in Second Language Acquisition 29(4), 2007:
Although it is easy to get carried away about new methods and tools for the classroom, Gavioli's approach is a balanced one. Her view is that corpora and corpus tools should not replace traditional and carefully developed tools like grammars, dictionaries, or style guides; it is when these tools are not sufficient that corpora and concordances can prove highly useful. This is, of course, particularly likely to happen in ESP, where the level of specialization creates needs that are rarely met by general reference works.