This study investigates the effect that reference corpora of different registers have on the content of keyword
lists. The study focusses on two target corpora and the keyword lists generated for each when using three distinct reference
corpora. The two target corpora consist of published research by faculty at two PhD-granting programs in applied linguistics in
North America. The reference corpora comprise published research in applied linguistics, newspaper and magazine articles, and
fiction texts, respectively. The findings suggest that while common keywords representing each target corpus emerge regardless of
the reference corpus used in the analysis, there are also substantial differences. Primarily, using a reference corpus of the same
sub-register as the target corpus better highlights content unique to each target corpus while using a reference corpus of a
different register better uncovers words that reflect the register that the target corpora represent. Implications for conducting
keyword analysis are discussed.
In the present study, we take a longitudinal, corpus‐based perspective to investigate short‐term (over 9 months) linguistic change in the language produced for the spoken and written sections of the TOEFL iBT® test by a group of English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language (EFL) learners in China. The goal of the study is to identify patterns that characterize the trajectory that language learners move through in terms of their use of phrasal and clausal grammatical complexity, as mediated by mode (spoken and written) and task type (independent and integrated). Results of a multidimensional analysis reveal that in many cases, learners developed in expected ways: discourse styles at Time 1 were not always aligned with mode‐ and task type‐specific discourse patterns but developed over time, with discourse styles at Time 2 better approximating expected norms and exhibiting increased task differentiation. These changes were particularly noteworthy for Dimension 1, which is related to phrasal and clausal complexity. Results of a developmental complexity analysis revealed more mixed results, seeming to indicate that the relatively low‐proficiency learners represented by the longitudinal corpus may just be beginning on the hypothesized paths of development. The most important developments occurred for independent writing, in which students exhibited increases in the frequency of phrasal features, as well as functional expansion in the use of a range of complexity features.
Discussions of blended learning (BL) have generally failed to account for the synchronous combination of computer-mediated and face-to-face interactions that can occur within a blended learning space (BLS BLS). is paper provides an overview of BLS BLS use by a department of teachers at a Japanese university specializing in foreign language learning. Data was collected via a teacher questionnaire (n = , response rate = %) and follow-up interviews. Compared to non-BLS BLS lessons, BLS BLS lessons had diff erent lesson goals, diff erent patterns of interaction, diff erent types of homework, more variety of media, and more variety of input and output. BLS BLS lessons also showed signs of increased learner autonomy and motivation. Table 1: Courses taught in BLS BLSs by survey respondents by course type Course type Year Department Course BLS BLS lessons weekly Oral communication 1 English Freshman English 12
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.