I begin this paper with a brief survey of how frequency — in particular, frequency of words — had a role in language learning in the days before electronic corpora existed. Then I consider how the "corpus revol...I begin this paper with a brief survey of how frequency — in particular, frequency of words — had a role in language learning in the days before electronic corpora existed. Then I consider how the "corpus revolution" made frequency information available in a totally unprecedented way from the 1960s onward. Finally I discuss the usefulness of frequency to the language learner and teacher, and some new directions in applied linguistics favourable to frequency.展开更多
Research tends to go in cycles of innovation,consolidation and confirmation,then reflection.Formulaic language research seems currently to be moving into a reflective phase,offering considerable potential for new idea...Research tends to go in cycles of innovation,consolidation and confirmation,then reflection.Formulaic language research seems currently to be moving into a reflective phase,offering considerable potential for new ideas feeding the next round of innovation.Research into formulaic language goes back 150 years at least,with several strands developing somewhat independently,including patterns in native language (including first language acquisition),language disorders and second language learning.My own work was an attempt to identify a single explanation that accounted for them all.New technologies now provide additional ways to explore and evaluate the evidence,most notably through corpus linguistics,and eye and brain activity monitoring.Five key claims,all with potential implications for L2 research and teaching,indicate the scope for future research:1.Although we talk of an 'idiomatic' nativelike way of speaking,in fact there is considerable variation in what is idiomatic:what should be taught? 2.The acquisition of idiomaticity is driven by the need to belong and survive:can this be replicated in the classroom? 3.Although formulaic language seems to reduce the speaker' s processing,the hearer' s processing may be the more important consideration:does 'accommodation' affect the learner's experience adversely? 4.Corpus linguistics forces a careful evaluation of the true role of frequency in idiomaticity:are materials writers beguiled by corpus data? 5.We cannot consider formulaic language patterns independently of knowing the purpose of the text in which they occur,including its genre:are L2 teaching materials broad enough?There are key opportunities for researchers in China to exploit aspects of the Chinese writing system and approach to education,to answer questions that cannot be easily answered in the west.Issues include the role of memorisation in language learning,the role of literacy in our perception of linguistic units,and the universality of patterns in acquired language disorders.展开更多
文摘I begin this paper with a brief survey of how frequency — in particular, frequency of words — had a role in language learning in the days before electronic corpora existed. Then I consider how the "corpus revolution" made frequency information available in a totally unprecedented way from the 1960s onward. Finally I discuss the usefulness of frequency to the language learner and teacher, and some new directions in applied linguistics favourable to frequency.
文摘Research tends to go in cycles of innovation,consolidation and confirmation,then reflection.Formulaic language research seems currently to be moving into a reflective phase,offering considerable potential for new ideas feeding the next round of innovation.Research into formulaic language goes back 150 years at least,with several strands developing somewhat independently,including patterns in native language (including first language acquisition),language disorders and second language learning.My own work was an attempt to identify a single explanation that accounted for them all.New technologies now provide additional ways to explore and evaluate the evidence,most notably through corpus linguistics,and eye and brain activity monitoring.Five key claims,all with potential implications for L2 research and teaching,indicate the scope for future research:1.Although we talk of an 'idiomatic' nativelike way of speaking,in fact there is considerable variation in what is idiomatic:what should be taught? 2.The acquisition of idiomaticity is driven by the need to belong and survive:can this be replicated in the classroom? 3.Although formulaic language seems to reduce the speaker' s processing,the hearer' s processing may be the more important consideration:does 'accommodation' affect the learner's experience adversely? 4.Corpus linguistics forces a careful evaluation of the true role of frequency in idiomaticity:are materials writers beguiled by corpus data? 5.We cannot consider formulaic language patterns independently of knowing the purpose of the text in which they occur,including its genre:are L2 teaching materials broad enough?There are key opportunities for researchers in China to exploit aspects of the Chinese writing system and approach to education,to answer questions that cannot be easily answered in the west.Issues include the role of memorisation in language learning,the role of literacy in our perception of linguistic units,and the universality of patterns in acquired language disorders.
