Compiling and Analyzing Your Own Corpus

Workshop

Event Title:  Compiling and Analyzing Your Own Corpus                                                                                             

Date/time: July 16 – 18, 2012, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm

Location: The Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus

Registration Information: http://calper.la.psu.edu/profdev.php?page=reg

Workshop Description:

This workshop is designed to provide language teachers and instructors with an accessible and hands-on introduction to the compilation of written learner corpora and the ways in which such corpora can be analyzed to assess learner performance and development and to inform language instruction. The workshop is organized around the following sessions:

• an overview of the principles of learner corpus design and compilation, existing native and learner corpora that are useful for language teaching and learning, and tools for learner corpus analysis;
• a step-by-step walk-through on how to use the functionalities of Graphic Online Language Diagnostic (GOLD), a freely available online tool developed at CALPER for language teachers to compile, share, and analyze learner corpora;
• a detailed demonstration of how actual learner corpora have been compiled by language teachers using GOLD with students’ written assignments and essays and the insights such corpora have brought to light in student performance and development;
• a hands-on lab session in which participants compile and analyze their own learner corpora with GOLD using their own collections of learner-produced written texts;
• a discussion session in which participants share insights gained from their analyses as well as outstanding issues and challenges; and
• a concluding session with practical guidance on how learner corpora analysis can be effectively integrated in language instruction and assessment. Participants will also be offered the opportunity to register for guided projects on utilizing GOLD.

Presenter: Xiaofei Lu (CALPER)

Event website: http://calper.la.psu.edu/profdev.php?page=workshops