Magali Paquot

Formulaic language in learner corpora

Formulaic language is at the heart of corpus linguistic research, and learner corpus research (LCR) is no exception. As multiword units of all kinds (e.g., collocations, phrasal verbs, speech formulae) are notoriously difficult for learners, and corpus linguistic techniques are an extremely powerful way of exploring them, they were an obvious area for investigation by researchers from the very early days of LCR. In the first part of this article, the focus is on the types of learner corpus data investigated and the most popular method used to analyze them. The second section describes the types of word sequences analyzed in learner corpora and the methodologies used to extract them. In the rest of the article, we summarize some of the main findings of LCR studies of the learner phrasicon, distinguishing between co-occurrence and recurrence. Particular emphasis is also placed on the relationship between learners’ use of formulaic sequences and transfer from the learners first language. The article concludes with some proposals for future research in the field.

L1 frequency in foreign language acquisition: Recurrent word combinations in French and Spanish EFL learner writing:

This study investigated French and Spanish EFL (English as a foreign language) learners’ preferred use of three-word lexical bundles with discourse or stance-oriented function with a view to exploring the role of first language (L1) frequency effects in foreign language acquisition. Word combinations were extracted from learner performance data (i.e. argumentative essays), and the frequency of their translation equivalent forms was analysed on the basis of French and Spanish L1 corpora. Strong and positive monotonic correlations were found between the frequency of a lexical bundle in the EFL learners’ written productions and the frequency of its equivalent form in the learners’ first language. Results also suggest that different patterns of use across the two L1 learner populations may be explained by frequency differences in L1 French and Spanish. Overall, the study calls for a more systematic investigation of L1 frequency effects within usage-based perspectives on second language acquisition.

The phraseological dimension in interlanguage complexity research

This article reports on the first results of a large-scale research programme that aims to define and circumscribe the construct of phraseological complexity and to theoretically and empirically demonstrate its relevance for second language theory. Within this broad agenda, the study has two main objectives. First, it investigates to what extent measures of phraseological complexity can be used to describe second language (L2) performance at different proficiency levels. Second, it compares measures of phraseological complexity with traditional measures of syntactic and lexical complexity. Variety and sophistication are postulated to be the first two dimensions of phraseological complexity, which is approached via relational co-occurrences, i.e. co-occurring words that appear in a specific structural or syntactic relation (e.g. adjective + noun, adverbial modifier + verb, verb + direct object). Phraseological diversity is operationalized as root type–token ratio computed for each syntactic relation. Two methods are tested to approach phraseological sophistication. First, sophisticated word combinations are defined as academic collocations that appear in the Academic Collocation List (Ackermann and Chen, 2013). Second, it is approximated with the average pointwise mutual information score as this measures has been shown to bring out word combinations made up of closely associated medium to low-frequency (i.e. advanced or sophisticated) words. The study reveals that unlike traditional measures of syntactic and lexical complexity, measures of phraseological sophistication can be used to describe L2 performance at the B2, C1 and C2 levels of the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR), thus suggesting that essential aspects of language development from upper-intermediate to very advanced proficiency level may be situated in the phraseological dimension.

Phraseological Competence: A Missing Component in University Entrance Language Tests? Insights from a Study of EFL Learners' Use of Statistical Collocations.

ABSTRACT The main objective of this article is to demonstrate with the help of learner corpus data the practical relevance of the phraseological dimension of language for writing assessment in higher education. Phraseological competence is now widely recognized as an important part of fluent and idiomatic language use, but its development has not received the attention it deserves in the CEFR. The study investigates the development of linguistic correlates of syntactic, lexical, and phraseological complexity in learner texts at B2, C1, and C2 and shows that while no measure of syntactic or lexical complexity seems to have an impact on human raters’ overall judgement of writing quality, two measures of phraseological complexity explain 25% of the variance in the data set. Results suggest that incorporating phraseological competence into the scoring rubrics of university entrance language tests would help language test developers add construct validity to language assessment in higher education. More generally, this study also shows the crucial role that Language for Specific Purposes learner corpora could play in language assessment.

Electronic lexicography goes local: Design and structures of a needs-driven online academic writing aid / Die elektronische Lexikographie wird spezifischer: Das Design und die Struktur einer auf die Benutzerbedürfnisse berzogenen akademischen Online- Schreibhilfe / La lexicographie électronique devient plus spécifique: conception et structure d‘une aide à l‘écriture académique

Abstract Writing idiomatic academic texts in English is a challenge faced by an increasing number of international students and scholars. In this article, we present a web-based dictionary-cum-writing aid tool, the Louvain English for Academic Purposes Dictionary, which aims to address the attested needs of non-native writers of English, with a particular focus on the phraseological patterning of academic words. First, we present the general design of the dictionary, highlighting four of its main features, i.e. the fact that it is corpus-based, production-oriented, hybrid and customizable. We then describe key aspects of the macro- and microstructure and highlight innovative features of the access structure, such as direct access to discipline-specific corpora. The conclusion outlines some important priorities for the future, in particular the need for validation and the desirability of integrating the dictionary into a wider learning environment.