Gena Bennett

The goal of this book is to make the ideas of corpus linguistics accessible to teachers and, most important, provide ideas, instruction, and opportunities for teachers to use the applications of corpus linguistics in their classrooms. Using Corpora in the Language Learning Classroom is intended for graduate students who are studying applied linguistics or TESOL, for teacher-trainers working with language instructors, and for practicing language teachers who want to better understand corpus linguistics and how to incorporate it into their classroom. The book has three sections: (1) a general introduction to corpus linguistics, which contains a brief look at the theory and principles of corpus linguistics; (2) a section that reviews corpus-influenced materials and commonly used corpora; and (3) a set of corpus-designed activities that rely on several tools (MICASE, COCA, TextSTAT, for example) to teach a variety of language skills. This book does not intend to provide a complete theoretical foundation for corpus linguistics, but it does aim to provide its readers with the basic theoretical underpinnings and tools needed to work with corpora in the classroom in such a way that they are able to more effectively and efficiently help students to acquire a second language.

Teaching a Lexis-Based Academic Writing Course is a companion to Building an Academic Vocabulary,which was written for students who need to develop college-level vocabulary skills. Building Academic Vocabulary (0-472-08589-1) helps students develop lexical precision as they work in such often-exercised modes as cause-effect, general description, description of processes, and comparison/contrast. Teaching a Lexis-Based Academic Writing Course will help instructors use Building an Academic Vocabulary more effectively, but it can also be used as a companion to any writing text and by instructors who want their writing course to have more of a focus on vocabulary. Each chapter includes additional practice exercise and five additional quizzes on collocations and common phrases, related forms, and additional vocabulary. This resource provides instructors with a valuable tool for helping students develop precision and fluency in their academic writing.