A Systematic Synthesis of Research on Popular Corpus Tools in English Language Learning and Teaching

Abstract

It is well-established that second/foreign language learning requires exposure to meaningful input. Thanks to advancing technologies, one way to achieve this in language teaching contexts is via online corpus tools. Given the potential pedagogical gains these tools offer for language skills (e.g., vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and writing), this study aims to synthesise the findings of research on five popular corpus tools – Sketch Engine, SkELL, PlayPhraseMe, Fraze.it, and CorpusMate. Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, this study included five research papers from the Web of Science and Scopus databases until 2024. Applying qualitative and quantitative content analyses, the study found that corpus consultation promotes language skills and learner autonomy, supports contextually appropriate language use, and improves sensitivity to authentic language structures. Despite the promising outcomes, the scant number of studies analysed with some methodological issues and contextual constraints undermines the generalisability of the results. The study underscores the urgent need for more longitudinal, comparative, and large-scale research on using these corpus tools to harness them fully in language education. It also proposes that when systematically implemented, corpus tools may serve as powerful resources for language learning and teaching.

Keywords

• corpus
• English language learning
• data-driven learning
• systematic review
• language corpora

İngilizce Dil Öğrenme ve Öğretiminde Popüler Derlem Araçları Üzerine Araştırmaların Sistematik Sentezi

Abstract

İkinci/yabancı dil öğreniminin anlamlı girdilere maruz kalmayı gerektirdiği iyi bilinmektedir. Gelişen teknolojiler sayesinde, dil öğretimi bağlamında bunu başarmanın bir yolu çevrimiçi metin derleme araçlarıdır. Bu araçların dil becerileri (ör. kelime bilgisi, gramer, telaffuz ve yazma) için sunduğu potansiyel pedagojik kazanımlar göz önüne alındığında, bu çalışma beş popüler metin derleme aracı olan Sketch Engine, SkELL, PlayPhraseMe, Fraze.it ve CorpusMate ile ilgili araştırma bulgularını sentezlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Sistematik incelemeler için PRISMA kılavuzlarını takip eden bu çalışma, 2024 yılına kadar Web of Science ve Scopus veritabanlarından beş araştırma makalesini içermektedir. Nitel ve nicel içerik analizleri uygulayan çalışma, derlem danışmanlığının dil becerilerini ve öğrenen özerkliğini teşvik ettiğini, bağlamsal olarak uygun dil kullanımını desteklediğini ve otantik dil yapılarına duyarlılığı artırdığını bulmuştur. Umut verici sonuçlara rağmen, analiz edilen çalışma sayısının azlığı, bazı metodolojik sorunlar ve bağlamsal kısıtlamalar, sonuçların genelleştirilebilirliğini zayıflatmaktadır. Çalışma, dil eğitiminde bu derlem araçlarını tam olarak kullanmak için daha uzun süreli, karşılaştırmalı ve büyük ölçekli araştırmalara acil ihtiyaç olduğunu vurgulamaktadır. Ayrıca, sistematik olarak uygulandığında, derlem araçlarının dil öğrenimi ve öğretimi için güçlü kaynaklar olarak hizmet edebileceğini öne sürmektedir.

Keywords

• derlem
• İngilizce dil öğrenimi
• veri tabanlı öğrenme
• sistematik analiz
• dil derlemleri

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