A selection of resource materials
The corpus method in language teaching
Traditionally, language teaching focused on vocabulary and grammar as two separate components of linguistic skills. It was believed that once learners acquire lexical items and internalise grammatical rules, they will be able to combine these components and apply them in communicative situations. However, there is a growing body of evidence that shows that in order to communicate successfully, learners also need to acquire expressions and structures that lie between lexis and grammar, so called lexico-grammar (collocations are one example of a lexico-grammatical feature). Download an information sheet...
Areas of difference between more succesful and less successful GESE candidates
The findings in this section are based on corpus analysis of 14 successful and 14 less successful Grade 7 & 8 candidates from L1 Spanish or Italian background. The successful candidates were defined as those who were awarded mark ‘A’ on their performance while the less successful candidates were awarded mark ‘C’ or ‘D’. All of the findings are based on the Interactive task. Read more...
Learning from assessment
Classroom activities for speaking
We have produced a range of classroom activity worksheets and accompanying teacher notes based on corpus data consisting of over 1,500 scripts of speaking tests from speakers with a variety of language backgrounds.
