Corpora and data-driven learning in foreign language teaching - Using a corpus of international video-mediated communication to develop communicative and intercultural competence in the English as a foreign language classroom

Abstract

The education system and English as a Foreign Language teaching (EFL) in particular should prepare learners to live and work in a globalized, intercultural and digital environment. Future skills like communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking are needed, and establishing communicative and intercultural competence, as well as digital competence in the EFL classroom is key. This dissertation explores the potential of using corpora and data-driven learning as powerful tools to establish these competences and at the same time to modernize and upgrade language teaching. However, the use of corpora in EFL teaching is currently very limited and it seems that corpora do not find their way into EFL teaching and into the EFL classroom. To address this gap, this dissertation introduces new material and new methods to promote a new mindset towards integrating corpora and data-driven learning (DDL) in EFL teaching. A key contribution of this dissertation is the creation of a new resource, TaCoCASE, a computer-mediated communication (CMC) corpus that consists of intercultural encounters between students from Germany, Great Britain and the United States. It provides authentic material and insights into actual language in use and the negotiation process of cultural concepts in intercultural encounters. This dissertation investigates to what extent corpora and DDL can contribute to improving the main competences in EFL teaching – communicative competence and intercultural competence, as well as digital competence. It encourages the use of corpora and data-driven learning in language teaching and has several significant implications for EFL teaching: (1) It demonstrates that there is a clear syllabus fit of TaCoCASE with European standards – the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in terms of communicative and intercultural competence, (2) it shows how authentic examples and DDL activities can be used to develop communicative and intercultural competence. Thus, this dissertation argues for a paradigm shift in EFL teaching through using corpora and DDL activities in the EFL classroom. This ranges from suggesting new material, new methods and a new mindset to practical applications with hands-on material and examples ready for classroom use.