Book contents
- Applications of Corpus Linguistics
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Applications of Corpus Linguistics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Editors and Contributors
- 1 Applying Corpus Linguistics
- 2 ‘Cutting Out the Middleman’
- 3 Investigating User Perceptions of a Corpus-Informed DDL Resource
- 4 Applying a Corpus-Based DDL Intervention in the Private English Language Sector in Ireland
- 5 Using Corpus Linguistics in Formulaic Language Learning
- 6 Applying Corpus Research Indirectly to Language Teaching Materials and Assessment Development
- 7 Informing Teaching Practice through Corpus Research
- 8 Building a Longitudinal Learner Corpus for Swiss German Sign Language
- 9 Using CADS Research to Critique Representations of Muslims in the UK Press
- 10 Examining the Uptake of Media Guidelines
- 11 Challenging Online Misogyny
- 12 Using Corpus-Assisted Approaches to Explore UK Police Crisis Negotiation
- 13 Afterword
- Index
- References
2 - ‘Cutting Out the Middleman’
Doing DDL in the Secondary School Classroom without a Corpus Linguist
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 December 2025
Book contents
- Applications of Corpus Linguistics
- The Cambridge Applied Linguistics Series
- Applications of Corpus Linguistics
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables
- Editors and Contributors
- 1 Applying Corpus Linguistics
- 2 ‘Cutting Out the Middleman’
- 3 Investigating User Perceptions of a Corpus-Informed DDL Resource
- 4 Applying a Corpus-Based DDL Intervention in the Private English Language Sector in Ireland
- 5 Using Corpus Linguistics in Formulaic Language Learning
- 6 Applying Corpus Research Indirectly to Language Teaching Materials and Assessment Development
- 7 Informing Teaching Practice through Corpus Research
- 8 Building a Longitudinal Learner Corpus for Swiss German Sign Language
- 9 Using CADS Research to Critique Representations of Muslims in the UK Press
- 10 Examining the Uptake of Media Guidelines
- 11 Challenging Online Misogyny
- 12 Using Corpus-Assisted Approaches to Explore UK Police Crisis Negotiation
- 13 Afterword
- Index
- References
Summary
Thirty years since Johns (1990) coined the term ‘data-driven learning’ (DDL) to describe direct engagement with language corpus data, tools, and techniques for pedagogical purposes, DDL has become a popular area of applied corpus linguistics. However, one issue with the majority of DDL studies to date stems from a lack of focus outside of tertiary education. This leads to the applied linguist always being the main stakeholder, rather than teachers or indeed the students or institutions, and we currently have little information regarding how in-service teachers fare with DDL when the applied linguist is not in the room. This chapter presents two case studies exploring the experiences of four secondary school teachers who help to implement two different DDL interventions, one focusing on English as an additional language, the other focusing on DDL for science research report writing. Importantly for both cases, while an applied linguist developed the DDL activities, the teachers carried out many of the activities in class without the applied linguist present. Data is comprised of detailed individual interviews, coded and categorised into themes. The findings shed light on how DDL is perceived by subject content teachers when they are responsible for carrying out the intervention and provide an honest appraisal of the potential applications and impact of DDL when carried out by a non-linguist.
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- Applications of Corpus LinguisticsEstablished and Emergent Contexts, pp. 14 - 37Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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