Using Comparable Expert-writer and Learner Corpora for Developing Report-writing Skills

The combined analysis of expert-writer and learner corpora for the identification of features of a register and genre can be of considerable pedagogical value, particularly when applied to courses of English for special purposes. The analysis of a corpus of a specific text-type can reveal recurring lexico-grammatical patterns and aspects of the generic structure of the text which can then be applied to language learning. The arguments in favour of a genre-based approach to the language syllabus are by now well known (Swales 1990, Bhatia 1993), and corpus-based approaches to identifying the linguistic resources available to achieve the communicative goal of a particular genre (Bondi 2001; Flowerdew 2001; Tribble 2002) are becoming increasingly widespread. This article shows how, when the analysis of expert-writer and learner corpora are combined, a corpus-informed approach can, on the one hand, enable the description of features of a genre and, on the other, promote an awareness of the kind of language produced by students. This combination can then lead to the selection of linguistic features which may be focussed on in an English language course with specific aims. Data from two small, specialised corpora have been used to identify characteristics of the genre under investigation. In particular insights will be provided into how corpora and concordancing software can be used in the teaching of writing skills, through the design of course materials that raise students’ language awareness.