Trends in corpus-based descriptive linguistics
Associate Professor Dr. Shirley N. Dita (De La Salle University) &
Dr Ariane Macalinga Borlongan (Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)
The use of corpora in the description of languages has never been as much taken advantage of as it is in contemporary times. Modern linguistic description owes much to corpus linguistics for its precise data-driven theorizing that it can do nowadays. This workshop reviews the fundamental concepts and principles of corpus-based methodology in language research. Then, it presents the different techniques and approaches in corpus-based descriptive linguistics. It also shows exemplary analyses and studies which could be inspiration for future work using this methodology. This includes synchronic studies of Philippine languages and Asian Englishes and how corpora are used in grammatical description and dictionary making. It also covers diachronic studies of Asian Englishes. An important part of this workshop is a hands-on experience with corpora as well as a discussion of future possibilities on language description using corpora.