Corpora and corpus-based approaches have been used to aid second language (L2) pedagogy for more than half a century (Schlitz, 2010). While this method has been acknowledged as having great potential for L2 writing instruction (Almutairi, 2016; Klimova, 2014; Yoon, 2008), it may not have received the same level of attention from English teachers in Vietnam. Given that this tool can contribute to the development of independent learners with regard to L2 writing, it is essential that teachers be informed of the approach and willing to apply it to their writing courses. The current study aims to investigate the extent to which academic English instructors at universities in Ho Chi Minh City know about corpus technology and its use in teaching writing skills. It also examines their perceptions of the (potential) benefits and obstacles to employing this technique in their classrooms. Eight EFL instructors at both public and state universities in the city were invited to join in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed using content analysis and patterns in the responses were identified. The results show that despite its popularity in the field of L2 research, corpus technology remains unfamiliar and largely inaccessible to a majority of teachers in the area. They also expressed concerns about issues related to access fees, reliability of corpora content, lack of pedagogical knowledge, and insufficient instructional hours in the syllabus. Based on these findings, several implications have been made in terms of teacher training and support.
Corpora and corpus-based approaches have been used to aid second language (L2) pedagogy for more than half a century (Schlitz, 2010). While this method has been acknowledged as having great potential for L2 writing instruction (Almutairi, 2016; Klimova, 2014; Yoon, 2008), it may not have received the same level of attention from English teachers in Vietnam. Given that this tool can contribute to the development of independent learners with regard to L2 writing, it is essential that teachers be informed of the approach and willing to apply it to their writing courses. The current study aims to investigate the extent to which academic English instructors at universities in Ho Chi Minh City know about corpus technology and its use in teaching writing skills. It also examines their perceptions of the (potential) benefits and obstacles to employing this technique in their classrooms. Eight EFL instructors at both public and state universities in the city were invited to join in-depth semi-structured interviews. The data was analyzed using content analysis and patterns in the responses were identified. The results show that despite its popularity in the field of L2 research, corpus technology remains unfamiliar and largely inaccessible to a majority of teachers in the area. They also expressed concerns about issues related to access fees, reliability of corpora content, lack of pedagogical knowledge, and insufficient instructional hours in the syllabus. Based on these findings, several implications have been made in terms of teacher training and support.
Room 7 (Building G4, Room 05) VietTESOL International Convention 2022 convention@viettesol.org.vnTechnical Issues?
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