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
3 - Investigating User Perceptions of a Corpus-Informed DDL Resource
User Experiences of ColloCaid
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
In data-driven learning (DDL), learners discover how words or phrases are used by analysing corpus data with tools like concordancers. This makes it a direct application of corpus linguistics in language learning and teaching. This chapter examines the use of ColloCaid, a DDL writing assistant for academic writing, and explores how learners’ perceptions of this tool can inform future corpus applications. After discussing the challenges and opportunities of DDL adoption for learning and teaching, a diary study with twelve academic writers working or studying at a university in Catalonia evaluates how well ColloCaid addresses these challenges. Results suggest that while DDL tools help reduce data overload, they still pose technical challenges, even when user friendliness was a central consideration in their design. An analysis of participant diary entries and responses to follow-up interviews highlights closer integration with word processors and other everyday productivity software as a potential solution. More broadly, the results suggest that the evaluation of corpus-based tools should focus on their usability as well as their effectiveness for learning, take place beyond the classroom in ecologically valid contexts, and consider a variety of text types beyond typical academic genres such as abstracts, essays, and reports.
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- Chapter
- Information
- Applications of Corpus LinguisticsEstablished and Emergent Contexts, pp. 38 - 60Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2026
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