Exploring the impact of data-driven learning in language education: Insights from Japan and Saudi Arabia

Rasha Mohsen, Postgraduate Researcher, School of Education & Henry Troy, Postgraduate Researcher, School of Education
Venue TBC

Corpus linguistics has influenced the field of modern linguistics, as well as second language learning and teaching. Over the past decades, the use of corpora resources in language education, commonly referred to as data-driven learning (DDL) has emerged as an influential and promising tool for use in both second and foreign language learning. This project aims to report on the current state of DDL in language education, by reviewing previous empirical studies in the field of vocabulary and lexical learning. We will then illustrate the designs of our studies separately and how we implement the DDL approach in different contexts: Japan and Saudi Arabia. Preliminary findings suggest that DDL is effective in teaching multi-word units, and it might be used in conjunction with traditional teaching resources. The findings also reveal that ordinary teachers and EFL learners express their positive perspectives about the use of corpora resources in language education. However, they also identified some challenges and issues that need to be addressed for the successful integration of DDL in educational settings.

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Rasha Mohsen, currently in her third year as a PhD candidate, specializes in language education research, with a keen focus on employing corpora resources in English language teaching. She holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Linguistics from King Abdulaziz University. She then obtained her Master qualification from Texas Tech University in Applied Linguistics. Rasha has five years of expertise in EFL teaching setting, with a particular experience in teaching English for specific purposes. Her primary interests lie in the integration of data-driven learning approaches in language education with a special emphasis on enhancing vocabulary instruction in second language learning.

Henry Troy: I was born in London and spent most of my childhood there, although I also lived for four years in Bangladesh. I did my undergraduate degree at the University of Stirling, majoring in Journalism Studies. By the time my degree had finished, I had reconsidered my dream of becoming a journalist, and instead wanted to try teaching in Japan. I got my first job at an English conversation school, and soon felt this was a job that matched me, so I decided to make a career out of it. I did a CELTA, an MA in Applied Linguistics with the University of Birmingham, became an IELTS examiner and got more experience working at a British English School. In 2017, I got my first lecturing job at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. After working there for four years, I started at my present place of employment – Nanzan University. Since doing my MA, my main area of research interest has been Corpus Linguistics, and more specifically DDL. I have been investigating effective ways to use corpora in the language classroom, with the goal of making it more accessible and useable for both teachers and learners in various contexts. This led me to my current doctoral study.