Methodenmodul: Corpus Linguistics

Corpus Linguistics can be described as the study of language based on examples of “real-life” language use. These examples are stored in computer-accessible collections, so-called corpora. While corpus linguistics is primarily a method, it has profound effects on theories of language and how language can be described. This being so, the course will combine theoretical discussions with practical hands-on exercises which will introduce students to the practical aspects of working with corpora and relevant software. Concerning the theoretical part, we will be dealing with corpus-based research from different areas of linguistic inquiry, from metaphor research to sociolinguistic analysis.

Given that this course is offered as part of the "Methodenmodul", the course will guide you through the individual steps of carrying out a corpus-linguistic research project. This includes a detailed introduction to how a research paper is best structured and written.

Given that we will working with corpora in a hands-on fashion, you should have a portable computer (with either Windows or Mac OS) that you can bring to class.

The course is aimed at anyone interested in working with “real-life” language data – you don't have to be a computer expert!