Steps for developing the English Corpus of Public Administration (ECOPA) for public administration students: A qualitative corpus approach

Misnawati Misnawati, Haryanto Atmowardoyo, Iskandar Sulaiman, Saidna Zulfiqar Bin Tahir, Yusriadi Yusriadi

Abstract


Corpus linguistics has opened up exciting possibilities for enriching classroom learning, yet only some corpus-based tools exist, specifically for didactic purposes. This is particularly true in public administration, where a lack of dedicated corpora presents a significant research opportunity. This study addresses this gap by developing the English Corpus of Public Administration (ECOPA), a novel corpus-based didactic tool designed to enhance the learning and teaching of public administration vocabulary. This study employed a qualitative approach grounded in corpus linguistics principles, utilizing the corpus analysis steps outlined by Toriida (2016) and a semantic scale validation process adapted from Dang (2020). ECOPA was meticulously compiled from 561 written text references representing diverse genres relevant to public administration, including narrative, general, academic, formal, and informal texts. Analysis of this corpus yielded a comprehensive list of 6.283 online words pertinent to the field. ECOPA is a valuable resource for public administration learners, as it provides exposure to authentic language use and facilitates vocabulary acquisition. Lecturers can utilize ECOPA to design engaging language-focused activities and assessments, while scholars can leverage the corpus for further research into the linguistic landscape of public administration. This study underscores the profound impact of corpus development on enriching linguistic resources within specialized fields.

Keywords


Corpus linguistics; English Corpus of Public Administration (ECOPA); qualitative corpus approach; semantic scale; specialized corpus

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adamou, E. (2019). Corpus linguistic methods. In Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft [Handbooks of Linguistics and Communication Science] (pp. 638–653). De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110435351-052

Alamri, B. (2022). The role of corpus linguistics in grammar instruction: A review of literature. International Journal of Linguistics, 14(6), 158–167.

Anthony, L. (2022). AntConc (Version 4.1.4). Waseda University. https://www.laurenceanthony.net/software

Anthony, L., Chen, M., & Flowerdew, J. (2017, July 23). Introducing in-service English language teachers to corpus-assisted academic writing pedagogy: A Hong Kong case. Corpus Linguistics 2017 International Conference. https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-artslaw/corpus/conference-archives/2017/general/paper259.pdf

Baker, P. (2006). Using corpora in discourse analysis. Continuum.

Barth, D., & Schnell, S. (2021). Understanding corpus linguistics. Routledge.

Biber, D. (1993). Representativeness in corpus design. Literary and Linguistic Computing, 8(4), 243–257.

Biber, D., & Reppen, R. (2015). The Cambridge handbook of English corpus linguistics (Vol. 40). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/icame-2016-0009

Biber, D., Reppen, R., & Friginal, E. (2010). Research in corpus linguistics. In R. B. Kaplan (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of applied linguistics (2nd ed, pp. 548–570). Oxford University Press.

Brezina, V. (2012). Use of Google Scholar in corpus-driven EAP research. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 11(4), 319–331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2012.08.001

Browne, C. (2014). A new general service list: The better mousetrap we’ve been looking for? Vocabulary Learning and Instruction, 3(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.7820/vli.v03.1.browne

Chanasattru, S., & Tangkiengsirisin, S. (2016). Developing of a high-frequency word list in Social Sciences. Journal of English Studies, 11, 41–87. https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jsel/article/view/73309

Cheng, W. (2012). Exploring corpus linguistics: Language in action (First). Routledge.

Cheng, W. (2013). Corpus-based linguistic approaches to critical discourse analysis. The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, 1353–1360.

Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34(2), 213–238. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2307/3587951

Coxhead, A., & Demecheleer, M. (2018). Investigating the technical vocabulary of Plumbing. English for Specific Purposes, 51, 84–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2018.03.006

Coxhead, A., & Nation, P. (2001). The specialized vocabulary of English for academic purposes. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524766.020

Crawford, W. J., & Csomay, E. (2016). Doing corpus linguistics (First publ). Routledge.

Csomay, E., & Petrovioc, M. (2012). “Yes, your honor!”: A corpus-based study of technical vocabulary in discipline-related movies and TV shows. System, 40, 305–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2012.05.004

Dang, T. N. Y. (2020). The potential for learning specialized vocabulary of university lectures and seminars through watching discipline related TV programs: Insights from medical corpora. In TESOL Quarterly (Vol. 54, Issue 2, pp. 436–459). https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.552

Dang, T. N. Y. (2022). A corpus-based study of vocabulary in conference presentations. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 59, 101144. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2022.101144

Dash, N. S. (2021). Language corpora annotation and processing. Springer.

Du, Z., Jiang, F., & Liu, L. (2021). Profiling figure legends in scientific research articles: A corpus-driven approach. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 54, 101054. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2021.101054

Đurović, Z. (2021). Corpus linguistics methods for building ESP word lists, glossaries, and dictionaries on the example of a Marine Engineering word list. Lexikos, series 31, 259–282. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.5788/31-1-1647

Egbert, J., Larsson, T., & Biber, D. (2020). Doing linguistics with a corpus: Methodological considerations for the everyday user. Cambridge University Press.

Fraser, S., Davies, W., & Tatsukawa, K. (2015). Creating a corpus-informed EMP course for medical undergraduates. Journal of the IATEFL ESP SIG, 45.

Friginal, E. (2018). Corpus linguistics for English teachers: New tools, online resources, and classroom activities (1st ed). Routledge.

Friginal, E., & Hardy, J. A. (2020). The Routledge handbook of corpus approaches to discourse analysis. Routledge.

Fuster-Márquez, M., Gregori-Signes, C., & Ruiz, J. S. (2020). Multiperspectives in analysis and corpus design. Editorial Comares.

Gardner, D. (2007). Validating the construct of word in applied corpus-based vocabulary research: A critical survey. Applied Linguistics, 28(2), 241–265. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amm010

Gardner, H. (2021). Disciplined mind: What all students should understand. Simon & Schuster.

Hasko, V. (2012). Qualitative corpus analysis. In The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0974

Hou, H.-I. (2014). Teaching specialized vocabulary by integrating a corpus-based approach: Implications for ESP course design at the university level. English Language Teaching, 7(5), 26–37.

Hsu, W. (2011a). A business word list for prospective EFL business postgraduates. The Asian ESP Journal, 7(4), 63-79.

Hsu, W. (2011b). The vocabulary thresholds of business textbooks and business research articles for EFL learners. English for Specific Purposes, 30(4), 247–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2011.04.005

Hsu, W. (2013). Bridging the vocabulary gap for EFL medical undergraduates: The establishment of a medical word list. Language Teaching Research, 17(4), 454-484. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168813494121

Jin, N. Y. (2015). Development of a corpus of Malaysian KBSM engineering texts and related word list. University Putra Malaysia.

Jin, N. Y., Ling, L. Y., Tong, C. S., Sahiddan, N., Philip, A., Azmi, N. H. N., & Tarmizi, M. A. A. (2013). Development of the engineering technology word list for vocational schools in Malaysia. International Education Research, 1(1), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.12735/ier.v1i1p43

Johns, T. (1991). Should you be persuaded: Two examples of data-driven learning materials. English Language Research Journal, 4, 1–16.

Laosrirattanachai, P., & Ruangjaroon, S. (2021). Corpus-based creation of tourism, hotel, and airline business word lists. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 14(1), 50–86. https://ir.swu.ac.th/jspui/handle/123456789/17519

Lee, H., Warschauer, M., & Lee, J. H. (2019). The effects of corpus use on second language vocabulary learning: A multilevel meta-analysis. Applied Linguistics, 40(5), 721–753. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:149388749

Lei, L., & Liu, D. (2016). A new medical academic word list: A corpus-based study with enhanced methodology. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 22, 42–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2016.01.008

Ma, Q., & Mei, F. (2021). Review of corpus tools for vocabulary teaching and learning. Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning, 1(1), 177–190. DOI: 10.1515/jccall-2021-2008

McCarthy, M., & O’Keeffe, A. (2010). Historical perspective what are corpora and how have they evolved? In A. O’Keefe & M. McCarthy (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of corpus linguistics (pp. 3–13). Routledge.

McEnery, T. (2019). Corpus linguistics. Edinburgh University Press.

McEnery, T., & Hardie, A. (2012). Corpus linguistics: Method, theory and practice. Cambridge University Press.

McEnery, T., & Wilson, A. (2001). Corpus linguistics (Second Edi). Edinburgh University Press ltd.

Meyer, B. (2023). Corpus-based studies of public service interpreting 1. In The Routledge Handbook of Public Service Interpreting (pp. 76–88). Routledge.

Meyer, C. F. (2023). English corpus linguistics: An introduction. Cambridge University Press.

Miralpeix, I., & Muñoz, C. (2018). Receptive vocabulary size and its relationship to EFL language skills. 56(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/doi:10.1515/iral-2017-0016

Misnawati, M., Atmowardoyo, H., Sulaiman, I., Yusriadi, Y., & Rahman, A. (2024). Unveiling the lecturers’ and students’ needs in English for public administration program: Essential vocabulary topics, instructional methods, and learning challenges. Register Journal, 17(1), 100–122. https://doi.org/10.18326/rgt.v17i1.100-122

Misnawati, M., Nur, S., & Tahir, S. Z. (2024). Corpus linguistics today: A qualitative approach. Research and Innovation in Applied Linguistics [RIAL], 2(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.31963/rial.v2i1.4486

Mozaffari, A., & Moini, R. (2014). Academic words in education research articles: A corpus study. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 98, 1290–1296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.03.545

Murray, D. E., & Christison, M. (2019). What English language teachers need to know volume I: Understanding learning. Routledge.

Nation, I. S. P. (2004). A study of the most frequent word families in the British National Corpus. Vocabulary in a Second Language, 3–13.

Nation, P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge University Press.

Nation, P. (2006). How large a vocabulary is needed for reading and listening? The Canadian Modern Language Review, 63(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.3138/cmlr.63.1.59

Nation, P. (2016). Making and using word lists for language learning and testing. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/z.208

Newman, J., & Cox, C. (2021). Corpus annotation. In A practical handbook of corpus linguistics (pp. 25–48). Springer.

Nguyen Le, C. N., & Miller, J. (2020). A corpus-based list of commonly used English medical morphemes for students learning English for specific purposes. English for Specific Purposes, 58, 102–121. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esp.2020.01.004

O’Keeffe, A., & McCarthy, M. (2010). The Routledge handbook of corpus linguistics (First Edition). Routledge. https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/lals/resources/paul-nations-resources/vocabulary-analysis-programs

O’Keeffe, A., McCarthy, M. J., & Carter, R. A. (2007). From corpus to classroom: language use and language teaching. Cambridge University Press.

Önen, S., & İnal, D. (2019). A corpus-driven analysis of explicitness in English as lingua franca. Journal of Curriculum and Teaching, 8(3), 73–83. https://doi.org/10.5430/jct.v8n3p73

Poole, R. (2018). A guide to using corpora for English language learners. Edinburgh University Press Ltd.

Poole, R. (2022). “Corpus can be tricky”: revisiting teacher attitudes towards corpus-aided language learning and teaching. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 35(7), 1620–1641. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2020.1825095

Quero, B. (2017). A corpus comparison approach for estimating the vocabulary load of medical textbooks using the GSL, AWL, and EAP science lists. TESOL International Journal, 12(1), 177–192. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1247827

Rayson, P., & Chapelle, C. (2019). Corpus analysis of key words. The Concise Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, 320–326. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0247.pub2

Reppen, R. (2010). Using corpora in the language classroom (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Reppen, R., & Simpson-Vlach, R. (2019). Corpus linguistics. In An introduction to applied linguistics (pp. 91–108). Routledge.

Rungrueang, T., Boonprasert, P., Boonprasert, P., & Boonprasert, P. (2022). Corpus-based approach to generate a word list for food service. THAITESOL Journal, 35(1), 57–76. https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/thaitesoljournal/article/view/258591

Schmitt, N., Cobb, T., Horst, M., & Schmitt, D. (2017). How much vocabulary is needed to use English? Replication of van Zeeland & Schmitt (2012), Nation (2006) and Cobb (2007). Language Teaching, 50(2), 212–226. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1017/S0261444815000075

Schmitt, N., & Schmitt, D. (2014). A reassessment of frequency and vocabulary size in L2 vocabulary teaching. Language Teaching, 47(4), 484–503. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444812000018

Sinclair, J. (1991). Corpus, concordance, collocation (Describing). Oxford University Press.

Stefanowitsch, A. (2020). Corpus linguistics: A guide to the methodology. Language Science Press.

Szudarski, P. (2023). Collocations, corpora and language learning. Cambridge University Press.

Thurston, J., & Candlin, C. N. (1998). Concordancing and the teaching of the vocabulary of academic English. English for Specific Purposes, 17(3), 267–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(97)00013-6

Tognini-Bonelli, E. (2001). Corpus linguistics at work. John Benjamins Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.6

Toriida, M.-C. (2016). Steps for creating a specialized corpus and developing an annotated frequency-based vocabulary list. TESL Canada Journal/Revue TESL Du Canada, 34(11), 87–105. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/1018806/tesl.v34i1.1255

Ward, J. (2007). Collocation and technicality in EAP engineering. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 6(1), 18–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2006.10.001

Webb, S., & Rodgers, M. P. H. (2009). Vocabulary demands of television programs. Language Learning, 59(2), 335–366. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2009.00509.x

Wero, Y. T., Machmud, K., & Husain, N. (2021). The study on students’ vocabulary size. Jambura Journal of English Teaching and Literature, 2(1), 22–34. https://doi.org/10.37905/jetl.v2i1.10279

Yin, X., & Li, S. (2021). Lexical bundles as an intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary mark: A corpus-based study of research articles from business, biology, and applied linguistics. Applied Corpus Linguistics, 1(1), 100006. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acorp.2021.100006

Zhang, M. (2013). A corpus-based comparative study of semi-technical and technical vocabulary. The Asian ESP Journal, 9(2 Spesial Edition), 148–172. http://asian-esp-journal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AESP-Volume-9-Issue-2-October-2013.pdf




DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v14i3.67603

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


View My Stats

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.