Corpus-based activities in the EFL classroom

This paper discusses the use of corpus-based activities in the EFL classroom. Starting with Ellis’s premise that what learners can find out for themselves is better remembered than what they are simply told, it argues that analyzing and interpreting concordance lines, and drawing conclusions about certain linguistic aspects is not only motivational and engaging, but it is also very beneficial for language learners. The application of the corpus-based approach is illustrated by an exercise that can be used to teach derivative word forms, which is an important aspect of language teaching and learning, as it is one of the main ways of increasing one’s vocabulary, and studies on L2 acquisition have shown that learners have problems recognizing and producing derivatives. Key words: corpora, concordance software, English language teaching, corpus-based activities, derivative word forms