Pragmatics in Learner Corpora

Abstract

Abstract They have attracted researchers wishing to understand second language (L2) acquisition because, especially when already available, they can provide instantaneous access to large pools of learner data that can be quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed for linguistic patterns through the iterative use of automatic computer software tools (i.e., using corpus linguistics methodology). Learner corpora have also attracted linguists wishing to answer questions about L2 pragmatics, which studies how learners (come to) understand and convey meaning in context. The use of corpus linguistics has allowed for the integration of “the more traditional qualitative or “horizontal” approach to pragmatics with the more quantitative or “vertical” nature of corpus linguistics” (Rühlemann & Clancy, 2018, p. 245). However, the marriage of these two fields has not always been straightforward because in interaction there is not a consistent one‐to‐one correspondence between a form and its pragmatic function(s) in a particular context. This entry introduces the use of learner corpus linguistics for the study of L2 pragmatics and discusses the issues of size, automatization, temporal design, and annotation.