Teaching Pragmatics with Corpus Data: The Development of a Corpus-Referred Website for the Instruction of Routine Formulas in Russian

Abstract

While there has been an increasing number of studies incorporating the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) applications in pragmatics instruction over the past decade, these applications have yet to harness the explanatory and illustrative power of corpus data. The current chapter documents the process of developing a corpus-based online instructional website for the teaching of routine formulas in Russian, including a description of the process of selecting routine formulas using corpus methodologies and of designing the online modules using excerpts from the oral subcorpus of the Russian National Corpus. Recommendations based on this experience are provided for others interested in creating similar resources. Learner feedback on the site itself, with particular focus on the comprehensibility and usefulness of the corpus excerpts, is presented to demonstrate the effects of corpus-referred instructional materials. This project promotes the case for the utilization of corpus methodologies in pragmatics-focused CALL applications as it provides insight into developmental processes, benefits, and potential future avenues of exploration.