Experimental, Corpus-based and Computational Approaches to Language Learning Evidence and Interpretation

Language acquisition occupies a central place in the study of human cognition, and research on how we learn language can be found across many disciplines, from developmental psychology and linguistics to education, philosophy and neuroscience. The investigation of a complex phenomenon like language acquisition naturally requires insights, tools, and methods from many disciplines, yet it is still relatively rare to find studies that combine multiple approaches. This volume brings together leading researchers in cognitive psychology, corpus research, developmental psychology, linguistics, and natural language processing to discuss opportunities and challenges of combining multiple approaches to language learning. The peer-reviewed chapters in this volume are written in an accessible and engaging fashion. Together, they provide the reader with a panorama of the exciting research currently being conducted at the intersection of experimental, computational and corpus-based approaches to language learning.

FOREWORD............... 5

Patrick Rebuschat, Detmar Meurers, and Tony McEnery
Language Learning Research at the Intersection of Experimental,
Computational, and Corpus-Based Approaches............... 6-13

Padraic Monaghan and Caroline F. Rowland
Combining Language Corpora With Experimental and Computational
Approaches for Language Acquisition Research............... 14-39

Nick C. Ellis
Cognition, Corpora, and Computing: Triangulating Research in
Usage-Based Language Learning............... 40-65

Detmar Meurers and Markus Dickinson
Evidence and Interpretation in Language Learning Research:
Opportunities for Collaboration With Computational Linguistics............... 66-95

Anke L¨udeling, Hagen Hirschmann, and Anna Shadrova
Linguistic Models, Acquisition Theories, and Learner Corpora:
Morphological Productivity in SLA Research Exemplified by
Complex Verbs in German............... 96-129

Dana Gablasova, Vaclav Brezina, and Tony McEnery
Exploring Learner Language Through Corpora: Comparing
and Interpreting Corpus Frequency Information............... 130-154

Dana Gablasova, Vaclav Brezina, and Tony McEnery
Collocations in Corpus-Based Language Learning Research:
Identifying, Comparing, and Interpreting the Evidence............... 155-179

PATRICK REBUSCHAT is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and English?Language at Lancaster University and Distinguished International Professor at the LEAD?Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tübingen. His work explores the?cognitive and neural basis of language, with a particular focus on implicit learning, statistical?learning, bilingualism and second language acquisition.

DETMAR MEURERS is Professor of Computational Linguistics at the University of?Tübingen. His work explores the use and relevance of explicit linguistic modeling and?computational linguistic methods in a range of contexts.

TONY MCENERY is Distinguished Professor of English Language and Linguistics at?Lancaster University and former Director of the ESRC Centre for Corpus Approaches to?Social Science. He undertakes research using corpus linguistics in a range of areas across?theoretical and applied linguistics. He is currently serving as Research Director at the?Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).