Corpus linguistics is a data-driven approach to language research that examines patterns of language use in large text datasets. In recent work, it has increasingly incorporated natural language processing (NLP) methods to enable large-scale linguistic analysis. In this seminar, students engage with foundational concepts in corpus linguistics and explore how NLP techniques are applied to linguistic research questions. Through Python-based lab sessions, students work hands-on with text data to extract linguistically meaningful patterns and critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of NLP-based methods. The seminar also emphasizes reproducible corpus research practices, with attention to documenting analyses and sharing research workflows. Previous knowledge of Python is not required, though students are expected to invest the necessary time and effort throughout the semester.
Department of Second Language Studies
University of Hawaii at Manoa