An Investigation into the Views of Master TwoStudents and Supervisors on Integrating Corpora in Dissertation Writing

Abstract

Many recent studies have applied the corpus approach to English as a Foreign Language teaching/learning and particularly to academic writing since it remains a challenging task for learners. The study at hand was conducted with a primary objective of investigating the views of second year Master of Arts students and their supervisors about integrating corpora into dissertation writing as well as eliciting the effectiveness of corpora use in improving the writing skill. To answer the study‘s research questions, an online questionnaire was directed to 44 Master Two students, and another questionnaire was administered to ten supervisors in the English Department at Mohamed Seddik Ben Yahia University, Jijel. It has been hypothesised that both students and teachers have weak knowledge about corpora, its use, and its effectiveness in improving the writing skill. The findings yielded by both questionnaires showed that teachers and students perceive the corpus approach positively. However, the participants‘ answers highlighted some difficulties encountered in its implementation, such as the lack of awareness of corpora by both students and teachers, and lack of training and materials needed in this approach. To overcome the former difficulties in using corpora, it is suggested to provide the required equipment and tools, and particularly, to raise the students‘ awareness of corpora and the effectiveness of its use.