A Systematic Synthesis of Research on Popular Corpus Tools in English Language Learning and Teaching
Abstract
It is well-established that second/foreign language learning requires exposure to meaningful input. Thanks to advancing technologies, one way to achieve this in language teaching contexts is via online corpus tools. Given the potential pedagogical gains these tools offer for language skills (e.g., vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and writing), this study aims to synthesise the findings of research on five popular corpus tools – Sketch Engine, SkELL, PlayPhraseMe, Fraze.it, and CorpusMate. Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, this study included five research papers from the Web of Science and Scopus databases until 2024. Applying qualitative and quantitative content analyses, the study found that corpus consultation promotes language skills and learner autonomy, supports contextually appropriate language use, and improves sensitivity to authentic language structures. Despite the promising outcomes, the scant number of studies analysed with some methodological issues and contextual constraints undermines the generalisability of the results. The study underscores the urgent need for more longitudinal, comparative, and large-scale research on using these corpus tools to harness them fully in language education. It also proposes that when systematically implemented, corpus tools may serve as powerful resources for language learning and teaching.