Overview
Lexicalport.com is dedicated to developing and presenting corpus-based course materials for language learners. In the last 20 some years, use of computers to research millions and millions of pages of authentic text has both verified and amplified some earlier findings on language structure and use. Lexicalport.com is also dedicated to paperless- publishing and is fully online and interactive.
The following are the key features of corpus- based findings:
High Frequency Word Lists
Firstly, precise lists of words that are the most frequently occurring words in English have been discovered. By examining millions and millions of lines of English, it was discovered that the first 2000 most frequent used words represent 80% of running text while a list of 5000 words represents 95% of running words.
Clearly language learners need to learn these words to have success in their studies. Research shows that often language students do not know all of theses words despite studying a long time (even though they might have a vocabulary size over 5000, having learned many low- frequency words).
Lexicalport.com uses classical tests and sorting tool to identify which words students need to learn from high frequency word lists.
Links to research articles on these topics are available inside the Lexicalport.com site.
Collocating Features Of Language
Secondly, corpus-based research has shown that words have many collocating features or idiomatic tendencies than previously thought. Learning how words collocate or not can help learners to be more fluent and native-speaker like. Knowing collocates also improves understanding of language structure (a.k.a.grammar and the like).
Lexicalport.com introduces teachers and students to collocates using a rich variety of online tools and methods to learn how words get along together.
Corpus-based Tools
Many computer-based tools that used were used to research language are now sufficiently developed and readily available that even language learners can use these to help them understand their target language. Some of these tools are Concordancers, Vocabprofilers , JTW: Sharp Industries Collocations / Concordancers Application. Students are also introduced to a wide and rich array of Internet tools and resources for Language learning.
Lexicalport.com introduces these online corpus-based tools in step- by- step ways that make them accessible to low- intermediate –intermediate level students.
Lexicalport.com is dedicated to paperless publishing and CALL: Computer Assisted Language Learning. It is fully online, interactive and contains a custom- built LMS (Learning Management System).
Teachers can create classes inside the web site, collect and store student results, evaluate students and send and receive messages to students from within the site. Student results can be downloaded to Excel or Numbers files.
Students can review results, see scores, send and receive messages to the teacher, see their personalized word lists and have many fun interesting ways to learn the words missing from the high frequency word lists.
Lexicalport.com: gathers and stores student information and results making classroom management easy for teachers. Students can access their work from anywhere they have access to the Internet.