Authority in the classroom: dictionaries and corpora, COBUILD and the Bank of English

Language learners ask a variety of questions about words and their meanings and uses: “What does X mean? What is the word for X in English? Can you say X? When do you use X and when do you use Y (e.g. synonyms, grammatical structures, prepositional choices, variant phrases, etc)?”

The incidence of corpora amylacea (CA) in the optic nerve of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Corpora amylacea (CA) are spherical or ovoid bodies 50-50 microns in diameter. They have been described in normal elderly brain as well as in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, the incidence of CA in the optic nerves of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients was compared with normal elderly controls. Samples of optic nerves (MRC Brain Bank, Institute of Psychiatry) were taken from 12 AD patients (age range 69-94 years) and 18 controls (43-82 years). Optic nerves were fixed in 2% buffered glutaraldehyde, post-fixed in osmium tetroxide, embedded in epoxy resin and then sectioned to a thickness of 2 microns. Sections were stained with toluidine blue. CA were present in all of the optic nerves examined. In addition, a number of similarly stained but more irregularly shaped bodies were present. Fewer CA were found in the optic nerves of AD patients compared with controls. By contrast, the number or irregularly shaped bodies was increased in AD. In AD, there may be a preferential decline in the large diameter fibres which may mediate the M-cell pathway. Hence, the decline in the incidence of CA in AD may be associated with a reduction in these fibres. It is also possible that the irregualrly shaped bodies are a degeneration product of the CA.

Computer-aided categorisation and quantification of connectives in English and Arabic (based on newspaper text corpora).

This study presents a detailed contrastive description of the textual functioning of connectives in English and Arabic. Particular emphasis is placed on the organisational force of connectives and their role in sustaining cohesion. The description is intended as a contribution for a better understanding of the variations in the dominant tendencies for text organisation in each language. The findings are expected to be utilised for pedagogical purposes, particularly in improving EFL teaching of writing at the undergraduate level. The study is based on an empirical investigation of the phenomenon of connectivity and, for optimal efficiency, employs computer-aided procedures, particularly those adopted in corpus linguistics, for investigatory purposes. One important methodological requirement is the establishment of two comparable and statistically adequate corpora, also the design of software and the use of existing packages and to achieve the basic analysis. Each corpus comprises ca 250,000 words of newspaper material sampled in accordance to a specific set of criteria and assembled in machine readable form prior to the computer-assisted analysis. A suite of programmes have been written in SPITBOL to accomplish a variety of analytical tasks, and in particular to perform a battery of measurements intended to quantify the textual functioning of connectives in each corpus. Concordances and some word lists are produced by using OCP. Results of these researches confirm the existence of fundamental differences in text organisation in Arabic in comparison to English. This manifests itself in the way textual operations of grouping and sequencing are performed and in the intensity of the textual role of connectives in imposing linearity and continuity and in maintaining overall stability. Furthermore, computation of connective functionality and range of operationality has identified fundamental differences in the way favourable choices for text organisation are made and implemented.

Extracting significant words from corpora for ontology extraction

We show a new method for term extraction from a domain relevant corpus using natural language processing for the purposes of semi-automatic ontology learning. Literature shows that topical words occur in bursts. We find that the ranking of extracted terms is insensitive to the choice of population model, but calculating frequencies relative to the burst size rather than the document length in words yields significantly different results.

An assessment of web-based textbook supplementary material to support student learning

There is an increasing trend by publishers to provide supplementary learning materials with text books in order to improve the learning experience and thus ultimately improve text book sales. This study will aim to establish the use of these materials and their relevance to students in terms of supporting student learning. The materials include multiple choice test banks, animated demonstrations, simulations, quizzes and electronic versions of the text. The study will focus on the extensive library of web-based learning materials available on the ‘WileyPlus’ web platform which accompanies the textbook ‘Operations Management’, 2nd edition authored by A. Greasley and published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Evaluating choices:the role of corpora in translation choices and target text assessment

Translation training in the university context needs to train students in the processes, in order to enhance and optimise the product as outcome of these processes. Evaluation of a target text as product has often been accused of being a subjective process, which does not easily lend itself to the type of feedback that could enable students to apply criteria more widely. For students, it often seems as though they make different inappropriate or incorrect choices every time they translate a new text, and the learning process appears unpredictable and haphazard. Within functionalist approaches to translation, with their focus on the target text in terms of functional adequacy to the intended purpose, as stipulated in the translation brief, there are guidelines for text production that can help to develop a more systematic approach not only to text production, but also to translation evaluation. In the context of a focus on user knowledge needs, target language conventions and acceptability, the use of corpora is an indispensable tool for the trainee translator. Evaluation can take place against the student's own reasoned selection process, based on hard evidence, against criteria which currently obtain in the TL and the TL culture. When trainee and evaluator work within the same guidelines, there is more scope for constructive learning and feedback.