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<p class=MsoPlainText>Dear Mai,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>I guess the following paper will interest you (the title
itself says it all):<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Fillmore, C. (1992). ‘ “Corpus
linguistics” or “Computer-aided armchair linguistics”
’, in Svartvik, J. (ed.), Directions in Corpus Linguistics, Proceedings
of Nobel Symposium 82, Stockholm, August 1991. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter,
35–66.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Fillmore taps corpora because he is interested in finding
out about lexical and structural features of a language which he would most
certainly miss, were he exclusively relying upon his own intuition and
speculations. I find the demonstration fascinating.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Fillmore's paper is reprinted in the recently published <a
href="http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780199292349&view=00&promo=websocdgfs&salepage=%2Fsale%2Fwebsocdgfs%2F">Reader</a>,
which includes a number of other papers that show why corpora are crucial:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Fontenelle, T. (ed) Practical Lexicography: A Reader,
Oxford University Press, 2008. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>See also Atkins & Rundell's "<a
href="http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780199277711">Oxford Guide to
Practical Lexicography</a>" (OUP, 2008), which provides all the evidence
you need to explain the advantages of corpus-based work.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>I hope it helps,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Thierry<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><span lang=FR>Thierry Fontenelle<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><span lang=FR>Microsoft Natural Language Group<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><span lang=FR><a href="mailto:thierryf@microsoft.com">thierryf@microsoft.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><span lang=FR><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><span lang=FR><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>-----Original Message-----<br>
From: corpora-bounces@uib.no [mailto:corpora-bounces@uib.no] On Behalf Of Mai
Zaki<br>
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 2:00 AM<br>
To: corpora@uib.no<br>
Subject: [Corpora-List] Corpus vs Intuition<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Dear colleagues,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>My question may be a bit basic but I would appreciate
your feedback.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>My own research is corpus-based and I am working in the
field of lexical semantics/pragmatics where the majority of the literature is
based on made-up examples and testing of native speakers' intuitions. So, I
still get stuck in my discussions with others trying to convince them that
corpus work and real life examples add a different angle to any research. The
usual objections are that it's not about numbers and percentages, and that patterns
of use are questionable because of the issue of how representative they are.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>I want to include in my own work a part about the
advantages of corpus-based work as opposed to arm-chair linguistics, and I
would appreciate if you could guide me to any references on this topic as well
as your own ideas.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Thank you.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Mai Zaki<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Middlesex University<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Corpora mailing list<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Corpora@uib.no<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>http://mailman.uib.no/listinfo/corpora<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
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