The impact of integrating data-driven learning (DDL) for low-level learners: collocation learning along with learners’ and educators’ perspectives

Collocation knowledge is challenging for EFL learners and tends to develop slowly (Boers et al., 2014a). Language researchers have advocated for the explicit teaching of collocations. Among the methods used to accelerate the development of collocation knowledge is data-driven learning (DDL) in which learners are engaged in corpus consultation sessions to recognize frequent language patterns and multi-word expressions. Although the use of DDL for second language learning instruction has shown promising results (Boulton and Cobb, 2017; Lee et al., 2019), effective implementation of DDL in language classrooms and its suitability to low-level EFL learners are still areas that merit further research.
The overarching aim of this thesis is to explore how DDL can be effectively implemented with low-level learners in their regular EFL education. To address this aim, this research is structured into two main components. The first part investigates the impact of DDL when used with pre-intermediate EFL learners in language classrooms, focusing on its potential to enhance collocation learning and retention and learners’ and teachers’ perception of the approach. First, an intervention was conducted in L1-Arabic context with 131 pre-intermediate EFL learners. It followed a quasi-experimental research design where between-group comparison (DDL and Control groups) and within-group comparison (DDL and Dictionary conditions) are utilized to examine the effect of DDL on form-recall and form-recognition knowledge of academic collocations. Following the intervention, a perception questionnaire was used to gain insight into low-level learners’ perception and attitude towards the use of DDL in their language education.
The second part of this research examines EFL teachers’ perception of DDL after raising their awareness of the potential use of corpus-based materials and allowing them to have hands-on DDL experience in their teaching practices. Four in-service teachers, who were trained and had hands-on DDL experience in their classrooms, were interviewed following the intervention, to gain insight into their perception, evaluation, and potential integration of DDL in future teaching practices.
The findings provided empirical evidence of the effective use of DDL with low-level learners for collocation learning. Results of the quasi-experiment suggested that hands-on DDL was effective with pre-intermediate learners in improving their L2 collocation knowledge. Despite that the DDL group outperforming the control group in both form-recall and form-recognition knowledge of collocations, the within-group analysis suggested that the DDL and dictionary use were comparable in their impact on short-term recalling of collocations, though dictionary condition had a positive influence on long-term collocation retention. Following the intervention, the results from the perception data suggested that learners’ and teachers’ perspectives were overall positive, regarding DDL as a useful approach for lexical learning, though some challenges and concerns were expressed by language teachers.
The outcomes from this research further extended DDL research and confirmed that hands-on DDL can be a feasible approach with limited-proficiency learners. Moreover, learners’ and teachers’ perception and attitude towards DDL enhanced our understanding of how DDL can be used by the end users. This thesis also discussed the theoretical implications of DDL and its alignment with constructive and sociocultural learning theories, as well as SLA-related concepts. Drawing from the outcomes of this research, some pedagogical implications were also discussed to enhance understanding of the potential of DDL with low-level learners and how to situate and encourage normal integration of the approach in mainstream language education.