Title: Corpus linguistics and new technologies: data, language and society

Location: US

Company: Lancaster University

About this course:
In an era defined by AI, big data, and digital communication, understanding how language works through data has never been more essential. This practical, hands-on course introduces you to corpus linguistics —a powerful method of analysing language using large digital collections of text (corpora) and computational tools.
Over eight weeks, you'll gain the skills to build, query, and interpret corpora using cutting-edge software developed at Lancaster University. You'll explore how corpus methods provide insight into real-world language use across fields such as discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, language education, language testing and digital communication. Designed for the AI age, this course equips you with essential tools for exploring language in a data-driven world.
More info.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
• Interpret corpus data using core analytical techniques such as concordancing, collocation and keywords to uncover meaningful language patterns.
• Apply corpus techniques to analyse a wide range of language data—from everyday conversations to formal texts—across different contexts.
• Build and manage your own corpora , including data collection, cleaning, tagging, and preparation for analysis.
• Design your own research projects using corpus methods, from initial research questions to final interpretation of findings.
• Use a suite of cutting-edge corpus tools , including #LancsBox X, CQPweb and BNClab, to perform sophisticated and replicable language analysis.

In an era of AI and big data, understanding language through data is essential. This hands-on course from Lancaster University—a global leader in corpus linguistics—teaches you to build, query, and analyse large digital text collections using cutting-edge tools. Over eight weeks, explore real-world applications in discourse, sociolinguistics, education, and more. Gain practical skills for language research in a data-driven world.

Duration: 8 weeks

Skills:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Big Data
- Collections
- Data-Structured Language
- Digital Communications
- Language Education
- Linguistics
- Research
- Sociolinguistics

Curriculum:

- By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:• Interpret corpus data using core analytical techniques such as concordancing, collocation and keywords to uncover meaningful language patterns.• Apply corpus techniques to analyse a wide range of language data—from everyday conversations to formal texts—across different contexts.• Build and manage your own corpora , including data collection, cleaning, tagging, and preparation for analysis.• Design your own research projects using corpus methods, from initial research questions to final interpretation of findings.• Use a suite of cutting-edge corpus tools , including #LancsBox X, CQPweb and BNClab, to perform sophisticated and replicable language analysis.