TEACHING IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS BY MEANS OF THE TECHNIQUES OF CORPUS-BASED LINGUISTICS (ADVANCED LEVEL)

Abstract

. The paper examines the issue of implementing language corpora in the process of language learning at advanced level, thus helping students to master idiomatic expressions and figures of speech. The purpose of this approach is to provide students with a tool which will enable them to develop metaphoric competence and skills to study individually. The problem of teaching idiomatic expressions is still an unsolved challenge for foreign language teachers. In this regard, as the results of the conducted research show, corpus-based approach to teaching languages opens up a number of new opportunities, aimed at studying languages as they are. As mastering formulaic language is notoriously difficult for learners, it has attracted researchers' attention to investigating the principals of selecting idiomatic expressions for students' study, seeking the ways and techniques of teaching that will build up students' knowledge of idioms. Traditionally activities together. Nowadays corpus-based research is gaining momentum. Language corpora are actively used by linguists, interpreters and text-book writers. Obviously corpus-oriented approach to teaching a foreign language consolidates students' knowledge and develops their cognitive skills. The problem of teaching idiomatic expressions seems appropriate and necessary given the fact that these units carry the features of the cultural and historical development of the people and characterize all languages. This article starts with the characteristics of idiomatic expressions as a constituent of language teaching. The author analyzes the research data available and consider the specifications of incorporating corpus-based exercises. The language-teaching aspect is also considered equally significant. The author comes up with a number of corpus-based tasks which can be used in teaching idiomatic expressions. The study relies on the methods of comparative analysis, linguostylistic analysis, generalisation and systematisation, discourse and conceptual analysis. The results of the research show that implementation of language corpora in foreign language classes develops not only lexical and grammatical competences, but also contributes to the increase of students’ autonomy. Language corpora in foreign language classes allows to trace linguistic phenomena, highlight their characteristic features and patterns, define the tendency of use of various idiomatic expressions directly by native speakers.