Review of Durrant (2023): Corpus linguistics for writing development

Over the years, research in writing development has made an important contribution to applied linguistics. Among our evolving understanding of the field, there is a consensus that measuring second language (L2) writing development is multi-faceted and complex (Hayes, 2012; Norris & Manchón, 2012). Durrant showcases how corpus linguistics has provided a richer understanding of how learners’ writing develops over time, and of some of the major characteristics identified in successful L2 writers.

Corpus linguistics for writing development is part of the Routledge Corpus Linguistics Guide series, covering various topics such as exploring different varieties of English (Lange & Leuckert, 2020), using corpora to expand knowledge of English in academic contexts (Viana & O’Boyle, 2022), and understanding the use of corpus linguistics in the field of education (Pérez-Paredes, 2020). The present book makes an important contribution by providing a practical introduction to the ways corpus linguistics is used in first and second language writing development.