About this course

Course Information

Instructor: Dr. Quirin Würschinger
Course Title: Corpus Linguistics
Semester: Summer Semester 2025
Institution: LMU Munich

Course Description

This advanced seminar in corpus linguistics provides students with comprehensive training in empirical language research methodologies. The course combines theoretical foundations with extensive hands-on practice using state-of-the-art corpus tools and databases.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of linguistics and linguistic analysis
Familiarity with English grammar and morphology
Interest in quantitative approaches to language study

Course Structure

The seminar meets weekly for 90-minute sessions combining:

Theoretical input: Current research and methodological foundations
Practical training: Hands-on work with Sketch Engine and corpus databases
Group discussions: Analysis of research papers and case studies
Individual projects: Independent research development

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

Master corpus methodologies: Apply frequency analysis, collocational studies, and distributional semantics
Use professional tools: Use Sketch Engine, english-corpora.org, and Microsoft Excel for advanced corpus analysis
Understand variation: Analyse linguistic patterns across social groups, registers, and historical periods
Conduct research: Design and execute independent corpus-based investigations
Interpret results: Apply data science principles to linguistic data analysis

For current students: Please refer to the official course syllabus and LMU systems for authoritative information about requirements and policies.