LONGDALE

title LONGDALE
subtitle Longitudinal Database of Learner English
creator(s) CECL
research center(s) Centre for English Corpus Linguistics
short description The LONGDALE (Longitudinal Database of Learner English) is a truly longitudinal database of learner English containing data from learners from a wide range of mother tongue backgrounds. The same students are followed over a period of at least three years and data collections are organized at least once a year.
description The LONGDALE (Longitudinal Database of Learner English) project was initiated in January 2008 and aims to build and feed a large truly longitudinal database of learner English containing data from learners from a wide range of mother tongue backgrounds. The same students are followed over a period of at least three years and data collections are organized at least once a year. Longdale contains a wide range of data types, from fairly uncontrolled spoken or written data such as argumentative essays, narratives or informal interviews to more guided types in the form of summaries or picture descriptions. The database includes comprehensive learner profile information which is gathered during each data collection session. These variables include, inter alia, age, gender, educational background, country, language background, proficiency level. Variables pertaining to the task are also included. Five international teams have collected data so far and future collections will soon be organized.
type(s) written, learners
language(s) English
format(s) Microsoft Word (.doc)
corpus size ca. 780,000 words
date 2008
contact fanny.meunier@uclouvain.be <fanny.meunier@uclouvain.be>
corpus reference

Meunier, F. (2016) Introduction to the LONGDALE project. In Castello, E., Ackerley, K., Coccetta, F. (eds.). Studies in Learner Corpus Linguistics: Research and Applications for Foreign Language Teaching and Assessment. Bern: Peter Lang, pp. 123-126.