Summary and conclusion

Whether language variation studies are intended as corpus-based or corpus-driven to some extent depends on the adherence of researchers to one or other approach. For researchers seeking to work with existing grammatical categories and wary of prominence granted to lexis by corpus-driven linguists, corpus-based approaches provide more evidence for differences in feature distribution across language varieties than that accessed by pre-corpus analysts and in this way corpora can substantiate claims. For those who feel pre-corpus language descriptions obscure other ways of describing language, the danger that corpus- based approaches pose is that combining pre-corpus categories with attested data can confirm inaccurate or misleading interpretations of data with as much authority as accurate or relevant ones. For example, as suggested above, not only can calculation of feature frequency preclude differences in how features function in different varieties and the distinct meanings conveyed, but it overlooks investigation of patterns in which words occur and the extent to which these differ across language situations.

Alternatively, however, the two approaches can be reconceptualised in terms of their similarities, with the distinction between them recognised as that of initial retrieval: that is, whether the approach is inductive or deductive. Firstly, recognition that the corpus-driven approach is distinguished primarily by its identification of significant features through their frequency and significance in the data being explored rather than pre-corpus constructs allows us to focus on the need to be inductive in studies of language variation and, more specifically, in the current study. Such inductive investigation is by definition limited to single varieties, precluding (re-)application of models of description and therefore excluding automatic, quantitative, comparative analysis across language varieties. Far from

upholding this as a limitation of corpus-driven research, the conclusion drawn here is that the field of language variation would benefit from more in-depth inductive studies of single varieties.

Secondly, however, the reconceptualisation avoids some of the constraints of an (as we have seen) unjustified dichotomy in selecting appropriate methods of investigation. Given the novelty of text messaging data in corpus linguistics and the need to be exploratory, this allows exploration not only of a word-frequency or keyness approach, but also the application of other (inductive) models (such as Carter and McCarthy‘s 2006 text-driven framework of spoken grammar) to the data. As such, the current study can be positioned at the intersection of studies described as corpus-driven and corpus-based in our diagram.

Figure 3.5 Positioning the current corpus study of CorTxt

3.5 Chapter Summary

As well as highlighting complexities inherent both in existing conceptualisations of written and spoken varieties and approaches to corpus analysis, this chapter highlights, in various ways, the need to ensure that texting is described consistently with the data rather than in comparison to other varieties or datasets. The first half outlined drawbacks of defining varieties solely according to the extent to which they resemble speech or writing, and highlighted the need to consider other factors such as users‘ agency in exploiting technological affordances to fulfil interpersonal functions. In short, texting must be regarded as a variety in its own right, albeit one drawing on resources of written and spoken texts: and this emerges from investigation of CorTxt. The second half discussed two

Corpus-based

approach

Corpus- driven approach

approaches to corpus investigation and argued that language description must be consistent with the data: the approach must be inductive. When applied to the study of language variation, although existing findings based on inductive study can be used to guide further investigation, a focus on in-depth, inductive studies of single varieties (such as text messaging) based on wordform frequency is required. At the same time, given the relative novelty of the current dataset, the approach presently required must be pragmatic and exploratory. In the following chapters, CorTxt is explored not only through a corpus-driven approach starting with frequently-occurring wordforms and a corpus-based application of Carter and McCarthy‘s description of spoken grammar, but also other approaches (namely, investigation of spoken creativity) emerging from the data.

CHAPTER FOUR

CORPUS COMPILATION: CHALLENGES AND

CONSIDERATIONS

4.1 Introduction

The purpose of this chapter is to outline and explain considerations and challenges behind the creation of the CorTxt corpus. Designing and compiling a text message corpus for linguistic analysis raises considerations addressed by compilers of other corpora: corpus size and representativeness, sampling, and ethical considerations. However, the distinct nature of text messaging also posits new challenges, including the need to select appropriate data-collection methods, the ethics of collecting electronic data, and problems of message selection (whereby participants are selective in messages they submit for the corpus) as well as transcription error (where transcription mistakes are made by participants). Such issues must be considered not only with reference to the general literature on corpus design (Sinclair 1991; Hunston 2002; McEnery et al 2006) but to previous attempts to compile text message corpora (Hard af Segersteg 2002; Kasesniemi and Rautiainen 2002; Fairon and Paumier 2006). Discussion of each consideration emphasises the need to be pragmatic when faced with obstacles to obtaining and handling data and the importance of documenting decisions made.

The chapter starts by outlining current corpus specifications, and describing data collection procedures followed. It then addresses issues raised by, and explains procedures followed in, the compilation, anonymisation, storage and exploitation of CorTxt. Methods and procedures are justified throughout with reference to previous research and the need to be pragmatic in obtaining data. The chapter, in framing the current study, thus also provides a framework for consultation by future researchers of texted data.