Exploring the Effects of Corpus-Based Cross-Border E-Commerce Writing Instruction for Vocational College EFL Learners

Abstract

This study proposed and implemented corpus-based writing instruction via the use of a custom-made corpus learning platform for learners of cross-border e-commerce English in the context of vocational colleges. It attested the effects of the proposed DDL pedagogy versus conventional PPP teaching practice on 83 e-commerce majors at a vocational college randomly forming a control group and an experimental group respectively. The experimental group received a three-step inductive pedagogical approach enabled by a tailer-made corpus learning platform while the control group was taught by conventional PPP teaching practice. Results indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group in writing product description which is a language skill essential to cross-border e-commerce operation. Findings of this research can be interpreted as suggestive that it’s worthwhile to apply custom-made specialized corpora and corpus-based teaching pedagogy to facilitate ESP learning for EFL learners at vocational colleges.