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Abstract

Usage-based theories have influenced English grammar instruction by focusing on real-world language use. Yet, grammar teaching remains relatively unchanged by research findings. This study, therefore, investigated the effect of corpus based instruction on students’ grammatical accuracy in writing skills. Employing a pre-test post-test quasi-experimental design, participants were assigned into an experimental group learnt through corpus based instruction and a control group received traditional instruction. The investigation focused on modal auxiliary verbs of ability identified as problematic areas. Data was collected through written tests and analyzed quantitatively. The Ethiopian Students Corpus and British National Corpus were compared for frequency distribution and error patterns of target grammar feature. Pre-test and post-test results showed significant improvements in both groups with the experimental group outperforming the control group. Regarding to frequency distribution and error patterns, the results showed that “can” was more common in the Ethiopian Students Corpus, while “could” was frequent in the BNC, with no use of “was/were able to” in the Ethiopian corpus. Overgeneralization and subject-verb agreement errors were reduced in the experimental group. From the results, it was recommended that authentic linguistic data be integrated into grammar lessons could actively engage students with language forms and meanings

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  • Applied Linguistics
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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Ellen Le Foll (PhD) and for her insightful advice that helped to strengthen the article.

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Author (1) performed data analysis and wrote the first draft of the study. Author (2) and author (3) edited the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Aman Matebie.

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Ethical issues of this paper were carefully evaluated by Internal Review Board of Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia and confirmed that it did not affect any fundamental rights, dignity and worth of every human being. Besides, the paper was evaluated by board of examiners at the proposal stage and got ethical clearance from Faculties of Humanities.

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Matebie, A., Yigzaw, A. & Tefera, E. From Textbook Grammar to Real-World Language: The Story of an experiment in Language Classrooms. Corpus Pragmatics (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41701-025-00191-8

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  • DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s41701-025-00191-8

Keywords

  • Usage based theory
  • Corpus-based instruction
  • Authentic Language Data
  • Modal auxiliary verbs
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