ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book presents a large number of examples of corpus-based studies and explains how to employ corpus techniques to address a wide range of issues related to the use and functions of vocabulary as a key component of language. Judging by the diversity and complexity of the topics that have been covered, it is fair to say that corpus linguistics is a vibrant area of linguistic study and it is likely to continue developing in the coming years. One of the most important directions for future research is further integration of corpus tools and methodologies. In their overview of the field, McEnery and Hardie state that methodological pluralism is "critical to the future of corpus linguistics". To recapitulate, corpus linguistics is a well-established methodology that is likely to continue to evolve as a powerful approach for analyzing language 'at large'.
