ABSTRACT
In this chapter we begin by discussing what is meant by language learning. We then describe the evolution of the field of learner corpus research in terms of corpus design, content and methodologies. We look at a sample of corpora and briefly describe three different examples of learner corpus research, using a range of corpora, design and approaches. We consider to what extent this body of work, and research in the field to date, has shed light on language learning. We consider the affordances and limitations of this research on our understanding of language learning and look ahead to how to further harness the potential of existing and future corpora to this end.
