The Role of Digital Corpus-Based Applications in Enhancing English Collocation Mastery: A Conceptual Review for ICT-Integrated English Language Education

Abstrak

Mastering English collocations—such as make a decision or heavy rain—remains a persistent challenge for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL), including pre-service English teachers. This difficulty stems from the probabilistic nature of collocation, which is difficult to explain through grammatical rules alone. One promising response that has developed rapidly in recent years is the use of digital corpus-based applications (such as SKELL, COCA, and Just The Word) through a Data-Driven Learning (DDL) approach. This article aims to conceptually examine how digital corpus-based applications can contribute to English collocation mastery and to formulate its implications for ICT integration in English language education. The review was conducted through library research on primary literature published within the last ten years concerning collocation, corpus linguistics, and data-driven learning. The review shows that the use of digital corpus tools is consistently reported to contribute positively to learners' collocation mastery, provided it is accompanied by adequate corpus-literacy training and purposeful engagement rather than brief, unguided exposure. This article recommends integrating digital corpus-literacy training into English language education curricula, particularly within teacher-training programs.