Jarvis Looi

Researcher in applied linguistics, corpus linguistics, quantitative linguistics, instructed second language learning

Universiti Malaya, Malaysia & Analyse et Traitement Informatique de la Langue Française (ATILF), CNRS-Université de Lorraine, France

Jarvis Looi is a researcher specialising in applied linguistics, corpus linguistics, quantitative linguistics, and instructed second language learning. He holds a PhD in language learning and assessment, earned through an international joint programme between Universiti Malaya (Malaysia) and Analyse et Traitement Informatique de la Langue Française (ATILF), CNRS–Université de Lorraine (France).

Research interests

His research explores how insights from complex corpus analyses and statistical modelling can inform and improve language teaching, particularly through data-driven learning (DDL). His work follows two main strands: (i) corpus-based linguistic inquiry and advanced statistics, and (ii) pedagogical applications of these findings in the classroom.

In the first strand, he investigates adjectival usage in French, focusing on adjective positioning, semantic distinctions among synonyms, and classification. He applies statistical methods such as logistic regression, Bayesian analysis, and multiple correspondence analysis. He also studies English multiword expressions, analysing semantic prosody and attitudinal meaning through corpus-based approaches.

In the second strand, his work aims to turn linguistic research into actionable and measurable teaching materials using DDL. He often employs multilevel statistical analysis to address classroom heterogeneity when testing the effectiveness of these materials in controlled experimental settings. Recently, he has begun investigating the potential of multimodal corpora for listening and pronunciation instruction — an emerging area within DDL.

Teaching

Alongside research, Jarvis has extensive experience in university teaching. He has taught French at Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia and currently teaches English at Université de Lorraine and Sciences Po, France. His teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate levels, where he integrates corpus-based and quantitative approaches into his pedagogy.