Data
This corpus consists of language writing samples by Taiwanese learners of English who have sat the General English Proficiency Test (GEPT), a language proficiency examination administered by the LTTC. Currently in the corpus, 8,394 writing samples from the GEPT Intermediate Level and 4,385 from the High-Intermediate Level have been digitalized and processed using the CHAT transcription format. The present size of the corpus is approximately 2,097,730 words. Below is the summary of currently computerized samples.
Table 1. Summary of writing samples by February, 2012Written production | Eligible text | Word token | Word type | |
Intermediate GEPT | 8376 | 8376 | 1180847 | 18634 |
High-Intermediate GEPT | 4381 | 4381 | 916883 | 18222 |
In this web corpus, original scores of the samples are converted into band scores as shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Score alignmentBand scores | Original scores | Articles |
A | 4~5 | 5150 |
B | 3~3.9 | 4975 |
C | 2~2.9 | 2612 |
D | 0~1.9 | 21 |
Table 3. Basic statistics of subjects' meta-data: Intermediate level
TOPIC ID | IW-0801 | IW-0802 | IW-0803 | IW-0861 | IW-0862 | IW-0863 | IW-0901 | IW-0962 | IW-1001 | I_document | |||||||||||
Item | Contents | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % |
Region | Northern Taiwan | 294 | 46.7% | 275 | 42.4% | 242 | 33.9% | 236 | 38.8% | 321 | 46.2% | 300 | 43.0% | 460 | 32.5% | 540 | 37.3% | 568 | 37.4% | 3236 | 38.6% |
Central Taiwan | 193 | 30.6% | 228 | 35.2% | 332 | 46.6% | 212 | 34.9% | 210 | 30.2% | 257 | 36.9% | 474 | 33.5% | 470 | 32.4% | 504 | 33.2% | 2880 | 34.4% | |
Southern Taiwan | 111 | 17.6% | 116 | 17.9% | 122 | 17.1% | 123 | 20.2% | 147 | 21.2% | 112 | 16.1% | 446 | 31.5% | 442 | 30.4% | 448 | 29.5% | 2067 | 24.7% | |
Eastern Taiwan | 18 | 2.9% | 29 | 4.5% | 17 | 2.4% | 22 | 3.6% | 17 | 2.4% | 28 | 4.0% | 22 | 1.6% | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 153 | 1.8% | |
Outside Taiwan Island | 14 | 2.2% | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 15 | 2.5% | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 12 | 0.8% | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 41 | 0.5% | |
Gender | Male | 244 | 38.7% | 275 | 42.4% | 265 | 37.2% | 204 | 33.6% | 261 | 37.6% | 250 | 35.9% | 530 | 37.5% | 533 | 36.8% | 552 | 36.3% | 3114 | 37.2% |
Female | 386 | 61.3% | 373 | 57.6% | 448 | 62.8% | 404 | 66.4% | 434 | 62.4% | 447 | 64.1% | 884 | 62.5% | 919 | 63.2% | 968 | 63.7% | 5263 | 62.8% | |
Major | English/Foreign Languages and Literature | 17 | 2.7% | 7 | 1.1% | 15 | 2.1% | 20 | 3.3% | 11 | 1.6% | 12 | 1.7% | 43 | 3.0% | 37 | 2.5% | 46 | 3.0% | 208 | 2.5% |
Applied Foreign Languages | 42 | 6.7% | 40 | 6.2% | 53 | 7.4% | 36 | 5.9% | 34 | 4.9% | 40 | 5.7% | 105 | 7.4% | 90 | 6.2% | 130 | 8.6% | 570 | 6.8% | |
Libral Arts, History, Philosophy, Education | 20 | 3.2% | 16 | 2.5% | 25 | 3.5% | 5 | 0.8% | 13 | 1.9% | 15 | 2.2% | 27 | 1.9% | 22 | 1.6% | 16 | 1.1% | 159 | 1.9% | |
Mass Communication | 3 | 0.5% | 5 | 0.8% | 3 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.5% | ---- | ---- | 3 | 0.4% | 8 | 0.6% | 8 | 0.5% | 5 | 0.3% | 38 | 0.5% | |
Tourism | 2 | 0.3% | 4 | 0.6% | 3 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.5% | 3 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.4% | 7 | 0.5% | 12 | 0.8% | 5 | 0.3% | 42 | 0.5% | |
Sociology, Economics, Psychology | 3 | 0.5% | 5 | 0.8% | 2 | 0.3% | 5 | 0.8% | 4 | 0.6% | 8 | 1.1% | 18 | 1.3% | 9 | 0.6% | 8 | 0.5% | 62 | 0.7% | |
Law,Politics | 9 | 1.4% | 3 | 0.5% | 2 | 0.3% | 3 | 0.5% | 5 | 0.7% | 3 | 0.4% | 11 | 0.8% | 9 | 0.6% | 13 | 0.9% | 58 | 0.7% | |
Management, Finance | 23 | 3.7% | 29 | 4.5% | 23 | 3.2% | 24 | 3.9% | 31 | 4.5% | 21 | 3.0% | 60 | 4.2% | 53 | 3.6% | 48 | 3.2% | 312 | 3.7% | |
Math, Science, Chemistry, Computer, Engineering | 40 | 6.3% | 30 | 4.6% | 44 | 6.2% | 28 | 4.6% | 28 | 4.0% | 33 | 4.7% | 91 | 6.4% | 81 | 5.6% | 67 | 4.4% | 442 | 5.3% | |
Medicine, Pharmacy, Health, Life Sciences | 14 | 2.2% | 12 | 1.9% | 14 | 2.0% | 12 | 2.0% | 16 | 2.3% | 19 | 2.7% | 38 | 2.7% | 29 | 2.1% | 20 | 1.3% | 174 | 2.1% | |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery, Animal Sciences | 7 | 1.1% | ---- | ---- | 5 | 0.7% | 2 | 0.3% | 4 | 0.6% | 5 | 0.7% | 10 | 0.7% | 7 | 0.5% | 9 | 0.6% | 49 | 0.6% | |
None | 416 | 66.0% | 458 | 70.7% | 493 | 69.1% | 459 | 75.5% | 536 | 77.1% | 523 | 75.0% | 908 | 64.2% | 983 | 67.6% | 1034 | 68.0% | 5810 | 69.4% | |
Others or Blank | 34 | 5.4% | 39 | 6.0% | 31 | 4.3% | 8 | 1.3% | 10 | 1.4% | 12 | 1.7% | 88 | 6.2% | 112 | 7.7% | 119 | 7.8% | 453 | 5.4% | |
Time of living in English-speaking countries | Never or Blank | 590 | 93.7% | 616 | 95.1% | 688 | 96.5% | 573 | 94.2% | 662 | 95.3% | 657 | 94.3% | 1346 | 95.2% | 1395 | 96.1% | 1437 | 94.5% | 7964 | 95.1% |
less than 2 yrs | 29 | 4.6% | 22 | 3.4% | 19 | 2.7% | 29 | 4.8% | 27 | 3.9% | 36 | 5.2% | 59 | 4.2% | 47 | 3.2% | 62 | 4.1% | 330 | 3.9% | |
2~5 yrs | 7 | 1.1% | 8 | 1.2% | 5 | 0.7% | 4 | 0.7% | 5 | 0.7% | 2 | 0.3% | 8 | 0.6% | 7 | 0.5% | 15 | 1.0% | 61 | 0.7% | |
5~10 yrs | 3 | 0.5% | 2 | 0.3% | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.3% | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.3% | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.1% | 4 | 0.3% | 18 | 0.2% | |
More than 10 yrs | 1 | 0.2% | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.1% | 4 | 0.0% | |
Student or not | No | 75 | 11.9% | 74 | 11.4% | 66 | 9.3% | 71 | 11.7% | 79 | 11.4% | 91 | 13.1% | 113 | 8.0% | 137 | 9.5% | 131 | 8.6% | 837 | 10.0% |
Yes | 555 | 88.1% | 574 | 88.6% | 647 | 90.7% | 537 | 88.3% | 616 | 88.6% | 606 | 86.9% | 1301 | 92.0% | 1315 | 90.5% | 1389 | 91.4% | 7540 | 90.0% | |
Education | Elementary school | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 1 | 0.1% | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 1 | 0.1% | ---- | ---- | 2 | 0.1% | 4 | 0.0% |
Junior high school | 82 | 13.0% | 91 | 14.0% | 62 | 8.7% | 58 | 9.5% | 117 | 16.8% | 98 | 14.1% | 96 | 6.8% | 221 | 15.1% | 213 | 14.0% | 1038 | 12.4% | |
Vocational high school | 54 | 8.6% | 57 | 8.8% | 65 | 9.1% | 46 | 7.6% | 49 | 7.1% | 49 | 7.0% | 156 | 11.0% | 126 | 8.6% | 174 | 11.4% | 776 | 9.3% | |
Senior high school | 361 | 57.3% | 386 | 59.6% | 448 | 62.8% | 388 | 63.8% | 407 | 58.6% | 410 | 58.8% | 856 | 60.5% | 835 | 57.2% | 904 | 59.5% | 4995 | 59.6% | |
College | 21 | 3.3% | 12 | 1.9% | 21 | 2.9% | 24 | 3.9% | 23 | 3.3% | 27 | 3.9% | 39 | 2.8% | 52 | 3.6% | 37 | 2.4% | 256 | 3.1% | |
University of Technology | 25 | 4.0% | 15 | 2.3% | 23 | 3.2% | 15 | 2.5% | 15 | 2.2% | 21 | 3.0% | 37 | 2.6% | 47 | 3.2% | 33 | 2.2% | 228 | 2.7% | |
University in Taiwan | 59 | 9.4% | 69 | 10.6% | 65 | 9.1% | 69 | 11.3% | 75 | 10.8% | 78 | 11.2% | 204 | 14.4% | 149 | 10.2% | 129 | 8.5% | 899 | 10.7% | |
Graduate school in Taiwan | 28 | 4.4% | 16 | 2.5% | 28 | 3.9% | 8 | 1.3% | 9 | 1.3% | 12 | 1.7% | 19 | 1.3% | 13 | 0.9% | 17 | 1.1% | 151 | 1.8% | |
University outside Taiwan | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 2 | 0.1% | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.1% | 5 | 0.1% | |
Graduate school outside Taiwan | ---- | ---- | 2 | 0.3% | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.1% | 3 | 0.2% | 8 | 0.1% | |
Others | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 2 | 0.3% | 3 | 0.2% | 6 | 0.4% | 6 | 0.4% | 17 | 0.2% | |
Total | 630 | 100.0% | 648 | 100.0% | 713 | 100.0% | 608 | 100.0% | 695 | 100.0% | 697 | 100.0% | 1414 | 100.0% | 1452 | 100.0% | 1520 | 100.0% | 8377 | 100.0% |
Below are the figures of basic statistics of subjects' meta-data for Intermediate level.
Table 4. Basic statistics of subjects' meta-data: High-Intermediate level
TOPIC ID | HW-0801 | HW-0861 | HW-0901 | HW-0961 | HW-1001 | HI_document | |||||||
Item | Contents | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % | No. of people | % |
Region | Northern Taiwan | 184 | 37.2% | 203 | 40.4% | 433 | 37.4% | 463 | 39.3% | 376 | 35.9% | 1659 | 37.9% |
Central Taiwan | 159 | 32.1% | 153 | 30.5% | 377 | 32.5% | 379 | 32.2% | 341 | 32.6% | 1409 | 32.2% | |
Southern Taiwan | 152 | 30.7% | 146 | 29.1% | 349 | 30.1% | 336 | 28.5% | 330 | 31.5% | 1313 | 30.0% | |
Eastern Taiwan | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | |
Outside Taiwan Island | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | |
Gender | Male | 182 | 36.8% | 185 | 36.9% | 413 | 35.6% | 464 | 39.4% | 408 | 39.0% | 1652 | 37.7% |
Female | 313 | 63.2% | 317 | 63.1% | 746 | 64.4% | 714 | 60.6% | 639 | 61.0% | 2729 | 62.3% | |
Major | English/Foreign Languages and Literature | 94 | 19.0% | 84 | 16.7% | 170 | 14.7% | 165 | 14.0% | 154 | 14.7% | 667 | 15.2% |
Applied Foreign Languages | 18 | 3.6% | 18 | 3.6% | 61 | 5.3% | 65 | 5.5% | 68 | 6.5% | 230 | 5.2% | |
Libral Arts, History, Philosophy, Education | 28 | 5.7% | 33 | 6.6% | 53 | 4.6% | 51 | 4.3% | 51 | 4.9% | 216 | 4.9% | |
Mass Communication | 2 | 0.4% | 3 | 0.6% | 7 | 0.6% | 8 | 0.7% | 9 | 0.9% | 29 | 0.7% | |
Tourism | 3 | 0.6% | ----- | ----- | 4 | 0.3% | 4 | 0.3% | 3 | 0.3% | 14 | 0.3% | |
Sociology, Economics, Psychology | 7 | 1.4% | 9 | 1.8% | 28 | 2.4% | 17 | 1.4% | 9 | 0.9% | 70 | 1.6% | |
Law,Politics | 13 | 2.6% | 10 | 2.0% | 29 | 2.5% | 24 | 2.0% | 18 | 1.7% | 94 | 2.1% | |
Management, Finance | 32 | 6.5% | 33 | 6.6% | 69 | 6.0% | 60 | 5.1% | 34 | 3.2% | 228 | 5.2% | |
Math, Science, Chemistry, Computer, Engineering | 46 | 9.3% | 49 | 9.8% | 84 | 7.2% | 86 | 7.3% | 73 | 7.0% | 338 | 7.7% | |
Medicine, Pharmacy, Health, Life Sciences | 34 | 6.9% | 32 | 6.4% | 87 | 7.5% | 73 | 6.2% | 53 | 5.1% | 279 | 6.4% | |
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishery, Animal Sciences | 4 | 0.8% | 6 | 1.2% | 18 | 1.6% | 12 | 1.0% | 10 | 1.0% | 50 | 1.1% | |
None | 195 | 39.4% | 197 | 39.2% | 479 | 41.3% | 534 | 45.3% | 503 | 48.0% | 1908 | 43.6% | |
Others or Blank | 19 | 3.8% | 28 | 5.6% | 70 | 6.0% | 79 | 6.7% | 62 | 5.9% | 258 | 5.9% | |
Time of living in English-speaking countries | Never or Blank | 428 | 86.5% | 436 | 86.9% | 992 | 85.6% | 1025 | 87.0% | 925 | 88.3% | 3806 | 86.9% |
less than 2 yrs | 44 | 8.9% | 51 | 10.2% | 126 | 10.9% | 104 | 8.8% | 91 | 8.7% | 416 | 9.5% | |
2~5 yrs | 13 | 2.6% | 12 | 2.4% | 24 | 2.1% | 30 | 2.5% | 27 | 2.6% | 106 | 2.4% | |
5~10 yrs | 9 | 1.8% | 1 | 0.2% | 11 | 0.9% | 16 | 1.4% | 3 | 0.3% | 40 | 0.9% | |
More than 10 yrs | 1 | 0.2% | 2 | 0.4% | 6 | 0.5% | 3 | 0.3% | 1 | 0.1% | 13 | 0.3% | |
Student or not | No | 118 | 23.8% | 90 | 17.9% | 262 | 22.6% | 227 | 19.3% | 195 | 18.6% | 892 | 20.4% |
Yes | 377 | 76.2% | 412 | 82.1% | 897 | 77.4% | 951 | 80.7% | 852 | 81.4% | 3489 | 79.6% | |
Education | Elementary school | ---- | ---- | ----- | ----- | 1 | 0.1% | ---- | ---- | 1 | 0.1% | 2 | 0.0% |
Junior high school | 12 | 2.4% | 22 | 4.4% | 49 | 4.2% | 65 | 5.5% | 52 | 5.0% | 200 | 4.6% | |
Vocational high school | 7 | 1.4% | 4 | 0.8% | 25 | 2.2% | 37 | 3.1% | 25 | 2.4% | 98 | 2.2% | |
Senior high school | 198 | 40.0% | 194 | 38.6% | 475 | 41.0% | 534 | 45.3% | 496 | 47.4% | 1897 | 43.3% | |
College | 18 | 3.6% | 17 | 3.4% | 39 | 3.4% | 34 | 2.9% | 32 | 3.1% | 140 | 3.2% | |
University of Technology | 10 | 2.0% | 9 | 1.8% | 26 | 2.2% | 28 | 2.4% | 22 | 2.1% | 95 | 2.2% | |
University in Taiwan | 203 | 41.0% | 205 | 40.8% | 432 | 37.3% | 397 | 33.7% | 356 | 34.0% | 1593 | 36.4% | |
Graduate school in Taiwan | 34 | 6.9% | 37 | 7.4% | 71 | 6.1% | 56 | 4.8% | 52 | 5.0% | 250 | 5.7% | |
University outside Taiwan | 2 | 0.4% | 2 | 0.4% | 10 | 0.9% | 9 | 0.8% | 3 | 0.3% | 26 | 0.6% | |
Graduate school outside Taiwan | 11 | 2.2% | 5 | 1.0% | 16 | 1.4% | 11 | 0.9% | 4 | 0.4% | 47 | 1.1% | |
Others | ---- | ---- | 7 | 1.4% | 15 | 1.3% | 7 | 0.6% | 4 | 0.4% | 33 | 0.8% | |
Total | 495 | 100.0% | 502 | 100.0% | 1159 | 100.0% | 1178 | 100.0% | 1047 | 100.0% | 4381 | 100.0% |
Below are the figures of basic statistics of subjects' meta-data for High-Intermediate level.