Abstract—This study aims to investigate the linguistic style of English language textbooks by employing a "low-effort" Multidimensional Analysis (MDA) approach using corpus concordance software. Biber's MDA approach, developed to reveal linguistic registers, genres, and styles, is a powerful, robust yet complex method that demands substantial technical expertise and considerable time investment from researchers. To address these challenges, this study adopts a simplified analytical approach utilizing the Wordlist and Keywords functions in the corpus concordance software—WordSmith Tools. Eight Chinese secondary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks were selected as the research sample, forming the foundation for constructing a self-built corpus, the Chinese Secondary School EFL Textbooks Corpus (CSTC). The findings reveal that the linguistic style of the sampled textbooks closely aligns with the characteristics of the written register. This study provides a practical reference of this "low-effort" method for future research that requires preliminary and general evaluations of linguistic style. 
 

Keywords—corpus concordance software, EFL textbooks, WordSmith Tools, linguistic style 

Cite: Mingxuan Zhang, Chong Liu, and Jayakaran Mukundan, "Using Corpus Concordance Software for Low-Effort Multidimensional Analysis of Linguistic Style in Chinese Secondary EFL Textbooks," International Journal of Learning and Teaching, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 279-283, 2025.

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