diff --git a/chatterbot/corpus.py b/chatterbot/corpus.py
index 2c19c043c..9a347a1db 100644
--- a/chatterbot/corpus.py
+++ b/chatterbot/corpus.py
@@ -1,50 +1,70 @@
-import os
 import io
-import glob
 from pathlib import Path
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import List, Generator
+
 from chatterbot.exceptions import OptionalDependencyImportError
 
+# Try to import ChatterBot corpus data directory
 try:
     from chatterbot_corpus.corpus import DATA_DIRECTORY
 except (ImportError, ModuleNotFoundError):
-    # Default to the home directory of the current user
-    DATA_DIRECTORY = os.path.join(
-        Path.home(),
-        'chatterbot_corpus',
-        'data'
-    )
+    # Default to home directory if corpus package not installed
+    DATA_DIRECTORY = Path.home() / 'chatterbot_corpus' / 'data'
+
+# Only support YAML formats for now
+CORPUS_EXTENSIONS = ['yml', 'yaml']
+
+# Simple cache for loaded corpus files
+_corpus_cache = {}
 
 
-CORPUS_EXTENSION = 'yml'
+@dataclass
+class CorpusData:
+    conversations: List[List[str]]
+    categories: List[str]
+    file_path: str
 
 
-def get_file_path(dotted_path, extension='json') -> str:
+def get_file_path(dotted_path: str, extensions: List[str] = CORPUS_EXTENSIONS) -> Path:
     """
-    Reads a dotted file path and returns the file path.
+    Convert a dotted path or filesystem path into an actual file path.
+    Raises FileNotFoundError if the file does not exist.
     """
-    # If the operating system's file path seperator character is in the string
-    if os.sep in dotted_path or '/' in dotted_path:
-        # Assume the path is a valid file path
-        return dotted_path
+    path = Path(dotted_path)
 
+    # If path already exists, return it
+    if path.exists():
+        return path
+
+    # Split dotted path
     parts = dotted_path.split('.')
     if parts[0] == 'chatterbot':
-        parts.pop(0)
-        parts[0] = DATA_DIRECTORY
+        parts[0] = str(DATA_DIRECTORY)
+
+    base_path = Path(*parts)
 
-    corpus_path = os.path.join(*parts)
+    # Check for file existence with supported extensions
+    for ext in extensions:
+        candidate = base_path.with_suffix(f'.{ext}')
+        if candidate.exists():
+            return candidate
 
-    path_with_extension = '{}.{}'.format(corpus_path, extension)
-    if os.path.exists(path_with_extension):
-        corpus_path = path_with_extension
+    # If directory exists, return it
+    if base_path.is_dir():
+        return base_path
 
-    return corpus_path
+    raise FileNotFoundError(f"Corpus file or directory not found for: {dotted_path}")
 
 
-def read_corpus(file_name) -> dict:
+def read_corpus(file_path: Path) -> dict:
     """
-    Read and return the data from a corpus json file.
+    Read a YAML corpus file and return its contents.
+    Caches results for repeated access.
     """
+    if file_path in _corpus_cache:
+        return _corpus_cache[file_path]
+
     try:
         import yaml
     except ImportError:
@@ -55,37 +75,49 @@ def read_corpus(file_name) -> dict:
         )
         raise OptionalDependencyImportError(message)
 
-    with io.open(file_name, encoding='utf-8') as data_file:
-        return yaml.safe_load(data_file)
+    try:
+        with io.open(file_path, encoding='utf-8') as f:
+            data = yaml.safe_load(f)
+    except Exception as e:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to read corpus file {file_path}: {e}") from e
+
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        raise ValueError(f"Corpus file {file_path} did not return a dictionary.")
+
+    _corpus_cache[file_path] = data
+    return data
 
 
-def list_corpus_files(dotted_path) -> list[str]:
+def list_corpus_files(dotted_path: str) -> List[Path]:
     """
-    Return a list of file paths to each data file in the specified corpus.
+    Return a sorted list of all corpus files (with supported extensions)
+    in the given dotted path or directory.
     """
-    corpus_path = get_file_path(dotted_path, extension=CORPUS_EXTENSION)
-    paths = []
+    path = get_file_path(dotted_path)
+    files: List[Path] = []
 
-    if os.path.isdir(corpus_path):
-        paths = glob.glob(corpus_path + '/**/*.' + CORPUS_EXTENSION, recursive=True)
+    if path.is_dir():
+        for ext in CORPUS_EXTENSIONS:
+            files.extend(path.rglob(f'*.{ext}'))
     else:
-        paths.append(corpus_path)
+        files.append(path)
 
-    paths.sort()
-    return paths
+    return sorted(files)
 
 
-def load_corpus(*data_file_paths):
+def load_corpus(*data_file_paths: str) -> Generator[CorpusData, None, None]:
     """
-    Return the data contained within a specified corpus.
+    Yield CorpusData objects for each specified corpus file.
     """
-    for file_path in data_file_paths:
-        corpus = []
-        corpus_data = read_corpus(file_path)
-
-        conversations = corpus_data.get('conversations', [])
-        corpus.extend(conversations)
-
-        categories = corpus_data.get('categories', [])
-
-        yield corpus, categories, file_path
+    for file_path_str in data_file_paths:
+        path = get_file_path(file_path_str)
+        if path.is_dir():
+            files = list_corpus_files(path)
+        else:
+            files = [path]
+
+        for file in files:
+            corpus_data = read_corpus(file)
+            conversations = corpus_data.get('conversations', [])
+            categories = corpus_data.get('categories', [])
+            yield CorpusData(conversations, categories, str(file))