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Recent Trends in Applied Linguistics and Language Pedagogy Research

Marianne NikolovUniversity of Pécs, Hungary

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Overview of presentation

What has been researched?

How has research been designed and implemented?

How to decide upon best focus and research method?

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What has been studied?

Who study whom and where?

Tertiary education - frequent

Asia has moved to the fore

Non-native teachers

English as a lingua franca

Other target languages – minimal

What has been researched?

4 skills –frequently studied

Testing:

assessment of learning / for learning

Classrooms

Individual differences: affective and cognitive factors

Early start programs

Form- and meaning- focused instruction: explicit/implicit learning

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What has not been researched?

Language teaching methods

Published teaching materials & proficiency, motivation

How extracurricular exposure contributes to proficiency

Impact of internet and IT – autonomous learning

Work abroad

Teachers’ cooperation

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Main trends in research methods

Diversity: shift from single method to mixed method

Shift towards qualitative studies

Case studies

Identity – social construct

Emic perspective

Thick description

Triangulation

Feasibility

Complex systems (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2008) causal models do not work

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Main trends in studies with a linguistic focus

English – English as a lingua franca

Focus on learner and teacher language in context

Learners’ and teachers’ L1 in interaction with target L

Corpus linguistics – authentic language

Vocabulary; chunks, unanalyzed wholes

Standards & curricula – assessment

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Psycholinguistic trends

Attitudes, motivation, willingness to communicate, anxiety

Focus on processes vs. outcomes

Memory-based learning vs. rule-based learning

Implicit – explicit learning and knowledge

Uses of think aloud protocol

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Sociolinguistic trends

Learners’ and teachers’ beliefs and identity

Co-construction / scaffolding of knowledge

Dynamic testing (Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2002) learning potential, mediated learning, testing FOR learning

Intercultural communication

Information technology – Internet

Classroom research

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Qualitative research gaining ground

Analysis of 10 journals between 1997-2006

(Benson, Chik, Gao, Huang, & Wang, 2009)

22% of papers are qualitative

TQ: 43% - SSLA: 5%

Two main categories:

Case study Discourse analysis

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How?

Approaches A (people) & B (texts)

Case study 225 Discourse Analysis 53

Ethnography 49 Classroom Interaction 49

Longitudinal 19 Conversation Analysis 20

Think-Aloud 16 Corpus Study 6

Narrative 12 Genre Analysis 4

Self-Study 6 Systematic Func. Analysis 1

Stimulated Recall 7

Action Research 4

Diary Study 4

TOTAL 342 133

(Benson, et al., 2009, p. 84)

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How?

Single-method and Multi-method studies

Types of data collection Total # studies

1 103

2-3 157

4+ 71

Unclear 13

(Benson, et al., 2009):

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How to choose a focus and a method?(1) Read

(2) Discuss

(3) Reflect

(4) Find problem areas in context

(5) Formulate questions

(6) Discuss

(7) Find participants

(8) Decide (1) Replication study

(2) New study

(9) Method to match RQs(1) Instruments

(2) Procedures

(3) Feasibility

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How to progress?

Document every step in writing

Process must be intrinsically motivating

Don’t lose heart

Keep going: read, discuss, reflect

Ups & downs are typical

You’ll eventually get there

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ReferencesBenson, P., Chik, A., Gao, X., Huang, J., & Wang, W. (2009). Qualitative research

in language teaching and learning journals. The Modern Language Journal, 93(1), 79-90.

Creswell, J. W. (2004). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Duff, P. (2008). Case study research in applied linguistics. New York: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Johnstone, R. (2009). Review on research on language teaching, learning and policy published in 2007. Language Teaching, 42(3), 287-315.

Mackey, A., & Gass, S. (2005). Second language research: Methodology and design. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Nikolov, M. (2009). The age factor in context. In M. Nikolov (Ed.), The age factor and early language learning (pp. 1-38). Berlin & New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Richards, K. (2009). Trends in qualitative research in language teaching since 2000. Language Teaching, 42(2), 147-180.