Research Methods in Applied Linguistics最新文献

We live in a postdigital world where traversing digital and in-person domains for teaching and learning is normalized, raising important methodological and ethical considerations for ethnographic approaches in language education. We define postdigital as a condition where the virtual and physical mediate each other to form hybrid spaces that transcend the online/offline distinction. We begin the article with theoretical discussions on the epistemological orientations that inform postdigital inquiry. Then we situate our language education research, discussing the value of ethnography for understanding hybrid spaces and identifying the challenges and limitations of existing ethnographic methodologies in addressing postdigital conditions. Following this, we illustrate ways to follow the chosen unit of analysis in postidigital ethnography through three case studies, specifically focusing on pedagogical activities. We also reflect on pedagogical insights from postdigital ethnography, sensitive ethical concerns involved in postdigital research, as well as considerations for addressing those ethical issues. We conclude the paper with practical suggestions for researchers on conducting postdigital ethnographies.

Although a number of studies have been conducted on incidental second language (L2) vocabulary learning from reading, there is little discussion on the importance of reading text and task variables in research design and learning outcomes. This methodological synthesis aims to systematically review and critically appraise the methodological choices related to text variables (text audience, quality, genre, topic and content, length, and amount) and reading task variables (reading task instruction, reading comprehension assessment, and time allocation for reading) in previous studies. A total of 33 primary studies were retrieved and reviewed. The results indicated that the current practice of the use of texts and reading tasks should be reconsidered, and that researchers should provide more information on these variables. The findings contribute to the methodological rigor of the research on incidental L2 vocabulary learning from reading.

Meta-research, including meta-analyses and systematic methodological reviews, has proven to be a useful tool for obtaining a comprehensive understanding of research questions by numerically summarizing data and methodological features in a given literature. As part of the review procedure, researchers select primary studies to be included in their analysis. However, this process is resource-intensive and prone to human error. In this tutorial, we introduce a practical application of artificial intelligence (AI), known as ASReview, that can facilitate the screening process. Using a simulated data set derived from a published meta-analysis, we offer step-by-step guidance on how to incorporate the tool into the screening process. We cover the essential steps, including the preparation of the data set, the import of the data set, the labeling of the study as relevant or irrelevant (for inclusion or not), as well as the saving of the results for the researcher's record and sharing for transparency in the spirit of open science. In addition, the tutorial addresses essential factors to consider in the AI-aided screening process, such as stopping rules. We acknowledge potential limitations of the tool and provide a couple of alternatives for interested readers. Our overall goal is to contribute to advancing and promoting meta-research in SLA by facilitating the screening process in the era of AI.

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Language development is a long-term process. Individual-level longitudinal case studies have been foundational to SLA. However, methodologies that can support person-focused and process-oriented research lack consolidation. Qualitative longitudinal (QL) research (Neale, 2021a, 2021b) is a methodology that facilitates exploration of the influences of time over time. It provides a temporal architecture within which the ever-changing influence of time can be explored. In QL research, development is studied during a period of transition. With focus trained on a defined time window, data generation is guided by temporally configured strategies. This article introduces QL methodology and demonstrates its application in the investigation of willingness to communicate (WTC) among immigrant women in Sweden. We present the key principles of QL research, and the application of data collection strategies that are (1) sequential, (2) participatory, (3) cartographic, and (4) recursive. In QL research, exploration of the episodic and incremental nature of change will be facilitated when narratives reflecting a participant's experiences are compiled and shared with an engaged researcher in sequentially ordered interviews. In a QL study, time provides an axis of comparison. With participatory data providing pivots around which an interview is conducted, interviews are designed to map out temporal shifts. In mapping a developmental journey, events currently in focus are examined in relation to similar events discussed in preceding interviews and, within broader developmental timeframes, previous journeys. The article concludes with an assessment of the opportunities and challenges associated with QL research.

Building on the increased concern over methodological quality and research judgment in applied linguistics and elsewhere in the social sciences (e.g., Gass et al., 2021; Open Science Collaboration, 2015), Isbell et al. (2022) examined the presence of questionable research practices (QRPs) as well as misconduct (e.g., data fabrication) in applied linguistics. The findings, based on a survey of 351 scholars, paint a disappointing view of the ethics of quantitative researchers in the field. Approximately 17% of the sample admitted to one or more forms of fraud, and nearly all (94%) reported engaging in one or more QRPs. Isbell et al. also collected responses from participants regarding their views of the different QRPs in the survey. The present study focuses on those responses in an attempt to shed light on the choices researchers make while handling, analyzing, and reporting quantitative data. Nine themes, such as researcher training and the changing landscape of applied linguistics research methods, were extracted from participants’ comments which were analyzed vis-à-vis aggregate-level survey data in Isbell et al. We also highlight the context-dependent nature of methodological choices. Representative responses are highlighted and discussed. Recommendations are also provided to guide researcher practice as well as for graduate training and field-wide standards.

This article reports on a study re-examining the measurement of accuracy in second language task-based performance. Three studies were re-analysed, loosely linked in research designs and experimental variables, but with standardised methods of measuring accuracy. Numerous accuracy measures were used, covering unit of measurement, error gravity, and error linked to length of clause. The contribution of the different measures was compared, largely through effect sizes. It is claimed that some measures are more sensitive than others. Variants of Errors per 100 words were found to be very effective. In contrast the conventional Error Free Clauses measure did not perform consistently well. Clause length accuracy was also distinctive, as was the concept of error gravity. It is proposed that greater understanding of measurement alternatives with accuracy can make a significant contribution to the field, in terms of comparability of studies, as well as the evaluation of theoretical models of second language task-based performance.

As metaphors are difficult to elicit through experimental tools, especially at a young age, it has been proposed that corpora of naturalistic interactions between children and their primary caregivers present an alternative avenue for accessing the language of very young speakers (Gaskins et al., 2023). However, this approach has been developed with English data in mind, adding to the predominantly Anglocentric nature of child language research. The current article demonstrates how the approach can be adapted for use with children acquiring Polish and, by extension, other inflected Slavic languages, where metaphors are often encoded word-internally. The article justifies the motivations which have shaped the development of this adaptation and demonstrates what metaphors it has unearthed in the speech of a Polish-speaking two- to five-year-old child, and her primary caregivers. It is argued that the approach could carry a significant potential in future research if applied to densely sampled data from monolingual acquisition in Polish settings.

Motivation is central to success in most academic domains. This paper builds on previous research into measurement of motivation within the framework of self-determination theory. Instruments measuring motivation often need to be adapted, revised, and improved. There have been repeated calls for replication studies within second language acquisition, and yet there remains some reluctance to build on and develop previous research. To address this issue, this paper reports on a partial replication of Leeming and Harris (2022). That study employed Rasch analysis to investigate the functioning of the Language Learning Orientations Scale (LLOS), allowing identification of problematic items that negatively influenced measurement of the target constructs. Based on the results and discussion of that paper, for this study, questionnaire items were edited, resulting in a new version of the instrument, the LLOS-J. This revised survey was administered to a similar cohort of participants who also completed a test of English reading and listening proficiency. The LLOS-J was examined using the Rasch model, and relationships between data from this questionnaire and English proficiency were also investigated. Rasch analysis allowed comparison with the initial study. Results showed improvement in the unidimensionality of the external motivation construct, and improved fit to the Rasch model for individual items, although this improvement was limited. The relationship between motivational variables and English proficiency was different from the initial study, and possible reasons are discussed.