Introduction to research in applied linguistics

A research proposal Tutorial 1 Introduction to research in applied linguistics Supervisor Dr Kiều Thi Thu Hương Group members Nguyen Thi Lan Nguyen Thi Mien Tran Thi Hoang Ngan Class K18B Outline 1 What is the research? 2 What is the research carried for 3 A sample of research 4 Nature of social science and social reality 4 1 Social science 4 2 social reality 5 Research process in applied linguistics 5 1 A model of research process 5 2 Illustration from real research in applied linguistics 6 M.

Class: K18B

1

1 What is the research?

2 What is the research carried for

3 A sample of research

4 Nature of social science and social reality

4.1 Social science

4.2 social reality

5 Research process in applied linguistics

5.1 A model of research process

5.2 Illustration from real research in

applied linguistics

6 Main approaches and some terms

1 What is research?

- The search for knowledge or any

systematic investigation.

- Discovering, interpreting, and

development of methods and

systems.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research )

What is research?

Other definitions:

• Research is the process of going up alleys to see if

they are blind

Marston Bates, American writer

• Research is what I am doing when I don t know ’t know

what I am doing

Von Braun, American engineer

• If you steal from one author, it s plagiarism; if you ’t know

steal from many, it s research’t know

Wilson Mizner, American dramatist

What is research?

A systematic process of inquiry

consisting of three elements:

- A question, a problem or a hypothesis

- Data

- Analysis and interpretation of data

(Nunan.D.1992 (2) Research Methods in Language Learning)

2 What is a research

carried out for?

General purposes:

- Discover new theories or laws

- Establish facts and search new

conclusions

- Interpret facts

- Revise accepted theories or laws

- To test models and develop theories

- Solve problems, verify the application

of theories, and lead on to new

insights.

- Enlighten: researcher and readers.

What is a research

carried out for?

- Prove/disprove new ideas, characterize

phenomena

- Carry out what is planned, support the

point of view, uncover what is not known, satisfy inquiry

- Discover the cause of a problem, to find the solution to a problem, etc.

(Nunan.D.1992 Research Methods in Language Learning)

3 Research report sample

A model research:

Title: Learning vocabulary through games

The effectiveness of learning vocabulary through games

Author: Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen

Khuat Thi Thu Nga

Source: http://asian-efl-journal.com/dec_03_sub.Vn.php

Questions:

1 What are the objectives?

2 How are these objectives achieved?

Research report sample

1 Objectives:

- Find out the answer to the research question about:

+ The effectiveness of learning

vocabulary through games

+ How this way of learning helps

students to learn vocabulary.

Research report sample

2 How these objectives are achieved:

4.Nature of social science and

social reality

4.1 Social science

4.2 Social reality

4.1 Social science

Traditional view:

+ Same as the natural sciences

+ Discover natural and universal laws of individual and social behaviours

- Personal, subjective and unique:

researcher- participant observer,

rejection of natural science methods, anti-positivism.

(Based on the work of Burell and Morgan_1979)

Examples from a real research

A model research:

Title: Learning vocabulary through games

The effectiveness of learning vocabulary

through games

Author: Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen

Khuat Thi Thu Nga

Source:

http://asian-efl-journal.com/dec_03_sub.Vn php

Examples from a real research

• Traditional view:

- Students “learn new words with

meanings in their native language

without any real context practice.”

- Ss learn vocabulary by “writing words

on paper, learning passively through the teacher's explanations.”

Examples from a real research

• Interpretive view:

Different views:

+ Decarrico (2001) states that words should not be

learnt separately or by memorization without

understanding

+ Nation (2000, p.6) considers that the "look and

remember" way of vocabulary learning seems to be not very effective for learners of the English

language.

+ Newton (2001) thinks learners should be required to take part in a number of meaningful activities with different tasks

Examples from a real research

• Ontological assumptions:

The products of different writers' views:

• Nation (2000, p.6) concludes that "learning new words is a cumulative process, with

words enriched and established as they are met again",

• Newton (2001) believes “this approach can enable learners to manage their vocabulary meaning and develop their communicative skills at the same time.”

Examples from a real research

Espistemological assumptions

The results of science methods:

The results of the study, to some extent,

support those of Decarrio (2001), Newton

(2001) and Nation (2000) since they claimed that vocabulary games bring in relaxation

and fun for students, thus help them learn

and retain new words more easily

5 RESEARCH PROCESS

5.1 Research process

5.2 The basic process of research 5.3 Illustration

(Nunan 1992).

• Data analysis and interpretation

• Confirmation or disapproval of the hypothesis

(Wisker 2001)

5.3 Illustration

6 Main appoaches and some terms

6.5 Validity 6.6 Variable 6.7 Longitudinal 6.8 Quatifiable 6.9 Systematic 6.10 Logical 6.11 Tangible 6.12 Psychometric

6.1 Quantitative vs

Qualitative

Quantitative Quanlitative

What kind of research is it?

Research that consists of the

percentage amounts of all the

elements that make up Earth's

atmosphere.

Survey that concludes that the average

patient has to wait two hours in the

waiting room of a certain doctor before

being selected.

An experiment in which group x was

given two tablets of Aspirin a day and

Group y was given two tablets of a

placebo a day where each participant is

randomly assigned to one or other of the

groups

Quantitative

6.1.1 Quantitative

• Numeral research

• Involves analysis of numerical data

• Commonly used to investigate research questions

Statistics in quantitative research

• Most widely used branch of mathematics

• Used extensively in economics, social sciences

• Use statistical methods to collect of data

• Ex: Dietary intake  Physiological effects

- Weight loss

- Exercises

Measurement in quantitative research

• Divergent

• Only a means to express numerical

observations to investigate causal relations

• The generation of models, theories and hypotheses

• Experimental control and manipulation of variables

• Collection of empirical data

• Modeling and analysis of data

• Evaluation of results

Qualitative research

(Non-numeral research)

• A way to gain insights through the

comprehension of the whole.

• Explores the richness, depth, and complexity

of phenomena

• Findings not arrive at by means of statistical procedures.

Features of qualitative

research

- All knowledge is relative

- Coming from subjective element to

knowledge

- No overarching framework of conducting qualitative research

Main Types of Qualitative Research

Interactive

interviewing

People asked to verbally described their experiences of phenomenon.

Observation Descriptive observations of

verbal and non-verbal behavior

Quantitative vs

qualitative

• Qualitative research involves analysis of data such as words (e.g., from

interviews), pictures (e.g., video), or objects (e.g., an artifact)

• Quantitative research involves analysis of numerical data

• The strengths and weaknesses of qualitative and quantitative research are a

perennial, hot debate, especially in the social sciences The issues invoke classic 'paradigm war'

• The personality / thinking style of the researcher and/or the culture of the

organization is under-recognized as a key factor in preferred choice of methods

• Overly focusing on the debate of "qualitative versus quantitative" frames the

methods in opposition It is important to focus also on how the techniques can

be integrated, such as in mixed methods research More good can come of social science researchers developing skills in both realms than debating which method is superior

- Researcher is the data

gathering instrument - Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or equipment to

collect numerical data

- Data is in the form of words,

pictures or objects - Data is in the form of numbers and statistics

- Use surveys, questionnaires

- More 'rich', time consuming

- Less able to be generalized

- More efficient

- Able to test hypotheses

- Miss contextual detail

- Become subjectively immersed - Remain objectively separated

(Miles & Huberman (1994, p 40) Qualitative Data Analysis)

Qualitative Quantitative

Quantitative

or qualitative?

Research

Hot debate

Perennial

method

6.2.1 Deductivism

• Begin with a hypothesis/theory

• Search for evidence to

- Support the hypothesis/theory

- Refuse the hypothesis/theory

6.2.2 Inductivism

Seek to derive general principles/theories/ truths from an investigation and

‘truths’ from an investigation and ’t know

documentation of single instances

- Generalise all the things collected

- Collect the materials or reading related to the hypothesis

- Findings

Summarized or collected from existing data

Base on primary sources

of information

Degree that consistent

Results are expected

if re-analyzed Data for the study

External reliability

(Mc Donough; Research Methods for E Language Teachers; P63-64)

Degree to which results of study can be accurately

interpreted and effectively generalized

the study itself

Degree to which made

sense what set out and

reported all critical data

External validity

(Mc Donough; Research Methods for E Language Teachers; P62-63)

6.6 Variable:

A characteristic which may differ over time and

among individuals or groups

6.7 Longitudinal

Way that one study is formulated to

suit the purpose of study

conducted over a lengthy period

of time

(Mc Donough; Research Methods for E Language Teachers; P62-63)

rank, or category

represents

(An Introduction to research Methods and traditions; P9)

5 Steps of a research

Evaluate found data

Cite using a standard

format

(An Introduction to research Methods and traditions; P9)

6.11 Tangible

Da lat has many waterfalls and it

is so beautiful!

collecting and manipulating data

from the real world

(Based on Mr Brown,1988)

12 Psychometric

Research carried out

by the collection of data through an

experiment

experiment

Analysis of that data through the use of inferential statistics

Deductivism or Inductivism?

Work out topic

Make an outline

Find data

Study follow

clear procedural rules

Example:

5 Steps of a research

Evaluate found data

Cite using a standard

format

collecting and manipulating data

from the real world

Deductivism or Inductivism?

Inductivis

m

Match the term and its concept

1 Systematic A way that one study is formulated to

suit the purpose of the study conducted over a lengthy period of time

Psycho-metric

fashion, from question formation to data collection and analysis

Longitu-dinal

different methods and materials from the use of “experimental method

Match the term and its concept

1 Systematic C study follow clear procedural rules

fashion, from question formation to data collection and analysis

Psycho-metric

different methods and materials from the use of “experimental method

Longitu-dinal

suit the purpose of the study conducted over a lengthy period of time

Fill the missing words

A study is (1) … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural .if it follows clear procedural rules for the design of the study A study should also exhibit (2) … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural in the step-by-step progression

of the study (3) … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural research is based on the collection of data from the real world The types of data are numerous, but they are all similar in that they must be (4) … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural … … …….if it follows clear procedural ., that is, each data must

be a number that represents some well-defined quantity, rank, or category.

tangible

systematic

logic tangible

quantifiable

• Cohen, L., et al 2007 Research Methods in Education

• Nunan D 1992 Research Methods in Language Learning

Cambridge

• Brown, J.D & Rodgers, T.S., 2002, Doing Second

Language Research

• Wisker, G 2001, The Postgraduate Handbook, New York

• McDonough, J & S McDonough, 1997, Research

Methods for English Language Teachers

• An Introduction to research Methods and traditions

III Homework

• Write the answers