Research Methods in Applied Linguistics - Essay Example

Four Questions Q The research methodology utilized by the is quite simple yet effective. Yodanis (2006) quite simply recorded data based on personal observation of the subjects. The author listened in on conversations and made observations of the participants and recorded notes quickly thereafter on a tape recorder and field journal which was then transferred into a field diary. Although the author had promised that the steps taken assured that the information is as accurate as possible there is always the risk that the own prejudices and pre conceived notions on social interaction between individuals and groups in a friendly setting could theoretically influence the conclusions. The author was trying to argue that taste and behavior do not necessarily emerge from structural positions rather individuals ascribe these features to socioeconomic positions to best accommodate the needs of the situations (For example vastly different tastes from people one wants to distance oneself from and similar tastes for people who they find similar). Whilst the author’s arguments are indeed convincing it still remains that much of the information gathered and analyzed is still based on personal observations and are still subject to observer biases. Q#2) For this question we were requested to read Dörnyei, Z. (2007). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics and this text them back to what we have learned regarding quan/qual research. Dörnyei stated that the different nature of qualitative and quantitative research is in the fact that the latter refers to researchers who define the variables that they work with well in advance and assign numeric measurements to the variables so that this data can be codified and analyzed. Qualitative research is different insofar as the data is not necessarily numeric rather it can be verbal and as such the issue can be more flexible for investigation. In relation to research questions and hypothesis it can be the case that if the issue that one is going to research relies heavily on topics such as human interaction it may be the case that a qualitative approach could be utilized however if it is the case that something less reliant on human emotions or interactions one could utilize a quantitative approach. Moreover it can be the case that a mixed approach could be utilized for complex issues.   Q#3) This question relates to the relative strength or weakness of the attached questionnaire. Good bad why In some respects the questionnaire is good insofar as the first question “Do you use fast-food services in the area” quickly identifies whether or not the interviewee is a suitable candidate (Presumibly if they do not eat fast food in the area the question session would end at this point). Moreover many questions offer other options for circumstances where the interviewer may have left out a significant source of fast food in the area. However the questionnaire is wear in some respects such as when the questionnaire switches gars and asks “Would you buy from my stall” it quickly becomes a high pressure situation in which the interviewee may not feel free to answer truthfully for fear of more aggressive follow up questions such as “Why wouldn’t you buy from me?” etc. Q#4) The purpose of this question is to provide a critical evaluation of the study Chapter 10: Knowledge about Language and the ‘Good Language Teacher’ in Bartels, N. (2006) Applied linguistics and language teacher education: Educational linguistics v. 4. The authors had first postulated that teacher language awareness encompasses more than the simple knowledge that teachers have to effectively educate rather this factor also encompasses awareness of language from the perspective of the subject, and awareness inter-language for an effective developmental path. Special attention was paid to teacher subject matter and a reflection was given on how most research up to this point on teacher language awareness has been on the subject of teachers having limited training and experience. And ultimately the paper set about being the first attempt to investigate the language awareness on a Good Language Teacher. This study was effective in my mind insofar as there were three very clear questions that the authors defined and set about answering. 1. Do Good Language Teachers possess highly developed levels of declarative knowledge of the language systems? 2. Do Good Language Teachers exhibit highly developed levels of teacher language awareness in their pedagogical practice? 3. What are the characteristics of the teacher language awareness of Good Language Teachers One critique was that the researchers only examined three educators whom they defined as “Good” according to their criterion. This represents a small subject group and moreover all the teachers were female thus excluding any different perspective from males. This small group is hardly enough to draw broad conclusions on the overall effectiveness of Good Language teachers and language awareness. Although there is no set number of subjects to draw effective conclusions one could postulate that three subjects is simply too few. However in general terms the limitations of the study were clearly defined such as when the authors highlighted that there was a subjective judgment of the researchers such as when a subject made a content related decision that was deemed to be inappropriate. The choice of a qualitative approach is commendable as features such as declarative knowledge, teacher language awareness in pedagogical practice are not as quantifiable as other variables and as such this proved to be an appropriate method for analysis. Whilst the paper furthermore highlights a number of interesting points such when the paper highlights that a “striking characteristic of the teacher language awareness of all three subjects is their willingness to engage with language, i.e with the content of learning.” Although this may indeed be an interesting point the question of whether or not these theories can be spread across a greater number of participants remains to be seen. In conclusion it is difficult for me as an outside observer to identify this as a high quality research paper the results as found within the paper may still hold true. Only time will tell. Read More