Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition: A Practical Guide

Research Methods in Second Language Acquisition: A Practical Guide is an informative guide to research design and methodology in this growing and vibrant field. Utilizing research methods and tools from varied fields of study including education, linguistics, psychology, and sociology, this collection offers complete coverage of the techniques of second language acquisition research. This guide covers a variety of topics, such as second language writing and reading, meta–analyses, research replication, qualitative data collection and analysis, and more. Each chapter of this volume offers background, step–by–step guidance, and relevant studies to create comprehensive coverage of each method. This carefully selected and edited volume will be a useful text for graduate students and scholars looking to keep pace with the latest research projects and methodologies in second language acquisition.

List of Contributors vii 1 Introduction 1 Alison Mackey and Susan M. Gass Part I Data Types 5 2 How to Use Foreign and Second Language Learner Corpora 7 Sylviane Granger 3 Formal Theory–Based Methodologies 30 Tania Ionin 4 Instructed Second Language Acquisition 53 Shawn Loewen and Jenefer Philp 5 How to Design and Analyze Surveys in Second Language Acquisition Research 74 Zoltán Dörnyei and Kata Csizér 6 How to Carry Out Case Study Research 95 Patricia A. Duff 7 How to Use Psycholinguistic Methodologies for Comprehension and Production 117 Kim McDonough and Pavel Trofimovich 8 How to Research Second Language Writing 139 Charlene Polio 9 How to Do Research on Second Language Reading 158 Keiko Koda 10 How to Collect and Analyze Qualitative Data 180 Debra A. Friedman Part II Data Coding, Analysis, and Replication 201 11 Coding Second Language Data Validly and Reliably 203 Andrea Révész 12 Coding Qualitative Data 222 Melissa Baralt 13 How to Run Statistical Analyses 245 Jenifer Larson–Hall 14 How to Do a Meta–Analysis 275 Luke Plonsky and Frederick L. Oswald 15 Why, When, and How to Replicate Research 296 Rebekha Abbuhl Index 313

Alison Mackey  is Professor of Linguistics and Head of the Applied Linguistics Programs at Georgetown University. She has published ten books, including  Conversational Interaction in Second Language Acquisition  (2007), and more than 50 articles and book chapters on second language learning by children and adults. Susan M. Gass is University Distinguished Professor and Director of both the English Language Center and the Second Language Studies Ph.D. Program at Michigan State University.  She has published widely in the field of second language acquisition, including Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course with Larry Selinker (2008), and has served as the president of AAAL and of AILA. 

“This book provides practical guidance for applied linguistic students doing SLA research. Each chapter, written by an expert in a subfield of second language acquisition (SLA), first presents a brief background review and theoretical frame–work of that area of research, then provides guide to the research methods and, finally, presents studies adopting the particular method to give readers a sense of practicality.”  ( The Modern Language Journal , 21 November 2013) “Each of the 15 chapters is comprehensive and accessible, and together they are bound to provide a thorough practical guide for students as they engage in various research projects. The volume will also prove to be a useful reference book for anyone teaching research methods in the context of SLA.”  ( Studies in Second Language Acquisition , 20 May 2012)                    “This volume ultimately deserves strong praise for its wide–ranging representation of current topics and procedures in SLA research. Although intended for students, it guides all scholars to a better understanding of how we study our field and is an important addition to the library of all SLA researchers, novice or seasoned.”  ( LINGUIST , 19 May 2012)