Classroom Research and Second Language Acquisition - Assignment Example

Running Head: THE ANSWERS The Answers Name Tutor Date Classroom Research* 1. What is the research question? The purpose of the study is to review the past, current and future issues arising from classroom research and second language acquisition as related to applied linguistics ( Nunan David, 2005). 2. Where was the survey/ interview conducted? This is a collection of literature that tries to explain that classroom research is carried out in a classroom setup while classroom oriented research is carried out outside the classroom, in the laboratory, simulated or naturalistic settings ( Nunan David, 2005). 3. What was the population surveyed? what sampling procedures were used? It involved both second language learners as well as their teachers in the event of teaching learning process (Nunan David, 2005). 4 .How were the data collected? Data is collected through experiments or non experimentally in form of classroom observation, oral diaries, and interviews ( Nunan David, 2005). 5. Were the questions used in the survey or interview well-designed in terms of the standards discussed in the chapter? The questions are well designed since the act as a pointer towards the direction that sociolinguistic research should be taking (Nunan David, 2005). 6. How were the data analyzed? If open-ended questions were used, does the researcher describe how they were analyzed and coded? Data was analyzed statistically or interpretively under various themes such as sociocultural, social discursive constructions, rethinking interaction, the output hypothesis, how learners position themselves in a psycholinguistic task, language playfulness and strategic development of professional satisfaction ( Nunan David, 2005). 7. How were the data presented? If the study includes numerical data, how were they reported, is the standard deviation reported? Data is presented exploratory interpretively. There is use of statistics and discussions in expounding of both qualitative and quantitative data (Nunan David, 2005). 8. What conclusions were drawn? Are they justified in light of the data presented? Classroom research features prominently in applications of sociocultural theory in Second Language Acquisition. This is explained whereby it was considered that output is a socially constructed cognitive tool. There are substantive and methodological issues in classroom research. This is clearly explained in the controversies ( Nunan David, 2005). 9. What are the pedagogical implications of the study? Are they warranted in light of the finding of the study? The mode of data collection and analysis has to employ triangulation se of quantitative and qualitative aspect n classroom research and action research to bridge the gap created by controversies arising from various scholars ( Nunan David, 2005). References Nunan, David (2005) Classroom Research.University of Hong Kong. The Cultural and Intercultural Identities of Transnational English Teachers: Two Case Studies from the Americas* 1. What is the research question? To explore teachers’ perspectives on the connections between their transnational life experiences and their development of intercultural competence, how these teachers define their own (inter)cultural identities and how they approach cultural issues with their English language learners (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 2. Where was the survey/ interview conducted? It was conducted at Chilean university and a university in California under different California adult English Second Language programs (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 3. What was the population surveyed? What sampling procedures were used? The population under study was composed of three Chilean English teachers and five California English Second Language instructors. The sampling procedure was on foreign instructors who were teaching intermediate to advanced English Second Language classes with a focus on Language 2 skills like reading and still allocated time for open-ended discussions (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 4. How were the data collected? Data was collected through observation and interviews that were recorded in form of audio tapes and ethnographic field notes (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 5. Were the questions used in the survey or interview well-designed in terms of the standards discussed in the chapter? There was use of standard questions that helped the participants to explore their instructional experiences as predisposed by multicultural background (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 6. How were the data analyzed? If open-ended questions were used, does the researcher describe how they were analyzed and coded? Thematic analysis was employed using NVivo (QSR International, 2006) qualitative data analysis software. The classroom data was coded as per the types of activities like responding to texts ands sharing opinions. As for data having practices, perspectives, and resulting products that are shared among groups of people, it was coded as containing cultural content (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 7. How were the data presented? If the study includes numerical data, how were they reported, is the standard deviation reported? The comparative case study was purely qualitative in nature which is more of narrative and discussions (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 8. What conclusions were drawn? Are they justified in light of the data presented? Transnational life experiences help teachers develop intercultural competence which they cascaded to the learners. This is clearly seen whereby the approach to teaching reflected strategies like having cultural comparison debates in their classrooms (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). 9. What are the pedagogical implications of the study? Are they warranted in light of the finding of the study? There should be interactive programmes for multi cultural instructors which should also be practiced in a classroom set up in order to for the teachers and learners respectively to share out their views, ideas and experiences in the teaching and learning of English Second Language (Menard-Warwick Julia, 2000). References Menard-Warwick Julia (2000) The Cultural and Intercultural Identities of Transnational English Teachers: two case Studies from the Americas. University Of California, Davis Davis, California, United States TESOL Quarterly Vol. 42, No. 4, Defining, Describing and Defending case studies* 1. What is the research question? To define case study research, its origin, features, advantages and disadvantages and its contribution to applied linguistics especially the second language teaching and learning(Duff, Patricia, 2008). 2. Where were the survey/ interview conducted? It is a collection of many case studies carried out by different researchers examples are a single case study carried out at Canadian university on Japanese students, more precisely in their natural setup (Duff, Patricia, 2008). 3. What was the population surveyed? What sampling procedures were used? It focuses on second language learners and their instructors in the second language acquisition (Duff, Patricia, 2008). 4. How were the data collected? Data is collected through observation, narration, interviewing, questionnaires, historical and visual texts (Duff, Patricia, 2008). 5- Were the questions used in the survey or interview well-designed in terms of the standards discussed in the chapter? The questions are up to standard. This is because they were formulated, carefully analyzed so as to be valid (Duff, Patricia, 2008). 6. How were the data analyzed? If open-ended questions were used, does the researcher describe how they were analyzed and coded? Data is analyzed in form of both inferential explorations that are descriptive as well as statistical through use of triangulation (Duff, Patricia, 2008). 7. How were the data presented? If the study includes numerical data, how were they reported, is the standard deviation reported? Data is presented qualitatively by description in form of case study, life histories, conversation discourse analysis, ethnography, biography, ethnomethodology, semiotics and phenomenology. There is also an aspect of quantitative analysis in the case of case study (Duff, Patricia, 2008). 8. What conclusions were drawn? Are they justified in light of the data presented? Case study is a reliable methodology in socio linguistics and to be more specific in second language acquisition. The setbacks one faces are imited and unique depending on each research(Duff, Patricia, 2008). 9. What are the pedagogical implications of the study? Are they warranted in light of the finding of the study? The purpose of case study is to try to understand complexity and dynamic nature of an exhibited behavior of a participant under study. This has been seen where nonverbal and verbal clues have been used in data analysis (Duff, Patricia, 2008). References Duff, Patricia (2008) Defining, Describing and Defending Case studies. Indiana University, Purdue University. Reading and Listening. Discourse Analysis* 1. What is the research question? The research question is to define discourse analysis find it uses as a methodology in sociolinguistics (Johnstone , 2000). 2. Where was the survey/ interview conducted? Data is collected in a naturalistic setup or relatively manipulated one. An example is children in a play ground field set up(Johnstone , 2000). 3. What was the population surveyed? What sampling procedures were used? It involved a variety of populations. It ranges from students, children to adults having conversations. It can be monologue or a dialogue (Johnstone , 2000). 4. How were the data collected? Data in discourse analysis is collected through in audio or video recording like cameras, microphones together with transcription (Johnstone , 2000). 5. Were the questions used in the survey or interview well-designed in terms of the standards discussed in the chapter? Questions are well designed since they are thoroughly scrutinized by linguistic expertise including the sociolinguistics. They are in form of manipulative continuum like interviews spoken, signed, and other written data (Johnstone , 2000). 6. How were the data analyzed? If open-ended questions were used, does the researcher describe how they were analyzed and coded? Both qualitative and qualitative aspects are used. Quantitative, involving counting up features that occur in texts or transcripts like simultaneous speech, uses of the historical present, repeated phrases while qualitative involves tabulating the results, and comparing them with results for other texts or other parts of the text (Johnstone , 2000). 7. How were the data presented? If the study includes numerical data, how were they reported, is the standard deviation reported ? There is use of heuristics which are derived from systematic thinking (Johnstone , 2000). 8. What conclusions were drawn? Are they justified in light of the data presented? Discourse analysis is shaped by various factors like world, language, media of production and reception. Thus a researcher should be awere of the research questions he/ she is trying to answer and how to accurately interpret them (Johnstone , 2000). 9. What are the pedagogical implications of the study? Are they warranted in light of the finding of the study? Discourse analysis involves examining aspects of the form and function of real samples of language rather use rather than the question and not every discourse will turn to be useful. This is reflected whereby the writer says that inferences are made depending on the details of the internal structure of a text. Due to this, there is therefore need to refer to the conclusions made by experts in the area one is studying (Johnstone , 2000). Refeences Johnstone (2000) Reading and Listening . Discourse Analysis Institutionalized Inclusion: A Case Study on Support for Immigrants in English Learning* 1. What is the research question? To find out how institutions and individuals can support immigrants’ language learning and settlement in the contemporary multicultural societies (Han Huamei, 2009). 2. Where was the survey/ interview conducted? The study was conducted at Mandarin–English bilingual Chinese church in Toronto (Han Huamei, 2009). 3. What was the population surveyed? what sampling procedures were used? Chinese immigrant couple in a Chinese church. The church was used because it stood out as one of the most inclusive institutions (Han Huamei, 2009). 4. How were the data collected? Data was collected by use of questionnaires, interviews, observation of the couple and those they interacted with as well as documents produced by the church (Han Huamei, 2009). 5. Were the questions used in the survey or interview well-designed in terms of the standards discussed in the chapter? There was quality articulated questions that the researcher had formulated since they were well answered in the data interpretation (Han Huamei, 2009). 6. How were the data analyzed? If open-ended questions were used, does the researcher describe how they were analyzed and coded? There was use of themes such as participation at the church, and conducted interactional sociolinguistic analysis and critical discourse analysis drawn from trajectories in stories, tables, and graphs (Han Huamei, 2009). 7. How were the data presented? If the study includes numerical data, how were they reported, is the standard deviation reported? The data is presented qualitatively in form of themes and heuristics derived from transcripts (Han Huamei, 2009). 8. What conclusions were drawn? Are they justified in light of the data presented? Supporting minority learners in and beyond whereby institutions must recognize, value, and incorporate the multilingual and multicultural s minority of these immigrants. This is seen whereby the church boosted socio economic as well as linguistic status of Grace and Timothy (Han Huamei, 2009). 9. What are the pedagogical implications of the study? Are they warranted in light of the finding of the study? Every social or interactive setup in the society should give ample room for the minority or marginalized to sharpen their forign language so as to curb language problems and difficulties. The institutions as well as individuals should support this by opening up to newcomers and giving them positions that will enhance their interaction as in the case of Grace and Timothy (Han Huamei, 2009). References Han Huamei(2009) Institutionalized Inclusion: A Case Study on Support for Immigrants in English. Learning.Simon Fraser, UniversityBurnaby, British Columbia, Canada Collecting and Analyzing, Spoken, Interaction* 1. What is the research question? To look at ways of collecting, transcribing and analyzing spoken interaction while avoiding possible drawbacks (Richards, 2003). 2. Where was the survey/ interview conducted? The case study was carried out in a classroom setup (Richards, 2003). 3. What was the population surveyed? What sampling procedures were used? The population under study is both teachers and learners of second language acquisition (Richards, 2003). 4. How were the data collected? Data was collected using walkman’s style recorder, minidisc recorder, larger mains recorder with omnidirectional microphone, video cameras supported by audio tape recording (Richards, 2003). 5. Were the questions used in the survey or interview well-designed in terms of the standards discussed in the chapter? Data is presented qualitatively. There is interpretive description (Richards, 2003). 6. How were the data analyzed? If open-ended questions were used, does the researcher describe how they were analyzed and coded? The data was analyzed in terms of provision of general characterization, identification of grossly apparent features like intonation, focusing in on structural elements and developing characterization (Richards, 2003). 7. How were the data presented? If the study includes numerical data, how were they reported, is the standard deviation reported? The data is presented in terms of transcription symbols, qualitative interpretation. 8. What conclusions were drawn? Are they justified in light of the data presented? The purpose of case study is to try to understand complexity and dynamic nature of an exhibited behavior of a participant under study. This has been seen where nonverbal and verbal clues have been used in data analysis (Richards, 2003). Mastery of ones skills should of key importance which can be achieved by personal exposure, through comparing of different work one has done, listening to recorded speech, transcribing, and critical analysis as well as looking what the experts have done in the related disciplines (Richards, 2003). 9- What are the pedagogical implications of the study? Are they warranted in light of the finding of the study? To attain quality skills in conversation analysis one must incorporate the fundamentals of critical discourse analysis, interactive socio linguistic, conversation analysis and communication ethnography (Richards, 2003). References Richards (2003) Collecting and Analyzing, Spoken, Interaction. Read More