Chapter 2: SLA Research Methodology

(in three parts)

Part 1

(1) Definition of research --Methodology, setting, instrumentation, measurement --Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies

(2) Qualitative and quantitative research (and, not versus) --Attributes of qualitative and quantitative research --Continuum of research methodology introspection participant observation non-participant observation focused description pre-experiment quasi-experiment

experiment --Combining qualitative and quantitative research(3) Setting

(4) Instrumentation

--The issue of the naturalness of the data spontaneous and elicited data

--Production data elicitation reading aloud structured exercises completion tasks elicited imitation elicited translation guided composition question & answer reconstruction communication games role play oral interview free composition

Part 2

Part 3 --Production data elicitation variability in performance

--Intuitional data elicitation error recognition and correction grammaticality judgments other judgment tasks card sorting

--Miniature languages

--Affective variables– data elicitation questionnaires sociometry matched guise diary studies focused introspection

(5) Measuring learner performance

--Problems: 1. defining language proficiency

2. defining acquisition

--Task and test

--An index of development