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You MUST buy the textbook: Doing second language research by J.D. Brown and T.S. Rodgers. Price RM50.90, available at Old Flat Bookshop.

Distance students may request Mr Tan of Pustaka Prinsip to send by post. His mobile: 012-2808241, e-mail: tan@pustakaprinsip.com

You may call me at 03-89468911 or e-mail me: tanbh@fbmk.upm.edu.my to ask questions concerning the course.

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Unit 1: Introduction to language research

Unit 2: Conceptualizing a research problem and formulating a problem statement

Unit 3: Research purpose, objectives, researcg questions and hypotheses

Unit 4: Literature review

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Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (2007)

a) to search/ investigate exhaustively; b) studious inquiry or examination; c) the collecting of information about a

particular subject

How does your textbook define research?

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QUANTITATIVE

(Home work – please read up)

QUALITATIVE

(Homework)

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1. Select a general topic.2. List key words.3. Get an overview of the topic.4. Write down citation details such as authors,

year of publication, article title, journal title, volume and issue, and page numbers.

5. Begin to focus the topic.6. Write a statement of purpose.7. Brainstorm questions. 8. Write the research.9. Write the works cited.

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In getting an overview, you can ask yourself these questions:

1. Why do an overview?2. How do I find one?3. What do I look for in an overview?

Relevance of writing a statement of purpose:

1. To be more interested with the project.2. To prevent from getting overwhelmed and panicky.3. To help in developing a thesis statement. Examples of Statement of Purpose:

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Too General Statement More Specific Statement

To study about English language planning and policy

To study on the role of government in language education planning

To study about the decline in English language proficiency in Malaysia

To study the ways to arrest the decline in English language proficiency in Malaysia

Purpose Statement vs. Thesis Statement

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Purpose Statement Possible Thesis Statement

To study about the students’ learning strategies at UPM

The learning strategies of UPM students have been heavily influenced by library faculties.

To find out ways to enhance English language training

English language learning can be enhanced with early English language education in the public school system.

Students must cite sources using APA style when using the following materials, in whole or in part:1.Direct quotations (either written or oral).2.Paraphrased quotations.3.Statistical data.4.Images.5.Song lyrics.6.Original ideas.

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To conceptualize a research problem.

To identify a research problem. To formulate a statement of the

problem.

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Take stock of what you know. Take stock of your interest. Ensure that the topic is

manageable.

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Use the 5 Ws. E.g. Talk Shows on Televisions

Who? The host, panel constituent/organization, audience

What? Topics, themesWhere? Studio, impromptuWhen? Election time, festivalsWhy? Education, propaganda, commercial

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Three functions that characterize the statement:

1. To describe the nature of the problem.2. To provide circumstances that create a

need for investigation.3. To identify a current gap in the field of

the study.

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To state the aim/purpose of the study To formulate research objectives To formulate research questions To formulate hypotheses (for

experimental design)

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Key elements common to quantitative & qualitative approaches.1.Use words such as “purpose”, “intent” or “objective” to signal attention.2.Use action verbs.3.Use neutral words phrases.4.Provide a general working definition.5.Mention the specific type of strategy of inquiry.6.Mention the participants and the research site.

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E.g. The purpose of this study was to explore affective, social, and educational factors that may have contributed to the development of reading disabilities in four adolescents. The study also sought explanation as to why students’ reading disabilities persisted despite years of instruction. This was not an intervention study and, although some students may have improved their reading, reading improvement was not the focus of the study(Kos, 1991, pp.876-877).

Task: Suggest a title for the study with the above purpose statement.

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E.g. This study was undertaken with a view to learning about the use of transitions in relation to quality in written English compositions o some TESL undergraduates. The study attempts to investigate the following points:

a. How grammar and coherence are related to the quality of writing.

b. The frequency of use for the various transitions in linking T-units and paragraphs into a coherent whole (Winterowd’s categories of transitions are used as reference).

c. The relationship between composition length and the level of proficiency.

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The terms used have specific meanings.

Basic term such as TESL does not need to be defined.

Terms such as coherence is basic yet too broad and need for specific definition.

Specialized terms such as T-unit needs to be defined as it is unlikely known by others.

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Creswell’s description of variables:1. Independent variable2. Dependent variable3. Intervening/ mediating variables4. Control variables5. Confounding (or spurious) variables

Search the above terms and learn each type of variables.

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Categories of research questions:1. Descriptive questions

e.g. What are the student’s achievement levels (or grades) in English classes?

2. Difference questionse.g. Are there differences between Malay L2

learners and Chinese L2 learners in the learning of English prepositions?

3. Relationship questionse.g. Does critical thinking ability relate to students

achievement?

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Ask one or two questions. Relate the central question to the

specific qualitative strategy of inquiry. Begin with the word “what” or “how” to

convey an open and emerging design. Focus on a single concept. Use exploratory verbs in the objectives. E.g. How do early adolescent females read

black literature?

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Research questions are built around selected variables.

The use of variables are limited to three approaches:

1. Compare groups/independent variables.2. Relate one/more independent variable to a dependent

variable.3. Describe responses to the independent, mediating or

dependent variables.

E.g. Does a relationship exist between reading strategy use between low proficiency and high proficiency students?

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Hypotheses are predictions about the relationship among variables.

They provide the central focus of the study.

Two forms of hypotheses:1. Null hypotheses2. Alternative hypotheses

Formulate a null hypothesis and an alternative hypothesis.

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Objectives: Explain what a literature review is Describe the form and construction of

a literature review

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An account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers.

Purpose: to convey to readers what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and their strengths and weaknesses.

Review is done and organised according to the purpose/objectives/ RQs of a study.

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Be organised around and related directly to the purpose or research questions

Synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known

Identify areas of controversy Formulate questions that need further

researchRead pp.2 and 3 of the module

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1. Search for literature 2. Sort and prioritize the retrieved

literature3. Analytical reading of the literature4. Evaluative reading 5. Comparison across studies6. Organising the content7. Writing the review

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Assignment 1: 20% (see the next slide)Assignment 2: 20% (see Slide 34)Mid-term test: 30% (Units 1-4)Final exam: 30% (Units 5-9)

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1. Identify a topic for your final year project.2. Conduct a keyword search based on the topic

to identify two related research articles.3. Read the two articles and compare/ discuss

the purpose, sample and location, methodology, and important results.

4. Marking scheme: topic (5 marks), purpose/objectives/research questions (10 marks), sample and location (5 marks), methodology (10 marks), and results (10 marks)

5. Submission date: Week 7. 33

1. Identify a topic and formulate a title for your final year project.

2. Write a research proposal for your final year project (4-5 pages, single-spaced, font: Arial 12)

3. Your research proposal must have the following sections:

Introduction and research problem (10 marks) Purpose/objectives/research questions (10

marks) Methodology (Sampling, data collection, data

analysis methods) (10 marks) Significance of the study (10 marks)4. Submission date: Week 12

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