{"title":"Domain-specific research methods in instructed second language acquisition: A next step for research integrity and impact","authors":"Laura Gurzynski-Weiss","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000102","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) is one of the fastest growing areas of applied linguistics. With this tremendous potential comes great responsibility for robust, ethical, and transparent research methods that are responsive to and tailored for the ISLA domain. This article highlights unique characteristics of ISLA research, provides a current landscape of methodological trends within ISLA, and makes specific recommendations for research methods in future ISLA studies. I begin by briefly operationalizing ISLA and articulating some of the main research questions and overarching goals within ISLA, as well as the nature and ultimate aims of ISLA research. Next, the most unique methodological challenges for ISLA research are reviewed, including the use of intact classes and heterogeneous small participant pools, cross-sectional studies, using one’s own students for research, and individual differences. This is followed by a discussion of several current trends in ISLA research methods, including examining the process of learning/development, conducting practice-based research, expanding our conceptualization of instructional contexts, replication studies, especially with bi/multilingual learners in diverse contexts, refining our methods with an eye for ethics and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and conducting open, transparent research that has potential for real-world impact and which dialogues with multiple stakeholders at all stages. I conclude by highlighting that, as ISLA continues as an independent research domain, the development and implementation of strong research methods tailored for ISLA is critical for research integrity and to make the greatest strides in understanding language acquisition processes and effective pedagogical interventions in diverse instructional contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142269144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Methodological characteristics in technology-mediated task-based language teaching research: Current practices and future directions","authors":"YouJin Kim, Yoon Namkung","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000096","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the past two decades, the synergistic relationship among task-based language teaching (TBLT), instructed second language acquisition, and computer-assisted language learning has gained increasing interest.Technology-mediated TBLT combines these three research domains by integrating the use of technology with task-based approaches for second language (L2) learning purposes. Since the emergence of this framework, empirical studies have increasingly explored the incorporation of tasks with technology-mediated settings for L2 learning and teaching purposes. To understand the methodological characteristics of technology-mediated TBLT research to date, we conducted a systematic search and reviewed 254 technology-mediated TBLT studies published between 2000 and 2022 in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters. These studies were coded for methodological features, research foci, and types of technology. We further examined the role of technologies in task performance to identify their effectiveness in creating authentic tasks. The findings revealed that technology-mediated TBLT research investigated a rather limited scope of contexts, learner groups, and linguistic features, with little attention paid to evaluating the quality of task outcomes. The types of technology used were skewed toward computer-mediated communication. The results also showed that studies examined various interactional features, and the majority reported both quantitative and qualitative data. Furthermore, technologies were integrated into task design to create meaningful language use contexts. Based on these findings, we share suggestions for future technology-mediated TBLT research.</p>","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141252106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Extramural English as an individual difference variable in L2 research: Methodology matters","authors":"Pia Sundqvist","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000072","url":null,"abstract":"In light of findings from research on informal foreign/second language (L2) learning, with a focus on English as a target language and using the concept of extramural English (EE), this position paper argues that learners’ engagement in EE (through activities such as watching television or films or playing digital games) constitutes an important individual difference (ID) variable that needs to be included in studies that aim to measure L2 English proficiency or development. In addition, it is suggested that if EE as an ID variable is left out in such studies in the future, the rationale for exclusion should be clearly stated. This position paper also discusses research instruments and methods used in this area of research, the benefits and drawbacks of different methods, and identifies research gaps and under-researched learner groups. Further, it is argued that in some contexts, EE has replaced classroom activities as the starting point for and foundation of learning English.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140586003","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Complex adaptive interventions: The challenge ahead for instructed second language acquisition research","authors":"Phil Hiver, Charlie Nagle","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000060","url":null,"abstract":"The effects of deliberately and selectively manipulating instructional conditions are at the heart of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) research and, ideally, are designed to inform practice. Knowing how an intervention works, by what mechanisms and processes the treatment is beneficial—and for whom—are complex questions. In this piece, we problematize intervention-based research paradigms that do not account for context, individuals and their proactivity, or temporal variation. We highlight several key challenges that remain for ISLA research and propose a more reflexive approach to intervention that attends to these central considerations in implementing study designs.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"64 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140585835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Transformative justice as a method in applied linguistics","authors":"Ian Cushing","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000023","url":null,"abstract":"Transformative justice is a vision, a framework, and a theory of change which pushes for radical abolition and reimagining of entire systems. It is a community-led strategy which centers on and seeks to uproot structural determinants of oppression. In this article, I outline how applied linguistics can and should draw on transformative justice principles as a methodology for doing applied linguistics and as an underpinning theory of change for the discipline itself. I explore how transformative justice in applied linguistics involves addressing the colonial roots of the discipline and its complicity in perpetuating raciolinguistic ideologies and co-constituted discourses of linguistic deficiency. I argue for new conceptualizations of impact which prioritize community solidarity. I argue for applied linguists to end collaborations with the police, the military, and the prison industrial complex, showing how these collaborations rely on systems of punitive accountability and modest reforms. I argue that transformative justice is a life-affirming theory of change for the discipline of applied linguistics and for the marginalized communities we work with.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140585983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Study quality as an intellectual and ethical imperative: A proposed framework","authors":"Luke Plonsky","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000059","url":null,"abstract":"What is quality in the context of applied linguistic research? Addressing this question is both an intellectual and ethical imperative for the field. Toward that end, I propose a four-part framework for understanding and evaluating study quality: Quality research is (a) methodologically rigorous, (b) transparent, (c) ethical, and (d) of value to society. The bulk of the paper is devoted to describing each of these four elements, first conceptually and then as observed in the field. I also articulate some of the many connections among the four elements within the framework. In addition, I suggest next steps for further addressing the notion of quality in terms of the framework itself as well as the ways it might be used to advance our field’s research, training, and legitimacy as an academic discipline that is still in some ways coming of age.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140585848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The future of replication in applied linguistics: Toward a standard for replication studies","authors":"Kevin McManus","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000011","url":null,"abstract":"High-quality replication studies are widely understood to be critical to the growth and credibility of our discipline, as shown in commentaries and discussion since the 1970s, at least. Nevertheless, misunderstandings and limitations in the aims, designs, and reporting of replication research remain, thus reducing the usefulness and impact of replications. To address this issue and improve the rigor, quality, and conduct of replication studies in applied linguistics, a new standard for reporting replication studies that captures several critical features of replication research not discussed in current reporting guidelines is proposed. Importantly, this standard applies basic expectations in replication reporting so that outcomes can be better understood and evaluated. By applying this standard, replication studies will better meet their aims to confirm, consolidate, and advance knowledge and understanding within applied linguistics and second language research. In addition, readers will more easily understand how the replication study was carried out and be able to better evaluate the claims being made.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"294 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140585830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Promises and perils of positionality statements","authors":"Kendall A. King","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000035","url":null,"abstract":"Positionality statements have increasingly become the norm in many strands of social science research, including applied linguistics. With reference to current research, theory, and the author’s own work, this paper reviews some of the promises and perils of such statements, including their performativity and lack of reflexivity. The author concludes by arguing that positionality statements need to offer both more and less, to be better targeted, and be more effectively and widely utilized within the field of applied linguistics.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140585982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reflecting on the use of response times to index linguistic knowledge in SLA","authors":"Bronson Hui, Ruirui Jia","doi":"10.1017/s0267190524000047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s0267190524000047","url":null,"abstract":"Response times (RTs) have become ubiquitous in second language acquisition (SLA) research, providing empirical evidence for the theorization of the language learning process. Recently, there have been discussions of some fundamental psychometric properties of RT data, including, but not limited to, their reliability and validity. In this light, we take a step back to reflect on the use of RT data to tap into linguistic knowledge in SLA. First, we offer a brief overview of how RT data are most commonly used as vocabulary and grammar measures. We then point out three key limitations of such uses, namely that (a) RT data can lack substantive importance without considerations of accuracy, (b) RT differences may or may not be a satisfactory psychometric individual difference measure, and (c) some tasks designed to elicit RT data may not be sufficiently fine-grained to target specific language processes. Our overarching goal is to enhance the awareness among SLA researchers of these issues when interpreting RT results and stimulate research endeavors that delve into the unique properties of RT data when used in our field.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2024-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140586001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Second language anxiety: Construct, effects, and sources","authors":"Mostafa Papi, Hassan Khajavy","doi":"10.1017/S0267190523000028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190523000028","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Second language (L2) anxiety is the most studied affective factor in the field of second language acquisition. Numerous studies have been conducted on this emotion from different perspectives over the last few decades. These studies can be classified into three groups. The first group has tried to conceptualize and operationalize L2 anxiety and identify the different components or dimensions of the construct (e.g., Cheng, 2004; Horwitz et al., 1986). The second group has explored the impact of L2 anxiety on various motivational, behavioral, learning, and performance aspects of L2 learning (e.g., Gkonou et al., 2017). Finally, the third group has investigated different sources of L2 anxiety (Papi & Khajavy, 2021). In this manuscript, we will draw on studies from the three strands to present an overview of the state of research on this construct and conclude by discussing major issues with the conceptualization, measurement, and design of studies on L2 anxiety.","PeriodicalId":47490,"journal":{"name":"Annual Review of Applied Linguistics","volume":"43 1","pages":"127 - 139"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2023-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46533762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}