LG575-7-AU: INTRODUCTION TO QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS
Year: 2012/13
Department: Language and Linguistics
Essex credit: 15
ECTS credit: 7.5
Available to Study Abroad / Exchange Students: Yes Comments: This module is on research methods, not on data analysis. Therefore, no knowledge of mathematics is required.
| Module is taught during the following terms |
| Autumn |  | Spring |  | Summer | |
Module Description
This module will be useful to all students who wish to conduct quantitative research in their MA thesis and also perhaps later on. It will introduce students to quantitative research methods (e.g., surveys, experiments) and to the stages involved in the design of quantitative studies in Applied Linguistics (e.g., forming research questions, selecting participants).
The first half of the module will aim to explain how quantitative research differs from qualitative research and will outline the advantages and disadvantages of using each quantitative research method. The second half of the module will explain how researchers go about designing quantitative studies, from forming research questions to preparing materials and procedures.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
* formulate viable research questions
* understand the difference between different quantitative methods (e.g., 'experiment' vs survey)
* decide on which method(s) would be most appropriate for specific research questions
* evaluate the research methods used in specific quantitative studies
* go about preparing a quantitative study in a principled manner
* use terminology related to research methods.
Learning & Teaching Methods
2 x 1hr lectures per week, 10 weeks. Students are strongly advised not to miss any of the sessions as each session will require familiarity with the concepts discussed in the previous sessions. Sessions will usually consist of informal lecture and discussion tasks.
Assessment
100 per cent Coursework Mark
Other details:
100% coursework mark.
The first part of the coursework will account for 40% of the coursework mark. It will be a set of exercises covering content from the first four sessions of the module. The answers will be 1,200 words long. It will be due by 16 November 2012.
The second part of the coursework will account for 60% of the total mark. It will be another set of exercises covering the remaining six sessions of the module. The answers will be 1,800 words long. It will be due by 14 December 2012.
Exam Duration and Period
Bibliography
- There will be no set textbook for this module but these books cover the basic issues:
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Brown, J.D. 1988. Understanding Research in Second Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Dörnyei, Z. 2007. Research methods in applied linguistics: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methodologies. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
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Field, A. and Hole, G. 2003. How to design and report experiments. London: Sage.
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Mackey, A. and Gass, S. 2005. Second language research: methodology and design. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
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Mackey, A. and Gass, S. 2012. Research methods in second language acquisition: a practical guide. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.