1、Course Title:Research Methods and Data Analyses in Linguistics StudiesTextbooks:Second Language Research Methods by Seliger,H.&Shohamy,E.Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,1997.Statistics in Language Studies by Woods A.et al.Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press,Beijing 2000.Teaching S
2、yllabusTeaching SyllabusReference Books:Research Methods for English Language Teachers by McDonough J.&McDonough,S.Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press,Beijing 2000.语言学方法论，桂诗春 宁春岩，外语教学与研究出版社，北京，1997。Teaching SyllabusContents:1.A paradigm for language research2.Preparation for research3.Conte
3、xtualization of research4.The components of research5.Research design(qualitative and quantitative)6.Data and data collection procedures(including survey design)Teaching Syllabus7.Data analysesdescriptive statistics for dada summary&presentationstatistic inferenceprobabilitymodeling population&estim
4、ating from sampletesting hypotheses about population valuestesting the fit for models to data X X2testing degree of interdependence between 2 variables rtesting for differences between 2 populations s2,t,z,Fanalysis of variance ANOVA vs.MNOVAlinear regressionTeaching SyllabusCourse Objectives-the st
5、udents are expected 1.to know the main features,distinctions,and relationships between theoretical,descriptive,correlational,and experimental research methods;2.to be able to analyze variables involved in certain research topics and identify the research method(s)applicable the topic;3.to generate r
6、esearch questions and hypothesis an appropriate design for the research topic;4.to be able to comprehend research reports with quantitative data,and 5.to be able to apply the basic statistic procedures to quantitative data analyses.Teaching SyllabusAssessment and EvaluationEvaluation on the students
7、 learning is based on three assessments:1.Writing assignment of a research proposal(40%)2.Two assignments of statistic data analyses via computer software application(20%)3.A final test on definitions of some key statistic terms and comprehension of empirical research documents(40%)What is Research?
8、1.Components of Research objective facts,scientific theories,methods techniquesWhat is Research?2 Features of Research purposeful and goal-oriented with scientific hypotheses and a clear statement of the research problem to approach scientific design,accurate and systematic observation,record and an
9、alyses of the phenomenon under study,data collected should be reliable emphasis on the scientific method,which is embedded in different disciplines(branches of linguistic studies)creativity Levels of Research1.Heuristic observations(for data collection)Whats happening?2.Search for relations of or fo
10、r cause and effects(internal validity)What is causing this to happen?3.Application/transaction(external validity)Will the same thing happen under different circumstances?4.Theoretical Research Is there some underlying principle at work?Four Types of Knowledge1.Knowledge as belief2.Knowledge as autho
11、rity3.A priori knowledge4.Empirical knowledgeResearch in linguistics will bring the researcher into contact with all of the four kinds of knowledge.When reading research reports,the reader should be aware of the basis for the conclusions or claims made by the writer in order to estimate the validity
12、 of the studies.Classification of Research by Purpose_ Basic research Applied research Practical Research _Development research Evaluation researchPrediction researchClassification of Research by method1.Historical Research2.Descriptive Research3.Correlational Research4.Comparative Research5.Experim
13、ental Research6.Theoretical ResearchTypes of research1.Primary research 1.1 Case studies1.2.Survey studies1.3 Experimental studies 2.Secondary research3.Third-hand researchCharacteristics of Heuristic and Deductive ResearchHeuristic DeductiveData driven Hypothesis drivenNo preconception Making predi
14、ctionsgenerating hypotheses Testing hypothesesProduct:description Product:theoryCharacteristics of Research Using Statistics1.Systematic(rule,structure,procedure)2.Logical(step by step progression)3.Tangible(collection and manipulation of quantifiable data from real world)4.Replicable(based on clear
15、 presentation of the procedures,quality can be tested)5.Reductive(generalize patterns and relationships,reduce confusion)A System View of LanguagePhonologyMorphology SyntaxSemanticsPragmaticsDiscourse featuresRegister variationSocial-linguistic contextInterpretation of the following notions It has b
16、een our experience both as active researchers that the first stages of exploring the ideas for research and developing the structure of the actual study are,without doubt,the most important.The components and procedures consists the research cycle.One might say that knowing how to look at research p
17、roblems and how to carry out research is related to the state of mind of the researcher(in relation to ones academic training,knowledge structure,field of study,perspectives and purpose)Interpretation of the following notions Research questions can be investigated from different perspectives by usin
18、g different procedures such as observation,questioning,experimentation,and elicitation.Can you give an example to verify this notion?that theories and hypothesis must be falsifiable.Interpretation of the following notions Scientific research seeks to describe,identify,and control relationships among
19、 phenomena in order to study them.E.g.Is there relation between phonological memory and foreign language learning?In what domain does the research question fall into?What method is more applicable?How to conduct the research?(definition,and measurement,control of other variables,data type and data a
20、nd procedure of data analysis)How to interpret the results and draw conclusions?Four Types of Knowledge Knowledge as belief:When we know something on the basis of belief,it may mean we want to believe something to be true but have never submitted it to an empirical test.Conclusions reached through“c
21、ommon sense”may be put into category.Such conclusions should be treated as possible hypotheses for research rather than as established knowledge about language.Four Types of KnowledgeKnowledge as authority:This type of knowledge comes from a source accepted by face value.Opinions about phenomena of
22、a scientist or researcher with high reputation are accepted as proven facts or as educated judgments.In language teaching,pre-dominating the methods are also good examples.Long(1981)claims that such activities promote optimal conditions for students to adjust their input to each others level of comp
23、rehension and thereby facilitate their second language acquisition.Four Types of Knowledge3.A priori knowledge This kind of knowledge starts with a set of axioms about some phenomenon and the developing our knowledge of it by using reasoning and logic working within the system defined by the axiom.4.Empirical knowledgeThrough observation,investigation and experiments.
