Language Education Research

Module 2

Name: DIONIO,NERISSA A. course and Year: BSED 2 ENGLISH

A. Answer the following questions briefly

DISCUSSION POINTS

1. How different is language research from other kinds of researches? Why is it a complex process?

ANSWER:

Language research, just like any research in other disciples is a complex process. Undertaking this
type of research requires consideration of many factors such as language use, type of users acquisition,
process, setting, research mythodology and related disciples.

----because it requires not only learning grammar structures and acquiring vocabulary but also
developing communication skills and an awareness of another culture.

2. What constitute a language research paradigm? How do the parameters of the research relate to one
another?

ANSWER:

A research paradigm is “the set of common beliefs and agreements shared between scientist. about
how problems should be understood and addressed.

Parameters are characteristics of populations-they describe the population. In research design, one is
often interested in estimating certain parameters of a defined population or testing hypotheses on
them. A clear understanding of the objectives of the study will influence the parameter(s) of
importance.

3. Differentiate general from specific approaches;

hypothesis-generating from hypothesis-testing objectives.

ANSWER:

General ideas usually express the main point or main idea of a piece of writing, often claim that needs to
be proven. Specific ideas provide evidence to further define the general or main idea and prove that it is
valid.

hypothesis-generating from hypothesis-testing objectives.

Ans; in hypothesis generating research, the researcher explore a set of data searching for relationship
and patterns, and then proses hypothesis which may then be tested in some subsequent study. While
hypothesis testing is to determine whether there is enough statistical evidence in favor of a certain
belief or hypothesis , about a parameter. These questions0hypothesis is similar in spirit to the
discrimination example studied earlier.

4. What constitutes a language research data? What are the common tools for gathering language data?

ANSWER:

Language research can include data from a variety of sources, linguistic and non-linguistic, that record
observations about the world. A typical type of data used in quantitative language research is a corpus.

Many different methodologies can be used for data collection and analysis. Most are based around a
core set of basic tools. These include interviews, focus group discussions, observation, photography,
video, surveys, questionnaires and case studies.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

1. Identify the four parameters of this study. Explain your answers,

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether assisted repeated reading is an effective way for
adult second language (L2) learners of English to develop oral and silent reading fluency rates. Reading
fluency is an underdeveloped construct in second language studies both in research and practice. This
study first lays out a framework of text difficulty levels and reading rate thresholds for intermediate and
advanced 2 readers of English based upon a theoretical framework of automatization of the linguistic
elements of reading through structured practice and skill development. This framework was the
implemented through a single case design (SCD) an experimental method that is appropriate for testing
the effectiveness of behavior and educational interventions with individual participants. Data was
collected for several measures related to fluency, including oral and silent reading rates, for a small
group of L2 learners in a US university setting The focus of the analysis is participants fluency
development as they used is participants fluency development as they used a computer-based assisted
repeated reading program called Read Naturally. The analysis concentrates on the case of an adult L2
English learner from Chinese (pseudonym of Hong Lin), presenting a longitudinal analysis of her progress
through six months of continual practice and assessment Notable results for Hong Lin include Increased
rates of oral reading (from 94 to 123 wpm) and silent reading (from 148 to 189 wpm on a variety of
comparable passages of unpracticed, advanced level prose

ANSWER:

THE FOUR PARAMETERS

Parameter 1: Approaches

Approaches refer to how one views the language research to be conducted. It may be viewed in general
or specific perspective. A general view considers language as whole in order to get a clearer picture of
the relationships of the parts. For instance, the researcher is Interested in finding out the general
difficulties of Chinese students in learning the English language or an aspect of the language like it
phonology A specific perspective considers one small part of the language with view of fitting it into a
coherent view of the whole problem . In the study on the difficulties of Chinese students in learning the
phonology of English, the researcher may want to target only the vowel system, or the consonant
system of English

Parameter 2: Objectives

Objectives are concerned with the purpose of the research. It may am to discover a certain Language
phenomenon and postulate a theory about it afterwards or it may test t an already existing theory,
proving or disproving it later. The former is hypothesis-generating: the latter is hypothesize testing. A
study investigating the difficulties of Chinese students in learning the English phonology may later show
the specific sounds that the students find difficult in general From the findings, the researcher may later
postulate a theory that Chinese students find pronouncing certain English sounds difficult Another study
may want to investigate the main reason for these difficulties, testing the hypothesis that language
learners have difficulty pronouncing sounds of foreign language that are absent in their first language. In
the study. several nationalities were taken as subjects, whose difficulties were noted and correlated
with their first languages. The results may prove the theory true or false

Parameter 3: Research Design

Research design establishes the method used in conducting the study. It deals with the handling of
factors such as scope, variables, form, and writer’s point of view. These, in effect, are influenced by
approaches and objectives. A study using general approach aimed at generating hypothesis may deal
with a broad scope, few variables, less attention to form and an objective point of view. For instance
going back to the earlier example of a research on the difficulties of Chinese students in pronouncing
English sounds, the scope is broad because the approach is general: the variables are limited only to age,
and first language the form includes all English sounds, and the researcher relies mostly on his/her
interpretative abilities, making subjectivity high

In contrast, if the study's approach is specific aimed at testing hypothesis, it will deal with a limited
scope, more variables, more attention to form and subjective point of view. Using the same example, a
research on the difficulties of Chinese students in pronouncing the English vowels with the aim of testing
the hypothesis on the influence of the native language on the learning of a foreign language, the
investigation is restricted only to the pronunciation of vowel sounds of English: the variables should
include age, sounds of first language, and sounds of the second language: the forms should consider
comparison of the vowel sounds of English and their equivalents in the Chinese language the researcher
relies more on other tools such as taped conversations or oral activities of the subjects rather than
his/her subjective interpretative skills,

Parameter 4: Data Collection and Analysis

Data in language research may constitute observed behaviors such as language performance, written or
oral, information provided by subjects of the study, such as attitude, beliefs, perceptions records of
language proficiency from tests, class ratings, etc. A study on the language learning styles of college
students will comprise mainly of the observed different learning strategies they employ in an English
class. After identifying the data needed to pursue the study, the researcher proceeds to identifying the
method of collecting an d analyzing these data. He tools commonly used to gathering language data are
observation, tape records, attitude questionnaires and metalinguistic tests. Tape and observation are
used for behavior documentation, attitude questionnaire for identifying beliefs and perceptions, and
metalinguistic test for language proficiency

2. 2. Select a topic and outline a plan for it identifying the four parameters.

"TEENAGE PREGNANCY"

APPROACHES:

Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female under the age of 20.
Pregnancy can occur with sexual intercourse after the start of ovulation, which can be before the first
menstrual period (menarche) but usually occurs after the onset of periods.

Our present approach focuses on teenagers' "activity" or "behavior"- what they "do" rather than on
natural, evolving adolescent sexuality. Present strategies are based on fear, rather than understanding
one's sexual development. . . . A positive, developmental approach . . . recognizes that . . . "society has a
responsibility to help adolescents understand and accept their evolving sexuality and to help them make
responsible sexual choices . . . ."

OBJECTIVES:

i. To determine the extent to which teenage pregnancy contributes to schoolgirl dropout in schooling.

ii. To investigate factors predisposing high school girls to teenage pregnancies

iii. To investigate the levels of re-admission of girls who discontinue school due to pregnancy

RESEARCH DESIGN:
In this study a qualitative exploratory design was used, allowing the researchers to get an in-depth
understanding of the socio-educational problems faced by Student Mothers. Qualitative research has
the advantage of uncovering the lived experiences of individuals by enabling them to interpret and
attribute meaning to their experiences and in the process construct their worlds (Merriam and Simpson
2000, as cited in Berg &Mamhute, 2013)

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:

The NCS will rely on approximately 39 study centers, each of which is responsible for data
collection in one or more of the 105 study locations. The study centers are selected through a
competitive process based on evaluation criteria, such as demonstrated data collection capabilities, the
ability to build extensive community networks for recruiting and retaining the sample of women and
newborns, and a demonstrated commitment to the protection of individual respondents’ information.
The study centers will hire and train data collection staff, work to ensure community engagement, and
provide scientific support and consultation for the study.