This collection is a comprehensive resource on conducting research in applied linguistics involving written genres that is distinctive in its coverage of a multiplicity of interdisciplinary perspectives. The volume explores the central approaches, methodologies, analyses, and tools used in conducting genre-based research, extending the traditional focus on a single framework for defining genres by explicating the major approaches that have been invoked in applied linguistics. Chapters address a mix of commonly used methodologies (e.g., case studies, ethnographic approaches), types of analyses (e.g., metadiscourse, rhetorical move-step analysis, multidimensional analysis, lexical bundles and phrase frames, CALF measures, multimodal analysis), and studies that focus on other areas of second language (L2) teaching and learning (e.g., multilingualism, the Teaching and Learning Cycle). Taken together, the volume provides a theoretically and methodologically diverse introduction to foundational topics in genre-related research, supported by detailed discussions of the challenges and practical considerations to take into account when conducting research involving written genres. This book is a valuable resource for graduate students, faculty, and researchers in applied linguistics, particularly those working in second language acquisition, L2 writing, and genre theory and pedagogy. Chapter 2 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of research in applied linguistics involving the intersection of digital multimodal composing (DMC) and second language (L2) writing. It presents a theoretically and methodologically diverse introduction to key theories and scholarship supporting DMC’s use, along with practical pedagogical tips and tools for adopting DMC in the L2 writing classroom. This text is the first of its kind to distil current research in the area, including chapters that address research on students’ DMC writing processes, evidence of DMC’s impact on L2 learning, students’ and teachers’ perceptions and how DMC affects various individual differences such as motivation, metacognition and identity development. This book serves as a useful resource for both graduate students and faculty in applied linguistics and related fields who are researchers, teacher trainers or language instructors. It is particularly relevant for those working in subfields such as second language acquisition, computer-assisted language learning and L2 writing.

Introduction -- Myth 1: authentic texts are inaccessible to beginners -- Myth 2: authentic texts cannot be used to teach grammar -- Myth 3: shorter texts are more beneficial for language learners -- Myth 4: activating background knowledge or making a word list is sufficient to prepare students for authentic texts -- Myth 5: authentic texts can be used to teach only listening and reading -- Myth 6: modifying or simplifying texts always helps language learners -- Myth 7: for learners to benefit from using authentic texts, the associated tasks must also be authentic -- Epilogue -- Appendices A-G: myth activities.

In an age of rapid technological transformation and evolving teaching settings, the ELT community must adapt to the needs of emerging situations and a diverse range of learners. Adaptable English Language Teaching addresses this need by bringing together contributions from renowned scholars around the world with insights on all major areas of English language teaching with an emphasis on adaptability—of teaching method, context, skills, and priorities. Organized around an innovative past-present-future structure, chapters offer methods, strategies, and perspectives that are adaptable to any difficult or under-resourced context. It delves into engaging through online applications, understanding emerging trends in computer-assisted language learning and teaching, and the implementation of virtual classroom and multimodality in ELT. Given its multifaceted focus, this book will provide ELT practitioners, trainers, trainees, and researchers with invaluable insights and research findings to effectively navigate and adapt to emerging circumstances.

This book provides a comprehensive description of the situational and linguistic characteristics of undergraduate student writing, considering both assignment type and discipline. Drawing on a corpus of more than 900 undergraduate student assignments from four disciplinary groups (Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Life Sciences), the book combines corpus-based analyses of linguistic features with analyses of communicative purposes and text characteristics. Variation in University Writing takes a new approach to register variation by grouping assignments by their communicative purpose (to argue, to explain, to compare, to describe, to narrate a personal event, to give a procedural recount, to give personal advice, and to propose), rather than register categories. A multidimensional analysis provides a detailed description of the linguistic patterns of undergraduate writing. The findings presented in this book will be of interest to teachers of writing, instructors of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and researchers of university writing.

This book explores how EFL writing teacher education is theoretically, pedagogically, methodologically and sociopolitically shaped, given teachers’ unique local contexts and circumstances. It showcases practitioners and researchers teaching in, or studying, geographic areas that have as yet been under-represented in international publications, and it focuses on ways that specific contexts create unique opportunities and constraints on what developing teachers know and do in their work. The chapters prioritize local voices and materials to build a more inclusive and comprehensive picture of L2 writing globally, enabling the book as a whole to both document and further shape pedagogical approaches to L2 writing. Readers will be able to use the unique insights contained in this book in their own classrooms and professional development activities.

This text is the first holistic research overview and practical methodological guide for social network analysis in second language acquisition, examining how to study learner social networks and how to use network data to predict language learner behavior and identity. Authors Kristen Kennedy Terry and Robert Bayley lay out the history of social network analysis in sociolinguistics, discuss the state of the art in empirical findings in applications to language acquisition, offer how-to guidance and best practices for planning, conducting, and understanding this research, and authoritatively set the agenda for future work. With a variety of helpful features like case studies, suggested research projects, discussion questions, and recommended further reading, this book will be an invaluable resource to students and researchers of second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, education, and beyond.

The study of “usage” has constituted a major line of second language learning research for decades now. The concept of usage, however, can be defined and studied in many different ways. In this comprehensive, forward-looking text, international scholars from a variety of perspectives review and critically examine current conceptualizations of usage, learning, and their connections in the field of second language acquisition (SLA). Bringing these diverse perspectives into conversation, Kevin McManus synthesizes the state of the art to set the agenda for new directions in theory-building and empirical SLA research. This text will be an invaluable resource to students and researchers in SLA, applied linguistics, psychology and cognitive science, education, and related areas.

This innovative collection is the first of its kind to showcase global perspectives on learning minority languages as second languages, offering unique insights into their acquisition and specific characteristics and raising greater awareness around other languages and contexts where SLA occurs. The volume examines how minority languages are acquired as second languages across a range of geographic settings where these languages are unique minorities; that is, they are spoken in one or more states where they have a minority status. International case studies explore particular features of these languages as well as the challenges of teaching and learning them, including standardization, legal recognition at all educational levels, the dissemination of printed and digital materials and more or less limited language use in the local community. Highlighted languages include Ashaninka, Basque, Frisian, Hawaiian, Irish, Isthmus Zapotec, Quechua Chanka, Tonga and Welsh. Each chapter adopts a consistent structure, with a brief introduction to the sociolinguistic landscape, followed by sections on language use in education, research studies, reflections and discussions related to the learning of minority languages as second languages and the implication of these processes for the revitalization of minority languages. Breaking new ground in second language acquisition research, this book is an indispensable resource for advanced students and researchers in SLA, multilingual education, bilingualism and sociolinguistics.

Understanding, Evaluating, and Conducting Second Language Writing Research speaks to the rapidly growing area of second language writing by providing a uniquely balanced approach to L2 writing research. While other books favor either a qualitative or quantitative approach to second language acquisition (SLA) research, this text is comprehensive in scope and does not privilege one approach over the other, illuminating the strengths of each and the ways in which they might complement each other. It also provides equal weight to the cognitive and socio-cultural approaches to SLA. Containing an array of focal studies and suggestions for further reading, this text is the ideal resource for students beginning to conduct L2 writing research as well as for more experienced researchers who wish to expand their approach to conducting research.