Syllabus

Course Information

ENGL 574: Research Methods in SLA

Dr. Cristina Sánchez-Martín

Email: csanch2@uw.edu 
Office: PDL 415A
Office Hours: T&TR 2 to 4 pm 

Download full syllabus https://docs.google.com/document/d/1choKodvcmsoQ60sFNsLYVr_Em8cR9hKCU9vQWz19xFg/edit# Links to an external site. 

About the Course

Description 

This course aims to familiarize students with a variety of research methods in the fields of applied linguistics and TESOL, examining epistemologies, strengths, and weaknesses of various approaches. Students will draw on knowledge generated in the context of the class to conduct a small piece of original research. In addition, they will read and critique selected research in second language acquisition and become more sophisticated “consumers” of research in our field. 

Learning Goals

The following are goals of this course:

  • You will have an understanding of the basic principles behind academic research.
  • You will become familiar with a variety of research methodologies in applied linguistics.
  • You will become familiar with various parts of academic research papers.
  • You will understand both the rigor required of good research and the messiness involved in the research process.
  • You will become a more informed consumer of research.
  • You will know how to search for the relevant literature on a given topic and write a literature review.
  • You will gain practical experience developing research questions, designing a study, finding research participants, collecting and analyzing data, and writing up a report.
  • You will have an original piece of research in your hand!

Required Texts and Materials

Paltridge, B. and A. Phakiti (eds). (2015). Research Methods in Applied Linguistics. New York: Continuum Publishing [hereafter P&P].

Additional  class readings available in the Google Folder Links to an external site.. 

Structure of the Course

This course will meet twice a week (T &TR at 10:30 am in SAV 158)  The course is organized by weekly modules, which you can find on our Canvas site. All the course activities, projects,  and materials, will be available on Canvas. Below there is also a course calendar, where you can see the topics we will cover during each week. 

What I am expecting from you 

  • Class participation and engagement. To create an intellectual community in class, you are expected to meaningfully participate in whole-class discussions and activities. These activities will take place in class and on Canvas. They include:
    1. Attending all class meetings
    2. Completing all the readings and showing engagement with the authors’ ideas
    3. Completing all assignments (including smaller activities done in class or occasional additional homework assignments)
    4. Listening and engaging with the rest of the class community (your peers and instructor) in a respectful and collegial manner. 
  • Research project. The purpose of this assignment is for you to gain experience in designing and carrying out an original research project using primary data. There are two basic requirements for the kind of research you do:
  1. You need to work in groups of three or pairs 
  2. You need to collect the data yourselves (such as ethnographic observations, researcher’s journal, discourse samples, interviews or surveys, etc.)
  • Homework activities leading to the larger research project. These are scaffolded activities and writing assignments that will allow me to follow your journey and give you feedback along the way. Those activities include, but are not limited to: 
    1. Research heads-up statement 
    2. Literature review outline/concept map 
    3. Research proposal
    4. Data Analysis progress reports 
    5. Project progress reports 
  • Final project presentation 

What you can expect from me 

  1. I will be checking my email regularly. Please give me 24 hours to respond, although I usually respond pretty quickly. If I don’t respond (this hasn’t happened yet), send me a reminder email.
  2. I will respond to your posts every week, so please make sure you read my comments. If you have questions, please feel free to come to my Zoom room for office hours or email me about it. 
  3. I am here to help you learn and enjoy the class as much as possible. I have created this course to provide you with an interesting, intellectually stimulating, and fun experience that will be applicable to your own research and teaching goals in the future. 

Assessment

Grades

Class participation:  10%

Research Paragraph 5%

Literature review outline: 15%

Proposal: 10%

Data analysis workshops 15%

Final project presentation:  15%

Research Paper: 30%

Percentage to GPA Conversion

88-90 – 3.5

90-92 – 3.6

93-94 – 3.7

95-96 – 3.8

97-98 – 3.9

99-100 – 4.0

What grades mean

3.5 or below: In at least one area, the student is not meeting the minimum requirements for the course. The student may not have completed all assignments for the course, may have submitted a paper late, may have submitted a lower-quality final paper or project, may have a spotty record of attendance, or may have poor verbal performance when present.

3.6: This is solid master’s level work. You are completing all assignments at the level we expect of MATESOL students.

3.7: This is strong, high-quality master’s level work, it approaches doctoral quality.

3.8 This is doctoral-candidacy level work. I encourage you to undertake the major revisions necessary to submit this work for publication. 

3.9 This is a top-notch doctoral-candidacy level paper. With minor revisions, it could be publishable in a top-tier journal. 

4.0 Submit this paper to a top-tier journal exactly as is for publication immediately. Let there be dancing in the streets!

Syllabus Resources

English Department statement of values

The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use is powerful and holds the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world—skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”

As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities.  Our disciplinary commitments to the study of language, literature, and culture require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race, immigration, gender, sexuality, and class.  These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue.  We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.

Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, genders, national origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with disabilities; veterans; and anyone who has been targeted, abused, or disenfranchised.

Access and accommodations 

Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS) Links to an external site., please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. Links to an external site.DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions.  Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS.  It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Religious accommodations

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/) Links to an external site.. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/) Links to an external site..

Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) 

The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) is available to assist both graduate and undergraduate students with the process of writing, from understanding an assignment to brainstorming and identifying sources to outlining and drafting to making final revisions and tying up loose ends. OWRC offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions for any writing or research project, as well as for personal projects such as applications or cover letters and resumes. For more information, or to schedule an appointment (more than 500 available per week!), see the website (https://depts.washington.edu/owrc) or visit in person on the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library. Take time to browse their collection of online resources at:

http://depts.washington.edu/owrc/WritingResources.html

Q Center

The University of Washington Q Center builds and facilitates queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving, allies) academic and social community through education, advocacy, and support services to achieve a socially-just campus in which all people are valued. For more information, visit http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/ Links to an external site..

Leadership Without Borders 

In 2003, House Bill 1079 was signed into law in Washington State, allowing eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Resources, support, and services for undocumented students are available from the Leadership Without Borders (LWB) Center and the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. http://depts.washington.edu/ecc/lwb/ Links to an external site. 

UW SafeCampus

  • Preventing violence is everyone's responsibility. If you're concerned, tell someone.
  • Always call 911 if you or others may be in danger.
  • Call 206-685-SAFE (7233) to report non-urgent threats of violence and for referrals to UW counseling and/or safety resources. TTY or VP callers, please call through your preferred relay service.
  • Don't walk alone. Campus safety guards can walk with you on campus after dark. Call Husky NightWalk 206-685-WALK (9255). 
  • Stay connected in an emergency with UW Alert. Register your mobile number to receive instant notification of campus emergencies via text and voice messaging. Sign up online at www.washington.edu/alert
  • For more information visit the SafeCampus website at *www.washington.edu/safecampus*.

 

Guidelines for Communicating With Faculty

The unwritten mores of academia are often difficult to decipher. This article attempts to demystify some conventions surrounding communicating with faculty:

https://medium.com/@lportwoodstacer/how-to-email-your-professor-without-being-annoying-af-cf64ae0e4087#.t87p5q5f7 Links to an external site. 

 

Title IX

Sex- and gender-based violence and harassment: Links to an external site. UW, through numerous policies Links to an external site., prohibits sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, and we expect students, faculty, and staff to act professionally and respectfully in all work, learning, and research environments. For support, resources, and reporting options related to sex- and gender-based violence or harassment, visit the UW Title IX webpage Links to an external site., specifically the Know Your Rights & Resources Links to an external site. guide.

If you disclose information to me about sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, I will connect you (or the person who experienced the conduct) with confidential and/or private resources who can best provide support and options. Please note that some senior leaders and other specified employees have been identified as “Officials Required to Report Links to an external site..” If an Official Required to Report learns of possible sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, they are required to call SafeCampus and report all the details they have in order to ensure that the person who experienced harm is offered support and reporting options.