Research

                                                          Research

What

Research is the formalization of natural processes we all carry out in dealing with the environment. It involves curiously about some phenomenon and the posing of testable questions about relationships among observed phenomena.

Research differs from common sense since it is planned and systematic investigation. Its theories are testable and falsifiable. It attempts to study phenomena through careful description and identification, sometimes controlling and manipulating phenomena so as to study then in isolation.

Research concerns obtaining knowledge that can come from four different sources: belief, authority, hypotheses or theories and empirical evidence. Scientific research is concerned with discovering knowledge from the last two sources.

Classification

Research in second/foreign language learning may first be categorized into two types: primary research and secondary research.

1.     Primary research: Primary research is derived from the primary sources. For example, the students who are learning a second/foreign language can be primary sources. Therefore, this type of research has the advantage of being closer to the primary source of information. Primary research may be of two types:

2.     Case studies: Research that uses the case study approach centres on one or a few individuals. This type of study is usually ‘longitudinal’, that is, it follows the individual or individuals over a relatively long period while tracing some aspect of language development.

3.     Statistical studies: Statistical studies deal with group phenomena as well as individual behaviour. They are often ‘cross-sectional’, that is, they consider a group of people as a cross section of possible behaviours at a particular point or at several distinct points in time. Besides, statistical analysis are used in this approach to estimate the probability that the results did not occur by chance alone. These studies may be divided into two types:

4.     Survey studies: Survey studies focus on a group’s attitude, opinions, and characteristics. They often take the form of a questionnaire that is sent out to a group of people. The advantage of this type of research is that substantial amount of information can be collected in a relatively short time.

5.     Experimental studies: Experimental studies are defined as the studies that investigate the language behaviour of groups under conditions. Such research, for example, might involve administering the test to the given students, then separating their scores into two groups according to gender, and finally studying the similarities and dissimilarities in behaviour between the two groups.

6.     Secondary research: Secondary research is based on sources that are one step removed from the original information. This is probably the type of research with which language teachers are most familiar.

Secondary research may result from straightforward insights into how a language is learned. It may synthesize the life’s work of a single important person or analyze aspects of theoretical movements. Some researchers may prefer to do historical studies, such as tracing the development of a language or exploring the evolution of methods of teaching languages. Still others may draw on a wide range of resources and experiences to do research.