Explore a language teaching/learning topic of your interest by providing a critical comparison of two recent studies on an aspect of language teaching/learning and a broader discussion of the issue investigated.

The aim of the assignment for this module is to enable you to explore a language teaching/learning topic of your interest by providing a critical comparison of two recent studies on an aspect of language teaching/learning and a broader discussion of the issue investigated.

Select two empirical studies on the same topic. The topic needs to be related to the general focus of the module. The studies must have been published in international peer-reviewed journals (see the list of recommended journals in the module reading list) in the last 5 years. They may differ in their approach to the topic in terms of the theoretical approaches, analytical frameworks or research methodologies, or they may use similar approaches but focus on different contexts or languages.

Your assignment should include the following:

• An introduction to the topic the two studies deal with, which needs to be situated in a broader context of the literature on language teaching/learning. For instance, you may want to consider questions such as whether the topic is novel or well-established in the literature, why it is important for language teaching/learning, and/or what motivates you to focus on this topics.
• A critical comparison and contrast of the two studies, addressing issues such as the similarities/differences in the aims, specific foci, research questions, understanding of main concepts, theoretical approaches, research methods, participants, contexts, findings, implications for pedagogy, the richness and depth of insight into the topic, and/or any other important features of the studies. It is not necessary to address all of these issues; select those relevant to the comparison and contrast of your chosen studies. It is better to elaborate on a small number of comparison/contrast points than to list a large number but not provide much discussion.
• A synthesis of the findings and consideration of questions such as what the studies reveal about the topic (and what they do not, if relevant), in what ways they contribute to furthering our knowledge on the topic, and what remains to be explored in future research on the topic, leading to an extended commentary on the topic and its importance and interest for language teaching/learning.

Possible ways of structuring
your assignment

• Introduction
• Comparison and contrast
– Theme 1
– Theme 2
– Theme 3
• Conclusion

OR

• Introduction
• Comparison and contrast
– Similarities
– Differences

• Conclusion

• What NOT to do:
– Introduction
– Detailed summary of Study 1
– Detailed summary of Study 2
– A brief section on comparison and contrast
– Conclusion
• This structure typically leads to summaries becoming the main part of the paper; in addition, they tend to be presented as two completely separate sections

COMMON PROBLEMS
• There is too much summary and not much comparison and contrast of the studies
• The paper provides a long list of similarities and differences between the studies but doesn’t provide an in-depth critical elaboration on them
• The paper focuses on one study in great detail and only marginally on the other

References should NOT only include the two studies and references provided by the tutor but should demonstrate more extensive research. You may also refer to your language teaching/learning experience when assessing the significance of the topic/issues to language teaching.

Word length: 3,500 and 4,000 words. Please write the word count after the list of references. The list of references is not included in the word count.

Sources to be find in these journals:

KEY JOURNALS
· Applied Linguistics
· ELT Journal
· Language Teaching (especially state-of-the-art articles on specific themes)
· Language Teaching Research
· Journal of Multicultural and Multilingual Development
· Modern Language Journal
· Research in the Teaching of English (publishes annotated bibliographies every year)
· System
· TESOL Quarterly
· TESL-EJ (free online journal)
SOME SPECIALIST JOURNALS
· Classroom Discourse
· English for Specific Purposes
· Journal of English for Academic Purposes
· Journal of Second Language Writing
· Language Awareness
· Language Testing