Researching English Language: A Resource Book for Students

by Alison Sealey

Overview

Routledge English Language Introductions cover core areas of language study and are one-stop resources for students.
Assuming no prior knowledge, books in the series offer an accessible overview of the subject, with activities, study questions, sample analyses, commentaries and key readings – all in the same volume. The innovative and flexible 'two-dimensional'structure is built around four sections – introduction, development, exploration and extension – which offer self-contained stages for study. Each topic can also be read across these sections, enabling the reader to build gradually on the knowledge gained.

Researching English Language:

• provides comprehensive support for readers tackling their first independent research projects
• offers advice about research methods with reference to an extensive range of English Language topics including variation in accents, news discourse, forensic linguistics, child language development and many more
• guides readers step-by-step through the research process, from initial ideas to the submission of the dissertation
• includes an extensive range of activities and points for discussion
• illustrates each topic with examples from actual student projects and published studies
• includes key readings from leading English language researchers, including Ronald Carter; Jennifer Coates; Ruqaiya Hasan; Roz Ivanič; Ben Rampton; John Sinclair.

This title will be essential reading for students undertaking research within the areas of English Language, Linguistics and Applied Linguistics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415468978
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	06/17/2010
Series:	Routledge English Language Introductions
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

Section A: Introduction: The Basics of Researching English language 1. The First Stages: Getting Started and Settling on a Topic 2. Reading Around Your Topic 3. What Do You Want to Know? 4. Ways of Finding Out What You Want to Know 5. Possibilities and Pitfalls 6. Doing the Research: Collecting data 7. Clarifying What You Have Found Out 8. Writing and Reporting 9. Beyond the Dissertation Section B: Development: The How and Why of Researching English language 1. The How and Why of Getting Started and Choosing a Research Topic 2. The How and Why of the Literature Review Joining a 'Community of Practice' 3. The How and Why of Clarifying Research Questions 4. The How and Why of Choosing Research Methods 5. The How and Why of Sorting Out the Details 6. The How and Why of Data Collection 7. The How and Why of Data Analysis 8. The How and Why of Writing Up Your Project 9. The How and Why of Taking it Further Section C: Exploration: Issues and Debates in Researching English Language 1. Language Research Topics 2. The Literature Review 3. Research Questions 4. Research Methods 5. Details 6. Data Collection 7. Data Analysis and Interpretation 8. Writing Up Your Project Section D: Extension: Readings in Researching English language 1. The Origins of Some Research Projects in English Language 2. Reviewing Previous English Language Literature for Research 3. Questions in English Language Research 4. Methods in English Language Research 5. Problems in English Language Research 6. Collecting English Language Data 7. Analysing English Language Data 8. Writing about English Language research 9. Moving on from doing English Language research Glossary of terms Further reading References Index

Editorial Reviews

'... a highly engaging and admirably reflective introduction to researching English language... excellent introduction to research for any student or beginning researcher to discourse and conversation analysis in English. Important issues and complex concepts are formulated accessibly, critically and with a high degree of reflection. I highly recommend this book to any student about to embark on an undergraduate or postgraduate research project.' - Beatrice Szczepek Reed, LinguistList

‘This is a well structured, comprehensive and accessible guide to researching the English Language. It answers the most frequently occurring questions asked by students who are new to research, and offers guidelines that will help to make their projects manageable. However, at no point does it limit students’ horizons. Nor does it lose the larger intellectual vision which drives research, even at beginner level.’ Caroline Coffin, The Open University, UK

‘Researching English Language is a book brimming with excellent observations, case examples, and well-focused exercises. The book draws on recent and authoritative sources, and emphasizes the indispensable notion of "triangulation" in which findings are corroborated based on different (and yet complementary) types of linguistic evidence and research methodology.’ Vincent Ooi, National University of Singapore

From the Publisher