Doing Second Language Research provides an accessible introduction to language learning research, and a 'feel' for what research activities are like, by engaging the reader in several roles within a variety of mini-studies across a range of research design types, both quantitative and qualitative. Roles include that of research subject, research organizer, research data, research data collector, research data analyst, and research reporter. The book systematically explains the characteristics and purposes of various types of research, terminology, the logic underlying selection, and the steps typical of each type of research design. It also offers an intoduction to some of the classic research studies by engaging readers in thinking about and discussing these studies as well as participating as subjects in adapted versions of them.

This text focuses on the skills and processes necessary for understanding statistical research in language learning Designed for language teachers with no previous background in statistics, the paperback edition focuses on the skills and processes necessary for understanding statistical research in language learning. Brown explains the basic terms of statistics, the structure and organization of statistical research reports, the system of statistical logic, and how to decipher tables, charts, and graphs. By the end of the book, readers will be able to make knowledgeable judgments about the relative qualities of a study and to assess the value of the results of a study in relation to a specific language teaching situation.