Distinguished Lectures in Humanities: Corpus and Genre-Based Perspectives on the Qualitative/Qualitative Divide in Applied Linguistics Research: Implications for Pedagogy and the Profession

Abstract

In this talk, I will present the results of several studies examining qualitative and quantitative empirical research articles from applied linguistics. The studies use both corpus-based analyses and rhetorical genre analysis to describe similarities and differences across the two paradigms. Each of the studies draws on a corpus of published studies from journals that regularly publish both quantitative and qualitative articles on the topic of language learning and teaching.

I first describe the compilation of the corpus, which currently includes 863 studies from 2013 to 2023, and explain some of the challenges involved in using copyrighted materials in a time of calls for open science. Next, I explain the rationale for comparing qualitative and quantitative research in a subfield of applied linguistics. Specifically, I talk about the challenges of a field in which there appears to be a widening divide in the nature of research in the two paradigms along with unsubstantiated claims in research manuals characterizing the two paradigms.

The bulk of the talk will focus on my and my collaborators’ research agenda using our created corpus. Two of the studies focus on the role of theory in the empirical studies. The first study used a corpus-based analysis of the frequency and collocations of the lemma theor- while the second used rhetorical move analysis to show how theory was used in structuring literature reviews. Both studies revealed differences in the role of theory in the two paradigms that show how language choice and rhetorical moves reflect their epistemologies. The third study focused on citation use and revealed some differences, but more similarities. Finally, we have two studies in progress examining article structure and lexical bundles. Taken together, both studies show that quantitative research is more structured and predictable. I end by suggesting possible extensions of our research using qualitative methods.

The final part of this talk will explain the relevance of this research to both teaching academic writing and to the field of applied linguistics. With regard to teaching writing, I will give specific examples of how the various analyses used in the five studies can be transferred to heterogeneous writing classes to help students explore conventions in their own fields. Second, I explain how the studies suggest a widening gap between the two paradigms and how this gap presents problems for graduate programs, journals, and professional organizations, all of which, I argue, need to be more sensitive to acknowledging research in both paradigms.

About the speaker

Charlene POLIO (Professor; B.A. University of Pennsylvania; 1983; M.S. University of Pennsylvania; 1984; Ph.D. UCLA, 1992) specializes in the area of second language writing and research methodology. In addition, she has published studies on discourse patterns of preservice and experienced teachers. Prof. POLIO’s publications appear in various journals including Studies in Second Language Acquisition, The Modern Language Journal, TESOL Quarterly, and Journal of Second Language Writing as well as several edited volumes. She has recently published two books, one on research methods for L2 writing, with Debra Friedman, and one on using authentic materials, with Eve Zyzik. She has served on the editorial boards of TESOL Quarterly and the Journal of Second Language Writing. She is the co-editor of TESOL Quarterly. Prof. POLIO has also taught ESL for several years in academic programs both in the US and China, and has had much practical experience in the area of language assessment.