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Part of
Instructed Second Language Acquisition Research Methods
Edited by Laura Gurzynski-Weiss and YouJin Kim
[Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 3] 2022
► pp. 207–232

Chapter 9
Grammar

Documenting growth in L2 classrooms

| Temple University
Meaningfully assessing the effect of instruction on second language (L2) grammatical development requires research that credibly relates observed learner behaviors to relevant theories of language and language learning. After defining the role of grammar in meaningful language use, this chapter compares cognitive and social views of grammatical development to identify key constructs for exploration in ISLA research. It illustrates the relationship between theory and L2 elicitation strategies by first outlining general principles and then describing the design of acceptability judgment tasks and picture description tasks in detail, along with a framework for working with classroom recordings. Specific examples from the author’s research in U.S. high school L2 Spanish classrooms on explicit grammar instruction will be provided. Advice to future researchers will center on empowering readers to find optimal research designs through awareness of the questions about teaching and learning they wish to explore.
Keywords: Spanish, picture description task, acceptability judgment task, production, interpretation, explicit instruction
Article outline
  • 1.What is grammar and why is it important?
  • 2.What we know and what we need to know about grammatical development in ISLA
    • 2.1Cognitive approaches to investigating grammar learning
    • 2.2Social approaches to investigating grammar
  • 3.Data elicitation and interpretation options and step-by-step guidelines for grammar research
    • 3.1Operationalizing grammatical development
    • 3.2Operationalizing grammatical knowledge
    • 3.3Data elicitation options
      • 3.3.1Acceptability judgment tasks (AJTs)
      • 3.3.2Picture description tasks (PDTs)
      • 3.3.3Qualitative data collection
    • 3.4Examples of published research on instructed grammatical development
  • 4.Advice to future grammar researchers
  • 5.Troubleshooting grammar research
  • 6.Conclusions
  • 7.Further reading and additional resources
    • 7.1Suggested books
    • 7.2Suggested journals
    • 7.3Suggested professional organizations and web resources
  • References
Published online: 8 December 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.3.09tot
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