Instructor: Sakol Suethanapornkul
Email: suesakol@tu.ac.th
Office hours: T & TH from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Room: Online Synchronous Sessions via Zoom
Time: T 9:30-12:30
Credits: 3/48 hours
The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; some modifications may be necessary in response to students’ needs and classroom interaction.
Course Description
ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างภาษาศาสตร์และศาสตร์อื่นๆ ที่เกี่ยวข้อง อาทิ จิตวิทยาการสื่อสาร การเรียนและการสอนภาษา ความบกพร่องด้านภาษา และการแปล
This course introduces students to the field of applied linguistics. It serves as an overview of the diverse areas in which applied linguists are engaged. The course is divided into four parts, each of which represents a major theme of research in applied linguistics. In the first part, language in development, we will survey issues related to bi/multilingualism and language attrition. Next, we will explore language in use, focusing on how applied linguists study language in interaction. In so doing, we will explore topics such as intercultural communication and study abroad. In the third section, we will examine language in society, with a particular emphasis on issues related to identity, race, and gender, as investigated by applied linguists. We will also consider language policy and language planning. In the fourth and final section, language in public life, we will explore translation and interpreting. Students will be given an opportunity to make connections between their own research interests and a particular area of applied linguistics through a research-based project.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you should be able to do the following:
- read, critique, and evaluate past and current research on the topic of your interest(s) and on major issues in applied linguistics;
- present ideas and viewpoints, both orally and in writing, that show engagement with and connection to the literature of applied linguistics;
- demonstrate expertise with a chosen research method by collecting and analyzing data; and
- design, conduct, and write a collaborative research study on a topic of your choice.
Classroom-based Expectations
- Attend class and participate in class discussions
- Attendance is required at all classes.
- Participation is crucial to the educational effectiveness of the course and relates to active engagement in all aspects of the class.
- You are responsible for the materials covered and homework assigned during any absence.
- Complete all readings and assignments on time.
- You are expected to compete the readings before each class meeting so that you will be prepared to participate in group work and discussions.
- You are also expected to submit each assignment or homework punctually.
- Only in medical or personal emergencies will late work be accepted. Communicate with me early if you anticipate having trouble completing any assignment in a timely manner.
- Plagiarism is not tolerated.
- Plagiarizing other people’s work in an assignment results in an automatic zero for that assignment.
- Follow APA guidelines for all written assignments.
- The following resources provide helpful information on APA style:
- Book:
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- Websites:
Course Organization
Course management is done through this course website and Microsoft Teams. You can obtain course materials (syllabus, and slides) from this website. Course readings, assignment submissions, class announcements, and grades will be handled through Teams.
Textbook
- Wei, L. (2014). Applied linguistics. Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell. (or Wei in class schedule)
The following readings will also be used in class:
Ahn, S., Chang, C. B., DeKeyser, R., & Lee-Ellis, S. (2017). Age effects in first language attrition: Speech perception by Korean-English bilinguals. Language Learning, 67, 694–733.
De Groot, A. M. B. (2020). Bilingualism and cognition. In C.A. Chapelle (Ed.) The concise encyclopedia of applied linguistics (pp. 157–165). Wiley Blackwell.
Ortega, L. (2011). Second language acquisition. In J. Simpson (Ed.) The routledge handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 171–184). Routledge.
Subtirelu, N. C. (2017). Raciolinguistic ideology and Spanish-English bilingualism on the US labor market: An analysis of online job advertisements. Language in Society, 46, 477–505.
Tullock, B. (2021). Encountering multilingualism in study abroad: Sojourners' orientations to linguistic diversity and language hierarchies in Barcelona. In W. Diao & E. Trentman (Eds.), Language learning in study abroad: The multilingual turn (pp. 190–212). Multilingual Matters
Wong, M. H. I., Zhao, H., & MacWhinney, B. (2018). A cognitive linguistics application for second language pedagogy: The English preposition tutor. Language Learning, 68, 438–468.
Assignments and Grading
Grading scale:
In this course, I assign grades based on how well students perform. The grading scheme outlines key letter grades:
-
A 85-100%
- Grade at the A-level indicates an accurate, nuanced understanding of the concepts and issues covered in the class lectures and readings. It also displays the ability to apply those concepts accurately and coherently in the assignments. A-level work also includes evidence of synthesis of information and insight that goes beyond summarization of the materials.
-
B+ 80-84.99
-
B 75-79.99
- Grades at the B-level indicate accurate understanding of the concepts and issues covered in the class lectures and readings, although there may be some minor errors, omissions, or misunderstandings. They indicate some ability to apply concepts accurately and coherently in the assignments, but answers may not be comprehensive or well-organized. B-level work represents the ability to summarize the arguments and issues presented through course materials, but may lack independent analysis or synthesis.
-
C+ 70-74.99
-
C 65-69.99
- Grades at the C-level indicate a fairly accurate and/or incomplete understanding of the concepts and issues covered in class lectures and readings, with some major and minor errors or omissions concerning basic information. They indicate little ability to apply concepts accurately and coherently in the assignments, and generally lack organization and depth.
-
D+ 60-64.99
-
D 55-59.99
- Grades at the D-level indicate an inaccurate and/or incomplete understanding of the concepts and issues covered in class lectures and readings, with multiple errors and omissions concerning basic information. They suggest a lack of ability to apply concepts accurately or coherently in the assignments.
-
F 0-54.99
- Grade at the F-level indicates failure to understand the concepts and issues covered in class lectures and readings, with little indication that basic information has been grasped.
Grade breakdown:
| Requirements |
Percent |
Points |
Assessment formats |
| Research interests |
5% |
|
Individual |
| Study synopses |
20% |
10 points each, 2 in total |
Individual |
| Discussion leading |
15% |
|
Group |
| Final research-based project |
50% |
|
Group |
| 1. Provision plan |
(10%) |
|
|
| 2. RQs and method |
(10%) |
|
|
| 3. Interim draft |
(15%) |
|
|
| 4. Final paper |
(15%) |
|
|
| Final project presentation |
10% |
|
Group |
Assignment descriptions:
- Research interests (5%)
-
For this assignment, you will discuss which area(s) or aspect(s) of language and linguistics you are interested in and how these interests can address real-world problems. You may choose to do the following:
- First, identify areas of linguistics that fascinate you (e.g., morphology, phonology, syntax, pragmatics, etc.) or language-related topics that pique your interests (e.g., mansplaining in everyday conversation, productivity of English past tense morpheme -ed, children learning quantifiers such as some and many, etc.)
- Then, think about issue(s) and/or problem(s) you observe with regard to these topics. For instance, you may notice that people with more authority tend to mansplain regardless of their gender. From a different angle, you may be intrigued by how man- words are formed (e.g., mansplain, manspread, man purse, etc.) and would like to find out if English language learners can grasp the meaning of these words.
- As you go through these steps, use Google Scholar to find out if your research topics have been investigated by other researchers. In all likelihood, you will not be the first person to come up with these research ideas. Read what has already been done and then refine and/or sharpen your ideas.
-
This assignment is designed to help you relate your knowledge of linguistics and language to real-world issues (i.e., how language is learned and used in society). This real-world emphasis is what sets applied linguistics apart from other fields of linguistics. List each of your research topic and/or idea in a bullet point and under each point, provide a short description of issues surrounding that particular topic. Keep this assignment within a single page.
- Two study synopses (20%)
- You will summarize 2 empirical studies in applied linguistics that we read throughout the semester, each in a one-page synopsis format. The goals of this assignment are: (a) to help you read with an eye for the underlying structure of research reports, (b) to encourage a two-way reading mode, from attention to detail back to a bird’s-eye view perspective, (c) to help you deepen your understanding of these readings, and (d) hopefully, to foster this kind of synthetic note-taking strategy in other readings you do for your final project and the rest of readings in class.
- A study synopsis is almost like an x-ray of a study. It should take up a single, one-sided page. A study synopsis should contain the following sections:
- theoretical framework
- research question(s)/purpose
- method
- findings
- the “so what” of the article (e.g., why the study matters, as stated by the authors)
- your own “so what” after you are done analyzing, evaluating, and summarizing the article
- Discussion leading (15%)
-
In groups of five, you will be responsible for leading a class discussion on a chosen topic. This involves: (a) preparing and delivering a presentation that summarizes key points of class readings and; (b) leading a class through some hands-on, data-driven activity. For this assignment, you may choose to do the following:
- Prepare a presentation summarizing main points presented by the author(s) (10 slides max).
- Prepare 3 to 6 discussion questions to use during your presentation.
- Select one empirical study cited in a book chapter/article you facilitate.
- Use data/transcripts/activities/excerpts from that study to prepare one activity that highlights or illustrates key observations made in the class readings.
-
Your class discussion should cover about 1/3 of class time (1 hour). The class is not expected to read a study you select in Step 3, so your hands-on, data-driven activities should be able to stand on their own.
-
After you sign up on Week 4 (Feb 1), you will be asked to meet with me to discuss your plan for class discussion. One week before your scheduled class, please submit all of the materials you plan to use in class, so I can provide detailed feedback on them.
- Final research based project (50%)
-
The research-based project will give you the opportunity to develop your academic research, writing, and presentation skills as you work through the various phases of an inquiry-based project, from the initial idea-generating phase to the final written report and presentation of findings. Your project can be on any topic in applied linguistics.
-
The project is collaborative, that is, it should be carried out in groups of 4-5 people. A fair amount of time and effort will be demanded by the process of formulating a question; deciding what information you require in order to answer it; obtaining and interpreting that information; integrating it with your group members' work; and then drawing conclusions based on all of this. So you are encouraged to start early. To help you complete this assignment in a timely manner, we will divide up the project into four installments.
-
Installment I: Provisional plan (10%)
- In Installment I, you are expected to submit a rough sketch of your research project. This should include:
- a provisional title of your project
- an overarching research question
- a background to your project (e.g., what has been done thus far on your chosen topic, what you plan to focus on) (~ 2 paragraphs maximum)
- a list of references in APA format (4 references per group member)
-
Installment II: Research question(s) and method (10%)
- Installment II is un updated version of Installment I. The focus of this assignment is on research methods. Your draft should thus answer the following questions:
- What kind of data will you collect?
- How often will you collect this set of data?
- Who are you going to collect the data from?
- How do you plan to analyze the data?
- In what way do the data answer your research questions?
- In this installment, you are expected to have specific research questions that you can guide your data collection. Also add any additional information you have for the backgrounf of the study.
-
Installment III: Interim draft (15%)
- At this point in the semester, you are expected to have collected some data and/or done some analyses on those data. Thus, in an interim draft, you should include whatever results you have, along with your interpretation and/or discussion of them. It is fine if some parts of the results are still missing or some analyses are not fully refined. However, your presentation of the method should, by this point, be complete.
-
Installment IV: Final paper (15%)
- The final paper should be approximately 3 full pages per group member (i.e., 9 pages for a group of 3 and 12 for a group of 4, etc.), excluding references. It must be typed in 12-point font and double-spaced with 1-inch margins. All citations must follow APA format. The paper should read as a coherent piece of writing, with a title, an introductory overview, clearly marked subsections with appropriate segues between them, an overall conclusion, and a reference list.
- Criteria for assessment will include the following:
- Appropriately narrow topic with a well-defined research question
- Quality of information gathered, sufficiency of sources
- Clarity of writing (especially when describing studies), with coherent organization and flow
- Accuracy, substance, and depth of understanding of the topic investigated
- Evidence of both synthesis and analysis; original, critical thinking; and insight in your interpretations
- Conclusions that go beyond summarizing
- Mechanics, proofreading, and citation of sources
- Final presentation (10%)
- Oral presentations on these final projects will take place during the final week of class. The length of each will depend on the number of students in the group and on the total number of presentations in the class.
- Criteria for assessment will include the following:
- Organization/coherence: how logical is the ordering and sequencing of ideas? Does it all make sense? Do the various points you are making go together in an obvious way?
- Clarity: How easy is it for the audience to follow the information and points being made?
- Pacing/Timing: To what extent has time been managed well? Has the time limit been observed?
- Visuals: How effective are your visual aids (e.g., PowerPoint/Google slides)? Can we read everything easily (e.g., is the text big enough)? Are the slides uncluttered, avoiding excessive amounts of text?
Class Schedule
| Weeks |
Dates |
📣 |
Topics |
Readings |
Assignments |
| 1 |
01/11/22 |
|
Introduction to the course
[Class 1] |
|
|
| 2 |
01/18/22 |
|
Defining applied linguistics
[Class 2, Activity 1] |
Wei Ch. 1
(Sec.1.2–1.3) |
|
| 3 |
01/25/22 |
|
SLA
[Class 3] |
Ortega (2011)
(pp. 171–178) |
Submit a research interests assignment |
| 4 |
02/01/22 |
|
Bilingualism & cognition
[Reading worksheet, Class 4] |
De Groot (2020) |
Sign up for discussion leading |
| 5 |
02/08/22 |
|
Language attrition
[Synopsis, Class 5] |
Ahn et al. (2017) |
Synopsis model on Ahn et al. (2017) |
| 6 |
02/15/22 |
|
Research method #1
[Class 6] |
Wong et al. (2018) |
Submit 1st study synopsis |
| 7 |
02/22/22 |
✔️ |
Language in interaction
[Class 7] |
Wei (Ch.5) |
Installment I of your final project is due |
| 8 |
03/01/22 |
|
Mid-term examination week |
|
|
| 9 |
03/08/22 |
|
Study abroad
Guest lectured by Dr. Brandon Tullock
[Class 9] |
Tullock (2021) |
|
| 10 |
03/15/22 |
✔️ |
Intercultural communication
[Class 10] |
Wei (Ch.6) |
|
| 11 |
03/22/22 |
|
Research method # 2
[Class 11] |
|
|
| 12 |
03/29/22 |
✔️ |
Language, identity, and power
[Class 12] |
Wei (Ch.9) |
Installment II of your final project is due |
| 13 |
04/05/22 |
✔️ |
Language policy and planning
[Class 13] |
Wei (Ch.10) |
|
| 14 |
04/12/22 |
|
Songkran Holiday week |
|
|
| 15 |
04/19/22 |
|
Research method # 3
[Class 15] |
Subtirelu (2017) |
Submit 2nd study synopsis |
| 16 |
04/26/22 |
✔️ |
Translation and interpreting
[Class 16] |
Wei (Ch.13) |
Installment III of your final project is due |
| 17 |
05/03/22 |
|
Final project presentation |
|
Hand in Installment IV on 05/12 |
Resources
You should also consult specialized research journals early in the process of developing your final research project, including:
-
Main journals that publish SLA research, in alphabetical order:
- Language Learning
- Modern Language Journal
- Second Language Research
- Studies in Second Language Acquisition;
-
Main journals in applied linguistics:
- Applied Linguistics
- Canadian Modern Language Review
- International Journal of Applied Linguistics
- International Review of Applied Linguistics
- Language Learning & Technology (open access online: here)
- Language Teaching Research
- System
- TESOL Quarterly
-
Two applied linguistics journals are devoted to in-depth reviews of research areas:
- Annual Review of Applied Linguistics
- Language Teaching
-
Two particularly useful research and bibliographical resources are:
- The sections called Research Timeline published annually in Language Teaching
- The encyclopedia of applied linguistics, edited by Carol A. Chapelle and published by Wiley-Blackwell.