32.2985, Review: Applied Linguistics: Mackey (2020)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-32-2985. Mon Sep 20 2021. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 32.2985, Review: Applied Linguistics: Mackey (2020)

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Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2021 21:38:39
From: Caroline Hutchinson [hutchinson.caroline at nihon-u.ac.jp]
Subject: Interaction, Feedback and Task Research in Second Language Learning

 
Discuss this message:
http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?subid=36701437


Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/31/31-2604.html

AUTHOR: Alison  Mackey
TITLE: Interaction, Feedback and Task Research in Second Language Learning
SUBTITLE: Methods and Design
PUBLISHER: Cambridge University Press
YEAR: 2020

REVIEWER: Caroline Hutchinson, Nihon University 日本大学

SUMMARY

“Interaction, Feedback and Task Research in Second Language Learning”, by
Alison Mackey, aims to give practical advice for those seeking to carry out
research into the three related topics of the title, while deepening the
reader’s understanding of existing studies through discussion of their
research methods. After reviewing the theoretical background in which such
research is situated, Mackey turns to the practical process of designing
research. From chapters 3 to 9, different research areas and methodologies are
considered in relation to interaction research. The final chapter summarizes
potential pitfalls and suggests ways to avoid them, providing a number of
anecdotes that many researchers will find relatable.

Accessibility is clearly a concern of the author, and the book has a number of
boxed texts summarizing main ideas (called “Keep It in Mind!”), providing
resources for practical application (“Try It!”), and numerous abstracts from
relevant studies (“Read It!). There are also visual examples illustrating
concepts such as mixed-methods research designs, meta-analysis, and aptitude
tests, giving the book the feel of an introductory volume that aims to empower
and inspire readers to seek deeper knowledge through research, discussion, or
further reading. 

Chapter 1 introduces the book’s theoretical paradigm, the notion that a second
language can be learned through interaction with others, including processes
such as input, output, and corrective feedback. In the second language
classroom, it is common to bring these processes together in communicative
tasks, and thus it is possible to consider these three research areas as
distinct yet overlapping. The author situates the book within the
cognitive-interactionist paradigm associated particularly with Long’s (1981)
interaction hypothesis, while also summarizing the interest of sociocultural
theorists in participation as a driver of development, in language learning as
in other areas of life. 

The chapter then introduces the history and current state of research in each
of its three focus areas, providing recommendations of foundational articles,
sample abstracts, and suggestions for research areas that are currently
understudied. Thought-provoking examples of these future directions include
longer-term longitudinal studies of L2 development, studies of non-traditional
learners, individual differences in receptivity to corrective feedback, and
the effects of tasks on different aspects of language development (such as
fluency, accuracy, and complexity).

Chapter 2 provides an overview of how to design research. It begins by
summarizing different research paradigms—quantitative, qualitative,
interpretive or co-constructed, descriptive, and mixed methods—and explaining
how they differ. It also introduces synthetic approaches, or meta-analytic
research, in which researchers analyze existing literature with the aim of
drawing larger conclusions. These methods are summarized in a handy table
along with examples of possible research areas, and three abstracts are
included to illustrate what these different approaches look like in practice. 

The chapter then moves on to formulating research questions, reminding the
reader that while quantitative studies are typically guided closely by
narrowly-focussed research questions, themes and research questions for
qualitative studies may emerge as data are collected. Mackey outlines how to
look for gaps in existing research, suggesting avenues such as longitudinal
research, contacting authors who call for further research in their
conclusions, and replicating existing studies. She also advocates for greater
sharing of instruments and resources, introducing several resources for doing
so.

Chapter 3 covers individual differences. Relevant language aptitude tests and
working memory tests are introduced, along with what they aim to measure, and
there is a summary of discussions of how predictive of language learning
success these measures may be. Mackey then turns to the newer area of
cognitive creativity, relating findings of two as yet unpublished studies
which appear to show positive correlations between creativity and success in
L2 interaction.  

Chapter 4 turns from cognitive processes to how introspective research can be
carried out into learners’ own perceptions of their internal mental processes.
These methods included stimulated recalls, think-aloud protocols, interviews,
discourse completion, and self-reports such as journals or blogs. These ask
participants to elaborate on their thoughts and feelings, either while doing a
task or after they have finished. Although it is important to keep in mind
issues such as the relationship between interviewer and interviewee, memory
delay, and the difficulty of articulating internal processes when the recall
is done in the L2, Mackey stresses that these methods can be used to
supplement observational data. 

In Chapter 5, Mackey considers surveys, interviews, and mixed methods
research. Questionnaires give researchers an insight into students’ internal
processes while also collecting biographical data that can help identify
inappropriate participants. They are also easily administered, distributed,
and analyzed, and they lend themselves to repeated or longitudinal data
collection. The chapter also reviews the practicalities of designing surveys,
including length, question type, and the benefits of using students’ L1,
providing a handy checklist.

Chapter 6 covers meta-analytic research, which involves using the findings of
previous studies to answer research questions. Research syntheses are
descriptive in nature, they are more in-depth versions of a literature review.
Meta-analyses attempt to synthesize previous studies quantitatively, using
calculations (such as effect size, which measures the strength of the
relationship between variables) to avoid problems caused by small sample size
or inappropriate testing methodologies. Mackey offers suggestions for how best
to define research domain and variables, and suggests that researchers could
cast their nets beyond commonly-used databases to look at conference papers
and PhD dissertations.

In Chapter 7, the book turns to research carried out in instructional
settings, including classroom observations, action research, uptake sheets,
and journals. Mackey highlights the tension between the desire for objectivity
and the need to acknowledge issues of subjectivity and rapport: an unknown
observer may struggle to get students to open up, while a researcher who is
too close may elicit biased responses. She also touches on practical
considerations such as recording classes and obtaining informed consent.

Chapter 8 considers areas of collaboration with neuroscientists, such as
eye-tracking, brain imaging, and ultrasound. These newer methods allow
researchers to observe physical processes that may shed light on the learning
process; for example, pupil size may be a measure of cognitive effort, while
ultrasound can give us more insight into tongue articulation. Imaging
techniques such as electroencephalograms and fMRI track responses to stimuli,
although Mackey cautions that these are expensive, and researchers are still
building their understanding of how to interpret the results. More accessible
psycholinguistic measures, such as reaction times and word association, can
also help researchers better understand learners’ linguistic processes.

In chapter 9, Mackey describes some of the issues related to analyzing data
once they have been collected. In particular, she focuses on how to code data,
providing a number of abstracts from published research, and describes how
coding may emerge from data in the case of qualitative research. The chapter
also considers ways of measuring inter-rater reliability, providing example
descriptors from published research. Finally, Mackey discusses validity, or
the extent to which research actually measures what it sets out to measure.
She describes ways in which internal validity may be affected by individual
differences such as participants’ varying typing speeds, and how a study’s
generalizability may be affected by the specifics of the context and
participants.

The final chapter summarizes some common problems and issues to avoid when
researching interaction, feedback, and tasks. Issues discussed include
technical and logistical surprises, ensuring that students understand consent
forms, and the need for adequate pilot testing. Mackey illustrates the
pitfalls with humorous personal anecdotes, such as the creative child who
chose to embellish a fairly standard picture description with parrots and
flying teddy bears. The intention is to encourage and entertain, and Mackey
emphasizes that difficulties can always be overcome.

EVALUATION

“Interaction, Feedback and Task Research in Second Language Learning” provides
a comprehensive and accessible introduction to research in three closely
related areas of applied linguistics. Key research and analysis tools are
explained clearly, with practical advice as to how to design studies and
implement them. Mackey also identifies a wide range of open research areas,
aiming to stimulate further enquiry. By providing an overview which links
interaction, feedback, and tasks in the paradigm of cognitive-interactionism,
the book also provides readers with a way to better understand the connections
between these fields of research. 

The book’s blurb states that its aim is to make research in the field
“accessible to novice and experienced researchers alike”. In general, Mackey
leans more towards accessibility, and the boxed summary and discussion texts
suggest that the book could be used in teacher education. More experienced
researchers may gain insights from chapters relating to less familiar research
areas but are likely to find the chapters on their specialist areas to be less
thought-provoking. 

There is also some inconsistency in the level at which information is pitched.
On the one hand, the book provides a number of cartoons, screenshots of survey
questions, and abstracts of relevant published research. On the other hand,
concepts such as null hypothesis significance testing or Cresswell et al.’s
(2008) patterns of mixed methods research design are mentioned but not fully
elaborated. References are provided, but if the book is indeed aimed at novice
researchers, who may not have institutional subscriptions to research
databases, these areas may merit more attention in the text. 

Nevertheless, these are minor issues when considering the scope of this book,
which succeeds in bringing together fundamental aspects of research design,
theory, and practice in one accessible volume. 

REFERENCES

Cresswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L., & Garrett, A. L. (2008). Methodological
issues in conducting mixed methods research designs. In M. Bergman (Ed.),
“Advances in Mixed Methods Research” (pp. 66-84). Sage Publishing.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Caroline Hutchinson is an associate professor at Nihon University College of
Economics, Japan, and has worked in Japanese higher education since 2012. She
has also taught in Vietnam, Hungary and the UK, where she is originally from.
She developed an interest in Task-Based Learning while studying for the
Cambridge DELTA. Other research interests include CLIL, EMI, autonomy,
motivation, and the psychology of language learning.





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