Review of the literature on a self-chosen topic
The final project for this course will be a review of the literature on a self-chosen topic related to an aspect of language development or multilingualism. You will work on it throughout the semester, and it will culminate in an poster presentation at VIU’s Academic Showcase in Week 14 and a final paper of 10 pages 3,000 words), which will be due in Week 15.
This project will give you opportunities to build a broader base of knowledge In a self-chosen area of interest in the field of language acquisition; compare theories and research findings with your own experiences; critically assess your assumptions about language learning and teaching; consider the pedagogical implications of what you have learned; determine whether and how theory and research findings should inform your teaching practices; improve your academic research, writing, and presentation skills; and develop your ability to contribute knowledge to the community of language education professionals.
A forum will be set up on Moodie so that you can brainstorm and receive feedback on your ideas for the project. Many textbooks also provide annotated suggestions for further reading at the end of every chapter, which you may find helpful in coming up with a topic. Possible themes might include the following, though please note that these are stated in broad terms and would need to be narrowed down in order to fit in a paper of this length:
• the role of a particular cognitive or affective variable (e.g., working memory, aptitude, anxiety, motivation, willingness to communicate) in language development,
• the effectiveness of particular teaching methods, techniques, or strategies (e.g., task design, feedback) in facilitating language learning,
• the nature of crosslinguistic influence/multkompetenoe,
• the benefits of bilingualism on third language acquisition,
• factors influencing ultimate attainment in pronunciation in a foreign language,
• factors influencing first-language attrition,
• the role of identity in heritage language learning,
• outcomes of early language education programs (e.g., foreign language classes, dual immersion), or
• another topic of personal interest!
Such a paper is not difficult to write, but it is time consuming. The process of formulating a research question; figuring out what information you will need in order to answer it; obtaining, synthesizing, and interpreting that information; and then drawing conclusions based on everything you have learned will involve a considerable amount of time and effort, so intermediate steps are listed below along with some deadlines.
You are encouraged to visit the Writing, Research, and Media Center (http://www.viu.edu/wrnic) for assistance with any or all of these stages, and particularly in preparation for those marked with asterisks.
• Week 3: Explore VIU’s online library resources, read overviews of the research areas you think you might be interested in, and brainstorm on Moodie by exploring possible topics, research questions, and other ideas.
• Note: Articles and chapters providing research overviews are available in several journals (e.g., Language Teaching, TESOL Quarterly, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics) and handbooks bee., Doughty and Long’s (2003) Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, Gass and Mackey’s (2012) Routledge Handbook of Second Language Acquisition, Bhatia and Ritchie’s (2012) Handbook of Bilingualism and Multilingualism, Davies and Elder’s (2006) Handbook of Applied Linguistics, Kaplan’s (2010) Oxford Handbook of Applied Linguistics, and many morel), which can be found on Cootie Books, If not through VILYs digital collection.
• Week 4: Submit a possible topic. (Once you have done some initial research and have an idea of what you might be interested in, it may also help to meet with the professor to discuss your choice()
• Week 5: Find more resources, start reading and taking notes, and narrow down your topic and research question. Begin identifying appropriate peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters to include in your review. These should be primary sources (i.e., reports of original empirical studies, not other scholars’ summaries of research areas).
• Week 6: Submit a research question and a list of 5 initial references in APA format.
• Week 7: Read and take notes on articles for your first annotated bibliography. In doing so, also pay attention to the literature review sections to gain familiarity with how others report on research.
• Week 8: Submit an annotated bibliography of at least 5 current, primary sources. In addition to providing the full citations in APA format, summarize the main points of each article and include an explanation of how each reference will be useful for your project. Make an appointment to meet with the professor to discuss your completed annotated bibliography and plans for your project.
• Week 9: Continue finding resources, reading, and taking notes.
• Week 10: Submit an annotated bibliography of more references and meet with the professor to discuss your paper.
• Week 11: Submit a brief outline of your paper in bulletpoint form.
• Week 12: Prepare a draft of your paper so that you can get feedback from peers and/or WRMC. 8y Friday, November 18, at 5pm at the latest, email Ms. Allison Millward at wrmc@viu.edu to register to present your final project in VIU’s Academic Showcase.
Note: The final paper should be very well organized, with o title, on introductory overview, o main body with clearly marked subsections for the various themes covered, a conclusion, and a reference list. The introduction, which should end with a clear thesis statement, should preview the major themes and provide a toodmop for the rest of the paper. The literature review should include at least 10 relevant scholarly articles (primary sources), but it should not be organized os a simple string of summaries; rather, it should be organized thematically, with integration of information from multiple sources. Throughout the paper, be sure to support your points with substantive empirical evidence from reliable sources. Following APA guidelines, you must cite every source that you use in the paper, both parenthetically in the text where relevant and listed in full at the end of the paper. The conclusion should go beyond summarizing, including your own critical analysis, interpretations, insights, and opplkotions.
• Week 13: Exchange final papers with a classmate so that you can provide each other with peer feedback.
• Week 14: Give a poster presentation on your final project at VIU’s Academic Showcase on Monday
Reference Articles
1. Sociocultural Theory as an Approach to Aid EFL Learners by Sorayya Behroozizad, Radha M.K Nambiar and Zaini Amir
2. Sociocultural Theory Applied to Second Language Learning: Collaborative Learning with Reference to the Chinese Context by Zhang Dongyu, Fanyu, Du Wanyi
3. The Use of Sociocultural Approach for Teaching ESL Reading Skills to ‘O’ Level Students in Pakistan by Tahir Saleem and Summiya Azam
4. A Sociocultural Perspective on Second Language Acquisition: The Effect of High-structured Scaffolding versus Low-structured Scaffolding on the Writing Ability of EFL Learners by Sasan Baleghizadeh and Abbas Timcheh Memar
5. Implementing the Sociocultural Theory While Teaching ESL by Michele S. Lee
6. Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning by James P. Lantolf and Steven L. Thorne
