Graduate Studies Reports Access

Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - LIN7638
Tracking Number - 5201

Edit function not enabled for this course.

Current Status: Approved by SCNS - 2015-12-01
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: GC Approved 10/12/15. To USF 10/12/15. To SCNS 10/28/15. Approved effective 12/1/15

Detail Information

  1. Date & Time Submitted: 2015-02-25
  2. Department: World Languages
  3. College: AS
  4. Budget Account Number: TPA 124100 10000 000000 0000000
  5. Contact Person: Camilla Vasquez
  6. Phone: 8139742548
  7. Email: cvasquez@usf.edu
  8. Prefix: LIN
  9. Number: 7638
  10. Full Title: Qualitative Research Methods for Applied Linguistics
  11. Credit Hours: 3
  12. Section Type: C - Class Lecture (Primarily)
  13. Is the course title variable?: N
  14. Is a permit required for registration?: N
  15. Are the credit hours variable?: N
  16. Is this course repeatable?: N
  17. If repeatable, how many times?: 0
  18. Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Qualitative Research Methods
  19. Course Online?: C - Face-to-face (0% online)
  20. Percentage Online: 100
  21. Grading Option: -
  22. Prerequisites: None
  23. Corequisites: None
  24. Course Description: A comprehensive overview of four common approaches to conducting qualitative research in applied linguistics. Course focuses on both theoretical foundations and methodology.

  25. Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Needed for new program/concentration/certificate
  26. What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This is one of two required research methods courses for the proposed Ph.D. program in Applied Linguistics.The ability to carry out empirical research that adheres to disciplinary expectations and standards is essential to any doctoral program in the social sciences. This course will prepare Ph.D. students for conducting research for their dissertation.
  27. Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? No
  28. What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) Doctorate in Applied Linguistics.
  29. Objectives: This course is intended to provide participants with an overview of topics, findings, theoretical frameworks, and methods used in Applied Linguistic qualitative research. In this course, we will be particularly concerned with arriving at a specialized understanding of the assumptions, data collection techniques, and data analyses employed by different AL qualitative studies. We will work together to critique individual research studies, and to develop a useful set of criteria for the evaluation of qualitative research in our field.

    At the beginning of the course, participants will be asked to identify one or more areas of interest that could productively be explored by means of a qualitative study. Participants’ interests will be used as a basis for selecting additional course readings, for short assignments and in planning each participant's final project.

    The course requires substantial reading and writing, and participants will alternate assignments as discussion leaders as well. Doctoral-level standards will apply to evaluation of both oral and written work. This course is open to doctoral students in applied linguistics, in related fields, and to advanced M.A. students with serious interests in the topic.

  30. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the semester students will be able to:

    • Identify the major approaches to qualitative research used in applied linguistics

    • Carry out observations and conduct interviews for research purposes

    • Prepare and analyze discourse data

    • Make an informed evaluation of relevant empirical research

    • Identify a personal, theoretical orientation that will guide their own research

    • Develop the ability to design a qualitative research project, which, when carried out, can lead to meaningful contributions to the field

    • Refine their scholarly writing skills and their academic speaking skills.

  31. Major Topics: Ethnography Case study Narrative analysis Discourse Analysis Observation Skills Interview Techniques Data Transcription and Interpretation
  32. Textbooks: Duff, P. (2008). Case study research in applied linguistics. New York: Routledge.

    Johnstone, B. (2000). Qualitative methods in sociolinguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Gee, J. P. (2010). An introduction to discourse analysis (3rd ed.). London: Routledge.

  33. Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: Blommaert, J., & Dong, J. (2014). Ethnographic Fieldwork: A Beginner’s Guide.

    Bucholtz, M., & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse Studies, 7 (4-5), 585-614.

    Duff, P. (2002). The discursive co‐construction of knowledge, identity, and difference: An ethnography of communication in the high school mainstream. Applied Linguistics, 23 (3), 289-322.

    Edwards, J. (2007). The Transcription of Discourse. In D. Schiffrin, D. Tannen & H. Hamilton (eds). The Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Blackwell Publishing.

    Fine, G. A. (1993). Ten lies of ethnography: Moral dilemmas in field research. Journal of

    Contemporary Ethnography, 22, 267-294.

    Garcia, A. C. (2013). Introduction to Interaction. Bloomsbury: London. (Chapters 1 & 3).

    Harklau, L. (2000). From ‘good’ kids to the ‘worst’: Representations of English language learners across educational settings. TESOL Quarterly, 34 (1), 35-67.

    Katz, M.-L. (2001). Engineering a hotel family: Language ideology, discourse, and workplace culture. Linguistics and Education, 12 (3), 309-343.

    Kvale, S. & Brinkmann, S. (2009). InterViews: Learning the craft of qualitative research

    interviewing (2nd Edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Kinginger, C. (2004). Alice doesn’t live here anymore: Foreign language learning and identity reconstruction. In A. Pavlenko & A. Blackledge (eds.) Negotiation of identities in multilingual contexts (pp. 219-242). Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

    Lam, W. S. E. (2000). Second language literacy and the design of the self: A case study of a teenager writing on the Internet. TESOL Quarterly, 34 (3), 457-483.

    Leki, I. (1999). “Pretty Much I Screwed Up”: III-Served Needs of a Permanent Resident. In L. Harklau, K. M. Losey, and M. Siegal (Eds.), Generation 1.5 meets college composition: Issues in the teaching of writing to U.S.-Educated Learners of ESL (pp. 19-46). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Lo, A. (1999). Codeswitching, speech community membership, and the construction of ethnic identity. Journal of Sociolinguistics, 3 (4), 461-479.

    Moloney, R. (2013). The role of teacher communication in online collaborative language learning between a Chinese and an Australian school: A cautionary tale. Language and Intercultural Communication, 13 (4), 400-415.

    Nathan, R. (2006). My Freshman Year: What a Professor learned by becoming a student. London: Penguin.

    Ochs, E. (1999). Transcription as theory. In A. Jaworski & N. Coupland (Eds.), The discourse reader, (pp. 167 - 182). London; New York: Routledge.

    Ochs, E., & Capps, L. (2001). Chapter 1 in Living narrative. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Ottenheimer, H. J. (2013). The Anthropology of Language. An Introduction to Linguistic Anthropology (3rd ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

    Park, Y. (2014). The Roles of Third-Turn Repeats in Two L2 Classroom Interactional Contexts. Applied Linguistics 35 (2), 145-167.

    Pavlenko, A. (2007). Autobiographic narratives as data in applied linguistics. Applied Linguistics (28), 2, 163-188.

    Roulston, K., deMarrais, K., Lewis, J. (2003). Learning to interview in the social sciences. Qualitative Inquiry, 9 (4), 643-668.

    Roulston, K. (2011). Interview ‘problems’ as topics for analysis. Applied Linguistics, 32 (1) 77-94.

    Roulston, K. (2011). Working through challenges in doing interview research. International

    Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10(4), 348-366.

    Rubin, H. J. & Rubin, I. S. (2005). Qualitative interviewing. The art of hearing data. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Saville Troike, M. (2003_. The Ethnography of Communication. An Introduction. Malden,

    MA: Blackwell Publishing

    Scotto di Carlo, G. (2014). The role of proximity in online popularizations: The case of TED talks. Discourse Studies, 16 (5), 591-606.

    Schiffrin, D. (2002). Mother and friends in a Holocaust life story. Language in Society, 31, 309-353.

    Schiffrin, D. (2003). Linguistics and history: Oral history as discourse. In D. Tannen & J. Alatis (Eds.) Discourse and beyond. Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. [available on her website: http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/schiffrd/index_files/page0003.htm]

    Seidman, I. (2006). Interviewing as qualitative research (3rd Edition). New York: Teachers

    College Press.

    Shepherd, M. (2014). The discursive construction of knowledge and equity in classroom interactions. Linguistics & Education, 28, 79-91.

    Spack, R. (1997). The acquisition of academic literacy in a second language: A longitudinal case study. Written Communication, 14 (1), 3-62.

    Talmy, S. (2010). Qualitative interviews in applied linguistics: From research instrument to social practice. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 30, 128-148.

    Talmy, Steven & Richards, Keith (Hrsg.) (2011). Special issue: Qualitative interviews. Applied Linguistics, 32(1).

    Wengraf, T. (2001). Qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Vásquez, C. (2007). Comments from the classroom: A case study of a Generation 1.5 student in a university IEP and beyond. Canadian Modern Language Review, 63 (3), 345-370.

    Vásquez, C. (2011). TESOL, teacher identity, and the need for “small story” research. TESOL Quarterly, 45 (3), 535-545.

  34. Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: 15% - Observation Paper

    15% - Interview Paper

    15% - Discourse Analysis Paper

    15% - Critical synthesis

    10% - Final presentation

    30% - Final Proposal

  35. Assignments, Exams and Tests: 15% - Observation Assignment – Each student will select a physical site related to a topic of interest and will conduct 2 participant-observation sessions, taking field notes immediately afterwards. Based on their experiences, reflections, and related documents, students will write a 8-10 page essay in which they both describe and interpret the cultural activity or phenomenon under investigation.

    15% - Interview Assignment – Based on their areas of interest, students will prepare for and conduct a 20-30 interview with a research participant. Interviews will be transcribed, following a recognized transcription system. Students will code and analyze their interview data, and will write a 5-7 page report of their findings.

    15% - Discourse Analysis Assignment – Each student will elicit and record a narrative from a speaker. Narratives will be transcribed and analyzed according to a selected discourse analytic framework. Students will write a 6-8 page report based on their discourse analysis.

    15% - Critical Synthesis – Each student will find 2 additional articles that are somehow related to one of the empirical studies that is required course reading, and s/he will write a paper that explores the ways in which the 3 studies are similar as well as different.

    10% - Final presentation – On the last day of class, each person will deliver a presentation of the research design and proposal. Each person will have 10 minutes to present to the other members of the clas. The presenter will have rehearsed their presentation, and will have prepared an appropriate visual.

    30% - Final Proposal - This project will take the form of a research proposal for a qualitative research study in each student’s area of interest. This proposal should be minimally 15 pages in length. It will present the phenomenon in question, provide an adequate literature review to frame the proposed study (minimum of 10 outside references), and describe the type of study, the data collection procedures, and the data analysis. Students will also be asked to identify appropriate venues for possible presentation and publication.

  36. Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,

    http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)

    Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)

    In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

  37. Policy on Make-up Work: Student Responsibilities

    Cheating, including plagiarism, of any kind in the class will not be tolerated. Offenders will suffer strict consequences. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying someone else’s work, copying from an outside source without proper documentation, or using an assignment that you have previously used for another class.

    Late work policy

    No late work will be accepted. (NB: If you are facing a major life obstacle that precludes you from turning in an assignment on time – e.g., a serious medical condition or a death in the immediate family – you should communicate this to me in advance of the due date, and be able to provide documentation, so that we can negotiate an alternative deadline.)

    More on Plagiarism

    The University of South Florida has an account with an automated plagiarism system detection service with allows instructors and students to submit student assignments to be checked for plagiarism. I reserve the right to 1) request that assignments be submitted as electronic files and 2) electronically submit assignments to Turnitin, or 3) ask students to submit their assignments to Turnitin through myUSF. Assignments are compared automatically with a database of journal articles, web articles, and previously submitted papers. The instructor receives a report showing exactly how a student’s paper was plagiarized. For more information about Turnitin and plagiarism, go to http://www.c21te.usf.edu/ Click on Plagiarism Resources. For information about plagiarism, go to http://www.lib.usf.edu/public/index.cfm?Pg=Plagiarism.

    Submitting to Turnitin – If or when you are asked to submit your papers to safe assignment, please remove your name from your paper and replace it with your USF ID#. Also, please remove you name from the file name and replace it with your USF ID (e.g. U12345678 Essay 1.doc) before submitting it. If you submit it directly to me, please DO put your name on the paper. Pursuant to the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), students are requested to maintain confidentiality as a way to keep their personal contact information (i.e. name, address, telephone) from being disclosed to vendors or other outside agencies. By your submission, you are also agreeing to release you original work for review for academic purposes to Turnitin.

  38. Program This Course Supports: PhD in Applied Linguistics (proposed). MA in Linguistics: English as a Second Language
  39. Course Concurrence Information: While Applied Linguistics graduate students are the targeted audience for the course, the techniques for collecting, analyzing – and developing practice in evaluating qualitative research – can be easily extended to other related disciplines in the social sciences. This course would service graduate programs in foreign languages, English, communication, among others.


- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.