Research Methods in Linguistics (LIN 306): Module Outline Wednesday, 9 11am (Autumn 2011)

Module Organisers: Dr Erez Levon Arts 1.17A; e.levon@qmul.ac.uk; 020 7882 8435 Office Hours: Tuesdays/Thursdays 2-3p Dr Linnaea Stockall Arts 1.10; l.stockall@qmul.ac.uk; 020 7882 5742 Office Hours: Wednesdays 11.30-12.30p & by appt. This module focuses on research methodologies in Linguistics. You will get hands-on experience in working with a variety of issues involved in conducting original linguistic research, including project design, data collection and analysis, and presentation of research findings. This is a work-intensive module. Since the best way to learn research methods is to actually practice them, you will complete regular practical field assignments. You will also read and learn the theoretical underpinnings of various research methods. The module is conducted as a seminar: active participation in all class discussions is both expected and encouraged. Learning Outcomes This module prepares students to: Collect, analyze and interpret original linguistic data Devise appropriate research questions and the empirical methodologies with which to best address these questions Present, both orally and in writing, empirically-based findings in a logical, coherent and theoretically compelling fashion Coursework and Assessment Assessed Coursework Four 1,000 word reports, each worth 25%: (i) Data Collection Journal (ii) Critical Literature Review (iii) Quantitative Analysis (iv) Qualitative Analysis Required Coursework In addition to assessed coursework, you will complete 7 practical assignments in weeks 2-9. These are an integral and required part of the module. More details of these assignments will be distributed in class.

Attendance and Participation Attendance and participation are mandatory. Unexcused absences from more than two class meetings and/or failure to complete two or more required assignments is grounds for deregistration from the module. Assessed coursework must be handed in both hard-copy and electronic formats and is due by 4pm on the given date. Late work will be pegged at 40E for two weeks, and at 0F thereafter. Coursework extensions can only be granted by the Senior Tutor. See Student Handbook for details.

Required Text (available from bookshop and library) Litosseliti, Lia (ed.). 2010. Research methods in linguistics. London: Continuum. Additional articles posted on Blackboard

due 30 Nov (week 10) due 14 Dec (week 12) due 09 Jan 2012 due 09 Jan 2012

Suggested/Useful Texts (widely available) Wray, Alison & Aileen Bloomer. 2006. Projects in linguistics. London: Hodder Arnold. Sealey, Alison. 2010. Researching English language. London: Routledge. Rasinger, Sebastian. 2008. Quantitative research in linguistics. London: Continuum. Macaulay, Ronald. 2009. Quantitative methods in sociolinguistics. Basingstoke: Palgrave. Johnstone, Barbara. 2000. Qualitative methods in sociolinguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Seminar Programme Week 1 (28 Sep) Week 2 (05 Oct) Week 3 (12 Oct) Week 4 (19 Oct) Week 5 (26 Oct) Week 6 (02 Nov) Week 7 (09 Nov) Week 8 (16 Nov) Week 9 (23 Nov) Week 10 (30 Nov) Week 11 (07 Dec) Week 12 (14 Dec)

Introduction and Basic Research Skills (EL, LS) Logic, Reasoning and Standard of Evidence (LS) Elicitations and Judgments (LS) Corpus-Based Approaches to Language (EL) Sociolinguistic Surveys and Tasks (EL) Experimental Approaches to Language (LS) READING WEEK Interviews (EL) Participant Observation (EL) Principles of Quantitative Analysis (LS) Principles of Qualitative Analysis (EL) Presenting Research in Writing (LS)

Week 5 (26 Oct) Wolfram, Walt & Ralph Fasold. 1997. Field methods in the study of social dialects. In Coupland, N. And A. Jaworski, eds., Sociolinguistics: A reader and coursebook. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 89-115. Week 6 (02 Nov) Schtze, Carson. 2005. Thinking about what we are asking speakers to do. In Stephan Kepser and Marga Reis (eds.), Linguistic evidence: Empirical, theoretical, and computational perspectives. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 457-85. Week 8 (16 Nov) Litosseliti: chapter 8 (Edley & Litosseliti) Week 9 (23 Nov) Litosseliti: chapter 7 (Creese) Week 10 (30 Nov) Litosseliti: chapters 3 (Rasinger) and 4 (Levon) Week 11 (07 Dec) Litosseliti: chapters 9 (Bezemer & Jewitt) and 10 (Gimenez) Johnstone, Barbara. 2000. Standards of evidence: How do you know when youre right? In Qualitative methods in sociolinguistics. London: Oxford University Press, 58-70. Week 12 (14 Dec) Johnstone, Barbara. 2000. Writing. In Qualitative methods in sociolinguistics. London: Oxford University Press, 130-144.

Module Readings (please do readings before class) Week 1 (28 Sep) Fromkin, Victoria et al. 2000. Linguistics: The scientific study of human language. In Linguistics: An introduction to Linguistic Theory. Oxford: Blackwell, 3-21. Milroy, Lesley. 1987. Field linguistics: Some models and methods. In Observing and analyzing natural language. Oxford: Blackwell, 1-17. Week 2 (05 Oct) Schtze, Carson. 2011. Linguistic evidence and grammatical theory. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science 2: 206-221. Week 3 (12 Oct) Vaux, Bert and Justin Cooper. 1999. Chapter 1. Introduction to Linguistic Field Methods. Munich: Lincom Europa. Week 4 (19 Oct) Litosseliti: chapter 5 (Baker)