Classroom Research for Language Teachers

Series Editor’s Preface

The English Language Teacher Development (ELTD) Series consists of a set of short resource books for English language teachers that are written in a jargon-free and accessible manner for all types of teachers of English (native and nonnative speakers of English, experienced and novice teachers). The ELTD Series is designed to offer teachers a theory-to-practice approach to English language teaching, and each book offers a wide variety of practical teaching approaches and methods for the topic at hand. Each book also offers opportunities for teachers to interact with the materials presented. The books can be used in preservice settings or in-service courses and by individuals looking for ways to refresh their practice.

Tim Stewart’s book Classroom Research for Language Teachers explores different approaches to conducting classroom research in the English language classroom. Stewart provides a comprehensive overview of how to approach classroom research in an easy-to-follow guide that language teachers will find very practical for their own contexts. Topics covered include getting started with research, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting data, publishing findings, and continuing with classroom research beyond one project. Classroom Research for Language Teachers is a valuable addition to the literature in our profession.

I am very grateful to the authors who contributed to the ELTD Series for sharing their knowledge and expertise with other TESOL professionals because they have done so willingly and without any compensation to make these short books affordable to language teachers throughout the world. It was truly an honor for me to work with each of these authors as they selflessly gave up their valuable time for the advancement of TESOL.

Thomas S. C. Farrell

1

Teachers and Research

As an English language teacher, what is your relationship with research? Do you read it, ignore it, or simply dismiss it? Would you do it? Many readers will answer no to this last question. The purpose of this book is to get you to say yes, or at the very least, maybe. All teachers should engage in classroom research from time to time. This book is a guide for novice teacher-researchers.

This chapter will seek answers to these questions:

Why should English language teachers conduct classroom research?

What will English language teachers learn from this book?

A Passion for Teaching inline-image

Teachers know how demanding classroom teaching is. Typically, novice teachers struggle simply to get through each lesson. There is just so much to know and learn. Students look to you to guide them, and secretly you might feel unsure about your teaching ability in the first few years while you operate in survival mode. Soon, however, you will develop a toolkit of techniques and favoured tasks to draw from. Your confidence will surely increase as you gain teaching experience.

At the point where you can easily manage the basics of classroom practice, your level of anxiety will decrease. It is at this learning plateau that some teachers begin to coast a bit. Sooner or later, most teachers will stop making progress. At this point, their satisfaction with their knowledge about the practice of teaching decreases. They realize once again that there is much more to learn to become a