应用语言学研究中的混合法

Mixed Methods Research in Applied Linguistics

本文以英、美两种应用语言学期刊Applied Linguistics和TESOL Quarterly为研究资料,以内容分析为主要研究方法,考察2003至2012年间语言教学实证研究中的混合法的应用。发现:在314篇语言教学实证研究论文中,混合法研究有74篇,约占实证研究的23.6%。在这些研究中,混合法的使用以融入到传统研究风格/策略中的方式为主,而将混合法作为一种单独的研究策略的,在近10年的Applied Linguistics和TESOL Quarterly中仍然不多,仅出现13例,其中明确提出"混合法"概念并加以论述的只有6例。这表明在应用语言学领域,虽然质化和量化的结合并不少见,但相对于不少社科其他领域来说,混合法的概念引入和身份确立不够明显。在语料库研究、调研、互动及语篇研究、实验、案例研究、纵观研究和内省方法这些传统研究风格/策略之中出现了混合法的融入使用。在混合程度相对较高(即数据采集阶段的混合)的混合法研究中,次序设计表现为主流设计类型,同步设计较少;而混合的目的以补充和三角测量为主。这些混合法的设计中,首方法为主方法是设计主流。研究中发现,混合法设计中的不少问题都有待进一步探讨:融入到传统研究风格/策略之中的混合法,是否应当尊敬整体研究策略的思想基础和研究原则,还是可以不受风格之约、自由混合;质化与量化成分的主次之分,在单一数据源的混合法研究和多重数据源的混合法研究当中,难有一致标准;而质化和量化结果的真正结合和相互作用,也期待更多研究和讨论。

This paper reports a survey of mixed methods research in language teaching in Applied Linguistics and TESOL Quarterly between 2003 and 2012. It was found that amongst a total of 314 empirical studies, 74 used mixed mothods, taking a percentage of 23.6. The incorporation of mixed methods into existing research approaches in the field featured as predominant, while Mixed Methods Research as a specific research approach （or design） occurred in 13 cases, with the concept of mixed methods being explicated in only six of them. It seems that although the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods has not been rarely seen, the identity of mixed methods research in applied linguistics is not as significant as in some other fields of the social sciences. The use of mixed methods procedures was found in existing approaches including corpus studies, surveys, interactional ＆ discourse studies, experiments, case studies, longitudinal studies, and introspective methods. In the studies where mixing occurred in data collection, sequential designs appeared to be the mainstream mixed methods design, and complementarity and triangulation appeared to be the major purposes of mixing. A number of design issues emerged from this study, for example, in the incorporated use of mixed methods into existing approaches and traditions, should the assumptions and research principles of the tradition be respected when mixing？ What criteria should be used in determining the status of qualitative and quantitative elements in a mixed methods inquiry？ How should qualitative and quantitative results interact so that real integration can be achieved？