外语教学研究方法的正本清源——论定性研究的回归

A Thorough Evaluation of the Research Methods in Foreign Language Teaching:A Return of the Qualitative Research

外语教学研究方法受到了人们的普遍关注,定性和定量的范式之争一直以来备受争议,最后虽在混合法上得到缓和,但是方法上的不平衡性却依然显现。随着科学技术的快速发展,定量研究得到了快速发展,许多领域对数字的笃信,使得研究过程变得越来越技术化,研究者似乎成了操控这些技术的专业技术人员,定量研究俨然被看成是科学研究的唯一模式,而作为传统的定性研究方法正被人们所忽视。文章重拾这一话题并非是要搞方法的发明和创新,而是要找回外语教学研究方法的本质和主体性,找回研究的理性,让定性研究得于回归。

An increasing attention has been paid to the research methods of foreign language teaching and the debate over the quantitative methods or the qualitative ones has long been controversial. Although the debate has been finally compromised through the hybrid method, there still remain visibly unbalanced methods. With the rapid development of science and technology, quantitative research methods have been so widely and reliably used in the study of many disciplines that the research process has become more and more technical. Researchers seem to have become technicians deploying technologies in their study, and the quantitative research method has been deemed as the only scientific research mode. Consequently, the traditional qualitative research methods are ignored. Aimed again at the same topic, this paper does not intend to invent or innovate any research methods, but attempts to re-explore the essence and the subjectivity of the research methods in foreign language teaching, the rationality of the study, and the eventual return of the qualitative research.