Delivered at:: Department of Foreign Languages

Course type:: Elective course

When:: 2 year, 3 module

Abstract

This course aims to expand knowledge and practical skills in applying quantitative and qualitative research methods in linguistics and language pedagogy. The main goal is to deepen the theoretical understanding of modern methods of linguistic data analysis, as well as to master the techniques of their practical application. The course will cover corpus-based research in linguistics, the interpretation of linguistic statistics, and frequency profiles. Having attended the theoretical and practical seminar sessions, the participants will expand their knowledge and become familiar with the ways in which linguistic statistics can be interpreted qualitatively to develop a better understanding of modern research methods in linguistics that have transformed the field. The course is part of the major, basic professional block and is delivered in person (offline). The prerequisites for the course are Fundamentals of Professional Communication and English proficiency at B2 level according to the CEFR. The postrequisites for the course are Research Seminar. Developing an Educational Product (in English) and Research Seminar. R Language, Stylometry, and Linguistic Statistics (in English). In addition, the knowledge gained by students can be used when writing course papers or bachelor’s theses on relevant topics.

Learning Objectives

To introduce the principles of research design in linguistics and language pedagogy
To develop skills in collecting, organising, and preparing linguistic data
To introduce quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods
To develop practical skills in analysing and interpreting linguistic data
To develop the ability to design and present a research project

Expected Learning Outcomes

To develop an in-depth theoretical understanding of modern quantitative and qualitative research methods in linguistics and language pedagogy
To apply corpus-based methods to investigate various linguistic phenomena
To explore the influence of corpus-based research on the development of dictionaries and linguistic theories
To gain proficiency in using various research tools for the analysis of linguistic data
To design a linguistic research project by formulating appropriate research questions, selecting and justifying methods of data collection and analysis

Course Contents

Research question and research design
Linguistic data: variables, measurement and sampling
Where linguistic data come from
Where linguistic data come from (2)
Data preparation
Descriptive statistics and visualisation
Statistical inference
Comparing two groups
Comparing several groups
Categorical data
Correlation
Regression
Qualitative research and data collection
Coding qualitative data
Analysing and interpreting qualitative data
Choosing the right method
Research quality and ethics
Research project workshop
Module revision and testing

Assessment Elements

Practical assignments
Module test
Research Project

Interim Assessment

2026/2027 3rd module
0.4 * Research Project + 0.4 * Practical assignments + 0.2 * Module test

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

100 questions (and answers) about survey research, Ruel, E., 2018
Constructing research questions: doing interesting research, Alvesson, Mats, 2024
Flick, U. (2008). Designing Qualitative Research. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=396461
Miller, T. (2012). Ethics in Qualitative Research (Vol. Second edition). Los Angeles, Calif: SAGE Publications Ltd. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=683981
Roth, W.-M., & von Unger, H. (2018). Current Perspectives on Research Ethics in Qualitative Research. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 19(3), 798–809. https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-19.3.3155

Recommended Additional Bibliography

Designing & doing survey research, Andres, L., 2012
Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches, Creswell, J. W., 2014

Authors

Ursul Natalia Valerevna

Bachelor’s Programme 'Texts, Languages, and Digital Tools'

Research Seminar. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods

Course Syllabus