History Bump: Initial Thought on my Course Project

February 03, 2005

Initial Thought on my Course Project

I am interested in compiling an annotated bibliography on the ESL Composition History, preferably with an emphasis on methodology and methods. This project might be very revelant to my dissertation topics. As for the methodologies in ESL, my sense is that scholars are employing quantitative and qualitative research methods on a daily basis. Last October, I went to Purdue to attend the Conference on Second Language Composition, and I found out about 80% presenters used empirical research methods. I'll be working on a tentative booklist first to see what's available and then decide the final topic.

Posted by yqin at February 3, 2005 11:14 AM

Comments

I think this would be an interesting and do-able project. For a second-year student, I'd like to see a synthesis or reflection in addition to the annotated bibliography. (We can talk later about how to do that; let me know when you'd like to have that conversation, and we'll set up an appointment.) You'll want to be sure to include in your bibliography some very early work as well as some recent work. In the ESL bibliography I have online, take a look at Helen Fox; Horning; Kaplan; Leki; Matalene; Matsuda; Pecorari; Raimes; Roy. I will definitely want you to include Kaplan. As for focusing your examination on methods & methodologies: fabulous. An ESL scholar (Pecorari) just did some empirical research to validate my own work in plagiarism; she called my theory of patchwriting "intuitive"! It was an interesting methodological moment for me :)

Posted by: senioritis at February 6, 2005 12:08 PM