Voices from the Language Classroom: Qualitative Research in Second Language Education (Cambridge Language Teaching Library) (Paperback)

by Kathleen M. Bailey (Editor), David Nunan (Editor) "This chapter begins with my own voice as a language learner and then carries me over the bridge of a professional puzzle, through the research..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Cambridge University Press, Newbury House (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'None of the papers in this collection has been previously published elsewhere, which leads to a feeling of freshness about this collection, and a striking feature is the honesty with which some of the writers discuss the trials and tribulations of the naturalistic research process.' 'The book is also highly recommended for language teachers who wish to reflect on their own classrooms and gain affirmation of the important but often unrecognised work they do.' VATME Newsletter No 74, 1997

Product Description
This collection of nineteen original papers is about what really happens in language classrooms, both those in which language is the topic of instruction and those where it functions primarily as the medium of instruction. The authors utilize a variety of research methods, with an emphasis on the collection and analysis of data. Chapters investigate such issues as language-related anxiety, curriculum renewal, classroom interaction, teachers' on-line decision-making, and sociopolitical concerns affecting life in schools.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 484 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 23, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521559049
• ISBN-13: 978-0521559041
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #785,789 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Identifies and voices complexities involved in SL studies., April 23, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

Voices From The Classroom is a collection of international stories written and presented in a naturalistic inquiry paradigm and are examples of qualitative research. The editors, Kathleen Bailey and David Nunan, are language professors and researchers from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California and ESADE Idiomas in Barcelona, Spain respectively. Bailey and Nunan write two of nineteen articles that comprise the book's chapters. Seventeen other educators and researchers were invited to contribute to the book; however, only unpublished stories were accepted. The articles are grouped according to thematic sections which include: 1.) Teaching as thinking, doing, and interpreting, 2.) Classroom dynamics and interaction, 3.) The classroom and beyond, 4.) Curricular issues, and 5.) Sociopolitical perspectives. At the end of each section the reader is provided with `questions and tasks' that seek to highlight or consider issues and concerns that surfaced in each section. Sections one and two consider issues and concerns voiced by teachers in the field. Section three addresses language experiences outside of the classroom and, and what effect, if any, do these experiences have on learning a language. Section four looks specifically at the complexities of developing, implementing, and evaluating a language curriculum. Section five considers a more global aspect of teaching and learning and situates these studies within certain geographical, political, and social parameters. Perhaps the greatest strength of Voices From The Classroom is that it introduces the reader to various types of qualitative research such as the use of metaphors, action research, ethnography, case study and narrative dairy. The reader is presented with a rich selection of data samplings which include, but are not limited to, field notes, lesson plans and transcripts, video/audio tapings, teachers' and learners' journals, teacher and student interviews, teacher/researcher narratives, and stimulated recall protocols. The editors explain that these samplings provide the data necessary for conducting qualitative research, and for permitting data triangulation, or the notion that two or more perspectives of a given phenomena are essential to accurately capture and present any type of discourse identifying or explaining a particular phenomenon. Early on, the reader recognizes how qualitative research seems to lend itself to research conducted and situated within a foreign or second language context. Just as individual languages are salient and fluid so too must be the methodologies used to investigate their realities. As with any publication, authors and editors are frequently asked to make revisions to materials submitted for publication. Unfortunately, these revisions, more often that not, require that authors and editors take serious steps to reduce the number of pages, sentences or words used to recount an experience or event. Consequently, certain studies in Voices From the Classroom seem to be more developed than others. Nonetheless, the goals and objectives set forth by the editors are achieved. To paraphrase Bailey and Nunan, the book is about learning and teaching languages as the are experienced and understood by language teachers and students, and it provides opportunities for investigating and revisiting many aspects particular to language instruction and learning. Voices From The Classroom would be suitable for teacher educators, teachers in training, researchers of foreign or second language education, and certainly anyone interested in learning a foreign or second language. Additionally, it would be a good textbook for a seminar course in foreign or second language education. It would certainly provide an ideal forum to discuss and consider individual issues and concerns as presented in each story. Likewise, it would also provide an interesting forum to examine and consider issues that have not been fully developed, perhaps even omitted, or simply not addressed at all in the stories. Sometimes the most essential information of a story is the portion that is not told, or the voice that is not heard.

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of voices, November 10, 2007

By	MM-K (California) - See all my reviews

This book has a very interesting format. I have not seen anything quite like it. This is the textbook I am using, and I am learning from one of the actual authors of the book. This book is very helpful if you want to know what kinds of things happen inside ESL classrooms. Good for ESL teachers who have already had some classroom experience or have seen an ESL class . It might be too overwhelming to novice teachers--I think. Cheers, Professors!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, October 28, 2008

By	Yunmei Sun - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is fairly good purchase and a good buy. The book is in good condition. But the time it took for delivery is a bit long. Hope the delivery can also be carried out on the weekend if the buyer is in urgent need of the book