Second language teachers as second language classroom researchers

Abstract

This article takes the case for the importance of teacher involvement in research as theoretically proven. It does so whilst acknowledging that it will be quite some time before we can claim that empirical data points to a link between teachers' contribution to research and improvement in the UK's majority cultural group's capacity to speak languages other than English. It attempts to propose and define classroom-based research as an integrated part of the teaching process, one which should not, if the conceptual leap can be made successfully, result in an increased workload for the practitioner. After some advice on how to go about reading articles in international second language acquisition journals, the author proposes some simple techniques for carrying out research in the four language skills, in vocabulary learning and in other aspects of language acquisition.