Author Description

The Think-aloud Controversy In Second Language Research Aims To Provide Some Answers To Questions About The Validity And Use Of Think-alouds, Verbal Reports Completed By The Language Learner During The Performance Of A Task. It Offers Both An Overview Of How Think-alouds Have Been Used In Language Research And Presents A Meta-analysis Of Findings From Studies Involving Verbal Tasks And Think-alouds. The Book Begins With The Theoretical Background And Empirical Research Into The Validity Of Think-alouds, Then Offers Guidance Regarding The Practical Issues Of Data Collection And Analysis, And Concludes With Discussions Of Implications And Future Research Directions. With Its Focus On A Much Discussed Data Elicitation Method In Language Research, This Timely Work Is Relevant To Students And Researchers From All Theoretical Perspectives Who Collect First Or Second Language Data. It Serves As A Valuable Guide For Any Language Researcher Who Is Considering Using Think-alouds. Machine Generated Contents Note: 1. Use Of Verbal Reports In Language Research -- History Of Data Collection With Verbal Reports -- In Non-sla Fields -- In L1 And L2 Research -- L1 Research -- Reading -- Writing -- Language Testing -- L2 Research -- Reading -- Writing -- Translation -- Interlanguage Pragmatics -- Conversational Interaction Research -- Attention And Awareness -- Implicit And Explicit L2 Knowledge -- 2. Controversy Over The Use Of Think-alouds: Reactivity -- Classifying Verbal Reports: Ericsson And Simon's Model -- Challenges To The Validity Of Verbal Reports: Veridicality And Reactivity -- Main Predictions Of Ericsson And Simon's Model -- Responding To Challenges: Investigations Of Validity In Cognitive Psychology -- Studies Comparing Non-metacognitive Protocols And Silent Controls -- Reactivity For Latency But Not Accuracy -- Reactivity For Both Accuracy And Latency -- Reactivity For Neither Accuracy Nor Latency -- Studies Investigating The Reactivity Of Metacognitive Protocols -- Studies Comparing Metacognitive Protocols And Silent Controls -- Reactivity For Both Accuracy And Latency -- Improved Task Performance -- Hindered Task Performance -- Reactivity For Accuracy But Not For Latency -- Improved Task Performace -- Hindered Task Performance -- Outliers -- Reactivity For Latency But Not For Accuracy -- Reactivity For Neither Latency Nor Accuracy -- Studies Comparing Metacognitive And Non-metacognitive Protocols -- Reactivity For Accuracy -- Improved Task Performance -- Hindered Task Performance -- Non-reactivity For Accuracy -- Mixed Results For Reactivity -- Conclusions -- Synthesis: What Makes A Task Amenable To Thinking Aloud -- Same Task, Same Results -- Same Task, Different Results -- Similar Tasks, Different Results -- Different Tasks, Different Results -- Summary -- 3. Features That Make A Task Amenable To Think-aloud: A Meta-analysis Of Studies Investigating The Validity Of Think-alouds On Verbal Tasks -- Reactivity Studies In Sla -- Leow And Morgan-short (2004) -- Bowles And Leow (2005) -- Sachs And Polio (2007) -- Sachs And Suh (2007) -- Rossomondo (2007) -- Bowles (2008) -- Yoshida (2008) -- Sanz Et Al. (2009) -- Polio And Wang (in Review) -- Synthesizing Research On Reactivity -- Meta-analysis -- Identification Of Studies -- Selection Criteria -- Inclusion Criteria -- Exclusion Criteria -- Coding -- Calculation Of Effect Sizes -- Combining Effect Sizes -- Analysis Of The Homogeneity Of Effect Sizes -- Results -- Publication Characteristics -- Learner Characteristics -- Effects Of Type Of Report On Post-test Performance -- Effect Of Type Of Report On Text Comprehension -- Effect Of Type Of Report On Receptive Form Learning -- Effect Of Type Of Report On Productive Form Learning -- Effect Of Type Of Report On Latency -- Effects Of Language Of Report On Post-test Performance -- Effects Of Language Of Report On Text Comprehension -- Effects Of Language Of Report On Receptive Form Learning -- Effects Of Language Of Report On Productive Form Learning -- Effects Of Language Of Report On Latency -- Effects Of Language Of Task On Post-test Performance -- Effects Of Language Of Task On Text Comprehension -- Effects Of Language Of Task On Receptive Form Learning -- Effects Of Language Of Task On Productive Form Learning -- Effects Of Language Of Task On Latency -- Effects Of Type Of Task On Post-test Performance -- Effects Of Type Of Task On Text Comprehension -- Effects Of Type Of Task On Receptive Form Learning -- Effects Of Type Of Task On Productive Form Learning -- Effects Of Type Of Task On Latency -- Effects Of L2 Proficiency On Post-test Performance -- Discussion -- Summary Of Major Findings -- Areas In Need Of Future Research -- 4. Data Collection Considerations -- Instructions For Research Participants -- Informed Consent -- Think-aloud Instructions -- Re-iterate The Reason For Thinking Aloud -- Provide Instructions About How To Think-aloud -- Warm-up Task -- Type Of Language Task -- Type And Language Of Verbalization -- Timing And Think-alouds -- Recording Think-alouds -- Ensuring Validity -- 5. Data Analysis Considerations -- Transcription -- Ensuring Representativeness -- Coding -- Coding Example 1 Rosa And O'neill (1999) -- Coding Example 2 Seng And Hashim (2006) -- Coding Example 3 Woodfield (2008) -- Inter-coder Reliability -- 6. Conclusion -- Future Research Directions. Melissa A. Bowles. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [151]-165) And Index.