Understanding Research in Second Language Learning by James Dean Brown

Understanding Research in Second Language Learning is the perfect book for any teacher or researcher who would like to be able to critique or assess statistical research papers without having to spend an inordinate amount of time studying math in the process.The book starts off by asking the pertinent question "What is research?", before explaining clearly and concisely what variables are and how they can be identified, how data is measured, and how to choose the most appropriate statistical analysis for your particular research question. What I liked most about this book was the methodological approach to understanding what good research design is, and that the helpful diagrams, summaries and review questions made understanding rather easier than may have been otherwise. With this book, you will probably be able to understand ninety percent of the stats that appear in language research papers, and to follow the gist of the rest. If you are looking for a more comprehensive guide, then I recommend the excellent Hatch and Lazaraton's The Research Manual.

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