Presentation aimed at MILE UCV graduate students

1. Research in EFL:
Current needs
and trends
MILE-UCV, April 6, 2018
Evelyn Izquierdo
Universidad Central de Venezuela
@eveweb

2. Agenda
•Defining what research is
•Understanding the process
•Outlining a project
•Oral presentations
•Summing up
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

3. What is research?
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

4. According to Merrian-Webster Online Dictionary
Research is:
1: careful or diligent search
2: studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation
aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or
laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories
or laws
3: the collecting of information about a particular subject
Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

5. Where to get started?
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

6. What to study?
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

7. Some research areas in EFL
• Sociolinguistics
• Psycholinguistics (SLA)
• Course design (Materials)
• Technology
• Discourse
• Digital corpora
• Skills
• Listening comprehension
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing
• Grammar
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

8. Current needs & trends
• Technology
• Digital literacy
• Blended learning
• Digital teaching resources
• SLA by using videos
• Social networks and SL in use
• Communities of practice
• Discourse in virtual environments
• Discourse analysis by using digital corpora
• World “Englishes”
• Language learning in a global world
• Teacher’s beliefs on…
• The reading process in a variety of formats
• Writing for an international audience
• English for Specific/Ocupational Purposes (ESP/EOP)
• Composition
• Translation
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

9. Latest trends in technology• The Cloud
• Tablets
• Smartphones
• Smartboards
• Web 2.0 tools
• Mobile apps
• Virtual worlds: Second Life
• Gamification
• Flipped classrooms
• Virtual classrooms
• MOOCs
• CoPs
• Connectivism Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

10. Why?
What’s the purpose?
Justify
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

11. Objectives
Set you general and specific objectives
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

12. Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

13. Where?
To what extend?
Delimit your context
Regional
National
International
Local
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

14. Theoretical framework
•What has been done
•Previous experiences
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

15. How to get there?
• Methods
• Quantitative
• Qualitative
• Qualitative/quantitative
• Ethnography
• Action-research
• Experimental
• Quasi-experimental
• Case studies
• Others
• Procedure:
• Steps to follow Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV
Data collection:
• Techniques
• Instruments
• Validation

16. Who participates?
Only you
A team
A school
A community
A private company
NGOs
Official entities Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

17. Preview limitations and/or drawbacks
but go on…
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

18. When?
Set a chronogram.
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

19. Are you ready?
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

20. Hands-on activity
Outlining a project (shaping raw ideas)

21. Steps to follow
Step 1 (individual work)
• Limit your area (research line).
• Choose what to study (delimit your topic).
• Describe your context.
• Stand your purpose (what for).
• Set your objectives (1 general, 2 specific) Be SMART!
• Justify your study (provide 3 reasons).
• Find theoretical support (3 online references max).
• Choose a method (based on your previous homework).
• Describe the procedure (raw ideas).
• Preview limitations and constraints (1-3).
• Set a chronogram (Seminar I, II and III).
Step 2 (pair/group work)
• Find a partner.
• Exchange ideas about your future
projects by asking/answering the basic
research Wh-questions.
• Provide feedback to your partner.
• Summarize your ideas in a 3-page Word
document and email it to your course
facilitator.
• Prepare a 5-slide PPT to offer a 5-10 min
oral presentation.
• Provide feedback to your classmates
Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV

22. Izquierdo, E. (2018). Research in EFL: Current needs and
trends. MILE-UCV
Thank you very much!
Enjoy your research, learn and share!
Evelyn Izquierdo
Universidad Central de Venezuela
http://evelynizquierdo.wordpress.com
evelyn.izquierdo@gmail.com
@eveweb