David Nunan

This text is about what really happens in language classrooms. This paperback edition 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. In this collection of 19 original papers, 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.

An introduction to research methods intended to help readers understand and evaluate research in language learning, this book presents a balanced, accessible view of a range of methods including: • formal experiments • introspective methods (including diaries, logs, journals, and stimulated recall) • interaction and transcript analysis • case studies It emphasises the value to language teachers of reading published research, as well as initiating their own research. After completing the tasks and exercises in each chapter, readers should acquire sufficient skills and knowledge to formulate research questions, collect relevant data, analyse and interpret it, and report the results to others.

This book integrates recent research and practice in language teaching into a framework for analysing learning tasks.

Traditionally, the curriculum has been regarded as a statement of what should be done in a course of study. This book takes as its starting point what is done by language teachers in their classes. Nunan develops a concept of the negotiated model in which the curriculum is a collaboration between teachers and students. The author looks at the curriculum from a teacher's perspective and reports on what instructors focus on in planning, implementing, and evaluating language courses. He synthesizes theoretical models and recent empirical studies, and considers the vital part by curriculum design in coordinating the many aspects of language teaching.