Trends in research methods in applied linguistics: China and the West

Abstract

This study attempts to examine and compare current trends in applied linguistics (AL) research methods in China and the West. A review is conducted on applied linguistics articles in four Chinese journals, from 1978 to 1997, and four English journals, from 1985 to 1997. These 2486 articles are categorized into quantitative, qualitative, and non-empirical studies, each in turn subcategorized. Results show that in China, AL research is heading from non-empirical toward empirical direction, with quantitative studies particularly on the rise. In the West, AL research, with a well-established empirical tradition, sees the quantitative paradigm being challenged by the qualitative.