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Chapter 11. Phenomenology

A showcase of EFL learners’ experience of foreign language proficiency maintenance

Abstract

This chapter aims to showcase Phenomenology as a research methodology by presenting EFL learners’ experience of proficiency maintenance in a context where English has no social function. The study started with a participant who was able to maintain her proficiency and then sampled other participants who shared the same experience through snowball sampling. Transcendental phenomenology was chosen to explore the participants’ subjective experience of the phenomenon under study in an objective manner. To achieve this objective, a reflexive account of the researcher’s preconceptions of proficiency maintenance was written and bracketed as irrelevant to the participants’ account of their experience. To present a clear synopsis of the study, the chapter will explain why the mode of inquiry was chosen, how it was implemented, and how the challenges were addressed.

Abstract

This chapter aims to showcase Phenomenology as a research methodology by presenting EFL learners’ experience of proficiency maintenance in a context where English has no social function. The study started with a participant who was able to maintain her proficiency and then sampled other participants who shared the same experience through snowball sampling. Transcendental phenomenology was chosen to explore the participants’ subjective experience of the phenomenon under study in an objective manner. To achieve this objective, a reflexive account of the researcher’s preconceptions of proficiency maintenance was written and bracketed as irrelevant to the participants’ account of their experience. To present a clear synopsis of the study, the chapter will explain why the mode of inquiry was chosen, how it was implemented, and how the challenges were addressed.

Chapters in this book

  1. 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 2. The Multiperspectival Approach to Applied Linguistic research 9
  5. Chapter 3. Implementing the Multiperspectival Approach (MPA) 30
  6. Chapter 4. Multimodality 49
  7. Chapter 5. Applying multimodal analysis 68
  8. Chapter 6. Conversation analysis 83
  9. Chapter 7. Doing conversation analysis 111
  10. Chapter 8. Grounded Theory 127
  11. Chapter 9. Applications of Grounded Theory in the field of Extensive Reading 149
  12. Chapter 10. Phenomenology 162
  13. Chapter 11. Phenomenology 180
  14. Chapter 12. Narrative inquiry 191
  15. Chapter 13. Narrative inquiry 206
  16. Chapter 14. Repertory grids 224
  17. Chapter 15. Repertory grids 246
  18. Chapter 16. Challenges and contributions of less frequently used methodologies 264
  19. Index 273
Less Frequently Used Research Methodologies in Applied Linguistics
This chapter is in the book Less Frequently Used Research Methodologies in Applied Linguistics
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.6.11ost

Chapters in this book

  1. 日本言語政策学会 / Japan Association for Language Policy. 言語政策 / Language Policy 10. 2014 i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  4. Chapter 2. The Multiperspectival Approach to Applied Linguistic research 9
  5. Chapter 3. Implementing the Multiperspectival Approach (MPA) 30
  6. Chapter 4. Multimodality 49
  7. Chapter 5. Applying multimodal analysis 68
  8. Chapter 6. Conversation analysis 83
  9. Chapter 7. Doing conversation analysis 111
  10. Chapter 8. Grounded Theory 127
  11. Chapter 9. Applications of Grounded Theory in the field of Extensive Reading 149
  12. Chapter 10. Phenomenology 162
  13. Chapter 11. Phenomenology 180
  14. Chapter 12. Narrative inquiry 191
  15. Chapter 13. Narrative inquiry 206
  16. Chapter 14. Repertory grids 224
  17. Chapter 15. Repertory grids 246
  18. Chapter 16. Challenges and contributions of less frequently used methodologies 264
  19. Index 273
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