2nd Edition

Narrative Inquiry in Language Teaching and Learning Research

By Gary Barkhuizen, Phil Benson, Alice Chik Copyright 2025
    192 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    192 Pages 12 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Narrative Inquiry in Language Teaching and Learning Research is the only entry-level introduction to research methods using stories, either as data or as a means of presenting findings, and a practical guide for those interested in carrying out narrative studies.

    This successful text is grounded in published empirical research within the field of language teaching and learning and clearly defines basic concepts in narrative inquiry, explaining how and why narrative methods have been used in language teaching and learning research, and outlining different choices and approaches. It also examines the different ways of eliciting, analyzing, and presenting narrative inquiry data which offers exciting prospects for language teaching and learning research. This second edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect the latest research and includes new sections on multimodal digital narrative research and the reporting of findings in dissertations and theses.

    This original and well-respected textbook is an ideal course book for specialist courses on narrative inquiry in language teaching and learning, and an excellent entry level text for undergraduate students preparing honours projects, postgraduate masters’ and doctoral students embarking on narrative projects, and more advanced researchers seeking to understand the role of narrative inquiry in language teaching and learning research. It is also the go-to choice as a reference on narrative in more general applied linguistics research methodology courses.

    Introduction to the Second Edition

     

    1. Narrative Inquiry in Applied Linguistics 

    2. Oral Narratives 

    3. Written Narratives 

    4. Visual and multimodal narratives

    5. Data analysis in narrative inquiry 

    6. Reporting narrative studies

     

    References

    Index

    Biography

    Gary Barkhuizen is Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He has guest edited two special issues on narrative research (TESOL Quarterly, 2011; System, 2021) and is editor of Narrative Research in Applied Linguistics (2013). His latest books include Language Teacher Educator Identity (2021), and Language Teachers Studying Abroad: Identities, Emotions and Disruptions (2022).

    Phil Benson is an Honorary Professor of Applied Linguistics at Macquarie University, Australia. He has published numerous academic books, including Language Learning Environments: Spatial Perspectives on SLA (2021) and five titles for Routledge.

    Alice Chik is Associate Professor in the School of Education, Macquarie University, Australia. She has published five academic books for Routledge and has co-authored a monograph of language learning portraits from Sydney, Languages of Sydney: The People and the Passion (2019).

     

    "The second edition of this influential book on narrative inquiry in language teaching maintains its introductory accessibility while expanding its scholarly depth. The chapters cover new genres of narratives in digital and multimodal texts and additional influences from objects and settings, drawing from recent empirical and theoretical developments. The book further strengthens my conviction that narrative inquiry is a compelling research method and that language teaching is a complex social activity to be studied further." Suresh Canagarajah, Pennsylvania State University, USA

    "In this highly-anticipated second edition, the authors present the most updated and thorough research on narrative inquiry in language learning and teaching. The well laid out sections and chapters, comprehensive account of different studies and very user-friendly language make this a must-have map of the terrain for all researchers, teachers, as well as teacher educators who want to learn, understand, write, and engage in narrative research!" Ana Maria Ferreira Barcelos, Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil

    "The authors of this volume possess a rare capability to defend and illustrate their complex topic in a reader friendly manner. This erudite yet highly accessible volume, now updated with reference to over 300 recently published studies, is an invaluable resource for scholars at any level of expertise who wish to explore or practice contemporary narrative inquiry in language education." Celeste Kinginger, Pennsylvania State University, USA

    "This updated 2nd Edition is even more convincing than the 1st Edition in showing the power of narrative in tackling the complexities of language learning and teaching. It engages both the novice and expert, step by step, through the whole process of narrative inquiry with detailed in-depth description and a rich array of tangible examples from real up-to-date research." Anne Pitkänen-Huhta, University of Jyväskylä, Finland