1st Edition
Communities of Practice in Language Research A Critical Introduction
Communities of Practice in Language Research provides an up-to-date and critical introduction to the community of practice framework and how this can be applied to language research. Critiquing and offering alternative suggestions for the ways in which researchers frame research participants as members of communities of practice, with the goal of inspiring use of the Community of Practice (CofP) model in new areas of research, this book:
- engages in extended critical analysis of past research as well as questioning recent applications and suggesting limitations
- incorporates instructive examples from multiple fields, including Sociolinguistics, Linguistic Anthropology, Critical Discourse Studies, Language Teaching & Learning, Literacy Studies, and a trailblazing section on Language & Digital Media
- brings up-to-date the key questions and concerns around the Communities of Practice model, debunking myths and re-emphasising ongoing challenges.
Communities of Practice in Language Research is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying research methods or undertaking research projects in those areas.
Author Acknowledgements
Foreword by Janet Holmes
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Chapter 2 – Communities of Practice
Chapter 3 – Language Variation & Change
Chapter 4 – Language, Gender, and Sexuality
Chapter 5 – Language in the Workplace
Chapter 6 – Language Learning
Chapter 7 – Language in the Online/Offline Nexus
Chapter 8 – Conclusion
Appendices
Appendix A – Transcription Conventions
Appendix B – Participant Descriptions
Index
Biography
Brian W. King, School of English, The University of Hong Kong
"This book provides a useful guide for those interested in using CoP as a conceptual and analytically tool for applied linguistics research. It provides a much-needed and detailed critique of how CoP research has been interpreted and used, drawing attention to the need for equal consideration of the linguistic and social when examining the interaction of social practices and modes of belonging."Donna Starks, La Trobe University, Australia