Pre-Conference Workshops

AAAL 2025 is pleased to provide three pre-conference workshops.

They will be held at the University of Colorado, Denver on Friday, March 21st from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM MST

Narrative Inquiry in Applied Linguistics: Making meaning and being reflexive

Creativity in applied linguistics: Drawing on the literary, visual, and performing arts in our research 

Designing and Publishing High Quality Replication Studies in Applied Linguistics

Narrative Inquiry in Applied Linguistics: Making meaning and being reflexive

Workshop Abstract

Narrative inquiry methodologies in applied linguistics have gained legitimacy and significant visibility in recent decades, particularly in areas such as language teaching and learning, teacher education, and identity (Barkhuizen, Benson & Chik, 2025; Hiratsuka, 2022). This workshop begins by providing a broad overview of narrative inquiry in applied linguistics, focusing particularly on the types of data collected and methods of analysis. Teacher-researchers, teacher educators, early career researchers in applied linguistics and also more experienced researchers wishing to learn about narrative approaches will gain an understanding of the rationale for using narrative methods in applied linguistics, their main goals, and their limitations. Central to this discussion will be the concept of ‘story’ – what stories are, how they can be used for research purposes, and how sharing stories has implications for researcher reflexivity, including emotional and relational reflexivity. 

Participants will be introduced to a variety of methods for narrative data collection and analysis, including thematic analysis, the analysis of narrative frames, multimodal and digital narrative analysis, short story analysis, and writing as analysis. Participants will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience using them with authentic data provided in the workshop. They are also invited to bring their own narrative data to share and to collaboratively analyze (details to be provided closer to the workshop). Participants will work in small groups and present the outcome of their work to other participants and the presenters, who will provide constructive feedback throughout the workshop. The workshop will conclude with a discussion on the reporting of narrative findings, such as their representation and format, including in dissertations, and theses. 

Workshop Presenter

Gary Barkhuizen is professor of applied linguistics at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of language teacher education, teacher and learner identity, study abroad, and narrative inquiry, and these are reflected in his many publications, conference presentations, and books, which include Narrative Research in Applied Linguistics (2013) (Cambridge), Reflections on Language Teacher Identity Research (2017) (Routledge), Qualitative Research Topics in Language Teacher Education (2019) (Routledge), Language Teacher Educator Identity (2012) (Cambridge), and Narrative Inquiry in Language Teaching and Learning Research (2nd Edn) (2025) (Routledge). In 2017 he won the TESOL International Association’s award for Distinguished Research.

Takaaki Hiratsuka is professor of applied linguistics at Ryukoku University, Japan. His teaching and research interests lie in the areas of teacher education, teacher research, and qualitative research methods (in particular, narrative inquiry). His recent book publications include Narrative inquiry into Language Teacher Identity: ALTs in the JET Program (2022) (Routledge), Team Teachers in Japan: Beliefs, Identities, and Emotions (2023) (Routledge), and Native-Speakerism and Trans-Speakerism: Entering a New Era (2024) (Cambridge). 

Creativity in applied linguistics: Drawing on the literary, visual, and performing arts in our research 

Workshop Abstract

This full-day workshop (9-4) offers emerging and trained applied linguists exercises to spark creativity and increase the impact and beauty of our language studies.  The workshop will focus on a range of creative data practices including poetic inquiry, trans/scription, and creative and “flash” nonfiction. 

 The workshop foregrounds different approaches in creative practice, broadening the tools of multimodal applied linguistics research as one designs a study, works with collaborators and linguistic landscapes, and renders findings through a variety of mediums. Participants will practice several creative prompts to use in a wide variety of classroom settings including early beginners to experienced scholars and artists. Attendees learn how creative applied linguistic studies draw on aspects of the literary, visual, sonic and/or performing arts. Information is provided about how scholars and artists, or scholartists, document language in ways that serve more diverse, public and academic audiences. Dr. Cahnmann-Taylor reviews helpful tips across all phases of an inquiry project, including strategies for grants, presentations, and publication for a nourishing, creative, and impactful career.


What to expect? The day will start with a series of whole group creative exercises and a discussion of arts-based research methods in applied linguistics. Participants are encouraged but not required to bring field notes and other documents from their inquiry projects or simply pen and paper.  No prior creative writing abilities required. Working in small groups we will learn workshop techniques for sharing new creative work with guidelines for caring and constructive feedback. Participants will end the day with a discussion about how to teach these methods to students in applied linguistics and will be able to use a conference discount to access numerous  exercises in her new book, The Creative Ethnographer’s Notebook (Routledge 2024).
 
Link: https://www.routledge.com/The-Creative-Ethnographers-Notebook/Cahnmann-Taylor-Jacobsen/p/book/9781032429915
 
Limited to 40 participants.

Workshop Presenter

MELISA CAHNMANN-TAYLOR, Meigs Professor of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia, is the co-author of The Creative Ethnographer's Notebook (2024), the poetry book, Imperfect Tense (2016) and five other books on the arts of language and education: Enlivening Instruction with Drama and Improv (2021), Teachers Act Up: Creating Multicultural Community Through Theatre (2010) & Arts-Based Research in Education, first and second editions (2008; 2018; third edition, In Press). Recipient of six NEA Big Read Grants, a 2023 NEA Distinguished Fellowship, Hambidge Residency Award, and the Beckman award for Professors Who Inspire, she's served for over ten years as poetry editor and ethnographic poetry judge for Anthropology & Humanism. Awarded a 2013-2014 Fulbright for nine-month study of adult Spanish language acquisition in Oaxaca Mexico, she was appointed in 2020 as Fulbright Scholar Ambassador. Her poems, translations, and essays have appeared in the Bitter Southerner, Georgia Review, Lilith, American Poetry Review, Poet Lore, Barrow Street, Mom Egg, Plume, Tupelo, Rattle, Hawaii Pacific Review and elsewhere.  She and Kuo Zhang are the exclusive translators for the Labour Poet Laureate of China, Nianxi Chen.

Designing and Publishing High Quality Replication Studies in Applied Linguistics

Workshop Abstract

The quality, robustness, and credibility of our claims about language, its users and uses, and their underlying social and material conditions are established through replication, a research method that involves repeating a previous study’s design and methods with or without changes, collecting new data, and systematically comparing the previous study’s findings with those from the new study (Nosek & Errington, 2020; Polio & Gass, 1997; Porte, 2012; Porte & McManus, 2019). Indeed, these features of the replication research process are widely understood to represent a powerful framework for confirming, consolidating, and advancing knowledge and understanding within empirical fields of study. However, even though the disciplinary benefits of doing replication research are clear and discussion about the need for and importance of doing replication research has been ongoing since the 1970s, at least, reviews of the field regularly claim that replication studies are not only infrequent, but they are also poorly designed (Language Teaching Review Panel, 2008; Marsden et al., 2018; Polio, 2012; Porte & Richards, 2012). This is a troubling situation for applied linguistics, indicating an uncritical approach to how we accumulate evidence and build theories. 

In this workshop, we work toward addressing misunderstandings and limitations in the aims, designs, and reporting of replication research by critically reflecting on the why, what, and how of doing replication research in applied linguistics. In doing so, this workshop prepares researchers to (i) understand and communicate the place and importance of replication studies in the field, (ii) design and carry out high quality replication studies and/or support others in that process, and (iii) disseminate replication studies. We begin by exploring and problematizing why and how replication studies are important to how we build knowledge and theories about applied linguistics. Using this foundation, we review different approaches to doing replication research, the reasons for choosing one approach over another, and the types of research questions best addressed with replication studies. The second part of this workshop includes hands-on activities and group discussions focused on the design, analysis, and writing-up of a replication project using published replication studies as models. Taken together, this workshop seeks to answer multiple questions about the conceptual and practical aspects of doing replication research in applied linguistics. 

Workshop Presenter

Kevin McManus is an associate professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics at Penn State University, where he is also director of the Center for Language Acquisition and the Center for Advanced Language Proficiency, Education, and Research. His research focuses on psycholinguistics, crosslinguistic influence, instruction, and usage-based accounts of learning, with particular interests in instructed grammatical learning and the ways in which cognitive and social factors shape development. He also has significant interests in replication research, which has involved conducting and promoting replication studies as well as providing guidance and training in the design, execution, and interpretation of replication studies. His most recent books include Doing Replication Research in Applied Linguistics, Crosslinguistic Influence and Second Language Learning and Usage in Second Language Acquisition. Critical Reflections and Future Directions. He is currently an associate       editor for Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

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