Research
Current Research
Why no second language? (YNSL)
Collaborators: Dr. Melanie D'Amico and Grad/Undergrad research team at ISU
Aim: An investigation into why students opt to not study a second language at the college level
Presentations:
The Purdue Linguistics, Literature, and Second Language Studies Conference (2019)
Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2019)
Second Language Research Forum (2019)
QRPs in applied linguistics
Collaborators: Tove Larsson,Luke Plonsky, & Merja Kytö
Aim: a multi-year collaboration to better understand questionable research practices in applied linguistics
Projects include:
Creation of QRP taxonomy
Survey of QRPs within the quantitative humanities
Creation of teaching resources about QRPs
Presentations:
American Association of Applied Linguistics (2022)
Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (2022)
Past research
Research ethics (research tasks)
Collaborators: Peter De Costa, Jongbong Lee, Wendy Li, and Hima Rawal
Publication
De Costa, P. I., Sterling, S., Lee, J., Li, W., & Rawal, H. (2020). Research tasks on ethics in applied linguistics. Language Teaching, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0261444820000257
Creativity and language play in ESL textbooks
Collaborator: Kayleigh Fisher (graduate student, ISU)
Aim: To better understand the type of humorous language used in ESL textbooks
Presentations:
Poster at AAAL 2020 (cancelled due to Covid)
Poster at SLRF 2020
Language Plans in various contexts
Collaborators: Louisa Laroque
Aim: To help students be more autonomous language learners and to measure the effects of providing autonomy support on language proficiency
Presentations
The Purdue Linguistics, Literature, and Second Language Studies Conference (2019)
Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (2019)
Complexity in ESL consent forms
Solo author
Aim: An investigation into the complexity of consent forms written for ESL participants
Publication:
Sterling, S. (2018). Investigating the complexity of consent forms in ESL research. Journal of Research Design and Statistics in Linguistics and Communication Science. 4(2), 154-173.
Ethical grey areas in applied linguistic research
Collaborator: Dr. Susan Gass
Aim: To better understand the current landscape of research ethics in applied linguistics
Publications:
Sterling, S., & Gass, S. (2017). Exploring the boundaries of research ethics: Perceptions of Ethics and Ethical Behaviors in Classroom-Based Applied Linguistics Research. System, 70, 50-62.
Gass, S., & Sterling, S. (2017). Ethics in ISLA. In Loewen, S., & Sato, M. (Eds). The Routlege Handbook of Instructed Second Language Acquisition. New York: Routledge.
Language Play in a Spanish classroom
Collaborator: Dr. Shawn Loewen
Aim: Investigating the intersection of language play and form-focused events
Publication:
Sterling, S., & Loewen, S. (2015). The occurrence of teacher-initiated playful LREs in a Spanish L2 classroom. System, 53, 73–83. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2015.07.002
Statistical literacy in second language research
Collaborator: Drs. Shawn Loewen, Betsy Lavolette, Le Ann Spino, Mostafa Papi, Jens Schmidtke, Dominik Wolff
Aim: Investigating the intersection of language play and form-focused events
Publication:
Loewen, S., Lavolette, E., Spino, L., Papi, M., Schmidtke, J., Sterling, S., Wolff, D., (2014). Statistical Literacy Among Applied Linguists and Second Language Acquisition Researchers. TESOL Quarterly, 48(2), 360–388.