Engaging Children in Applied Linguistics Research

Annamaria Pinter

Oct 2023 · Cambridge University Press

About this ebook

Who should speak for children in applied linguistics research? Should it be only adults, or is there room for children's perspectives and views as well? This pioneering book brings their voices to the forefront and shows that listening to children can open up new possibilities to conduct research with children rather than just on them. It covers a range of possibilities, from simply asking for children's perspectives to increasing levels of active participation, including adult-child partnerships as well as child-led research. Examples taken from the interdisciplinary literature illustrate what is feasible to achieve in different contexts, and both benefits and challenges are discussed, alongside the most pressing ethical dilemmas. A new, alternative framework for researching with children is promoted, which invites teachers and researchers to consider a wider range of roles that children can play, and encourages them to find their own opportunities when it comes to research involving children.

About the author

Annamaria Pinter is a Reader at the Department of Applied Linguistics, University of Warwick. She is the author of Teaching Young Language Learners (2017) and Children Learning Second Languages (2011), and she is joint series editor of Early Language Learning in School Contexts by Multilingual Matters.