Secondary Analysis of Social Surveys in Applied Linguistics

Abstract:
Although various sociological theories and methodologies have been employed in applied linguistic research, quantitative sociology (an approach for uncovering sociological realities through statistical analysis of population statistics, social surveys, and opinion polls) seems to be less common. In this presentation, I will discuss one of the key methods of quantitative sociology — secondary analysis of social surveys —, and how it can potentially contribute to applied linguistic research, particularly, language policy and planning studies. I will present some research examples, including my own, and discuss specific techniques for this approach.

Bio:
Dr. Takunori Terasawa is an Associate Professor (School of Sociology; Graduate School of Language, Communication and Culture) at Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan. Takunori’s interest lies in sociology of language, applied linguistics, and language policy and planning research. In particular, he has studied English language education policies in Japan by analysing historical documents as well as statistical data.

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