The LANG-TRACK-APP: ​ Open-source tools for implementing the Experience Sampling Method​ in Applied Linguistics research​

Description

In this presentation, we introduce the LANG-TRACK-APP, a set of open-source tools (iOs and Android apps and back-end system) for signalling participants and collecting survey responses, which we designed to help researchers in applied linguistics to implement the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). The ESM hold considerable promise for applied linguistics because it offers a convenient way to collect rich, longitudinal quantitative and qualitative data that can be analysed in various ways, for example to investigate patterns and changes in variables related to language use and acquisition, both within and across individuals. Since smartphones are now widespread and most people constantly carry their phones with them, the LANG-TRACK-APP is ideal for collecting ESM data frequently, at different moments and in different settings in participants’ everyday lives.

We open with an explanation of the different LANG-TRACK-APP components and a description of the workflow for both researchers and participants. The step-by-step implementation of the ESM in the LANG-TRACK-APP will be demonstrated using two recent studies of language use in study abroad and among new arrivals in Sweden. Participants in both studies were prompted via the LANG-TRACK-APP to complete brief self-report surveys multiple times per day over three week-long periods across three months. They reported the activities in which they had been engaged just prior to receiving each survey and for how long; who, if anyone, they were with; and whether and how they had used different languages (the community language, English, their native language, or another language). A selection of findings from these studies will be used to illustrate the richness of the ESM data, which provide insight into both individual instances and broader patterns of language use. We conclude with a discussion of possible approaches to analysing ESM data in relation to typical research questions in the field of language acquisition.

Period	2023 Mar 18
Event title	AAAL Annual Conference, 2023: American Association for Applied Linguistics
Event type	Conference
Location	Portland, United States, OregonShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International