Exercise 5.1
In my study, my research questions are as follows:
Q1: What is the most efficient methodology for delivering the Arabic language to American students especially military personnel?
Q2: What is the best way to assess each participant’s ability to become an Arabic language qualified Soldier in less time than the current Defense Language Institute (DLI) 61 week course?
Q3: How to provide students learning Arabic pedagogically correct instruction that will result in an acceptable and passing OPI score while overcoming administrative difficulties?
Q4: How to overcome the difficulties and challenges, found in previous research that has revealed learning issues American students face while learning Arabic?
I feel as though my research questions actually address my problem, which is the inadequate education of students in defense language courses of the Arabic language. In terms of specificity, the questions themselves are on the broader end of the spectrum - no specific problems or solutions are found as yet. My research questions are based on the assumption that there is a better way to teach Arabic to defense language students, and that language courses in and of themselves are the best way to teach the language. The research questions, however, can be answerable, due to the flexibility of determining which, of multiple interventions, is the best one to enhance the learning experience of defense language students. However, those are assuming that the interventions that I have put in place are the ones that would improve the state of DLI the most.
Exercise 5.2
My research questions connect with my statement of purpose for conducting the study in multiple ways. I wish to find out the best ways to improve pass rates on examinations for the Arabic DLI classes, and these interventions are viable options to research toward that end. With that in mind, my research questions directly correlate to learning how to create shorter, more effective interventions, and more productive classroom experiences for these students.
My research question is consistent with the focus and locus of my inquiry. My focus, being to determine the way in which people learn new languages, and how best to enhance that, matches well with the research questions regarding people's ability to learn Arabic in these DLI courses. My locus of inquiry, having Arabic become easier and quicker to learn in order to facilitate greater interactions between military personnel and Arabic natives, directly connects with the need to create a better curriculum for these officials. Given the way in which my study and inquiry is directed, my purposes match my intentions very well to create a solid study that will benefit from my full attention.
My research question orients me directly toward my study participants; as I need to find out from the students how the classroom intervention is going. The overall purpose is to determine how best students can learn, by creating an ideal learning environment and curriculum for the learning of Arabic by defense language students. In order to find this out, interviews and surveys would be excellent qualitative methods for discovering these answers.
References
Shank, G. D. (2006). Qualitative research: A personal skills approach Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.
Schram, T. H. (2006). Conceptualizing and proposing qualitative research. Upper Saddle River,
N.J.: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall
Trochim W. M. K., & Donnelly, J. (2008). The research methods knowledge base. Mason, OH:
Cengage.
