The Think-aloud Controversy in Second Language Research

"This book provides comprehensive information that all language researchers who use a think-aloud technique must know. The inclusion of theoretical issues, such as validity, and practical issues, such as task design and administration, make this book a valuable resource for both experienced researchers and graduate students."---Megumi Hamada, Ball State UniversityThe Think-Aloud Controversy in Second Language Research aims to answer key questions about the validity and uses of think-alouds, which are verbal reports completed by research participants while they perform a task. It offers an overview of how think-alouds have been used in language research and presents a quantitative meta-analysis of findings from studies involving verbal tasks and think-alouds. The book begins by presenting the theoretical background and empirical research that has examined the reactivity of think-alouds, then offers guidance regarding the practical issues of data collection and analysis, and concludes by providing implications for the use of think-alouds in language research. With its focus on a much-discussed and somewhat controversial data elicitation method in language research, this timely work is relevant to students and researchers from all theoretical perspectives who collect first or second language data. It serves as a valuable guide for any language researcher who is considering using think-alouds