1st Edition

Communities of Practice in Language Research A Critical Introduction

By Brian King Copyright 2019
    186 Pages
    by Routledge

    186 Pages
    by Routledge

    Communities of Practice in Language Research provides an up-to-date and critical introduction to the community of practice framework and how this can be applied to language research. Critiquing and offering alternative suggestions for the ways in which researchers frame research participants as members of communities of practice, with the goal of inspiring use of the Community of Practice (CofP) model in new areas of research, this book:

    • engages in extended critical analysis of past research as well as questioning recent applications and suggesting limitations
    • incorporates instructive examples from multiple fields, including Sociolinguistics, Linguistic Anthropology, Critical Discourse Studies, Language Teaching & Learning, Literacy Studies, and a trailblazing section on Language & Digital Media
    • brings up-to-date the key questions and concerns around the Communities of Practice model, debunking myths and re-emphasising ongoing challenges.

    Communities of Practice in Language Research is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying research methods or undertaking research projects in those areas.

    Author Acknowledgements

    Foreword by Janet Holmes

    Chapter 1 - Introduction

    Chapter 2 – Communities of Practice

    Chapter 3 – Language Variation & Change

    Chapter 4 – Language, Gender, and Sexuality

    Chapter 5 – Language in the Workplace

    Chapter 6 – Language Learning

    Chapter 7 – Language in the Online/Offline Nexus

    Chapter 8 – Conclusion

    Appendices

    Appendix A – Transcription Conventions

    Appendix B – Participant Descriptions

    Index

    Biography

    Brian W. King, School of English, The University of Hong Kong

    "This book provides a useful guide for those interested in using CoP as a conceptual and analytically tool for applied linguistics research. It provides a much-needed and detailed critique of how CoP research has been interpreted and used, drawing attention to the need for equal consideration of the linguistic and social when examining the interaction of social practices and modes of belonging."

    Donna Starks, La Trobe University, Australia