INSTRUMENTS & PROCEDURES

INSTRUMENTS are used to gauge some quality or ability of your subjects. The purpose of the instrument is to elicit the data for your study.

In language research, an instrument can be a test, a checklist, a set of categories, etc. The type of instrument and data collection procedure that you use will depend heavily on your choices in the four parameters discussed earlier.

Here are some possible instruments/procedures:

• Tests of various skills or behaviors (language proficiency in general, particular language skills, psychological traits, etc.) in various formats (multiple-choice, open response, etc.)
• Interviews (unstructured or structured)
• Questionnaires (mailed or in-person)
• Observations of students or teachers
• Diaries kept by language learners or teachers
• Reviews of school records or documents
• Verbal self-reports by learners (introspective or retrospective)