本书的特点在于其实用性，着重培养动手能力。与偏重理论研究的传统语言学或教育学专著相比，书中向读者介绍的第二语言研究方法易于掌握，可操作性强，在一定意义上可谓提供了“手把手”的教学。作者的构思独具匠心。读者可通过中介绍的示范性研究方法得到感性认识，从而学会如何在不同的环境中、不同年龄的对象中着手进行针对性的研究。作者在每一章的结尾都根据本章的中心思想精心设计了练习题，而且附上简明扼要的小结和参考书目，使读者进一步明确本章的要点，巩固所学的知识。

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter1 What is research?

   Introduction

   Research as a matural process

   Scientific research and common sense

   Finding answers:How do we know something?

   Basic,applied,and practical research

   Summary

   Activities

   References

Chapter2 A paradigm for second language research

   Research and the phenomena of second language

   Four parameters for second language research

   Parameter 1：Synthetic and ananlytic approaches

   Parameter 2：Heuristic and deducticve objectives

   Parameter 3：Control and manipulation of the research context

   Parameter 4：Data and data collection

   Summary

   Activities

   References

Scientific research and common sense

While we have said that the basic components of research are found in everyday experience,there are some important differences that should be kept in mind between research and everyday activities.If research is so simple and so naturak,why read a book in research methods and design?Why not simply rely on our intuitions and common sense to reach conclutions about the language phenomena that we observe?

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