Hybrid symposium on the quantitative/qualitative divide in applied linguistics
Friday, October 17, 2025, 9am-12pm EDT
Proposals due August 30, 2025
Michigan State University
Wells Hall B243 and online
Funded partially by the College of Arts and Letters and the Applied Linguistics Program
Organizers: Charlene Polio, Michigan State University and Jianwu Gao, Capital Normal University, Beijing
Keynote Speakers
Bethany Gray, Iowa State University
Luke Plonsky, Northern Arizona University
As the field of applied linguistics has grown, research questions and research methods have become more diverse. Many have argued that methodological diversity is a benefit, but at the same time, we might argue that this diversity has resulted in subareas of applied linguistics that are epistemologically incompatible. Whether they are or not, many researchers have fallen into camps that rarely interact (i.e., “the quant/qual divide”). Furthermore, corpus-based analyses of quantitative and qualitative published research highlight differences that may make it difficult to read or write across the aisle. This bifurcation may be problematic for graduate education and perhaps to the field in general. This symposium will address the extent of this divide and what the implications of the divide are for knowledge-building and for the profession.
Call for papers
We are calling for paper proposals that address the quantitative/qualitative divide in applied linguistics. Proposals for empirical research (e.g., corpus studies, interviews, surveys), research syntheses, and position pieces will be considered. The 20-minute talks can be presented in person or remotely. Work in progress will be considered. Possible topics/questions include:
- How have different subfields (e.g., assessment, motivation, corrective feedback) benefitted (or not) from combining different research paradigms?
- Are quant/qual studies complementary or unrelated?
- How do published quant/qual studies differ in their rhetorical structure?
- How do applied linguistics scholars view the divide?
- How do journal editors and professional organizations view and handle the divide?
- Has mixed methods research helped bridge the divide? Do true mixed methods studies exist?
- How can the two types of research (similarly, differentially) inform pedagogy?
- How should we address the quant/qual divide in applied linguistics graduate education?
Presenters will be invited to submit their abstracts to a proposal for a special issue of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics.
Send a 250-word abstract to Charlene Polio (polio@msu.edu) and Jianwu Gao (gaojianwu@cnu.edu.cn) by August 30, 2025.
Tentative Schedule (no registration fee, information about registration is forthcoming)
8:30-9:00am: Coffee and light refreshments
9:00-9:15am: Welcome and introduction
9:15-10am: Keynote talk: Bethany Gray, Iowa State University
10:00-10:45am: Keynote talk: Luke Plonsky, Northern Arizona University
10:45-11:00am: Break
11:00-11:30am: Break-out sessions
11:30am-12:00pm: Break-out sessions
12:00-12:30pm: Panel discussion
12:30-1:00pm: Light lunch