research title about english language

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211 Research Topics in Linguistics To Get Top Grades

Many people find it hard to decide on their linguistics research topics because of the assumed complexities involved. They struggle to choose easy research paper topics for English language too because they think it could be too simple for a university or college level certificate.

All that you need to learn about Linguistics and English is sprawled across syntax, phonetics, morphology, phonology, semantics, grammar, vocabulary, and a few others. To easily create a top-notch essay or conduct a research study, you can consider this list of research topics in English language below for your university or college use. Note that you can fine-tune these to suit your interests.

Linguistics Research Paper Topics

If you want to study how language is applied and its importance in the world, you can consider these Linguistics topics for your research paper. They are:

An analysis of romantic ideas and their expression amongst French people
An overview of the hate language in the course against religion
Identify the determinants of hate language and the means of propagation
Evaluate a literature and examine how Linguistics is applied to the understanding of minor languages
Consider the impact of social media in the development of slangs
An overview of political slang and its use amongst New York teenagers
Examine the relevance of Linguistics in a digitalized world
Analyze foul language and how it’s used to oppress minors
Identify the role of language in the national identity of a socially dynamic society
Attempt an explanation to how the language barrier could affect the social life of an individual in a new society
Discuss the means through which language can enrich cultural identities
Examine the concept of bilingualism and how it applies in the real world
Analyze the possible strategies for teaching a foreign language
Discuss the priority of teachers in the teaching of grammar to non-native speakers
Choose a school of your choice and observe the slang used by its students: analyze how it affects their social lives
Attempt a critical overview of racist languages
What does endangered language means and how does it apply in the real world?
A critical overview of your second language and why it is a second language
What are the motivators of speech and why are they relevant?
Analyze the difference between the different types of communications and their significance to specially-abled persons
Give a critical overview of five literature on sign language
Evaluate the distinction between the means of language comprehension between an adult and a teenager
Consider a native American group and evaluate how cultural diversity has influenced their language
Analyze the complexities involved in code-switching and code-mixing
Give a critical overview of the importance of language to a teenager
Attempt a forensic overview of language accessibility and what it means
What do you believe are the means of communications and what are their uniqueness?
Attempt a study of Islamic poetry and its role in language development
Attempt a study on the role of Literature in language development
Evaluate the Influence of metaphors and other literary devices in the depth of each sentence
Identify the role of literary devices in the development of proverbs in any African country
Cognitive Linguistics: analyze two pieces of Literature that offers a critical view of perception
Identify and analyze the complexities in unspoken words
Expression is another kind of language: discuss
Identify the significance of symbols in the evolution of language
Discuss how learning more than a single language promote cross-cultural developments
Analyze how the loss of a mother tongue affect the language Efficiency of a community
Critically examine how sign language works
Using literature from the medieval era, attempt a study of the evolution of language
Identify how wars have led to the reduction in the popularity of a language of your choice across any country of the world
Critically examine five Literature on why accent changes based on environment
What are the forces that compel the comprehension of language in a child
Identify and explain the difference between the listening and speaking skills and their significance in the understanding of language
Give a critical overview of how natural language is processed
Examine the influence of language on culture and vice versa
It is possible to understand a language even without living in that society: discuss
Identify the arguments regarding speech defects
Discuss how the familiarity of language informs the creation of slangs
Explain the significance of religious phrases and sacred languages
Explore the roots and evolution of incantations in Africa

Sociolinguistic Research Topics

You may as well need interesting Linguistics topics based on sociolinguistic purposes for your research. Sociolinguistics is the study and recording of natural speech. It’s primarily the casual status of most informal conversations. You can consider the following Sociolinguistic research topics for your research:

What makes language exceptional to a particular person?
How does language form a unique means of expression to writers?
Examine the kind of speech used in health and emergencies
Analyze the language theory explored by family members during dinner
Evaluate the possible variation of language based on class
Evaluate the language of racism, social tension, and sexism
Discuss how Language promotes social and cultural familiarities
Give an overview of identity and language
Examine why some language speakers enjoy listening to foreigners who speak their native language
Give a forensic analysis of his the language of entertainment is different to the language in professional settings
Give an understanding of how Language changes
Examine the Sociolinguistics of the Caribbeans
Consider an overview of metaphor in France
Explain why the direct translation of written words is incomprehensible in Linguistics
Discuss the use of language in marginalizing a community
Analyze the history of Arabic and the culture that enhanced it
Discuss the growth of French and the influences of other languages
Examine how the English language developed and its interdependence on other languages
Give an overview of cultural diversity and Linguistics in teaching
Challenge the attachment of speech defect with disability of language listening and speaking abilities
Explore the uniqueness of language between siblings
Explore the means of making requests between a teenager and his parents
Observe and comment on how students relate with their teachers through language
Observe and comment on the communication of strategy of parents and teachers
Examine the connection of understanding first language with academic excellence

Language Research Topics

Numerous languages exist in different societies. This is why you may seek to understand the motivations behind language through these Linguistics project ideas. You can consider the following interesting Linguistics topics and their application to language:

What does language shift mean?
Discuss the stages of English language development?
Examine the position of ambiguity in a romantic Language of your choice
Why are some languages called romantic languages?
Observe the strategies of persuasion through Language
Discuss the connection between symbols and words
Identify the language of political speeches
Discuss the effectiveness of language in an indigenous cultural revolution
Trace the motivators for spoken language
What does language acquisition mean to you?
Examine three pieces of literature on language translation and its role in multilingual accessibility
Identify the science involved in language reception
Interrogate with the context of language disorders
Examine how psychotherapy applies to victims of language disorders
Study the growth of Hindi despite colonialism
Critically appraise the term, language erasure
Examine how colonialism and war is responsible for the loss of language
Give an overview of the difference between sounds and letters and how they apply to the German language
Explain why the placement of verb and preposition is different in German and English languages
Choose two languages of your choice and examine their historical relationship
Discuss the strategies employed by people while learning new languages
Discuss the role of all the figures of speech in the advancement of language
Analyze the complexities of autism and its victims
Offer a linguist approach to language uniqueness between a Down Syndrome child and an autist
Express dance as a language
Express music as a language
Express language as a form of language
Evaluate the role of cultural diversity in the decline of languages in South Africa
Discuss the development of the Greek language
Critically review two literary texts, one from the medieval era and another published a decade ago, and examine the language shifts

Linguistics Essay Topics

You may also need Linguistics research topics for your Linguistics essays. As a linguist in the making, these can help you consider controversies in Linguistics as a discipline and address them through your study. You can consider:

The connection of sociolinguistics in comprehending interests in multilingualism
Write on your belief of how language encourages sexism
What do you understand about the differences between British and American English?
Discuss how slangs grew and how they started
Consider how age leads to loss of language
Review how language is used in formal and informal conversation
Discuss what you understand by polite language
Discuss what you know by hate language
Evaluate how language has remained flexible throughout history
Mimicking a teacher is a form of exercising hate Language: discuss
Body Language and verbal speech are different things: discuss
Language can be exploitative: discuss
Do you think language is responsible for inciting aggression against the state?
Can you justify the structural representation of any symbol of your choice?
Religious symbols are not ordinary Language: what are your perspective on day-to-day languages and sacred ones?
Consider the usage of language by an English man and someone of another culture
Discuss the essence of code-mixing and code-switching
Attempt a psychological assessment on the role of language in academic development
How does language pose a challenge to studying?
Choose a multicultural society of your choice and explain the problem they face
What forms does Language use in expression?
Identify the reasons behind unspoken words and actions
Why do universal languages exist as a means of easy communication?
Examine the role of the English language in the world
Examine the role of Arabic in the world
Examine the role of romantic languages in the world
Evaluate the significance of each teaching Resources in a language classroom
Consider an assessment of language analysis
Why do people comprehend beyond what is written or expressed?
What is the impact of hate speech on a woman?
Do you believe that grammatical errors are how everyone’s comprehension of language is determined?
Observe the Influence of technology in language learning and development
Which parts of the body are responsible for understanding new languages
How has language informed development?
Would you say language has improved human relations or worsened it considering it as a tool for violence?
Would you say language in a black populous state is different from its social culture in white populous states?
Give an overview of the English language in Nigeria
Give an overview of the English language in Uganda
Give an overview of the English language in India
Give an overview of Russian in Europe
Give a conceptual analysis on stress and how it works
Consider the means of vocabulary development and its role in cultural relationships
Examine the effects of Linguistics in language
Present your understanding of sign language
What do you understand about descriptive language and prescriptive Language?

List of Research Topics in English Language

You may need English research topics for your next research. These are topics that are socially crafted for you as a student of language in any institution. You can consider the following for in-depth analysis:

Examine the travail of women in any feminist text of your choice
Examine the movement of feminist literature in the Industrial period
Give an overview of five Gothic literature and what you understand from them
Examine rock music and how it emerged as a genre
Evaluate the cultural association with Nina Simone’s music
What is the relevance of Shakespeare in English literature?
How has literature promoted the English language?
Identify the effect of spelling errors in the academic performance of students in an institution of your choice
Critically survey a university and give rationalize the literary texts offered as Significant
Examine the use of feminist literature in advancing the course against patriarchy
Give an overview of the themes in William Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”
Express the significance of Ernest Hemingway’s diction in contemporary literature
Examine the predominant devices in the works of William Shakespeare
Explain the predominant devices in the works of Christopher Marlowe
Charles Dickens and his works: express the dominating themes in his Literature
Why is Literature described as the mirror of society?
Examine the issues of feminism in Sefi Atta’s “Everything Good Will Come” and Bernadine Evaristos’s “Girl, Woman, Other”
Give an overview of the stylistics employed in the writing of “Girl, Woman, Other” by Bernadine Evaristo
Describe the language of advertisement in social media and newspapers
Describe what poetic Language means
Examine the use of code-switching and code-mixing on Mexican Americans
Examine the use of code-switching and code-mixing in Indian Americans
Discuss the influence of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” on satirical literature
Examine the Linguistics features of “Native Son” by Richard Wright
What is the role of indigenous literature in promoting cultural identities
How has literature informed cultural consciousness?
Analyze five literature on semantics and their Influence on the study
Assess the role of grammar in day to day communications
Observe the role of multidisciplinary approaches in understanding the English language
What does stylistics mean while analyzing medieval literary texts?
Analyze the views of philosophers on language, society, and culture

English Research Paper Topics for College Students

For your college work, you may need to undergo a study of any phenomenon in the world. Note that they could be Linguistics essay topics or mainly a research study of an idea of your choice. Thus, you can choose your research ideas from any of the following:

The concept of fairness in a democratic Government
The capacity of a leader isn’t in his or her academic degrees
The concept of discrimination in education
The theory of discrimination in Islamic states
The idea of school policing
A study on grade inflation and its consequences
A study of taxation and Its importance to the economy from a citizen’s perspectives
A study on how eloquence lead to discrimination amongst high school students
A study of the influence of the music industry in teens
An Evaluation of pornography and its impacts on College students
A descriptive study of how the FBI works according to Hollywood
A critical consideration of the cons and pros of vaccination
The health effect of sleep disorders
An overview of three literary texts across three genres of Literature and how they connect to you
A critical overview of “King Oedipus”: the role of the supernatural in day to day life
Examine the novel “12 Years a Slave” as a reflection of servitude and brutality exerted by white slave owners
Rationalize the emergence of racist Literature with concrete examples
A study of the limits of literature in accessing rural readers
Analyze the perspectives of modern authors on the Influence of medieval Literature on their craft
What do you understand by the mortality of a literary text?
A study of controversial Literature and its role in shaping the discussion
A critical overview of three literary texts that dealt with domestic abuse and their role in changing the narratives about domestic violence
Choose three contemporary poets and analyze the themes of their works
Do you believe that contemporary American literature is the repetition of unnecessary themes already treated in the past?
A study of the evolution of Literature and its styles
The use of sexual innuendos in literature
The use of sexist languages in literature and its effect on the public
The disaster associated with media reports of fake news
Conduct a study on how language is used as a tool for manipulation
Attempt a criticism of a controversial Literary text and why it shouldn’t be studied or sold in the first place

Finding Linguistics Hard To Write About?

With these topics, you can commence your research with ease. However, if you need professional writing help for any part of the research, you can scout here online for the best research paper writing service.

There are several expert writers on ENL hosted on our website that you can consider for a fast response on your research study at a cheap price.

As students, you may be unable to cover every part of your research on your own. This inability is the reason you should consider expert writers for custom research topics in Linguistics approved by your professor for high grades.

129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching [updated]

English Language Teaching (ELT) is a field dedicated to teaching English to non-native speakers. It’s important because English is a global language used for communication, business, and education worldwide. Research in ELT helps improve teaching methods, making it easier for students to learn English effectively. This blog will explore a list of research topics in English language teaching.

What Are The Areas Of Research In English Language Teaching?

Table of Contents

Research in English Language Teaching (ELT) encompasses a wide range of areas, including:

Language Learning: Understanding how people learn English well, like when they learn a new language and if there’s a best time to do it.
Teaching Ways: Looking into different ways teachers teach, like using conversations, tasks, or mixing language with other subjects.
Curriculum Design and Syllabus Development: Designing and evaluating language curricula and syllabi to meet the needs of diverse learners and contexts.
Assessment and Evaluation: Developing and validating assessment tools, exploring alternative assessment methods, and investigating the effectiveness of feedback and error correction strategies.
Technology in ELT: Exploring the integration of technology in language teaching and learning, including computer-assisted language learning (CALL), mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), and online learning platforms.
Teacher Education and Professional Development: Investigating pre-service and in-service teacher education programs, reflective practices, and challenges in teacher training.
Cultural and Sociolinguistic Aspects: Examining the role of culture in language teaching and learning, sociolinguistic competence, and addressing cultural diversity in the classroom.
Learner Diversity and Inclusive Practices: Researching teaching strategies for diverse learners, including young learners, learners with learning disabilities, and learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Policy and Planning in ELT: Analyzing language policies at national and international levels, exploring the implementation of ELT programs, and examining the role of ELT in national development.
Research Methodologies in ELT: Investigating qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research approaches in ELT research, including action research conducted by teachers in their own classrooms.
Future Trends and Innovations: Exploring emerging trends and innovations in ELT, such as the impact of globalization, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in language learning, and innovative teaching strategies.

129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching: Category Wise

Language acquisition and development.

Second Language Acquisition Theories: Explore different theories explaining how learners acquire a second language.
Critical Period Hypothesis: Investigate the idea of an optimal age range for language acquisition.
Multilingualism and Language Development: Study how knowing multiple languages affects language development.
Cognitive and Affective Factors in Language Learning: Examine the role of cognitive abilities and emotions in language learning.
Language Learning Strategies: Investigate the strategies learners use to acquire and develop language skills.
Input Hypothesis: Explore the role of comprehensible input in language acquisition.
Interaction Hypothesis: Examine the importance of interaction in language learning.
Fossilization in Second Language Learning: Study why some learners reach a plateau in their language development.

Teaching Methodologies and Approaches

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): Analyze the effectiveness of CLT in promoting communication skills.
Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT): Explore the use of real-world tasks to teach language.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): Investigate teaching subject content through English.
Blended Learning in ELT: Study the integration of traditional and online teaching methods.
Audio-Lingual Method: Assess the effectiveness of drills and repetition in language teaching.
Grammar-Translation Method: Compare traditional grammar-focused methods with communicative approaches.
Lexical Approach: Explore teaching vocabulary as a key component of language proficiency.
Suggestopedia: Investigate the use of relaxation techniques to enhance language learning.

Curriculum Design and Syllabus Development

Needs Analysis in ELT: Identify the language needs of learners and design appropriate curricula.
Integrating Language Skills in Curriculum: Examine strategies for integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
Syllabus Types: Compare different types of syllabi, such as structural and task-based.
Task-Based Syllabus Design: Design syllabi based on real-world tasks to promote language acquisition.
Content-Based Instruction (CBI): Integrate language learning with academic content in syllabus design.
Needs Analysis in Specific Contexts: Conduct needs analyses for learners in specific professional or academic contexts.
Cross-Cultural Communication in Curriculum Design: Incorporate intercultural communication skills into language curricula.

Assessment and Evaluation

Standardized Testing in ELT: Evaluate the reliability and validity of standardized English language tests.
Alternative Assessment Approaches: Explore non-traditional assessment methods like portfolios and self-assessment.
Feedback Strategies in Language Learning: Investigate effective feedback techniques for improving language proficiency.
Washback Effect of Testing: Study how assessment practices influence teaching and learning.
Authentic Assessment in ELT: Develop assessment tasks that mirror real-life language use situations.
Portfolio Assessment: Investigate the use of portfolios to track language learning progress over time.
Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT): Evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of adaptive testing methods in ELT.

Technology in ELT

Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL): Assess the impact of computer-based language learning programs.
Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL): Study the effectiveness of mobile devices in language learning.
Online Learning Platforms for ELT: Analyze the features and usability of online platforms for language education.
Virtual Reality (VR) in Language Learning: Explore immersive VR environments for language practice and instruction.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tutoring Systems: Assess the effectiveness of AI-based tutors in providing personalized language instruction.
Social Media in Language Learning: Study the role of social media platforms in informal language learning contexts.
Gamification in ELT: Investigate the use of game elements to enhance engagement and motivation in language learning.

Teacher Education and Professional Development

Pre-service Teacher Education Programs: Evaluate the effectiveness of teacher training programs.
Reflective Practice in Teaching: Investigate how teachers reflect on their practice to improve teaching.
Challenges in Teacher Education: Identify challenges faced by educators in training and development.
Teacher Beliefs and Practices: Examine how teachers’ beliefs about language learning influence their instructional practices.
Peer Observation in Teacher Development: Explore the benefits of peer observation and feedback for teacher professional growth.
Mentoring Programs for New Teachers: Evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring programs in supporting novice teachers.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Models: Compare different models of CPD for language teachers and their impact on teaching quality.

Cultural and Sociolinguistic Aspects

Language and Culture Interrelationship: Explore the relationship between language and culture in ELT.
Sociolinguistic Competence and Pragmatics: Study how social context influences language use and understanding.
Gender and Identity in Language Learning: Investigate how gender identity affects language learning experiences.
Intercultural Competence in Language Teaching: Develop strategies for promoting intercultural communicative competence in language learners.
Language Policy and Minority Language Education: Analyze the impact of language policies on the education of minority language speakers.
Gender and Language Learning Strategies: Investigate gender differences in language learning strategies and their implications for instruction.
Code-Switching in Multilingual Classrooms: Study the role of code-switching in language learning and classroom interaction.

Learner Diversity and Inclusive Practices

Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL): Examine effective teaching strategies for children learning English.
Addressing Learning Disabilities in ELT: Investigate methods for supporting learners with disabilities in language learning.
ELT for Specific Purposes (ESP): Explore specialized English language instruction for specific fields.
Differentiated Instruction in Language Teaching: Develop strategies for addressing diverse learner needs in the language classroom.
Inclusive Pedagogies for Learners with Special Educational Needs: Design instructional approaches that accommodate learners with disabilities in language learning.
Language Learning Strategies of Autistic Learners: Investigate effective language learning strategies for individuals on the autism spectrum.
Language Identity and Learner Motivation: Explore the relationship between language identity and motivation in language learning.

Policy and Planning in ELT

National and International Language Policies: Analyze policies governing English language education at different levels.
ELT Program Implementation Challenges: Identify challenges in implementing ELT programs in diverse contexts.
Role of ELT in National Development: Examine the contribution of English language education to national development goals.
English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) Policies: Analyze the impact of EMI policies on educational equity and access.
Language Teacher Recruitment and Deployment Policies: Evaluate policies related to the recruitment and deployment of language teachers in diverse contexts.
Language Assessment Policy Reform: Propose reforms to language assessment policies to promote fairness and validity.
Biliteracy Development Policies: Study policies aimed at promoting biliteracy development among bilingual learners.

Research Methodologies in ELT

Qualitative Research Methods in ELT: Explore qualitative approaches like interviews and case studies in ELT research.
Quantitative Research Methods in ELT: Investigate quantitative methods such as surveys and experiments in language education research.
Mixed-Methods Approaches in ELT Research: Combine qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of research questions.
Ethnographic Approaches to ELT Research: Conduct ethnographic studies to explore language learning and teaching in naturalistic settings.
Case Study Research in Language Education: Investigate specific language learning contexts or programs through in-depth case studies.
Corpus Linguistics in ELT Research: Analyze language use patterns and learner language production using corpus linguistic methods.
Longitudinal Studies of Language Learning: Follow language learners over an extended period to examine developmental trajectories and factors influencing language acquisition.

Future Trends and Innovations

Emerging Technologies in ELT: Study the integration of technologies like AI and VR in language teaching.
Innovations in Teaching Strategies: Explore new approaches to teaching language, such as flipped classrooms and gamification.
Future Directions in ELT Research: Investigate potential areas for future research in English language teaching.
Wearable Technology in Language Learning: Explore the potential of wearable devices for delivering personalized language instruction.
Data Analytics for Adaptive Learning: Develop data-driven approaches to adaptive learning in language education.
Augmented Reality (AR) Applications in ELT: Design AR-enhanced language learning experiences for immersive language practice.
Global Citizenship Education and Language Learning: Investigate the role of language education in fostering global citizenship skills.
Eco-Linguistics and Language Education: Explore the intersection of language education and environmental sustainability.
Metacognition and Language Learning: Explore how learners’ awareness of their own learning processes affects language acquisition.
Peer Interaction in Language Learning: Investigate the role of peer collaboration and discussion in promoting language development.
Heritage Language Education: Study strategies for maintaining and revitalizing heritage languages among immigrant and minority communities.
Language Learning Motivation in Adolescents: Examine factors influencing motivation and engagement in adolescent language learners.
Phonological Awareness in Language Learning: Investigate the role of phonological awareness in literacy development for language learners.
Pragmatic Development in Language Learners: Explore how learners acquire pragmatic competence and understanding of language use in context.
Digital Literacies and Language Learning: Examine how digital literacy skills contribute to language proficiency and communication in the digital age.
Critical Language Awareness: Investigate approaches to developing learners’ critical awareness of language use and power dynamics.
Language Teacher Identity: Study how language teachers’ identities shape their beliefs, practices, and interactions in the classroom.
Collaborative Learning in Language Education: Explore the benefits and challenges of collaborative learning environments for language learners.
Motivational Strategies in Language Teaching: Develop and evaluate motivational techniques to enhance student engagement and persistence in language learning.
Heritage Language Maintenance: Investigate factors influencing the maintenance and transmission of heritage languages across generations.
Phonics Instruction in Language Learning: Examine the effectiveness of phonics-based approaches for teaching reading and pronunciation.
Language Policy Implementation: Analyze the challenges and successes of implementing language policies at the institutional, regional, and national levels.
Language Teacher Cognition: Explore language teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and decision-making processes in the classroom.
Intercultural Communicative Competence: Develop strategies for fostering learners’ ability to communicate effectively across cultures.
Critical Pedagogy in Language Education: Explore approaches to teaching language that promote critical thinking, social justice, and equity.
Language Learning Strategies for Autodidacts: Investigate effective self-directed learning strategies for language learners outside formal educational settings.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Higher Education: Examine the implementation and outcomes of CLIL programs in tertiary education.
Sociocultural Theory and Language Learning: Explore how social and cultural factors influence language acquisition and development.
Language Socialization: Investigate how individuals learn language within social and cultural contexts, including family, peer groups, and communities.
Speech Perception and Language Learning: Examine the relationship between speech perception abilities and language proficiency in second language learners.
Genre-Based Approaches to Language Teaching: Explore the use of genre analysis and genre-based pedagogy to teach language skills in context.
Learner Autonomy in Language Learning: Investigate strategies for promoting learner autonomy and independence in language education.
Multimodal Literacy in Language Learning: Examine the integration of multiple modes of communication, such as text, image, and sound, in language instruction.
Community-Based Language Learning: Study language learning initiatives that engage learners with their local communities and resources.
English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) Communication: Explore the use of English as a global means of communication among speakers from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Research in English Language Teaching covers a wide range of topics, from language acquisition theories to the impact of technology on learning. By exploring these topics (from a list of research topics in english language teaching), we can improve how English is taught and learned, making it more effective and accessible for everyone.

Continuous research and collaboration among educators, researchers, and policymakers are essential for the ongoing development of ELT.

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110 Excellent English Research Topics and Ideas

Table of Contents

Are you confused about what topic to choose for English research? Don’t worry. When it comes to English, there are no boundaries to the subjects you can research. Moreover, the English research paper topic you pick should focus on answering a question based on your investigation. Usually, selecting a fascinating English research title that has the power to attract an audience and demonstrate your academic skills might be challenging. Therefore, in this blog, we have published a list of 110 excellent English research topics and ideas suggested by our team of experts. Additionally, we have also shared how to choose a good English research topic to get started.

If you have difficulty identifying a suitable study topic, explore this blog and get amazing ideas for English research.

Know How to Select a Perfect English Research Topic

It is important to possess the necessary knowledge to identify a topic for English research. In case, you struggle to choose a topic for your English research paper, follow these steps.

First, select a subject that interests you.
After doing a thorough background investigation, generate numerous English research ideas based on your interests.
List the different keywords that will help you concentrate on the main idea.
Examine a variety of perspectives on the topic you have chosen. Specifically, ask essential questions like what, who, why, who, and when to achieve this.
Outline the content’s structure depending on how you want it to appear and the questions you answered.
Pay close attention to the research paper’s length and due date.
Confirm that your topic meets all of your professor’s research guidelines and requirements.

Note that the research topic you choose will only be good if it appeals to both you and your audience. It is recommended that you choose a subject that is familiar to you and can support your research with adequate sources. So keep these in mind while you brainstorm ideas and topics for your English research paper.

Read More – Learn and Understand the Common English Techniques

Understand How to Structure an English Research Paper

After you have chosen a topic, conduct an in-depth study on it and then prepare a brilliant English research paper. Remember, the English research paper you compose should be well-structured, informative, and plagiarism-free. In case, you are unsure how to organize the ideas in your English research paper, follow the standard structure specified below

In the research paper’s title page, you should include the title, author’s name, institutional affiliation, and submission date.

The abstract is a concise description of the research paper, usually no more than 250 words. Here, you should provide a short description of the research topic, methods, results, and conclusions.

Introduction

In this section, you should introduce the research question, explain its significance, and review existing research in the field. Additionally, you may include the research question or hypothesis, as well as an explanation of the study methodology.

Literature Review

The literature review usually examines past research on the issue, highlights major findings, and identifies gaps. In this part, you should conduct a critical literature review and point out the advantages and disadvantages of earlier research.

Methodology

In the methodology section, you should outline the study’s research strategy, data collection methodologies, and analysis approaches. Enough information in this section would allow another researcher to do a similar study.

In this section, you should present the study’s findings clearly and concisely. You may also use tables and figures to display data more visually.

In this part, you should describe how the study results relate to previous research and the research topic. Also, here, you may identify any study limitations and recommend areas for future research.

Summarize the study’s principal findings and reiterate the research question or hypothesis in the research section. Furthermore, in this component, you may briefly explore the implications of the findings and make recommendations for further research.

Here, cite all the sources cited in the research paper using a specific citation style (e.g., APA, MLA). Every reference needs to be precise and comprehensive.

List of the Best English Research Topics

English is a broad subject and so it contains several research topics to focus on. Especially, for English research, you may choose any topic that is related to categories such as drugs, politics, technology, drugs, religion, English literature, gender discrimination, and others.

If you are unsure what topic to choose for your English research paper, make use of the list published below. In the list, you will get 110 exclusive English research questions, titles, and ideas on various themes.

Also read: Learn About Different Language Features in English

Simple English Research Topics

If you wish to craft an error-free English research paper effortlessly, then give preference to any simple topic. These are a few Basic English research ideas that might be convenient for you to analyze and write about.

Examine the impact of social media on mental health.
Discuss the importance of symbolism in poetry.
Examine the role of social capital in community development.
Discuss the causes and effects of the Great Depression.
Explain how to enhance racial relations.
Conduct a literary analysis of ‘The Monk’ written by Matthew Lewis.
Examine the risks associated with organic food consumption.
Discuss the importance of imagination in poetry writing.
Explore the role of digital communication in learning the English language.
Discuss the effect of the mother tongue on learning the English language.
Explore the future of renewable energy.
Discuss the cultural impact of superhero movies in society.
Explore the importance of storytelling in human communication.
Explain how mental illness is portrayed in contemporary literature.
Discuss the psychology of motivation and goal-setting.

Interesting English Research Ideas

Always compose your English research paper on the topic that is interesting to you. By working on your interesting topic, you may precisely present your thoughts and make your paper worthy to read. The following are some topics that might be exciting for you to write your English research paper.

Analyze the effects of climate change on agriculture.
Focus on the representation of women in literature.
Investigate the role of AI in education.
Explore the role of women in historical events and movements.
Analyze the impact of books on political issues.
Examine the correlation between illegal immigration and terrorism.
Analyze the impact of the English language on other cultures.
Discuss romantic philosophy in Walt Whitman’s poetry.
Suggest the best methods to improve speaking attributes.
Explore how pronunciation varies in various learning cultures.
Explain the psychology of decision-making.
Focus on the Cultural Revolution in China.
Explain how the popular media represents race and ethnicity.
Examine the social effects of child work.
Focus on English language acquisition difficulties.

Unique English Research Paper Topics

If you want your English research paper to be noticeable in the crowd, then deal with any topic that was not discussed earlier. Listed below are some unique topics that will help you in drafting an outstanding English research paper.

Focus on the gender stereotypes in the workplace.
Analyze the influence of foreshadowing in Gothic literature.
Examine the effect of income inequality on social mobility.
Analyze different film techniques.
Examine the effects of terrorism on business.
Focus on the evolution of marriage in contemporary culture.
Discuss the risks of weight training for women.
Focus on obstacles in modern English literature.
Investigate the credibility of digital certification.
Explain how to build interview skills.
Discuss the use of animation and special effects in modern cinema.
Take a look at the rise of communism and the Russian Revolution.
Analyze the psychological and sociological effects of virtual reality technology.
Explain how dietary misconceptions are hurting health.
Investigate mercy killing incidents in the USA.

Informative English Research Topics

The English research paper that you compose should provide knowledge to your readers. So, to achieve that, select any topic with educational value. These are some English research questions that will help you in creating an informative academic paper.

Analyze the ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
Examine the significance of cryptography in modern society.
Investigate the impact of the Industrial Revolution on society and culture.
Discuss the influence of film noir on modern cinema.
Analyze the impact of texting and mobile devices.
Examine the negative effects of online dating apps.
Analyze the effects of the civil rights movement.
Discuss the Montessori Method of education.
Explore the role of kinesics in communication.
Analyze the impact of audiobooks in enhancing learning abilities.
Focus on the representation of historical events and figures in films.
Examine the impact of the Age of Exploration on world history.
Analyze the evolution of science fiction as a literary genre.
Take a look at the way of life in 18 th -century London.
Focus on the advantages of studying abroad.

Best English Research Topics for School Students

Are you seeking the best English research ideas for your school assignments? If yes, then take help from the list recommended here. In the list, particularly for students, we have added some outstanding research topics in English.

Take a look at the role of education in reducing poverty.
Focus on the theme of identity in Postcolonial literature.
Examine the causes and effects of the French Revolution.
Explore the significance of music in films.
Take a look at the place of technology in economics.
Examine the adverse impact of doing improper exercises.
Discuss the correlation between literature and psychology.
Discuss the legal consequences of plagiarism in academic writing.
Examine the scope of digital marketing for small businesses.
Explain how to learn time management skills.

Engaging Topics for English Research

Your English research paper should be engaging and not boring to your readers. Therefore, it is essential to create a research paper on any English topic that has the power to grab the readers’ attention. Here are some awesome English research paper topics that may help you captivate your target audience.

Analyze the impact of globalization on cultural identity.
Explore the role of religion in literature.
Focus on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
Examine the correlation between music and emotions.
Focus on the modern literary allegories of the Bible.
Analyze the influence of Europe on global fashion.
Take a look at stream-of-consciousness writing style.
Explain how to develop positivity in college students.
Interpret American English drama.
Focus on positive learning techniques.

Top English Research Ideas for College Students

In case, you are clueless about what English research topic to choose for your college assignments, explore the list suggested below. For college students, we have provided a few incredible topics worthy of creating a top-score-fetching English research paper.

Explore the role of arts and culture in building strong communities.
Examine the impact of war on literature and culture.
Discuss the Holocaust’s legacy in modern society.
Focus on the evolution of the fashion industry.
Examine the negative aspects of a democratic government.
Discuss the consequences of bioterrorism.
Take a look at feminist perspectives in English literature.
Explore the role of leadership in handling real-world issues.
Analyze the impact of the internet on students’ psychology.
Examine the effects of tobacco advertising.

Also read: Top 12 Longest Words in the English Language

Educational English Research Ideas

You may create your English research paper from an education perspective. The following are some amazing English research paper topics that will help you widen your learning of the language.

Provide an analysis of some reliable resources for learning English.
Examine the challenges non-American students encounter when communicating in English.
Focus on writing in a stream-of-consciousness style.
Discuss the role of language in the evolution of society.
Write about mythology in literature.
Explain the role of poetry in English literature education.
Focus on moral principles that can be taught through spoken English conversation.
Analyze the impact of grammatical faults on English writing skills.
Examine the use of creativity in poetry composition.
Recognize the value of the English language for those who are not native speakers.

Final Words

Hopefully, all the ideas from the above-suggested list will help you in preparing an excellent English research paper. So, without any hesitation, from the list, pick any topic that is comfortable for you to explore and write about. Remember, to fetch an A+ grade, the English research paper that you compose should be plagiarism-free, error-free, and informative, and it should meet your instructor’s guidelines. Sometimes, you may experience certain difficulties with English research paper topic selection, writing, or editing. During such times, get in touch with us immediately. The assignment experts from our team with strong knowledge of the English language will assist you in completing all the stages of the research paper preparation process.

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130+ Original Linguistics Research Topics: Ideas To Focus On

Linguistics is an exciting course to learn. Unfortunately, writing a research paper or essay or write my thesis in linguistics is not as easy. Many students struggle to find a good research topic to write about. Finding a good research topic is crucial because it is the foundation of your paper. It will guide your research and dictate what you write.

Creative Language Research Topics

Argumentative research titles about language, english language research topics for stem students, social media research topics about language, the best quantitative research topics about language, more creative sociolinguistics research topics, research topics in english language education for students, top thesis topics in language, creative language and gender research topics, language education research topics on social issues, research title about language acquisition.

Most students turn to the internet to find research paper topics. Sadly, most sources provide unoriginal and basic topics. For this reason, this article provides some creative sample research topics for English majors.

Linguistics is a fascinating subject with so many research topic options. Check out the following creative research topics in language

How you can use linguistic patterns to locate migration paths
Computers and their effect on language creation
The internet and its impacts on modern language
Has text messages helped create a new linguistic culture?
Language and change; how social changes influence language development
How language changes over time
How effective is non-verbal communication in communicating emotions?
Verbal communication and emotional displays: what is the link?
The negative power of language in internet interactions
How words change as society develops
Is the evolution of languages a scientific concept?
Role of technology in linguistics

Argumentative essay topics should state your view on a subject so you can create content to defend the view and convince others that it is logical and well-researched. Here are some excellent language research titles examples

Society alters words and their meanings over time
Children have a better grasp of new language and speech than adults
Childhood is the perfect time to develop speech
Individuals can communicate without a shared language
Learning more than one language as a child can benefit individuals in adulthood
Elementary schools should teach students a second language
Language acquisition changes at different growth stages
The impact of technology on linguistics
Language has significant power to capitalize on emotions
The proper use of language can have positive impacts on society

Research topics for STEM students do not differ much from those for college and high school students. However, they are slightly more targeted. Find an excellent research title about language for your paper below:

How does language promote gender differences?
Music and language evolution: the correlation
Slang: development and evolution in different cultures
Can language create bonds among cross-cultural societies?
Formal vs informal language: what are the differences?
Age and pronunciation: what is the correlation?
How languages vary across STEM subjects
Are STEM students less proficient in languages?
The use of language in the legal sector
The importance of non-verbal communication and body language
How politeness is perceived through language choices and use
The evolution of English through history

Did you know you can find excellent social media research topics if you do it right? Check out the following social media language research titles:

The role of the internet in promoting language acquisition
A look at changes in languages since social media gained traction
How social media brings new language
How effective are language apps in teaching foreign languages?
The popularity of language applications among learners
A study of the impact of the internet on the spreading of slang
Social media as a tool for promoting hate language
Free speech vs hate speech: what is the difference?
How social media platforms can combat hate language propagation
How can social media users express emotions through written language?
Political censorship and its impact on the linguistics applied in the media
The differences between social media and real-life languages

A language research title can be the foundation of your quantitative research. Find some of the best examples of research topics for English majors here:

Language barriers in the healthcare sector
What percentage of kids below five struggle with languages?
Understanding the increase in multilingual people
Language barriers and their impact on effective communication
Social media and language: are language barriers existent in social media?
Bilingualism affects people’s personalities and temperaments
Can non-native teachers effectively teach local students the English language?
Bilingualism and its impact on social perceptions
The new generative grammar concept: an in-depth analysis
Racist language: its history and impacts
A look into examples of endangered languages
Attitudes toward a language and how it can impact language acquisition

You can choose a research topic about language based on social issues, science concerns like biochemistry topics , and much more. Sociolinguistics is the study of the correlation between language and society and the application of language in various social situations. Here are some excellent research topics in sociolinguistics:

An analysis of how sociolinguistics can help people understand multi-lingual language choices
An analysis of sociolinguistics through America’s color and race background
The role of sociolinguistics in children development
Comparing sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics
Sociolinguistics and gender empowerment: an analysis of their correlation
How media houses use sociolinguistics to create bias and gain a competitive advantage
The value of sociolinguistics education in the teaching of discipline
The role played by sociolinguistics in creating social change throughout history
Research methods used in sociolinguistics
Different sociolinguistics and their role in English evolution
Sociolinguistics: an in-depth analysis
What is sociolinguistics, and what is its role in language evolution?

A good research topic in English will serve as the guiding point for your research paper. Find a suitable research topic for English majors below:

Types of indigenous languages
Language s an essential element of human life
Language as the primary communication medium
The value of language in society
The negative side of coded language
School curriculums and how they influence languages
Linguistics: a forensic language
Elements that influence people’s ability to learn a new language
The development of the English language
How the English language borrows from other languages
Multilingualism: an insight
The correlation between metaphors and similes

Many students struggle to find good thesis topics in language and linguistics. As you read more on the thesis statement about social media , make sure you also understand every thesis title about language from the following examples:

The classification of human languages
The application of different tools in language identification
The role of linguists in language identification
The contributions of Greek philosophers to language development
The origin of language: early speculations
The history of language through the scope of mythology
Theories that explain the origin and development of language
Is language the most effective form of communication
The impact of brain injuries on language
Language impacts on sports
Linguistics intervention that won’t work in this century
Language as a system of symbols

Just like economic research paper topics , gender and language topics do not have to stick to the norms or the standards by which all students write. You can exercise some creativity when creating your topic. Discover a topic about language and gender from this list:

Language and gender: what is the correlation?
How different genders perceive language
Does a kid’s gender influence their grasp of languages?
Men vs Women: a statistical overview of their multilingual prowess.
The perception of language from the female standpoint
The difference between female and male language use
The use of language as a tool for connection between females and males
Does gender have an impact on efficient communication
Does gender impact word choices in conversations?
Females have an easier time learning two or more languages
What makes female and male language choices differ?
Are females better at communicating using spoken language?

There are many social issues related to language education that you can cover in your research paper. Check out the following topics about language related to social issues research topics for your research:

Language translation: what makes it possible
How does the mother tongue influence pronunciation?
Issues that encourage people to learn different languages
Sign language: origin and more
Role of language in solving conflicts
Language and mental health: a vivid analysis
The similarities between English and French languages
Language disorders: an overview
Common barriers to language acquisition
The impact of mother tongue on effective communication
Reasons you should learn two or more languages
The benefits of multilingualism in the corporate world
Language and identity: what is the correlation?

Language acquisition is the process by which people gain the ability to understand and produce language. Like anatomy research paper topics , language acquisition is a great area to focus your linguistics research. Here are some research questions that bring the focus of the study of linguistic and language acquisition:

Language acquisition: an overview
What attitudes do people have about language acquisition
How attitude can impact language acquisition
The evolution of language acquisition over time
Language and ethnicity: their correlation
Do native English speakers have an easier time acquiring new languages?
A case study on political language
Why is language acquisition a key factor in leadership
Language acquisition and mother tongue pronunciation: the link
Ambiguity as a barrier to language acquisition
How words acquire their meanings

While a good topic can help capture the reader and create a good impression, it is insufficient to earn you excellent grades. You also need quality content for your paper to get perfect grades. However, creating a high-quality research paper takes time, effort, and skill, which most students do not have.

For these reasons, we offer quality research paper writing services for all students. We guarantee quality papers, timely deliveries, and originality. Reach out to our writers for top linguistics research papers today!

100 Good English Research Paper Topics & Ideas to Make Successful Submission

Working in the English language always creates a compelling experience in your learning. It will allow you to explore the language and its interesting features. Surprisingly, more than 1.35 billion people speak English globally. According to Statista 2021 findings, English is the most spoken language worldwide. Consider the facts in your mind while working on your English research papers. For that reason, pick the interesting English research paper topics and unbox your understanding smartly.

To make your learning more presentable, you should understand the significance of the English paper topics. If you pick a good topic for drafting your English research papers, you can easily advance your learning. It makes your academic writing more productive and credible. So, browse the suggestions for selecting the easy research paper topics for English projects.

Table of Contents

Educational English Research Paper Topics

To make your work more engaging, you should focus on topic selection. Go through the list of numerous topics for English research papers to expand your learning of the language.

Present a study on various credible sources of learning the English language.
Impact of grammatical mistakes on English writing skills.
Understanding of the English language for non-native speakers.
Difficulties faced by non-American students in English communication.
Role of poetry in learning English literature.
Reflects the interpretation of Shakespeare’s work.
Discuss mythology as literature.
How to correlate literature with psychology?
Discuss stream of consciousness writing style.
Is there any relation between literature and religion?
Glorification of romance in literature.
Feminist perspective in English literature.
Modern American English Literature.
Impact of language in society development.
Verbal English communication for teaching moral values.
Importance of imagination in poetry writing.
Fiction Vs Nonfiction: which one is keeping more interesting appeal.
Poetry work of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth.
Romantic philosophy in Walt Whitman’s poetry.
Impact of counselling and guidance on scholars’ academic performance.
How to boost students’ interest in academic literature?
Creativity analysis on poetry composition.
Today’s communication language barrier.
Obstacles in modern English literature .
Explore easy poetic techniques for beginners.

Interesting English Research Paper Topics

Make your English research paper writing more interesting by picking an interesting topic. Unload your thoughts precisely and make your work more worthy to read. Consider good research paper topics for drafting good English projects.

Significance of distance education.
How to address learning disabilities in a college education?
Importance of sex education in college scholars.
Methods to discrimination in educational administration.
Effective college administration for successful placement.
Same-sex Vs mixed-sex education: which one is better?
Pensive analysis on No Child Left Behind Act.
Effectiveness of the federal education system as compared to other countries’ education systems.
Strong methodology to lower bullying in schools.
Online education Vs physical education: which one is more effective?
Analysis of the grading system on students’ learning.
Discuss Montessori Method of Education.
Examine Intensive English Programs (IEPs) in the US,
Discuss the role of postsecondary educational institutions in American literacy.
Legal consequences of plagiarism in academic writing.
Impact of tuition fees for home students.
Is student engagement with social media affecting their studies?
Methods to control sleeping disorders.
How to develop positivity in college students?
Role of leadership for handling real-life problems.
Psychology impacts of COVID on students.
Role of family relationship on students’ mental abilities.
Career prospects of literature students.
How to boost English communication skills for international students?

Research Paper Ideas For English Topics Related to Technology

Unimaginable changes are brought by technical advancement and it is hard to ignore. Capturing the advancement in your research topics for English papers allows you to expand your knowledge. So, think pensively on the following topic ideas.

Impact of over-used computers on students’ health.
Role of digital communication in learning the English language.
Stress management to advance learning abilities.
Technical barriers in oral and written communication in the English language.
Digital tools to advance English fluency.
Future of electric-vehicle.
Methods to improve speaking attributes.
Role of online classes in knowledge enhancement.
The credibility of digital certification.
How to search for credible resources for writing English papers?
Role of kinesics in communication.
Impact of technology exposure on students’ learning skills.
Importance of technical advancement in advancing academic progress.
Advantages as well as disadvantages of e-learning.
International Vs national learning: Pros and cons.
Scope of digital marketing for small businesses.
Use of modern technology to improve the quality of education.
Is social media increasing suicidal thoughts on students’ minds?
Role of mobile applications in advancing English verbal communication.
Is digital technology altering consumer attitudes?
Use of online assignment help in writing a good essay.
Impact of online tutoring in students’ knowledge enhancement.
Role of artificial intelligence in educational advancement.
Efficacy of digital tools to check plagiarism.
Future aspects of machine learning in the education sector.

English Research Paper Topics For Mini Projects

When you do not need to write lengthy papers, pick the easiest topic for your projects. So, modify your research for selecting appropriate topics for English research papers. It will help to prepare your mini projects and meet the deadlines.

Interpretation of American English Drama.
Role of English communication in business management.
Impact of the internet in students’ psychology.
Teaching methodology for the English language.
Significance of soft skills.
Differentiate between modern vs traditional classrooms.
Examine active listening techniques.
Impact of reading in English communication.
Effect of mother tongue on learning the English language.
How to control people management and leadership?
Socio-ideological values of television programs.
Role of functional English in daily routine.
Techniques to develop speaking attributes.
Ways to improve writing skills.
Tips to compose strong descriptive paragraphs.
How does pronunciation vary in different learning cultures?
How to develop interview skills?
Impact of audiobooks in enhancing learning abilities.
How to develop a positive mindset?
Ways to learn time management skills.
Influence of standardized tests for knowledge evaluation.
A key motivation for students’ knowledge enhancement.
Is it practicable to make college education free?
Positivity learning techniques.
How to prepare health management for students?

Also, Read: 100+ Compelling Linguistics Research Topics

Tips To Pick the Right Research Topics For English Papers

When it is about sharing your ideas on your research topics, you should be attentive. Your research writing reflects your critical thinking, writing abilities, and creative mindset. Therefore, you must concentrate on research paper ideas for the English projects. For that, go through the following tips to pick the English papers topics.

Understand your area of interest. If you pick the right topic according to interest, it will be easy for you to project your learning.
Do not jump straight to any research topic for English papers. Make sure to brainstorm the idea deeply so that you can unlayer your understanding properly.
Good research topics for English papers reflect your knowledge and time management skills. Choose the topic according to your project submission deadline.
Paying utmost attention to a particular idea while writing your papers can limit your creativity. So, absorb the other aspects of topics for writing compelling English research papers.
Before finalizing any English papers topic, make sure to look around. It means you need to write according to your audiences’ interests. Otherwise, you would fail to create a good impression.

Still In Doubts? Turn Your Attention To Expert’s Suggestion!

Are you feeling puzzled while selecting the English research paper topics? Holding your research paper for longer can hurt your performance. So, search for the solutions instead of creating tension in your mind. If you cannot focus on your English research paper writing, ask for experts’ help. Use our noteworthy paper help and share your concerns with our English writers. Their interpretation and proficiency in the English language will help you out. Under their guidance, you will find the right research.

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English Language Dissertation Topics

English students are bright and highly creative. This means they tend to come up with brilliant ideas!

So, coming up with a dissertation topic should be easy, right?

Well, not necessarily.

Coming up with a topic can be stressful so you might try to avoid it. Alternatively, you might have hundreds of great ideas, but not know which one to settle on.

If that’s the case, then don’t worry. This article is here to help you move forward with choosing a topic for your dissertation – so let’s get started!

Sociolinguistics Dissertation Topics

Coming up with a topic, applied linguistics dissertation topics.

Critical Perspectives for Language Students

Sociolinguistics is one of the most interesting aspects of English studies, especially in our modern, globalised world. Put simply, sociolinguistics is concerned with how social/cultural norms shape language. Since we are becoming increasingly globalised, there is a debate as to whether our culture and language systems are converging or diverging. Of course, there is no straightforward answer to this debate, and there is still much to learn about the link between society, culture, and language. Here are a few dissertation topics in sociolinguistics to get you started.

Mapping the diachronic development of Disney Princesses: How is language used to portray femininity?
‘Well jel’!’ A sociolinguistic analysis of The Only Way is Essex.
Are accents still being used to create alterity? A review of blockbuster films from 2019-2020. ‘
Mapping second-generation immigrants’ usage of English within the family: When and Why?
Politeness and official address (e.g., Sir, Madam, Teacher): A comparison between the UK and China.
How do employees use and lose power in workplace meetings? A sociolinguistic analysis.
Do males speak more frequently than females? A review of university seminars.
Hedges in everyday speech: Why are we so uncertain?
A sociolinguistic analysis of advertising for vegan products.
A diachronic sociolinguistic analysis of cosmetics reviews 1950 – 2020.
Polite participles in everyday speech: Is it a class thing?
Building rapport via video conferencing: How does it differ from real-life?
Analysing humour between native and non-native English speakers: How is it manifested?
The language of love: universal or locally specific?
A sociolinguistic analysis of comic book villains.
The diachronic evolution of questioning.

Coming up with your own topic is no easy feat. Above all, it’s important to find a topic that interests you!

If you are an overseas student, you might find it interesting to compare language between the UK and your own country, for example.

So, let’s say you’re from China…

Research from Kaplan (1966) shows that native English speakers prefer to use deductive forms of discourse, whereas Chinese EFL speakers prefer inductive forms of discourse.

However, this research is quite out of date, and since many Chinese people have become English language learners since 1966 (and many now live in the UK), you might question whether this difference still persists…

And there you have it! A curious ‘gap’ in the literature that you can fill with your dissertation.

Need help coming up with a great dissertation topic? Our expert writers are on hand to assist.

The field of language and linguistics is sometimes accused of being a bit ‘abstract’. But, in truth, linguistics can be applied to the real world, and these applications hold a great degree of significance, not only for language learning but for wider society. That said, if you’re a practical and solutions-focused person, you might enjoy working on an applied linguistics dissertation. Here are a few titles to inspire you:

Children’s adoption of intensifying adverbs: How early should it be encouraged?
Becoming a non-native teacher of English: Key challenges and opportunities.
Delivering safety training to non-native English speakers – How to test comprehension?
Pre-school language formation: Should we actively seek to neutralise gender differences?
Online language learning during COVID-19: Opportunities and challenges.
Telling my story: Refugees’ journeys through language learning and resettlement.
Supporting translators in mental health settings – does more need to be done?
How to teach syntax? A critical review of the approaches.
Collaborative writing in the ESL classroom.
The role of ‘active reflection’ in ESL teaching and learning.

Critical Perspectives for Language Students

As part of your degree, you have probably come across critical theories such as Feminism, Postcolonialism, and Race Theory. If that’s the case, you could choose to draw upon one or more of these critical theories in your dissertation. Here are just a few titles to consider:

How is language used to portray Disney heroes and heroines? A feminist perspective.
Are job adverts fair and equal? A critical race theory perspective.
English as the lingua Franca: Exploring the effects on indigenous populations.
‘Welcome back to my channel’ How are women creating identities and communities on YouTube? A feminist perspective.

Hopefully, this post has given you a bit of inspiration, but if you’re still feeling stuck then don’t worry! Try some of our top tips for coming up a great English dissertation topic:

Look back over your degree – which assignment scored the highest? Which assignment was most interesting to you? This would be a good place to start!
Have a brainstorming session with the friends on your course.
Contact our PhD Writers today and we’ll provide you with some unique and interesting topics to choose from.

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100 best linguistic research topics.

November 26, 2020

Some learners struggle to choose linguistic research topics to research and write about. That’s because linguistics is interesting to learn about yet challenging to write papers and essays about. Some students stay up at night learning about phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Unfortunately, they still struggle to write quality papers and essays on linguistic topics in these areas. If looking for ideas to form the basis of your paper or essay, here is a list of research topics in linguistics to consider.

Linguistic Research Topics in Discourse Studies

Discourse studies provide fascinating details about individuals, culture, technology, movements, and changes that take place over time. If looking for linguistics topics that relate to discourse studies, here are some of the best ideas to consider. You can also check out our communication research topics .

Childhood is the time when speech is made or broken
Cultivation of politicians’ buzzword through linguistic analysis
How linguistic patterns are sued to locate migration paths
How computers affect modern language negatively
How text messaging has created a new linguistic subculture
How the brain works when it comes to learning a new language
How words change over time
How effective is non-verbal communication when it comes to displaying emotions?
How effective is verbal communication when it comes to displaying feelings?
How society alters words and their meanings
How the negative power of a word be reduced by neuro-linguistic programming for trauma victims
Is verbal communication more effective than non-verbal communication?
How individuals communicate without a shared language
How beneficial is learning more than one language during childhood?
Why should Elementary School teach students a second language?
Explain the acquisition of a language at different growth stages
How global leaders use language ethics to change the emotional views of the masses
Explain the power of a language in capitalizing on emotions
How technology alters the communication
How proper use of a language makes a person better in society

A learner should pick a linguistics topic in this category if it piques their interest. That’s because writing a great paper or essay requires a student to explore an idea that they are interested in. Essentially, a learner should research and write about something that they find enjoyable.

Interesting Linguistic Topics for Research

Some topics in linguistics are very interesting to research. These are ideas that most people in society will find enjoyable to read about. Here is a list of the most interesting linguistics topics that students can choose for their papers and essays.

Explain how sociolinguistics help people understand multi-lingual language choices
A study of differences and similarities of Post-Tudor English
How language encourages gender differences
Understanding socio-linguistics via color and race background in America
Vowel pronunciation in the UK- A systematic review
The role of music in language evolution
Explain the development and evolution of slangs
A study of the connection between perception and language
How language creates bonds among cross-cultural communities
Language review in informal and formal settings
How age affects English pronunciation
A phonological treatment based review for English-French load words
How sociolinguistics influence gender empowerment
How words can be used to master legal settings
How the media use sociolinguistics to gain a competitive edge and create bias
Exploratory analysis of the impact and importance of body language
Importance of sociolinguistics education in discipline development
How genders perceive politeness via language use
A study of social change through history via sociolinguistics
An evaluation of English evolution via a focus on different sociolinguistics

The vast majority of topics in this category touches on language and society. That’s why papers and essays about these linguistic research topics will most likely impress many readers.

Applied Linguistics Research Paper Topics

Applied linguistics focus on finding meaningful language solutions to real-world issues. Some of the best linguistic paper topics to consider in this category include the following.

The beauty idea and its expression verbally
A detailed evaluation of hate language
What are the key determinants of hate language propagation?
A literature-based review that explores eye-tracking technology and its implication for applied linguistics advancement
A detailed evaluation of research methods for applied linguistics
How relevant is the development of applied linguistics?
Discuss the impacts of the language used in social media on the current generation
An essay on the impact of using proper linguistic communication in social media
Are applied linguistics relevant in the current digitalized world?
How political oppression affect the linguistic used in the media
How important is applied linguistics vocationally?
The major differences between spoken and written language via linguistics evaluation
Is multilingualism a possibility that follows bilingualism?
What is the contribution of a language to national identity within a multicultural society?
How effective is healthcare delivery when there are language barriers?
Is the language barrier relevant in social media?
How bilingualism enriches the personality of an individual
Discuss language cognition and perceptions during the learning process
Discuss the learning mechanisms when it comes to a foreign language
Explain how a non-native teacher can teach local students the English language

These can also be great dissertation topics in linguistics. That’s because they require extensive research and analysis of facts to write brilliant papers. So, if struggling to find an idea for your dissertation, consider one of these thesis topics in applied linguistics.

Great Linguistics Essay Topics

Perhaps, you’re looking for a list of English linguistics research topics from which you can get ideal for your essay. In that case, consider these amazing research proposal topics in linguistics.

Discuss the new generative grammar concept
Analysis of pragmatics and semantics in two texts
Identity analysis in racist language
Do humans have a predisposition to learn a language?
English assessment as a second language
Endangered languages and language death causes
Attitudes towards a language and childhood language acquisition
Mixing modern language and code-switching
Linguistic turn and cognitive turn
What is computational linguistics?
Linguistic and cultural diversity as an educational issue
Differences between adults and childhood language learning
Factors that affect the ability to learn a language
A forensic assessment of linguistics
Lexical and grammatical changes
How important is a language?
What are the effects of language on human behavior?
English or indigenous languages?
Is language an essential element of human life?
Is language the primary communication medium?

These can be great topics for short essays. However, they can also be PhD thesis topics in linguistics where learners will have to conduct extensive and detailed research. The most important thing is to gather relevant and new information that will interest the readers.

Research Topics in Cognitive Linguistics

Students that want to explore questions in cognitive linguistics should consider topics in this category. Here are some of the most interesting topics in linguistics for research papers that also touch on cognition. If these ideas seem a bit complicated, use our writing services .

How grammatical phrasing affects compliance with prescriptions, prohibitions, or suggestions
Latest research findings into cognitive literacy in Indian English poetry
Conceptual metaphor: Does the activation of a single-source domain activates the multiple target concepts?
Multilingualism: Does L2 modulate L1/L2 organization in the brain?
Can task-based language teaching perception be measured?
Are there prominent cognitive-linguistic books for students?
What role does cognitive linguistics play in the acquisition of a second language?
Is word meaning a concept that is advocated for by some scholars?
Which linguistic experiments can be used to understand how the right and left hemispheres work?
Discuss the relationship between metaphors and similes

Computational Linguistics Research Topics

Computational linguistics is an interdisciplinary field that deals with rule-based or statistical modeling of the natural language from the computational perspectives. Here are some of the best topics for research in this field.

Using supervised learning to analyze Medieval German poetry
Which computer-assisted program is best for phonetic comparison of different dialects and why?
How and where can Danish verbs be extracted?
Can computational linguistic suggest an intra-lingual contrastive corpus analysis?
Where can the Schizophrenia text dataset be found?
Discuss the techniques used for meaning or semantic representation in the natural language processing
Describe performance measures for speech recognition
How to extract the introduction, development, and conclusion of a text
Discuss the addition of matrices in a dictionary in python
Explain the definition and characterization of linguistic dimensions in a multidimensional analysis

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Investigating the relationship among english language learning strategies, language achievement, and attitude.

1 Institute of Education, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
2 MTA–SZTE Digital Learning Technologies Research Group, Szeged, Hungary

The main objective of the study was to ascertain whether English as a Foreign Language learners with various levels of English language achievement differ significantly in applying foreign language learning strategies. We also aimed to explore strategy use frequency in connection with attitude toward English language learning. Data were collected from 1,653 lower secondary students in Hungary through a revised version of the previously developed online Self-Regulated Foreign Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire (SRFLLSQ) based on Oxford’s Strategic Self-Regulation (S 2 R) Model. The findings point to statistically significant differences in the frequency of English language strategy use among more and less proficient learners. Quantitative analyses also reported that, in spite of the students stated low or moderate levels of strategy use, it turned out as a statistically significant predictor of foreign language attitude and language achievement. The results draw attention to the relevance of strategy research in foreign language teaching as well as encourages strategy teaching within language instruction.

Introduction

Foreign language learning requires many underlying skills and techniques. Learners have to master a number of complex linguistic, personal, cultural and social skills, and competences and be aware of effective techniques and strategies to help them cope with various challenges during the learning process. The frequent use of learning strategies can help learners to become more competent and effective language users in the classroom and inspire them to achieve higher levels of mastery in the target foreign language ( Wong and Nunan, 2011 ; Oxford, 2016 ). Since the mid-1970s, an immense amount of learning strategy research has attempted to establish the concept and identify strategies that help learners to become more effective language learners ( Oxford, 1990 ; Cohen, 1998 ). It is a widely researched and highly debated area even today ( Thomas and Rose, 2019 ; Thomas et al., 2021 ). The most well-known and widely used taxonomy of language learning strategies (LLS) was developed by Oxford (1990 , 2011 , 2016) . In her recently reconsidered Strategic Self-Regulation (S 2 R) Model based on Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory of self-regulated learning (SRL) and Zimmerman’s three-phase model ( Zimmerman, 2000 ; Zimmerman and Schunk, 2011 ), she identified four main strategy categories: cognitive, affective, motivational, and social, each of them guided by the master category of “meta-strategies.” These meta-strategies are metacognitive, meta-affective, metamotivational, and metasocial strategies, respectively ( Oxford, 2016 ).

Oxford also developed a measurement tool (Strategy Inventory for Language Learning, SILL) for investigating LLS use, which is employed worldwide; however, it is based on her original conceptualization. Nevertheless, it is essential to relate the latest pedagogical theories to language teaching practice. Self-regulation theory, which was the basis for Oxford’s new taxonomy, has been dominant since the beginning of this century. It is thus crucial to develop state-of-the-art measurement tools which can be used in the classroom by language teachers. In previous research, we have developed and validated a questionnaire based on Oxford’s S 2 R Model (SRFLLSQ; Habók and Magyar, 2018b ). To obtain a more comprehensive view of the role and possible effect of language learning strategies on certain other factors, such as attitude, motivation, and self-efficacy, it is essential to conduct further research. In this study, we aimed to examine LLS in relation to other crucial factors of language learning; we have investigated the relationships among the application of English language learning strategies, language achievement, and attitude toward English among lower secondary students in Hungary.

Literature Review

The concept of language learning strategies.

Language learning strategies have been a research focus since the mid-1970s, as strategic language learning is a key to successfully acquiring a foreign language ( Rubin, 1975 ). A number of definitions of LLS have emerged, with one of the most influential having proved to be that of Rebecca Oxford, who not only established a conceptualization, but also conducted empirical research. In her content-analytic study, Oxford involved 33 distinct definitions and interpretations of the term LLS and thus determine it as follows:

L2 learning strategies are complex, dynamic thoughts, and actions, selected and used by learners with some degree of consciousness in specific contexts in order to regulate multiple aspects of themselves (such as cognitive, emotional, and social) for the purpose of (a) accomplishing language tasks; (b) improving language performance or use; and/or (c) enhancing long-term proficiency. Strategies are mentally guided but may also have physical and therefore observable manifestations. Learners often use strategies flexibly and creatively; combine them in various ways, such as strategy clusters or strategy chains; and orchestrate them to meet learning needs. Strategies are teachable. Learners in their contexts decide which strategies to use. Appropriateness of strategies depends on multiple personal and contextual factors ( Oxford, 2016 , p. 48).

Strategic language learners select their LLS according to their personal preferences, motivational intentions, and situational circumstances. Therefore, it is especially difficult to identify a system for these strategies. This is one of the reasons why an extremely large number of conceptualizations and debates have emerged ( Thomas and Rose, 2019 ; Thomas et al., 2021 ). Thomas et al. (2021) have pointed out that with the emphasis on self-regulation, the field of strategy research has moved away from formal educational settings toward learner autonomy. They argue that this is a hazardous trend because definitions of LLS minimize teachers’ role and classroom contexts that can also be an influencing factor in strategic behavior among students. Thomas and Rose (2019) have therefore suggested a separation of LLS from self-regulation and introduced the Regulated Language Learning Strategies Continuum to make it clear that self-regulation can be conceptually separated in defining LLS. By interpreting LLS as being both other- and self-regulated, Dörnyei and Skehan (2003) argue that strategy use cannot be regarded as either emotional or cognitive or even behavioral, thus opening up another debated area in the field.

The classification of LLS is another key area of argument. Oxford’s original classification of six major fields (memory, cognitive, metacognitive, affective, compensation, and social strategies) was recently reconsidered and restructured on the basis of self-regulation theories. Her Strategic Self-Regulation (S 2 R) Model was developed based on Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory of self-regulated learning (SRL). In her concept, she identified four main fields—cognitive, affective, motivational, and social strategies—each of them directed by a “master category of meta-strategies.” These meta-strategies are metacognitive, meta-affective, metamotivational, and metasocial strategies ( Oxford, 2016 ). Her taxonomy was again open to a number of debates as some theorists ( Dörnyei, 2005 ; Hajar, 2019 ) argued that success in language learning cannot be assessed through the frequency of strategy use alone.

Research on Language Learning Strategies

Despite the debates, LLS researchers have been devoted to conducting quantitative research on LLS use and its connection with other individual factors, such as gender, learning style, motivation, attitude, and proficiency (e.g., Radwan, 2011 ; Alhaysony, 2017 ; Habók and Magyar, 2018a , 2019 ). The most widespread measurement tool for assessing L2 learners’ strategy use is Oxford’s Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL; Oxford, 1990 ). This questionnaire has been translated into numerous languages and adapted for a vast number of cultures around the world. It is based on her original taxonomy and employs her original six strategy fields. Based on her renewed taxonomy, a number of reconsidered measurement tools have been developed since then, which have approached effective language learning from different perspectives ( Wang et al., 2013 ; Salehi and Jafari, 2015 ; Božinović and Sindik, 2017 ; Köksal and Dündar, 2017 ; Habók and Magyar, 2018b ; An et al., 2021 ).

One major area for researchers has been to find out what set of strategies foreign language learners rely on the most ( Platsidou and Sipitanou, 2015 ; Alhaysony, 2017 ; Charoento, 2017 ; Dawadi, 2017 ; Habók and Magyar, 2018a , b , 2019 , 2020 ; Habók et al., 2021 ). Overall, results have concluded moderate use of LLS among participants. The most frequently used strategies are cognitive, metacognitive, and compensation strategies, while affective and memory strategies are the least preferred. Habók et al. (2021) have pointed out the different strategy preferences in different cultural contexts. Their results reinforced the preferred use of metacognitive strategies in both European and Asian contexts. However, there were statistically significant differences in the affective field with regard to the lower strategy use preference in the European sample.

A great deal of research has investigated strategy use in connection with other aspects ( Platsidou and Kantaridou, 2014 ; Rao, 2016 ; Charoento, 2017 ; Habók and Magyar, 2018a , 2020 ). One of the most often used factors was language achievement, which has been specified and covered in a multitude of ways. Some studies have focused on level of language proficiency or achievement test results ( Raoofi et al., 2017 ; Taheri et al., 2019 ; An et al., 2021 ; Malpartida, 2021 ), others have relied on self-ratings ( Charoento, 2017 ), and still others have involved language course marks ( Habók and Magyar, 2018a ; Sánchez, 2019 ; Bećirović et al., 2021 ). As a result, most research has pointed out that students with higher proficiency use LLS more frequently than those with less ( Rao, 2016 ; Charoento, 2017 ; Raoofi et al., 2017 ; Sánchez, 2019 ). Charoento (2017) highlighted that successful students mainly used metacognitive strategies and less proficient students preferred to use social strategies the most. Sánchez (2019) reported that the application of social, metacognitive, and cognitive strategies was the highest among high achievers. Some research failed to find any significant differences in LLS use between learners with lower and higher English proficiency levels ( Rianto, 2020 ).

A relatively small number of studies have examined how LLS use predicts language proficiency. Some research has pointed out a positive correlation between strategy use and proficiency. Comprehensive work by Taheri et al. (2019) indicated a statistically significant correlation between LLS and second language achievement. Specifically, they confirmed a statistically significant relationship between cognitive, social, and compensation strategies and second language achievement. Platsidou and Kantaridou (2014) also found that language use is predicted by learning strategy use in a statistically significantly way and that it anticipates perceived language performance. Rao (2016) also reinforced that learners’ English proficiency level determines their strategy use and highlighted that students with high proficiency use strategies more frequently than low-level learners. Habók and Magyar (2018a) stated that strategies have a statistically significant effect on proficiency through attitudes. In addition, these effects reflect general school achievement. Bećirović et al. (2021) observed that LLS can influence students’ English as a foreign language (EFL) achievement. Specifically, cognitive strategies have a statistically significant positive effect on EFL achievement, while other strategies showed negative or no significant impact. An et al. (2021) also reported the positive direct effect of SRL strategies on students’ English learning outcomes. Lin et al. (2021) concluded the direct impact of learning strategies on learners’ performance in literal and inferential comprehension.

Another research direction is the investigation of strategy use in relation to other underlying factors, like affective variables, such as motivation, attitude, self-efficacy, and self-concept. Educational research has pointed out that learners’ attitude toward language learning is crucial since it can greatly impact learning results and language learning proficiency ( Platsidou and Kantaridou, 2014 ). Studies have indicated that learners with a positive attitude toward language learning employ LLS more frequently and effectively. Platsidou and Kantaridou (2014) used confirmatory factor analysis to show that attitudes toward language learning predict the use of both direct and indirect learning strategies. Jabbari and Golkar (2014) reported a more frequent use of cognitive, metacognitive, compensation, and social strategies among students with a positive attitude toward language learning. Habók and Magyar (2018a) demonstrated the reverse effect: learners who apply LLS effectively were more likely to have improved learning experiences and positive attitudes toward foreign language learning.

It can be concluded that strategy research is often related to other vital areas of language learning, among which attitude plays an important role. However, only a limited number of researchers have developed measurement tools for investigating self-regulated foreign LLS and measured it in relation to attitude. In addition, most studies have focused on the strategy use of tertiary samples with relatively high levels of proficiency. This study aims to fill this gap and provides an insightful investigation into the connections among strategy use, attitude, and English language achievement among lower secondary students. Based on the relevant literature ( Jabbari and Golkar, 2014 ; Platsidou and Kantaridou, 2014 ; Habók and Magyar, 2018a ), we hypothesized the statistically significant effect of LLS on proficiency through attitude.

Research Questions

The research addresses the following three research questions:

1. Which EFL strategy was the most frequently used by 11-year-old lower secondary students?

2. Were there statistically significant differences among students in their language learning strategy use on the basis of their English language achievement?

3. Which language learning strategy type has a statistically significant impact on learners’ English language achievement and attitude?

Research Methods

Participants.

In Hungary, students start primary school at the age of six. This lasts 4 year. Then, they continue their studies at the lower secondary level. At the age of 14, they move on to upper secondary school. The participants of the present research were 11-year-old lower secondary students in Grade 5 (N total = 1,653; N boys = 827, N girls = 780, N missing = 46) from 64 schools in Hungary. Hungarian students take EFL in compulsory courses in school, and they usually start learning a foreign language at the age of nine. However, in some schools, they can start at the age of six. Typically, they can choose between English and German, but recently a preference for English has become more common. In upper secondary school, two foreign languages are compulsory, English and German or Italian or Spanish. The second language depends on curricular choice at the school level.

The English proficiency of the participating students was at beginner/elementary level (A1–A2). As for their engagement in learning, there were 17 students in the sample who spent 2 h or less per week on English. Around half of the learners ( N = 884) devoted 3 h a week to this subject, and few participants dedicated four ( N = 303) or five ( N = 357) hours a week to the language. We also found 67 students who dealt with English six or more hours per week. In addition, we did not receive any answers to this question from 25 students.

The revised and improved version of the Self-Regulated Foreign Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire (SRFLLSQ) was employed after our first measurement and validation ( Habók and Magyar, 2018b ). We reviewed the new findings on the theoretical background to foreign LLS research and continued revising the affective field. In addition, based on the relevant literature, we included the field of motivation in the questionnaire. We thus completed the measurement tool with motivational and metamotivational factors based on Oxford’s Strategic S 2 R Model. Finally, the questionnaire covered four strategy areas: metacognitive (eight items), cognitive (six items), meta-affective (eight items), affective (eight items), metasocial (eight items), social (six items), motivational (four items), and metamotivational (four items; see Appendix ). The fifth-grade students provided their responses on a five-point Likert scale, which ranged from 1 (“Never or almost never true of me”) to 5 (“Always or almost always true of me”). The measurement tool was also complemented with a background questionnaire, which asked students about their foreign language school marks, which indicated students’ English language achievement (1 = fail, lowest school mark; 5 = excellent, highest school mark). Students also self-reported their attitudes toward English learning on a five-point Likert scale, which again ranged from 1 to 5.

First, the research was accepted by the IRB at the University of Szeged Doctoral School of Education. It was concluded that the research design follows IRB recommendations. The participating learners’ parents were asked for written informed consent, which was handled by the participating schools. Second, an invitation was sent to schools to register for the measurement. In the call, schools were given information about the purpose of the measurement. Once the schools accepted the invitation, they received further instructions on data collection and a link to log into the Online Diagnostic Assessment System (eDia), which is developed, supervised, and operated by the University of Szeged Centre for Research on Learning and Instruction ( Csapó and Molnár, 2019 ). Students’ participation was voluntary in the research. They logged into the system with an official student assessment code (developed by the Hungarian Educational Authorities), which provided complete anonymity for them. The researchers could not identify the respondents on this basis. The identification code was handled by the school administrators, but the students’ results were not available to them. Thus, complete anonymity was guaranteed. The eDia system is familiar to students because they regularly use it for diagnostic purposes during official school hours. The students had already acquired the necessary ICT skills at primary level, further improved through remote learning. For the present questionnaire, the participants indicated their responses by clicking on radio buttons. The learners were given a school lesson in a personal classroom environment provided by the school. After logging in, the respondents filled in the questionnaire in Hungarian, which is their native language, because they do not yet have the foreign language skills to provide reliable answers in English. This took 20 min to complete the instrument. Teacher assistance was not required while the questionnaire was being completed, but it was available. The students had the option to ask for assistance on any technical problems.

Data Analysis

First, we employed classical test analysis and examined reliability, means, and standard deviations for the questionnaire fields with SPSS Statistics 23.0. In the case of frequency of strategy use, we aimed to find out how strategy use was perceived by our sample. We also compared the students’ strategy use vis-à-vis their English language achievement and attitude using an independent sample t -test. To interpret effect size, we followed Wei et al.’s (2019) and Wei and Hu’s (2019) benchmark: under 0.005 is small, 0.01 is typical or medium, 0.02 is large, and is 0.09 very large. We used R 2 unsquared; thus, the benchmark for the effect size index is 0.07, 0.10, 0.14, and 0.30, which, respectively, represents small, medium, large, and very large cut-off values. We applied path analysis to map the possible relationships and effects of our variables. We studied the goodness-of-fit indices by applying various cut-off values for many fit indices, including the Tucker–Lewis index (TLI), the normed fit index (NFI), the comparative fit index (CFI), the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), and Chi-square values ( Kline, 2015 ). TLI, NFI, and CFI were regarded as eligible with a cut-off value of 0.95, and RMSEA values indicated an acceptable fit of 0.8 ( Kline, 2015 ).

Descriptive Analysis

The questionnaire was reliable in all the fields ( Table 1 ). As regards the whole sample, moderate strategy use was observed. The lowest strategy use was noted in the field of metasocial strategies, and the most frequent strategy was found in the affective field. As regards the corresponding factors, the most frequent use was observed in the motivational field (see Table 1 ).

Figure 1 . The path model for EFL strategies on English language achievement through attitude.

Table 1 . Frequency of language learning strategy use in Grade 5.

We also identified the frequency of strategy use among the more and less proficient learners. Students were divided into two categories based on their English language achievement ( Table 2 ). Those with excellent and good school marks were placed in the more proficient learners’ category, while learners with average, fair, or unsatisfactory school marks were grouped into the less proficient learner category. Students ( N = 810) who received excellent school marks met the requirements of the English language curriculum and performed at a high level. Learners ( N = 500) with good marks had minor gaps. Those ( N = 229) with an average school mark had major gaps in their knowledge, and those ( N = 65) with unsatisfactory school marks had difficulty following the curriculum and varying levels of difficulty in all areas of language learning. Finally, students ( N = 9) who received an unsatisfactory school mark are at a disadvantage which is difficult to overcome. No data were received from 40 students. Students’ EFL achievement could be regarded as good with a mean of 4.2 (SD = 0.89). As a result, the more proficient learners employed strategies with greater frequency in all of the fields, a statistically significant finding. The affective factor indicated above medium effect size, while the other factors reported small effect sizes.

Table 2 . Frequency of language learning strategy use among less and more proficient learners.

Multivariate Analyses

Finally, we investigated the effect of strategy use on English language achievement and attitudes. As Oxford’s Strategic S 2 R Model considers strategies as being closely directed by their corresponding meta-strategies, we have regarded the strategies and their meta-strategy counterparts as common factors. The correlation coefficient was statistically significant between every strategy factor ( r = 0.45–0.25, p < 0.001). Our model showed acceptable fit indices (Chi-square = 35.574, df = 5, p = 0.000, CFI = 0.995, TLI = 0.977, NFI = 0.994, RMSEA = 0.061). We therefore concluded that English language achievement and attitude are statistically influenced by strategy use ( Figure 1 ).

We found that the meta-affective and affective and metasocial and social categories directly influenced students’ attitude toward English. A direct effect of attitude was observed on English language achievement. In addition, the metacognitive and cognitive categories had a direct effect on English language achievement, while English language achievement was indirectly affected by meta-affective and affective and metasocial and social factors. We could not confirm any significant effect of metamotivational and motivational factors on attitude or English language achievement.

We investigated the strategy use of 11-year-old lower secondary students in Grade 5 in connection with their language achievement and attitude toward the English language. Our first research question asked which LLS was the most frequently used by the sample. We found moderate strategy use with regard to a slightly modest application of the metasocial field, and the most frequent strategy use was observed in the affective field. These aspects of our findings partly correspond with most of the recent research with respect to moderate use of strategies; however, there are profound differences in the strategy preferences of the sample ( Platsidou and Sipitanou, 2015 ; Alhaysony, 2017 ; Charoento, 2017 ; Dawadi, 2017 ; Habók and Magyar, 2018a , b , 2019 , 2020 ; Habók et al., 2021 ). Raoofi et al. (2017) also pointed out the low level of social strategy use in their research. Another important statistically significant finding is that higher proficiency learners used learning strategies with greater frequency than their less proficient peers. This applies to every strategy field in agreement with Charoento’s (2017) results.

Our second research question concerned differences in the use of LLS based on English language achievement. As concerns the sample, we regarded the EFL school mark as an indicator of English language achievement. The mean indicated that a considerable portion of the sample was grouped as more proficient. As a result, these students used LLS with greater frequency in all of the categories, which is a statistically significant finding. These results correspond with other research, which also reinforces this ( Rao, 2016 ; Charoento, 2017 ; Raoofi et al., 2017 ; Sánchez, 2019 ). However, we also found that less proficient learners employed motivational strategies the most frequently, while their more proficient peers most often preferred the affective field, a result which is not reinforced by any previous findings. Apart from this, the strategy uses of both subsamples followed the same order, with social and metasocial strategy use being the least preferred type for both. This may be due to the fact that our sample was mainly at the beginner/elementary level (A1–A2), so they cannot yet initiate conversations with others, even with native speakers. They also cannot understand many words and grammatical structures that are used by more proficient speakers, so social interaction is more difficult for them, even for the more advanced ones.

Our results on the role of LLS in English language achievement and attitude confirmed the statistically significant effect of LLS on background variables. English language achievement was directly influenced by the metacognitive and cognitive fields and attitudes and indirectly affected by the meta-affective and affective fields, as well as the metasocial and social fields. Our model could not confirm any direct or indirect effect of the metamotivational and motivational fields on attitude or English language achievement. This may be because motivational components form distinct factors and their role differs somewhat in predicting language achievement. These results are in line with previous findings ( Platsidou and Kantaridou, 2014 ; Habók and Magyar, 2018a ), which also concluded the outstanding role of attitudes, which is an important predictor of language achievement and reinforces the role of strategy use. In summary, strategy use influences English language achievement through attitude to language learning in a statistically significant way.

The main objective of the study was to find evidence for the role of strategy use in students’ achievement at the beginner/elementary level of English language learning. As a result, the strategy use preferences of the sample differed somewhat from the findings of previous research, as the affective and motivational fields were the ones the students preferred the most. This may be due to the fact that young children are more likely to use strategies that are rather emotional and related to their personality traits than strategies that require deeper understanding, specific learning techniques, and awareness, such as cognitive strategies. The use of social strategies was also quite low, probably owing to the low level of foreign language communication skills in the sample. As regards the different proficiency levels, more frequent strategy use was observed among the more proficient learners, a statistically significant finding. However, the patterns of strategy use were almost the same across the groups. The only difference was that the more proficient learners mostly preferred the affective field, while the less proficient ones mostly employed motivational strategies. This indicates that students at a higher level have more confidence to speak up and show how they feel about learning English. Learners with lower proficiency at this age often try to show that they are motivated, that is, that they are trying and want to achieve good results and present a good image of their own performance. The study also highlighted the importance of attitude; from the results, it can be concluded that, even at the beginner/elementary level, strategy use can affect language achievement and that a student’s attitude is an important predictor and plays an important role as mediator between strategies and language achievement. This can have a positive impact on classroom performance and highlights the importance of teaching students about learning strategies.

Limitations

There are some limitations to consider in the study. First, the questionnaire was administered to fifth-grade students, who were at the beginner/elementary level of their English language learning. Thus, generalizability cannot be confirmed, and more research is needed across higher grades and higher proficiency learners. Second, we had difficulty identifying the affective domain in the first version of the questionnaire. For the fields in the present measurement tool, we have succeeded in identifying the affective and meta-affective domains of LLS. However, they still have to be optimized. Additional research is also called for with regard to the motivational components. Third, other underlying factors should be included in the investigation, such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-concept.

Pedagogical Implications

The study points out that the role of learning strategies is substantial for the students in their language learning. Learning English is a complex process for Hungarian fifth graders. English pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar are very different from those of Hungarian. For these learners, grammatical rules are often abstract phenomena, and it is difficult for them to associate meaning with the words they say and write. Furthermore, reading and listening comprehension are also influenced by many factors. The results draw attention to the paramount importance of teaching LLS, which can promote greater success among language learners. In addition, it is essential how consciously strategies are employed. Teachers are strongly urged to include strategy training in their courses. Strategy training can be conducted either in the form of an embedded sub-course in any of the subjects or in an independent form as an individual course. Strategy courses integrated into a school subject provide specific help for students learning that specific course material. For example, language learning strategies paid students in learning grammatical formulae or vocabulary in a foreign language, while general strategy courses help students to learn strategies that can be used in other school subjects, such as reading and writing strategies.

Another implication of the study is that motivation and attitude also influence language achievement in a statistically significant way. Creating a learner-friendly and encouraging atmosphere is therefore essential. The findings from our research have provided important insights into these issues for classroom practice.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the datasets are confidential and cannot be shared with third parties. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to AH, [email protected] .

Ethics Statement

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by IRB at the Doctoral School of Education, University of Szeged. Written informed consent to participate in this study was provided by the participants’ legal guardian/next of kin.

Author Contributions

AH and AM designed the study and implemented the data collection, as well as analyzing the data and participating in completing the manuscript. GM supervised the research and provided support. All the authors contributed to the editing and revision of the study and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

This research was supported by the Research Programme for Public Education Development, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (grant KOZOKT2021-16) and a Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Fund grant (under the OTKA K135727 funding scheme).

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Revised Version of the Self-Regulated Foreign Language Learning Strategy Questionnaire (SRFLLSQ).

Keywords: self-regulated foreign language learning, language learning strategies, foreign language attitude, language achievement, lower secondary students

Citation: Habók A, Magyar A and Molnár G (2022) Investigating the Relationship Among English Language Learning Strategies, Language Achievement, and Attitude. Front. Psychol . 13:867714. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.867714

Received: 01 February 2022; Accepted: 15 April 2022; Published: 13 May 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Habók, Magyar and Molnár. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Anita Habók, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey

Thesis Topics Related to Language Learning and Acquisition

ESL Topics for a Research Paper

Language learning and acquisition is an excellent potential thesis topic for students working towards a master's degree in English, Linguistics, Education or English as a Second Language (ESL). It is also a good choice for seniors who have opted for the thesis option, especially those in honors programs. Specific topic choices are plentiful, ranging from general areas like developmental language acquisition in children to demographic studies of international students in college.

One of the best areas of specialization to begin looking for topics for the thesis is has to do with theories on how children learn language. Most research in this area will fit well into the one or two semester model of thesis research and writing. Students will find a fascinating array of possibilities, like best practices for language facilitation among prekindergarten children, or the role of music in the developmental stages of speech and language training. The latter topic could even lend itself to studies of children with autism disorders. You could also concentrate on a specific demographic, such as fifth-grade English language learners.

Another excellent possibility for thesis topics would be to concentrate your research in a technology-related area. For example, you could examine the relationship between computer-assisted language learning and success among two different study groups, such as boys and girls. Other good topics would include the use of web technologies for language interaction or the use of smart phone apps in language learning: Demographic groups that would offer interesting studies along these lines would include Japanese students in American colleges, children of multilingual families or Latino students who spend a good deal of time using social networking.

Second Language

The trials, tribulations and successes of second language learners also make for interesting theses. Along these lines, you could investigate the effects of reflective journal writing on a particular student population, such as Romanian or Japanese students. You would likely also find fascinating the possibility of topics such as vocabulary learning strategies for speakers of English who are trying to learn Chinese, possibly comparing the success rates of those who do so in the United States versus in China. Another engaging topic would be the perceptions of ESL teachers who work with adolescent learners with specific learning disabilities.

Special Subjects

Finally, you could simply choose to write on a specialized topic for your thesis, provided you get the approval of your thesis director. You could investigate motivational teaching strategies for foreign language learning by teens or the use of multimedia to help Thai and Filipino college students learn independently. You could even decide to examine the efficacy of a specific learning theory, such as Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory, which involves critical thinking and goes beyond knowledge acquisition, using active engagement and questioning.

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Anthony Fonseca is the library director at Elms College in Massachusetts. He has a doctorate in English and has taught various writing courses and literature survey courses. His books include readers' advisory guides, pop culture encyclopedias and academic librarianship studies.

Action Research in English Language Teaching: Contributions and Recent Developments

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Anne Burns 2

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Action research, as part of a more general movement toward “teacher research,” has become increasingly prevalent in the field of English language teaching (ELT) over the last two decades. It can be considered as a form of professional learning for language teachers which takes a socioconstructivist approach in which teachers are seen as agentive actors within their own social contexts. After providing an account of the conceptual features of action research and a brief overview of its origins, this chapter considers how it relates to other forms of research in ELT. It outlines the development of action research within the field of English language teaching. It then considers what various studies have shown about the impact of conducting action research on teachers. The chapter also considers some of the more recent initiatives that have contributed to the spread of this form of research in the field of English language teaching.

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Research and Teacher Education in English Language Teaching: Section Introduction

Challenges in Teaching Tertiary English: Benefits of Action Research, Professional Reflection and Professional Development

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Burns, A. (2019). Action Research in English Language Teaching: Contributions and Recent Developments. In: Gao, X. (eds) Second Handbook of English Language Teaching. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-02899-2_52

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Frequently Researched Topics in English Language Theses and Dissertations: Basis for Future Researches

Abstract Theses and dissertations take a resounding part in catering the needs of the learners in education. To be fully aware of the topics chosen is one of the eminent pointer to remember when conducting a research. This qualitative descriptive research reviewed the frequently investigated topics of the theses and dissertations of masters and doctoral students who were specializing in the field of language education in the graduate program of the School of Teacher Education, Saint Louis University (STE - SLU). The researches were treated according to the five (5) macro skills in the English language. It was found out that of the five (5) macro skills, speaking is the frequently investigated topic from 2011-2014 followed by reading, writing, listening, and viewing. It is then a challenge for the researchers to explore on the other areas of the macro skills especially viewing since there are no studies conducted yet in this skill. Keywords: macro skills, listening, speaking, viewing, writing, reading, language education

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This study aimed to determine the performance of the grade 7 learners in five macro communication skills in English language learning at Cotabato City National High School-Main. Campus. Specifically, it determined their performance in listening focused on stress and intonation, speaking focused on correct production of vowel and consonant sounds and pitch levels, reading focused on comprehension and use of appropriate reading style, writing focused on writing purposes and sequencing sentences, and viewing focused on identifying meaning of signs and symbols and use of structural analysis. Finally, it determined the skills they performed best and worst. Thus, the subjects of this study were the 728 grade 7 students of CCNHS-Main Campus in the school year 2022-2023. Their performance in five macro communication skills were measured. The researcher used a quantitative descriptive design particularly teacher-made test in listening, speaking, reading, viewing and writing. The test questionnaire was based on the K-12 Curriculum Guide competencies which consisted of 50 test items for the five macro communication skills and divided it into 10 test items in each skill. Furthermore, after conducting the test, the results were analyzed and interpreted and came up with an output which is intervention materials in macro communication skills in English (listening, speaking, reading and writing). The intervention materials aims to help the grade 7 students in improving their communication skills namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. The findings revealed the following: the performance level of the grade 7 students in listening, speaking, and reading are all described as "did not meet expectations"; the grade 7 learners' performance in viewing skill is found to be in the "very satisfactory" level; in writing skill, the grade 7 learners' performance level is described as "fairly satisfactory"; their performance level in five macro communication skills is described as "fairly satisfactory"; and the learners perform best in viewing while they perform worst in reading. Based on the findings, it is concluded that the grade 7 learners are good viewers but they have very poor performance level in terms of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The following recommendations are offered based on the findings and conclusion: the language teachers should utilize different strategies and activities to help improve students' deficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing; there is a need for students to involve actively in interactive activities in school or watch English tutorial videos in speaking and listening to enhance their listening and speaking skills, likewise, they may also engage in writing tasks to eventually overcome their deficiency in writing and they may expose themselves in different reading texts or books in order to improve their reading comprehension level; the school administrators should provide opportunities for the students to develop and to enhance their communication skills through different events conducted inside and outside the school such as seminar-workshops, trainings, and academic festivals or contests; the intervention materials constructed as an output should be used by the language teachers to remediate learners' learning gaps; language teachers should integrate viewing English programs activity to enhance the students' speaking skill; the Department of Education and school administrators should intensify monitoring the efficient implementation of reading programs under DepEd and see to it that all schools implement it, teachers need to implement the reading program religiously; and future researchers may conduct further study about the students' English communication skills using different setting and respondents to validate the results of the study.

Ruth Ortega-Dela Cruz

Instabright International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research

Andro Bautista

English instruction should not be limited to the four corners of the classroom only it may be held inside and outside the campus, where maximum learning takes place. Students must be exposed to a lot of activities which will allow them to experience by themselves and understand the concepts that they need to learn especially in improving their macro skills. This study was a descriptive method research which was conducted to determine the way of improving the macro skills to increase the English performance of students. The following are the results of the study: Many of the respondents utilize in this study belong to 15 and 16 age range and equal number of male and female, belonged to 5000 and below family income and have 75 to 79 grade in English in the first grading. The respondents agree that the development of macro skills in their English performance. The respondents agree on the challenges they experienced on developing macro skills increase their English performanc...

Journal of Education and Practice

lies amin lestari

SANDRA LÓPEZ SUÁREZ

jose faiver sanjuan gomez , Carolina Sepúlveda

This piece of writing is focus on the comparison and contrast between two pieces of English learning-teaching materials. Important aspects are analyzed and confronted with each other as the use and integration of the macro skills in the process.

The efficacy of macro-linguistics in developing reading skills

Korkut Uluç İşisağ

Studies regarding reading skills have been carried out for a long time. However, the bond between linguistics and foreign language teaching, especially reading skills, has been frequently overlooked. Thus, this study which aims to emphasize the importance and need of linguistics offers an alternative way of dealing with reading texts. In this context, after reviewing the literature about some major fields of macro-linguistics such as, pragmatics, neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics briefly, a relationship is established between the interdisciplinary areas listed above and foreign language teaching, mainly reading skills. The study is intended to help foreign language teachers to enrich their teaching reading experiences via keeping the core fields of macro-linguistics in mind. Thus, as an implication, an integrated lesson plan is developed in the study to demonstrate the efficacy of macro-linguistics in developing reading skills. Based upon the observations conducted, aforementioned plan highlights that the students are kept aware and motivated, reflect their experiences, have ideas about the register and intralingual and interlingual vernaculars of the language displayed in the text. The data is collected through student observations, performances and samples of their works. The results of the study indicated that foreign language students' comprehension levels of a reading text could be increased with the realization of macro-linguistics.

Kawser Ahmed

Each skill of English language and the mastery of non-natives over these skills are always ambivalent not only for achieving a good conceptual knowledge but also for maintaining a sound communication in basic arenas like education, business and conversation. The futility to understand the spoken or written text puts the nonnatives far behind and they even cannot make out what is taught as a part of learning. This paper will concentrate on the basic components of English language such as reading, listening, speaking and writing on the one hand and theimpediments faced by the second language learners(L2 learners) in academic arena and working environment on the other hand.The discussion will be made on the ground of experiential knowledge which includes direct observation and theoretical analysis which facilitate the learners to possess more information and dictum of experts analyzing these issues. In addition to the strategies stated above, a number of experiments applied among the L...

Knowledge International Journal

Fatbardha Doko

This theme:” The Use of Skills and particularly Developing a Basis for Reading and Learning” is very broad, interesting, challenging and very useful at the same time. It is very useful for teachers and students during lectorical exercises which require a joint effort of participating interactively in class in order to be more efficient, flexible and pragmatic in order to achieve the main goal of learning and improving English Language. This source of information is useful for native speakers as well as for us, that are learning and improving English Language as a second language that intend to be future teachers or interpreters from English to respective languages.To Learn and improve English language are used the four main skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking (Communicating) and Writing. During lectures in order to practice and elaborate each of the skills, teachers and students encounter into different situations that in order to answer or conduct one of the skills you will have t...

Nouree Elghzawee

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Trends and hot topics in linguistics studies from 2011 to 2021: A bibliometric analysis of highly cited papers

Associated data.

The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found in the article/ supplementary material .

High citations most often characterize quality research that reflects the foci of the discipline. This study aims to spotlight the most recent hot topics and the trends looming from the highly cited papers (HCPs) in Web of Science category of linguistics and language & linguistics with bibliometric analysis. The bibliometric information of the 143 HCPs based on Essential Citation Indicators was retrieved and used to identify and analyze influential contributors at the levels of journals, authors, and countries. The most frequently explored topics were identified by corpus analysis and manual checking. The retrieved topics can be grouped into five general categories: multilingual-related , language teaching , and learning related , psycho/pathological/cognitive linguistics-related , methods and tools-related , and others . Topics such as bi/multilingual(ism) , translanguaging , language/writing development , models , emotions , foreign language enjoyment (FLE) , cognition , anxiety are among the most frequently explored. Multilingual and positive trends are discerned from the investigated HCPs. The findings inform linguistic researchers of the publication characteristics of the HCPs in the linguistics field and help them pinpoint the research trends and directions to exert their efforts in future studies.

1. Introduction

Citations, as a rule, exhibit a skewed distributional pattern over the academic publications: a few papers accumulate an overwhelming large citations while the majority are rarely, if ever, cited. Correspondingly, the highly cited papers (HCPs) receive the greatest amount of attention in the academia as citations are commonly regarded as a strong indicator of research excellence. For academic professionals, following HCPs is an efficient way to stay current with the developments in a field and to make better informed decisions regarding potential research topics and directions to exert their efforts. For academic institutions, government and private agencies, and generally the science policy makers, they keep a close eye on and take advantage of this visible indicator, citations, to make more informed decisions on research funding allocation and science policy formulation. Under the backdrop of ever-growing academic outputs, there is noticeable attention shift from publication quantity to publication quality. Many countries are developing research policies to identify “excellent” universities, research groups, and researchers ( Danell, 2011 ). In a word, HCPs showcase high-quality research, encompass significant themes, and constitute a critical reference point in a research field as they are “gold bullion of science” ( Smith, 2007 ).

2. Literature review

Bibliometrics, a term coined by Pritchard (1969) , refers to the application of mathematical methods to the analysis of academic publications. Essentially this is a quantitative method to depict publication patterns within a given field based on a body of literature. There are many bibliometric studies on natural and social sciences in general ( Hsu and Ho, 2014 ; Zhu and Lei, 2022 ) and on various specific disciplines such as management sciences ( Liao et al., 2018 ), biomass research ( Chen and Ho, 2015 ), computer sciences ( Xie and Willett, 2013 ), and sport sciences ( Mancebo et al., 2013 ; Ríos et al., 2013 ), etc. In these studies, researchers tracked developments, weighed research impacts, and highlighted emerging scientific fronts with bibliometric methods. In the field of linguistics, bibliometric studies all occurred in the past few years ( van Doorslaer and Gambier, 2015 ; Lei and Liao, 2017 ; Gong et al., 2018 ; Lei and Liu, 2018 , 2019 ). These bibliometric studies mostly examined a sub-area of linguistics, such as corpus linguistics ( Liao and Lei, 2017 ), translation studies ( van Doorslaer and Gambier, 2015 ), the teaching of Chinese as a second/foreign language ( Gong et al., 2018 ), academic journals like System ( Lei and Liu, 2018 ) or Porta Linguarum ( Sabiote and Rodríguez, 2015 ), etc. Although Lei and Liu (2019) took the entire discipline of linguistics under investigation, their research is exclusively focused on applied linguistics and restricted in a limited number of journals (42 journals in total), leaving publications in other linguistics disciplines and qualified journals unexamined.

Over the recent years, a number of studies have been concerned with “excellent” papers or HCPs. For example, Small (2004) surveyed the HCPs authors’ opinions on why their papers are highly cited. The strong interest, the novelty, the utility, and the high importance of the work were among the most frequently mentioned. Most authors also considered that their selected HCPs are indeed based on their most important work in their academic career. Aksnes (2003) investigated the characteristics of HCPs and found that they were generally authored by a large number of scientists, often involving international collaboration. Some researchers even attempted to predict the HCPs by building mathematical models, implying “the first mover advantage in scientific publication” ( Newman, 2008 , 2014 ). In other words, papers published earlier in a field generally are more likely to accumulate more citations than those published later. Although many papers addressed HCPs from different perspectives, they held a common belief that HCPs are very different from less or zero cited papers and thus deserve utmost attention in academic research ( Aksnes, 2003 ; Blessinger and Hrycaj, 2010 ; Yan et al., 2022 ).

Although an increased focus on research quality can be observed in different fields, opinions diverge on the range and the inclusion criterion of excellent papers. Are they ‘highly cited’, ‘top cited’, or ‘most frequently cited’ papers? Aksnes (2003) noted two different approaches to define a highly cited article, involving absolute or relative thresholds, respectively. An absolute threshold stipulates a minimum number of citations for identifying excellent papers while a relative threshold employs the percentile rank classes, for example, the top 10% most highly cited papers in a discipline or in a publication year or in a publication set. It is important to note that citations differ significantly in different fields and disciplines. A HCP in natural sciences generally accumulates more citations than its counterpart in social sciences. Thus, it is necessary to investigate HCPs from different fields separately or adopt different inclusion criterion to ensure a valid comparison.

The present study has been motivated by two considerations. First, the sizable number of publications of varied qualities in a scientific field makes it difficult or even impossible to conduct any reliable and effective literature research. Focusing on the quality publications, the HCPs in particular, might lend more credibility to the findings on trends. Second, HCPs can serve as a great platform to discover potentially important information for the development of a discipline and understand the past, present, and future of the scientific structure. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the hot topics and publication trends in the Web of Science category of linguistics or language & linguistics (shortened as linguistics in later references) with bibliometric methods. The study aims to answer the following three questions:

Who are the most productive and impactful contributors of the HCPs in WoS category of linguistics or language & linguistics in terms of publication venues, authors, and countries?
What are the most frequently explored topics in HCPs?
What are the general research trends revealed from the HCPs?

3. Materials and methods

Different from previous studies which used an arbitrary inclusion threshold (e.g., Blessinger and Hrycaj, 2010 ; Hsu and Ho, 2014 ), we rely on Essential Science Indicator (ESI) to identify the HCPs. Developed by Clarivate, a leading company in the areas of bibliometrics and scientometrics, ESI reveals emerging science trends as well as influential individuals, institutions, papers, journals, and countries in any scientific fields of inquiry by drawing on the complete WoS databases. ESI has been chosen for the following three reasons. First, ESI adopts a stricter inclusion criterion for HCPs identification. That is, a paper is selected as a HCP only when its citations exceed the top 1% citation threshold in each of the 22 ESI subject categories. Second, ESI is widely used and recognized for its reliability and authority in identifying the top-charting work, generating “excellent” metrics including hot and highly cited papers. Third, ESI automatically updates its database to generate the most recent HCPs, especially suitable for trend studies for a specified timeframe.

3.1. Data source

The data retrieval was completed at the portal of our university library on June 20, 2022. The methods to retrieve the data are described in Table 1 . The bibliometric indicators regarding the important contributors at journal/author/country levels were obtained. Specifically, after the research was completed, we clicked the “Analyze Results” bar on the result page for the detailed descriptive analysis of the retrieved bibliometric data.

Retrieval strategies.

(from Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Core Collection)

Index: Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) and Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI)

Web of Science categories = linguistics or language & linguistics

Refined by: Highly Cited Papers

Several points should be noted about the search strategies. First, we searched the bibliometric data from two sub-databases of WoS core collection: Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) and Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI). There is no need to include the sub-database of Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) because publications in the linguistics field are almost exclusively indexed in SSCI and A&HCI journals. WoS core collection was chosen as the data source because it boasts one of the most comprehensive and authoritative databases of bibliometric information in the world. Many previous studies utilized WoS to retrieve bibliometric data. van Oorschot et al. (2018) and Ruggeri et al. (2019) even indicated that WoS meets the highest standards in terms of impact factor and citation counts and hence guarantees the validity of any bibliometric analysis. Second, we do not restrict the document types as HCPs selection informed by ESI only considers articles and reviews. Third, we do not set the date range as the dataset of ESI-HCPs is automatically updated regularly to include the most recent 10 years of publications.

The aforementioned query obtained a total of 143 HCPs published in 48 journals contributed by 352 authors of 226 institutions. We then downloaded the raw bibliometric parameters of the 143 HCPs for follow-up analysis including publication years, authors, publication titles, countries, affiliations, abstracts, citation reports, etc. A complete list of the 143 HCPs can be found in the Supplementary Material . We collected the most recent impact factor (IF) of each journal from the 2022 Journal Citation Reports (JCR).

3.2. Data analysis

3.2.1. citation analysis.

A citation threshold is the minimum number of citations obtained by ranking papers in a research field in descending order by citation counts and then selecting the top fraction or percentage of papers. In ESI, the highly cited threshold reveals the minimum number of citations received by the top 1% of papers from each of the 10 database years. In other words, a paper has to meet the minimum citation threshold that varies by research fields and by years to enter the HCP list. Of the 22 research fields in ESI, Social Science, General is a broad field covering a number of WoS categories including linguistics and language & linguistics . We checked the ESI official website to obtain the yearly highly cited thresholds in the research field of Social Science , General as shown in Figure 1 ( https://esi.clarivate.com/ThresholdsAction.action ). As we can see, the longer a paper has been published, the more citations it has to receive to meet the threshold. We then divided the raw citation numbers of HCPs with the Highly Cited Thresholds in the corresponding year to obtain the normalized citations for each HCP.

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Highly cited thresholds in the research field of Social Sciences, General.

3.2.2. Corpus analysis and manual checking

To determine the most frequently explored topics in these HCPs, we used both corpus-based analysis of word frequency and manual checking. Specifically, the more frequently a word or phrase occurs in a specifically designed corpus, the more likely it constitutes a research topic. In this study, we built an Abstract corpus with all the abstracts of the 143 HCPs, totaling 24,800 tokens. The procedures to retrieve the research topics in the Abstract corpus were as follows. First, the 143 pieces of abstracts were saved as separate .txt files in one folder. Second, AntConc ( Anthony, 2022 ), a corpus analysis tool for concordancing and text analysis, was employed to extract lists of n-grams (2–4) in decreasing order of frequency. We also generated a list of individual nouns because sometimes individual nouns can also constitute research topics. Considering our small corpus data, we adopted both frequency (3) and range criteria (3) for topic candidacy. That is, a candidate n-gram must occur at least 3 times and in at least 3 different abstract files. The frequency threshold guarantees the importance of the candidate topics while the range threshold guarantees that the topics are not overly crowded in a few number of publications. In this process, we actually tested the frequency and range thresholds several rounds for the inclusion of all the potential topics. In total, we obtained 531 nouns, 1,330 2-grams, 331 3-grams, and 81 4-grams. Third, because most of the retrieved n-grams cannot function as meaningful research topics, we manually checked all the candidate items and discussed extensively to decide their roles as potential research topics until full agreements were reached. Finally, we read all the abstracts of the 143 HCPs to further validate their roles as research topics. In the end, we got 118 topic items in total.

4.1. Main publication venues of HCPs

Of the 48 journals which published the 143 HCPs, 17 journals have contributed at least 3 HCPs ( Table 2 ), around 71.33% of the total examined HCPs (102/143), indicating that HCPs tend to be highly concentrated in a limited number of journals. The three largest publication outlets of HCPs are Bilingualism Language and Cognition (16), International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism (11), and Modern Language Journal (10). Because each journal varies greatly in the number of papers published per year and the number of HCPs is associated with journal circulations, we divided the total number of papers (TP) in the examined years (2011–2021) with the number of the HCPs to acquire the HCP percentage for each journal (HCPs/TP). The three journals with the highest HCPs/TP percentage are Annual Review of Applied Linguistics (2.26), Modern Language Journal (2.08), and Bilingualism Language and Cognition (1.74), indicating that papers published in these journals have a higher probability to enter the HCPs list.

Top 17 publication venues of HCPs.

N	N%	TP	N/TP % (R)	TC	TC/HCP (R)	IF
16	11.19	918	1.74(3)	1,699	106.19(14)	4.763
11	7.70	829	1.33(6)	349	31.7(17)	3.165
10	7.00	480	2.08(2)	1,353	135.3(12)	7.5
7	4.90	730	0.96(10)	5,865	837.86(1)	4.521
7	4.90	1,472	0.48(15)	533	76.14(15)	4.518
6	4.20	1,040	0.58(13)	1,161	193.50(9)	4.018
6	4.20	627	0.96(10)	1,186	197.67(8)	4.155
6	4.20	509	1.18(7)	975	162.50(11)	5.24
4	2.80	281	1.42(5)	538	134.50(13)	3.063
4	2.80	354	1.13(8)	2,135	533.75(2)	7.778
4	2.80	2,122	0.19(17)	1,215	303.75(3)	1.86
4	2.80	371	1.08(9)	859	214.75(6)	4.769
4	2.80	681	0.59(12)	213	53.25(16)	3.401
4	2.80	244	1.64(4)	1,137	284.25(4)	4.158
3	2.10	133	2.26(1)	755	251.67(5)	3.87
3	2.10	588	0.51(14)	644	214.67(7)	5.964
3	2.10	813	0.37(16)	549	183.00(10)	2.842

N: the number of HCPs in each journal; N%: the percentage of HCPs in each journal in the total of 143 HCPs; TP: the total number of papers in the examined timespan (2011–2021); N/TP %: the percentage of HCPs in the total journal publications in the examined time span; TC/HCP: average citations of each HCP; R: journal ranking for the designated indicator; IF: Impact Factor in the year of 2022.

In terms of the general impact of the HCPs from each journal, we divided the number of HCPs with their total citations (TC) to obtain the average citations for each HCP (TC/HCP). The three journals with the highest TC/HCP are Journal of Memory and Language (837.86), Computational Linguistics (533.75), and Journal of Pragmatics (303.75). It indicates that even in the same WoS category, HCPs in different journals have strikingly different capability to accumulate citations. For example, the TC/HCP in System is as low as 31.73, which is even less than 4% of the highest TC/HCP in Journal of Memory and Language .

In regards to the latest journal impact factor (IF) in 2022, the top four journals with the highest IF are Computational Linguistics (7.778) , Modern Language Journal (7.5), Computer Assisted Language Learning (5.964), and Language Learning (5.24). According to the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) quantile rankings in WoS category of linguistics , all the journals on the list belong to the Q 1 (the top 25%), indicating that contributors are more likely to be attracted to contribute and cite papers in these prestigious high impact journals.

4.2. Authors of HCPs

A total of 352 authors had their names listed in the 143 HCPs, of whom 33 authors appeared in at least 2 HCPs as shown in Table 3 . We also provided in Table 3 other indicators to evaluate the authors’ productivity and impact including the total number of citations (TC), the number of citations per HCP, and the number of First author or Corresponding author HCPs (FA/CA). The reason we include the FA/CA indicator is that first authors and corresponding authors are usually considered to contribute the most and should receive greater proportion of credit in academic publications ( Marui et al., 2004 ; Dance, 2012 ).

Authors with at least 2 HCPs.

Affiliations	N	FA/CA	TC	C/HCP
Birkbeck Univ London	7	2	492	70.3
Huazhong Univ Sci & Technol	5	5	215	43
UCL	5	2	576	115.2
CUNY	3	1	543	181
Cape Breton Univ	3	2	292	97.33
Univ Basel	3	3	392	130.7
Univ British Columbia	3	1	915	305
CUNY	3	2	543	181
No Arizona Univ	3	1	676	225.3
Univ Michigan	2	1	375	187.5
Univ Auckland	2	0	98	49
UCL	2	2	956	478
York Univ	2	2	241	120.5
Karl Franzens Univ Graz	2	0	204	102
Georgetown Univ	2	1	395	197.5
Univ Potsdam	2	0	694	347
Univ Tubingen	2	1	280	140
Univ Ghent	2	1	162	81
Penn State Univ	2	2	537	268.5
Golestan Univ	2	1	77	38.5
Univ Nottingham	2	1	281	140.5
Univ New South Wales	2	1	86	43
Ningbo Univ	2	2	61	30.5
Amer Univ Sharjah	2	0	204	102
Xiamen Univ	2	2	127	63.5
Univ Potsdam	2	0	694	347
Hong Kong Polytech Univ	2	2	148	74
Univ Technol Sydney	2	2	206	103
Macquarie University	2	2	226	113
Univ Maryland	2	1	292	146
CUNY	2	2	475	237.5
UiT Arctic Univ Norway;	2	1	146	73
Univ Nottingham	2	0	124	62

N: number of HCPs from each author; FA/CA: first author or corresponding author HCPs; TC: total citations of the HCPs from each author; C/HCP: average citations per HCP for each author.

In terms of the number of HCPs, Dewaele JM from Birkbeck Univ London tops the list with 7 HCPs with total citations of 492 (TC = 492), followed by Li C from Huazhong Univ Sci & Technol (#HCPs = 5; TC = 215) and Saito K from UCL (#HCPs = 5; TC = 576). It is to be noted that both Li C and Saito K have close academic collaborations with Dewaele JM . For example, 3 of the 5 HCPs by Li C are co-authored with Dewaele JM . The topics in their co-authored HCPs are mostly about foreign language learning emotions such as boredom , anxiety , enjoyment , the measurement , and positive psychology .

In regards to TC, Li, W . from UCL stands out as the most influential scholar among all the listed authors with total citations of 956 from 2 HCPs, followed by Norton B from Univ British Columbia (TC = 915) and Vasishth S from Univ Potsdam (TC = 694). The average citations per HCP from them are also the highest among the listed authors (478, 305, 347, respectively). It is important to note that Li, W.’ s 2 HCPs are his groundbreaking works on translanguaging which almost become must-reads for anyone who engages in translanguaging research ( Li, 2011 , 2018 ). Besides, Li, W. single authors his 2 HCPs, which is extremely rare as HCPs are often the results from multiple researchers. Norton B ’s HCPs are exploring some core issues in applied linguistics such as identity and investment , language learning , and social change that are considered the foundational work in its field ( Norton and Toohey, 2011 ; Darvin and Norton, 2015 ).

From the perspective of FA/CA papers, Li C from Huazhong Univ Sci and Technol is prominent because she is the first author of all her 5 HCPs. Her research on language learning emotions in the Chinese context is gaining widespread recognition ( Li et al., 2018 , 2019 , 2021 ; Li, 2019 , 2021 ). However, as a newly emerging researcher, most of her HCPs are published in the very recent years and hence accumulate relatively fewer citations (TC = 215). Mondada L from Univ Basel follows closely and single authors her 3 HCPs. Her work is mostly devoted to conversation analysis , multimodality , and social interaction ( Mondada, 2016 , 2018 , 2019 ).

We need to mention the following points regarding the productive authors of HCPs. First, when we calculated the number of HCPs from each author, only the papers published in the journals indexed in the investigated WoS categories were taken in account ( linguistics; language & linguistics ), which came as a compromise to protect the linguistics oriented nature of the HCPs. For example, Brysbaert M from Ghent University claimed a total of 8 HCPs at the time of the data retrieval, of which 6 HCPs were published in WoS category of psychology and more psychologically oriented, hence not included in our study. Besides, all the authors on the author list were treated equally when we calculated the number of HCPs, disregarding the author ordering. That implies that some influential authors may not be able to enter the list as their publications are comparatively fewer. Second, as some authors reported different affiliations at their different career stages, we only provide their most recent affiliation for convenience. Third, it is highly competitive to have one’s work selected as HCPs. The fact that a majority of the HCPs authors do not appear in our productive author list does not diminish their great contributions to this field. The rankings in Table 3 does not necessarily reflect the recognition authors have earned in academia at large.

4.3. Productive countries of HCPs

In total, the 143 HCPs originated from 33 countries. The most productive countries that contributed at least three HCPs are listed in Table 4 . The USA took an overwhelming lead with 59 HCPs, followed distantly by England with 31 HCPs. They also boasted the highest total citations (TC = 15,770; TC = 9,840), manifesting their high productivity and strong influence as traditional powerhouses in linguistics research. In regards to the average citations per HCP, Germany , England and the USA were the top three countries (TC/HCP = 281.67, 281.14, and 267.29, respectively). Although China held the third position with 19 HCPs published, its TC/HCP is the third from the bottom (TC/HCP = 66.84). One of the important reasons is that 13 out of the 19 HCPs contributed by scholars in China are published in the year of 2020 or 2021. The newly published HCPs may need more time to accumulate citations. Besides, 18 out of the 19 HCPs in China are first author and/or corresponding authors, indicating that scholars in China are becoming more independent and gaining more voice in English linguistics research.

Top 18 countries with at least 3 HCPs.

HCPs	HCPs %	TC	C/HCP	FA/CA
59	41.26	15,770	267.29	53
35	24.48	9,840	281.14	26
19	13.29	1,270	66.84	18
15	10.49	3,981	265.40	13
12	8.39	1,061	88.42	10
9	6.29	2,535	281.67	5
6	4.20	469	78.17	5
5	3.50	216	43.20	5
4	2.80	668	167.00	1
4	2.80	540	135.00	0
4	2.80	549	137.25	2
4	2.80	539	134.75	3
3	2.10	274	91.33	3
3	2.10	521	173.67	3
3	2.10	523	174.33	0
3	2.10	115	38.33	1
3	2.10	393	131.00	3
3	2.10	232	77.33	1

Two points should be noted here as to the productive countries. First, we calculated the HCP contributions from the country level instead of the region level. In other words, HCP contributions from different regions of the same country will be combined in the calculation. For example, HCPs from Scotland were added to the HCPs from England . HCPs from Hong Kong , Macau , and Taiwan are put together with the HCPs from Mainland China . In this way, a clear picture of the HCPs on the country level can be painted. Second, we manually checked the address information of the first author and corresponding author for each HCP. There are some cases where the first author or the corresponding author may report affiliations from more than one country. In this case, every country in their address list will be treated equally in the FA/CA calculation. In other word, a HCP may be classified into more than one country because of the different country backgrounds of the first and/or the corresponding author.

4.4. Top 20 HCPs

The top 20 HCPs with the highest normed citations are listed in decreasing order in Table 5 . The top cited publications can guide us to better understand the development and research topics in recent years.

Top 20 HCPs.

#	RC	NC	Authors	Title (Publication Year)	Journals
1	4,677	38.88	Barr, D.J., et al.	Random effects structure for confirmatory hypothesis testing: keep it maximal (2013)	Journal of Memory and Language
2	519	20.24	Lee, JB & Azios, JH	Facilitator Behaviors Leading to Engagement and Disengagement in Aphasia Conversation Groups (2020)	American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
3	583	8.57	Matuschek, H, et al.	Balancing type I error and power in linear mixed models (2017)	Journal of Memory and Language
4	1,313	8.42	Taboada, M, et al.	Lexicon-Based methods for sentiment analysis (2011)	Computational Linguistics
5	374	7.06	Li, W	Translanguaging as a Practical Theory of language (2018)	Applied Linguistics
6	136	5.44	Alva Manchego, F, et al.	Data-Driven sentence simplification: survey and benchmark (2020)	Computational Linguistics
7	693	5.22	Heritage, J	The epistemic engine: sequence organization and territories of language (2012)	Research on Language and Social Interaction
8	46	5.11	Zhang, Q; Yang, T	Reflections on the medium of instruction for ethnic minorities in Xinjiang: the case of bilingual schools in Urumqi (2021)	International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
9	560	5.08	Plonsky, L; Oswald, FL	How big is big? interpreting effect sizes in L2 research (2014)	Language Learning
10	371	4.65	Kuperberg, GR; Jaeger, TF	What do we mean by prediction in language comprehension? (2016)	Language Cognition and Neuroscience
11	41	4.56	Greenier, V, et al.	Emotion regulation and psychological well-being in teacher work engagement: a case of British and Iranian English…(2021)	System
12	240	4.49	Macaro, E, et al.	A systematic review of English medium instruction in higher education (2018)	Language Teaching
13	406	4.26	Otheguy, R, et al.	Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages:a perspective from linguistics (2015)	Applied Linguistics Review
14	107	4.24	Schad, DJ, et al.	How to capitalize on contrasts in linear(mixed) models: a tutorial (2020)	Journal of Memory and Language
15	38	4.22	Shirvan, ME; Taherian, T	Longitudinal examination of university students’ foreign language enjoyment and foreign language classroom anxiety…(2021)	International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
16	101	4.04	MacIntyre, PD, et al.	Language teachers’ coping strategies during the Covid-19 conversion to online…(2020)	System
17	320	4.03	Atkinson, D, et al.	A transdisciplinary framework for SLA in a multilingual world (2016)	Modern Language Journal
18	36	4.00	Jin, YX; Zhang, LJ	The dimensions of foreign language classroom enjoyment and their effect on foreign language achievement (2021)	International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
19	35	3.89	Derakhshan, A, et al.	Boredom in online classes in the Iranian EFL contexts: sources and solutions (2021)	System
20	575	3.83	Wei, L	Moment analysis and translanguaging space: discursive construction of identities…(2011)	Journal of Pragmatics

To save space, not full information about the HCPs is given. Some article titles have been abbreviated if they are too lengthy; for the authors, we report the first two authors and use “et al” if there are three authors or more; RC: raw citations; NC: normalized citations

By reading the titles and the abstracts of these top HCPs, we categorized the topics of the 20 HCPs into the following five groups: (i) statistical and analytical methods in (psycho)linguistics such as sentimental analysis, sentence simplification techniques, effect sizes, linear mixed models (#1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 14), (ii) language learning/teaching emotions such enjoyment, anxiety, boredom, stress (#11, 15, 16, 18, 19), (iii) translanguaging or multilinguilism (#5, 13, 20, 17), (iv) language perception (#2, 7, 10), (v) medium of instruction (#8, 12). It is no surprise that 6 out of the top 20 HCPs are about statistical methods in linguistics because language researchers aspire to employ statistics to make their research more scientific. Besides, we noticed that the papers on language teaching/learning emotions on the list are all published in the year of 2020 and 2021, indicating that these emerging topics may deserve more attention in future research. We also noticed two Covid-19 related articles (#16, 19) explored the emotions teachers and students experience during the pandemic, a timely response to the urgent need of the language learning and teaching community.

It is of special interest to note that papers from the journals indexed in multiple JCR categories seem to accumulate more citations. For example, Journal of Memory and Language , American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology , and Computational Linguistics are indexed both in SSCI and SCIE and contribute the top 4 HCPs, manifesting the advantage of these hybrid journals in amassing citations compared to the conventional language journals. Besides, different to findings from Yan et al. (2022) that most of the top HCPs in the field of radiology are reviews in document types, 19 out of the top 20 HCPs are research articles instead of reviews except Macaro et al. (2018) .

4.5. Most frequently explored topics of HCPs

After obtaining the corpus based topic items, we read all the titles and abstracts of the 143 HCPs to further validate their roles as research topics. Table 6 presents the top research topics with the observed frequency of 5 or above. We grouped these topics into five broad categories: bilingual-related, language learning/teaching-related, psycho/pathological/cognitive linguistics-related, methods and tools-related, and others . The observed frequency count for each topic in the abstract corpus were included in the brackets. We found that about 34 of the 143 HCPs are exploring bilingual related issues, the largest share among all the categorized topics, testifying its academic popularity in the examined timespan. Besides, 30 of the 143 HCPs are investigating language learning/teaching-related issues, with topics ranging from learners (e.g., EFL learners, individual difference) to multiple learning variables (e.g., learning strategy, motivation, agency). The findings here will be validated by the analysis of the keywords.

Categorization of the most explored research topics.

Categories	N	hot topic items
Multilingual-related	34	Multilingualism(127), translanguaging(42), heritage language/speakers/learners(31), language/education policy(6)
Language learning/teaching-related	30	Language/writing development(35), academic writing/vocabulary/publishing(22), learning strategy(20), motivation(17), individual differences(13), CLIL(11), agency(11), flipped classroom(9), self-efficacy(9), EFL learner(7), ELF (7), early language(7)
Psycho/pathological/cognitive linguistics-related	25	Emotion(47), FLE(42), cognition(39), anxiety(35), FLCA(30), stuttering(21), anxiety/language/fluency disorder(16), boredom(14), language impairment(14), brain(11), working memory(9), speech language pathology/therapy/pathologists(7), positive psychology(6), language ideology(5)
Methods and tools-related	16	Model(67), review (35), qualitative data(14), quantitative data(8), corpus-based studies/teaching(6), longitudinal study/analysis(5), sentiment analysis(5), meta-analysis(5), eye tracking(4), mixed method(4)
Others	38	Lexical(25), identity(21), social interaction/difficulties(17), sematic models/mapping(15), Covid-19(9)

N: the number of the HCPs in each topic category; ELF: English as a lingua franca; CLIL: content and language integrated learning; FLE: foreign language enjoyment; FLCA: foreign language classroom anxiety

Several points should be mentioned regarding the topic candidacy. First, for similar topic expressions, we used a cover term and added the frequency counts. For example, multilingualism is a cover term for bilinguals, bilingualism, plurilingualism, and multilingualism . Second, for nouns of singular and plural forms (e.g., emotion and emotions ) or for items with different spellings (e.g., meta analysis and meta analyses ), we combined the frequency counts. Third, we found that some longer items (3 grams and 4 grams) could be subsumed to short ones (2 grams or monogram) without loss of essential meaning (e.g., working memory from working memory capacity ). In this case, the shorter ones were kept for their higher frequency. Fourth, some highly frequent terms were discarded because they were too general to be valuable topics in language research, for example, applied linguistics , language use , second language .

5. Discussion and implications

Based on 143 highly cited papers collected from the WoS categories of linguistics , the present study attempts to present a bird’s eye view of the publication landscape and the most updated research themes reflected from the HCPs in the linguistics field. Specifically, we investigated the important contributors of HCPs in terms of journals, authors and countries. Besides, we spotlighted the research topics by corpus-based analysis of the abstracts and a detailed analysis of the top HCPs. The study has produced several findings that bear important implications.

The first finding is that the HCPs are highly concentrated in a limited journals and countries. In regards to journals, those in the spheres of bilingualism and applied linguistics (e.g., language teaching and learning) are likely to accumulate more citations and hence to produce more HCPs. Journals that focus on bilingualism from a linguistic, psycholinguistic, and neuroscientific perspective are the most frequent outlets of HCPs as evidenced by the top two productive journals of HCPs, Bilingualism Language and Cognition and International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism . This can be explained by the multidisciplinary nature of bilingual-related research and the development of cognitive measurement techniques. The merits of analyzing publication venues of HCPs are two folds. One the one hand, it can point out which sources of high-quality publications in this field can be inquired for readers as most of the significant and cutting-edge achievements are concentrated in these prestigious journals. On the other hand, it also provides essential guidance or channels for authors or contributors to submit their works for higher visibility.

In terms of country distributions, the traditional powerhouses in linguistics research such as the USA and England are undoubtedly leading the HCP publications in both the number and the citations of the HCPs. However, developing countries are also becoming increasing prominent such as China and Iran , which could be traceable in the funding and support of national language policies and development policies as reported in recent studies ( Ping et al., 2009 ; Lei and Liu, 2019 ). Take China as an example. Along with economic development, China has given more impetus to academic outputs with increased investment in scientific research ( Lei and Liao, 2017 ). Therefore, researchers in China are highly motivated to publish papers in high-quality journals to win recognition in international academia and to deal with the publish or perish pressure ( Lee, 2014 ). These factors may explain the rise of China as a new emerging research powerhouse in both natural and social sciences, including English linguistics research.

The second finding is the multilingual trend in linguistics research. The dominant clustering of topics regarding multilingualism can be understood as a timely response to the multilingual research fever ( May, 2014 ). 34 out of the 143 HCPs have such words as bilingualism, bilingual, multilingualism , translanguaging , etc., in their titles, reflecting a strong multilingual tendency of the HCPs. Multilingual-related HCPs mainly involve three aspects: multilingualism from the perspectives of psycholinguistics and cognition (e.g., Luk et al., 2011 ; Leivada et al., 2020 ); multilingual teaching (e.g., Schissel et al., 2018 ; Ortega, 2019 ; Archila et al., 2021 ); language policies related to multilingualism (e.g., Shen and Gao, 2018 ). As a pedagogical process initially used to describe the bilingual classroom practice and also a frequently explored topic in HCPs, translanguaging is developed into an applied linguistics theory since Li’s Translanguaging as a Practical Theory of Language ( Li, 2018 ). The most common collocates of translanguaging in the Abstract corpus are pedagogy/pedagogies, practices, space/spaces . There are two main reasons for this multilingual turn. First, the rapid development of globalization, immigration, and overseas study programs greatly stimulate the use and research of multiple languages in different linguistic contexts. Second, in many non-English countries, courses are delivered through languages (mostly English) besides their mother tongue ( Clark, 2017 ). Students are required to use multiple languages as resources to learn and understand subjects and ideas. The burgeoning body of English Medium Instruction literature in higher education is in line with the rising interest in multilingualism. Due to the innate multidisciplinary nature, it is to be expected that, multilingualism, the topic du jour, is bound to attract more attention in the future.

The third finding is the application of Positive Psychology (PP) in second language acquisition (SLA), that is, the positive trend in linguistic research. In our analysis, 20 out of 143 HCPs have words or phrases such as emotions, enjoyment, boredom, anxiety , and positive psychology in their titles, which might signal a shift of interest in the psychology of language learners and teachers in different linguistic environments. Our study shows Foreign language enjoyment (FLE) is the most frequently explored emotion, followed by foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA), the learners’ metaphorical left and right feet on their journey to acquiring the foreign language ( Dewaele and MacIntyre, 2016 ). In fact, the topics of PP are not entirely new to SLA. For example, studies of language motivations, affections, and good language learners all provide roots for the emergence of PP in SLA ( Naiman, 1978 ; Gardner, 2010 ). In recent years, both research and teaching applications of PP in SLA are building rapidly, with a diversity of topics already being explored such as positive education and PP interventions. It is to be noted that SLA also feeds back on PP theories and concepts besides drawing inspirations from it, which makes it “an area rich for interdisciplinary cross-fertilization of ideas” ( Macintyre et al., 2019 ).

It should be noted that subjectivity is involved when we decide and categorize the candidate topic items based on the Abstract corpus. However, the frequency and range criteria guarantee that these items are actually more explored in multiple HCPs, thus indicating topic values for further investigation. Some high frequent n-grams are abandoned because they are too general or not meaningful topics. For example, applied linguistics is too broad to be included as most of the HCPs concern issues in this research line instead of theoretical linguistics. By meaningful topics, we mean that the topics can help journal editors and readers quickly locate their interested fields ( Lei and Liu, 2019 ), as the author keywords such as bilingualism , emotions , and individual differences . The examination of the few 3/4-grams and monograms (mostly nouns) revealed that most of them were either not meaningful topics or they could be subsumed in the 2-grams. Besides, there is inevitably some overlapping in the topic categorizations. For example, some topics in the language teaching and learning category are situated and discussed within the context of multilingualism. The merits of topic categorizations are two folds: to better monitor the overlapping between the Abstract corpus-based topic items and the keywords; to roughly delineate the research strands in the HCPs for future research.

It should also be noted that all the results were based on the retrieved HCPs only. The study did not aim to paint a comprehensive and full picture of the whole landscape of linguistic research. Rather, it specifically focused on the most popular literature in a specified timeframe, thus generating the snapshots or trends in linguistic research. One of the important merits of this methodology is that some newly emerging but highly cited researchers can be spotlighted and gain more academic attention because only the metrics of HCPs are considered in calculation. On the contrary, the exclusion of some other highly cited researchers in general such as Rod Ellis and Ken Hyland just indicates that their highly cited publications are not within our investigated timeframe and cannot be interpreted as their diminishing academic influence in the field. Besides, the study does not consider the issue of collaborators or collaborations in calculating the number of HCPs for two reasons. First, although some researchers are regular collaborators such as Li CC and Dewaele JM, their individual contribution can never be undermined. Second, the study also provides additional information about the number of the FA/CA HCPs from each listed author, which may aid readers in locating their interested research.

We acknowledge that our study has some limitations that should be addressed in future research. First, our study focuses on the HCPs extracted from WoS SSCI and A&HCI journals, the alleged most celebrated papers in this field. Future studies may consider including data from other databases such as Scopus to verify the findings of the present study. Second, our Abstract corpus-based method for topic extraction involved human judgement. Although the final list was the result of several rounds of discussions among the authors, it is difficult or even impossible to avoid subjectivity and some worthy topics may be unconsciously missed. Therefore, future research may consider employing automatic algorithms to extract topics. For example, a dependency-based machine learning approach can be used to identify research topics ( Zhu and Lei, 2021 ).

Data availability statement

Author contributions.

SY: conceptualization and methodology. SY and LZ: writing-review and editing and writing-original draft. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

This work was supported by Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Fund of China MOE under the grant 20YJC740076 and 18YJC740141.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

Supplementary material

The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1052586/full#supplementary-material

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Zhu H., Lei L. (2022). The research trends of text classification studies (2000–2020): a bibliometric analysis . SAGE Open 12 , 215824402210899–215824402210816. doi: 10.1177%2F21582440221089963 [ Google Scholar ]

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The Importance of the English Language in Today's World Free Essay Example
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211 Interesting Research Topics in Linguistics For Your Thesis
211 Research Topics in Linguistics To Get Top Grades
129 List Of Research Topics In English Language ...
Research in English Language Teaching (ELT) encompasses a wide range of areas, including: Language Learning: Understanding how people learn English well, like when they learn a new language and if there's a best time to do it. Teaching Ways: Looking into different ways teachers teach, like using conversations, tasks, or mixing language with other subjects.
110 Excellent English Research Topics and Ideas
100 Excellent English Research Topics and Ideas
130+ Original Linguistics Research Topics: That Need To Know
Find over 130 original and creative research topics for linguistics and English language papers. Explore topics on language evolution, acquisition, social media, sociolinguistics, and more.
Visualizing Research Trends in English Language Teaching (ELT) From
Visualizing Research Trends in English Language Teaching ...
English Research Paper Topics & Ideas to Make Successful Submission
English Research Paper Topics & Ideas to Make ...
A Quantitative Investigation of the Relationship Between English
Long- Term English language learners (LTELLs) who have attended U.S. schools for 5 or more years without attaining sufficient English language proficiency (Windy Desert School District, 2010). Researchers Menken, Kleyn, and Chae (2012) found that many of these students speak colloquial English but read and write far below grade level. This
English Language Dissertation Topics for FREE
Research from Kaplan (1966) shows that native English speakers prefer to use deductive forms of discourse, whereas Chinese EFL speakers prefer inductive forms of discourse. However, this research is quite out of date, and since many Chinese people have become English language learners since 1966 (and many now live in the UK), you might question ...
Top 100 Linguistic Research Topics for Students
Here is a list of the most interesting linguistics topics that students can choose for their papers and essays. Explain how sociolinguistics help people understand multi-lingual language choices. A study of differences and similarities of Post-Tudor English. How language encourages gender differences.
The Use of English Language in Research
Prof. V. Chandra Sekhar Rao. 1. The Use of English Language in Research. Prof. V. Chandra Sekhar Ra o ([email protected]) Professor in English, SITECH, Hyderabad, India. Abstract. English as the ...
Investigating the Relationship Among English Language Learning
Multivariate Analyses. Finally, we investigated the effect of strategy use on English language achievement and attitudes. As Oxford's Strategic S 2 R Model considers strategies as being closely directed by their corresponding meta-strategies, we have regarded the strategies and their meta-strategy counterparts as common factors. The correlation coefficient was statistically significant ...
(PDF) Action Research in English Language Teaching: Contributions and
Burns A (2010) Doing action research in English language teaching: a guide for practitioners. Routledge, New Y ork Burns A (2011) Action research in the ﬁ eld of second language teaching and ...
PDF 100 Years of Research on English Language Learning/Teaching ...
Technology-based materials. The orientation of these studies showed two streams in the scopes of the literature. First, some investigated the effects of technology-based materials on teaching and learning language skills (N = 9). Second, some probed extralinguistic factors like motivation or culture (N = 19).
English for Academic Research: Grammar, Usage and Style
About this book. This guide draws on English-related errors from around 6000 papers written by non-native authors, 500 abstracts written by PhD students, and over 2000 hours of teaching researchers how to write and present research papers. This new edition has chapters on exploiting AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Translate, and Reverso, for ...
Thesis Topics Related to Language Learning and Acquisition
Anthony Fonseca - Updated June 27, 2018. Language learning and acquisition is an excellent potential thesis topic for students working towards a master's degree in English, Linguistics, Education or English as a Second Language (ESL). It is also a good choice for seniors who have opted for the thesis option, especially those in honors programs.
Research Engagement in Language Education
Classroom-based research: a well-established paradigm. There is a burgeoning body of literature which documents the development of approaches adopted by language teachers who engage in research practices, such as Action Research (e.g., Burns 2019; Banegas and Consoli 2020); Teacher Research (Borg and Sanchez 2015; Wyatt and Dikilitaş 2016 ...
Action Research in English Language Teaching: Contributions ...
Although the concept of action research extends to many fields, such as health care (Koshy et al. 2011), business and management (Coghlan and Shani 2016), organizational and human development (Maurer and Githens 2010), and social work (Winter and Munn-Giddings 2001), the focus in this chapter is on educational action research and more specifically on action research in English language teaching.
language learning research: Topics by Science.gov
Review of Doctoral Research in Second-Language Teaching and Learning in England (2006). ERIC Educational Resources Information Center. Marsden, Emma; Graham, Suzanne. 2009-01-01. Using the British "Index to Theses", we found forty-seven Ph.D.s relating to second and foreign language learning and/or teaching defended in English universities in 2006. Objective criteria led us to fourteen theses ...
English Research Article Titles: Cultural and Disciplinary Perspectives
This article investigated the English research article (RA) titles across different disciplines and cultures. To this end, 600 RA titles in the Chinese context and 600 RA titles in the international context were collected from six disciplines, which are grouped as social and natural sciences. The frequency of title types, their subtypes, and ...
Frequently Researched Topics in English Language Theses and
10 Table 1.5: Synthesis of the Excluded Researches Author & Year Objectives Title Adverse Factors Affecting Guanghui, Mainland Chinese (2012) Students' Oral Proficiency in the English Language Synthesis Lu It aimed at identifying the factors that may adversely affect the development of the oral English proficiency of the second and third year ...
Trends and hot topics in linguistics studies from 2011 to 2021: A
High citations most often characterize quality research that reflects the foci of the discipline. This study aims to spotlight the most recent hot topics and the trends looming from the highly cited papers (HCPs) in Web of Science category of linguistics and language & linguistics with bibliometric analysis. The bibliometric information of the 143 HCPs based on Essential Citation Indicators ...
Language Research Topics
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129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching [updated]

What Are The Areas Of Research In English Language Teaching?

129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching: Category Wise

Teaching Methodologies and Approaches

Curriculum Design and Syllabus Development

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Technology in ELT

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