Read the abstract and answer the following questions:

It is widely acknowledged that the expansion of English has had a democratising effect: knowledge is

now accessible to a larger number of people worldwide. However, it is also contended that the

uncritical and unreflective teaching of English is contributing to reproducing power structures,

accentuating inequalities among speakers. This article presents the results of a study carried out with

86 final-year students in the Degree of Primary Education (English) at the university of Seville.

Working within the framework of critical research, and combing both quantitative and qualitative

methods, this study analyses students’ perceptions on communicative competence, on the factors that

bear upon successful communication, and their capacity to identify and understand power relations in

communicative interactions. Results show that communicative competence does not necessarily entail

learner empowerment; learners are too worried about their linguistic aspects and accuracy whey they

speak English; they aspire to a model—the native speaker- that they can never reach; and they are not

aware of power inequalities, they origin and how they transpire in communicative situations. This

analysis points to the need to include a critical component in English language teaching to equip

learners to identify and tackle power asymmetries in communicative interactions.

1- Write two research questions for the study.

2- Propose a methodology to conduct the study (Research Design, Sampling, Data Collection Tools)
1. Research Questions

Based on the abstract, here are two research questions for the study:

1. How do final-year students in the Degree of Primary Education (English) perceive their
communicative competence in English, and what factors do they believe contribute to
successful communication?

2. To what extent are these students aware of power relations in communicat ive
interactions, and how do these perceptions affect their ability to identify and understand
power inequalities?

2. Proposed Methodology

Research Design:

 Framework: Critical research framework

 Approach: Mixed-methods approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods

 Duration: 1 academic semester (approx. 4 months)

Sampling:

 Population: Final-year students in the Degree of Primary Education (English) at the Univers ity
of Seville

 Sample Size: 86 students (as specified in the abstract)

 Sampling Technique: Convenience sampling, since the study focuses on a specific group of
students already available

Data Collection Tools:

1. Quantitative Methods:

o Surveys/Questionnaires:

 Use Likert-scale questions to measure students' perceptions of their

communicative competence and the factors contributing to successful
communication.

 Include items assessing their awareness of power relations in communicative

interactions.

o Example Questions:

 "I feel confident in my ability to communicate effectively in English."

 "I am aware of how power dynamics influence conversations in English."

 2. Qualitative Methods:

o Interviews:

 Conduct semi-structured interviews with a subset of the students (e.g., 10-15

students) to gain deeper insights into their perceptions and experiences.

 Focus on open-ended questions to explore their understanding of

communicative competence and power relations in greater detail.

o Focus Groups:

 Organize focus group discussions to facilitate peer interaction and discussio n

on the topics of communicative competence and power relations.

 Use thematic analysis to identify common themes and patterns in the qualitative
data.
o Example Questions:

 "Can you describe a situation where you felt your communicative competence
in English was challenged?"

 "How do you perceive the influence of power dynamics in your interactio ns

when speaking English?"

Analysis:

1. Quantitative Analysis:

o Use descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) to summarize survey responses.

o Apply inferential statistics (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA) to examine differences in perceptions

based on variables such as gender, language proficiency, and exposure to native
speakers.

2. Qualitative Analysis:

o Perform thematic analysis on interview and focus group transcripts to identify recurring
themes and patterns related to communicative competence and power relations.

o Use coding techniques to categorize and interpret the qualitative data, ensuring that the
analysis is grounded in the participants' experiences and perspectives.

Conclusion:

This methodology aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how final-year students perceive
their communicative competence, the factors influencing successful communication, and their
awareness of power relations. By integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, the study can
capture both broad trends and in-depth insights, contributing to a nuanced understanding of these issues
in the context of English language teaching.
1. Research Questions:
o Does communicative competence in English necessarily lead to learner empowerment
among pre-service primary school teachers?
o How do pre-service primary school teachers perceive the role of power dynamics in
communicative interactions in English?
2. Proposed Methodology:
o Research Design: Mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative
data collection and analysis. This allows for a more comprehensive understanding of
the complex issues involved.
o Sampling: A purposive sample of pre-service primary school teachers enrolled in
English language teacher education programs. The original study used 86 final-year
students, which could be a suitable sample size depending on the context of the new
study. Consider factors like the diversity of the student population and the resources
available.
o Data Collection Tools:
 Surveys: Quantitative surveys can be used to gather data on students' self-
perceived communicative competence and their beliefs about successful
communication. Use established scales or develop new ones based on the
research questions.
 Interviews: Semi-structured interviews can provide richer qualitative data on
students' perceptions of power relations in communication. Develop an
interview protocol with open-ended questions that encourage participants to
reflect on their experiences and beliefs.
 Classroom Observations: Observe students in communicative activities to
gather data on their actual language use and interaction patterns. Develop a
structured observation protocol to ensure consistency and focus.
 Discourse Analysis: Analyze written or spoken language data (e.g., from
interviews or classroom observations) to identify patterns and themes related
to power dynamics in communication.