Time series analysis as an emerging method for researching L2 affective variables.

In language studies, marked by a myriad of psychological and social, and linguistic factors, linear modeling fails to represent the creativity, irregularity and emergent patterns of behavior. To adequately represent the dynamicity and complexity of psychological or affective variables, time-sensitive non-linear modeling is needed, especially the time series analysis (TSA), which accommodates incompatibility over time. TSA is a mathematical framework that can effectively show whether and to what degree the measured time series represent nonlinear variation through time. TSA makes prediction or retrodiction of complex and dynamic phenomena possible in future or past and, thus, can significantly contribute to the unraveling of the nuanced changes in the progress of different learner-related constructs during learning a new language. The present paper, at first, offers an introductory overview of the TSA, and then pinpoints its technical features and procedures. Exemplary works of research in language studies will be reviewed next, followed by useful conclusive remarks about the subject. Finally, suggestions will be made for further investigation of language-related affective variables using this innovative method.

Exploring an EAP writing teacher's adaptive expertise and adaptive teaching practices from a CDST perspective.

Teachers' adaptive expertise (TAE) has received increasing attention in the current English as foreign language (EFL) teaching field, however, it has seldom been examined with adaptive practices by teachers in on-going classes among existing literature. Adopting a mixed-method design with data triangulation, this study was conducted to explore the complexity of teachers' adaptive expertise (TAE) and adaptive teaching practices that an EAP writing teacher demonstrated in academic writing courses, from a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) perspective. Semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and questionnaires were arranged to collect qualitative and quantitative data from an EAP writing teacher and 43 EFL learners in a Chinese university. Thematic analysis and SPSS were mainly used in the current work for data analysis. Our findings confirmed (1) the complexity of TAE and ATP with specific features of non-linearity, interconnectedness, and self-organization, which are classic CDST characteristics; (2) the TAE evolved with meta-cognitive, cognitive, affective and social components that are intertwined and contributed to the teacher's adaptive teaching practices (ATP) in her academic writing course; (3) being facilitated by TAE, the teacher's adaptive teaching practices significantly enhanced EFL learners, learning motivation of academic writing and their learning efficiency. Findings of the current work pave the way for future studies in researching TAE and ATP with a thorough consideration of language teachers, students and contexts from the CDST perspective. Moreover, pedagogical contributions are highlighted through the detailed examinations of the EAP writing teacher's ATP, including the class design, teaching plans, and methods, which would be fruitful for the development of tertiary EAP writing research.

The significance of Q-methodology as an innovative method for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition.

Q methodology has been used in a variety of fields to employ a scientific approach to dealing with subjectivity; yet, its use has just gained momentum in the second language acquisition (SLA) domain recently (Damio, 2016). The present paper argues that Q methodology is remarkably efficient in representing the dynamic quality of complex systems involved in the language learning process, which is, thus, compatible with the complexity and dynamic systems theory (CDST). As Q methodology enjoys advantages of both qualitative and quantitative lines of research (Irie, 2014), it helps to explore and reflect L2 learners' subjective views and perceptions about their emotions in an L2 class in a comprehensive manner. With the current growing attention to individuals' emotional experiences in recent years, SLA research domain is ripe for many scientific inquiries about L2 learners' affective variables benefiting from this method. The few existing studies in the L2 domain have had interesting findings, which show the Q methodology should be more extensively used in the field to reveal facts about how learners feel in class from a within-individual point of view. Q methodology can hopefully be capable of representing the dynamicity and complexity of the affective variables language learners experience in the interactive network of classroom learning. Thus, it is expected that innovative research methods such as the Q methodology be employed significantly more than before in the dynamic phase of SLA research in the upcoming years.

In search of well-established evaluative criteria for the emerging qualitative methods of L2 affective variables.

Qualitative research is marked by context sensitivity with an inclusion of the participants' points of view and setting, how they can affect how participants feel and how this feeling is captured and interpreted by researchers (Yardley, 2017). This is the value of exploring affective variables through qualitative research. The present study focuses on the qualitative studies of L2 affective variables in recent years led by the complexity dynamic systems theory (CDST). This new line of research has employed innovative research methods compatible with the CDST, and has had useful findings. Yet, they seem to lack rigor and systematicity of research. Thus, this observed lack of consistency is problematized in the present study and attempts are made to set evaluative criteria for the judgment of the burgeoning studies and guiding the future line of qualitative and dynamic inquiry in the L2 affective domain. To this aim, the different sets of evaluative criteria proposed for qualitative research are derived from the mostly cited scholars in the research methodology. The relevance of each to the dynamic qualitative investigations of L2 affective variables is discussed. Then these evaluative criteria are abstracted and put forth for the qualitative research in the dynamic phase of second language acquisition (SLA) research. The overall goal is to guide future researchers with an interest in investigating the dynamic and developmental nature of L2 affective variables qualitatively. These evaluative criteria can pave the way for the emergence of more rigorous and systematic qualitative studies of L2 affective factors in the future.

The need for social network analysis for the investigation of affective variables in second language acquisition.

Considering the inherent developmental nature of language learners' affective variables (e.g., their motivation, grit, foreign language enjoyment, and boredom), nuances of the development of these constructs need to be approached from a complex dynamic systems theory (CDST) perspective. Among the qualitative research methodologies compatible with the CDST is the social network analysis (SNA) with the interconnectedness and interdependence of systems within a social network at its core. In this article, an overall introduction to SNA is presented first and then followed by a review of the limited existing literature on second language acquisition (SLA) studies. Then, I argue why this innovative research method is suitable to investigate the dynamic nature of L2 learners' affective variables in the social network of classroom learning. I also suggest several relevant research questions that can potentially be formulated and answered using the SNA. The article ends with conclusive remarks on the need for a more extensive use of innovative CDST-compatible research methods such as SNA in the prospective SLA line of research.

A CDST Perspective on Variability in Foreign Language Learners' Listening Development.

Within a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) framework, this longitudinal qualitative study explored the complex patterns and identified the degree of variability in three learners' developmental process. Learners' listening performance was tracked and examined every 6 weeks, followed by retrospective interviews and self-reflections every 7 weeks over the 43-month span. A series of CDST techniques were adopted for data analysis, including using min-max graphs to trace the minimum and maximum scores on the EFL learners' listening developmental indices over time. Monte-Carlo and Loess smoothing analyses were applied to gauge for degrees of variability. The results suggest that: (1) Min-max graphs and smoothed Loess curves depict flux developmental processes of learners' L2 listening; (2) learners differed from each other in the degree of inter-individual variability in their listening developmental trajectory; and (3) occurrence of unanticipated patterns confirm that learners demonstrated personalized intra-individual variability within their unique listening developmental process. Results indicate that variability is a pattern characteristic of CDST both between and within individuals, and inform us about how Chinese EFL listeners' language develops. We conclude by discussing the implications for researchers and practitioners who are concerned with learners' developmental trajectories and unexpected changing patterns in the process of foreign language learning.