Ethnography in TESOL

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Ethnography in TESOL
Language: English
Authors: Peter Sayer (ORCID 0000-0002-1468-6256)
Source: TESOL Quarterly. 2026 60(2):846-866.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 21
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Evaluative
Descriptors: Ethnography, Second Language Instruction, English (Second Language), Language Research, Sociolinguistics, Language Usage, Educational Research, Publications
DOI: 10.1002/tesq.70131
ISSN: 0039-8322
1545-7249
Abstract: Contemporary research in TESOL spans a range of ethnographic approaches from ethnography of communication and language socialization to narrative inquiry, critical ethnography, autoethnography, and digital ethnography. The foci of ethnographic work have evolved from earlier work focusing on interactional approaches that examined how L2 learners acquire the sociolinguistic rules of language use to studies centering on the identities of learners and teachers. The article considers how studies published in "TESOL Quarterly" over 60 years represent the approaches, trends, and impact of ethnography on scholarship in the field. Two examples of ethnographic studies appearing in "TQ" are discussed in detail. Some researcher tasks and future directions for ethnography in TESOL are considered.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505799
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Contemporary research in TESOL spans a range of ethnographic approaches from ethnography of communication and language socialization to narrative inquiry, critical ethnography, autoethnography, and digital ethnography. The foci of ethnographic work have evolved from earlier work focusing on interactional approaches that examined how L2 learners acquire the sociolinguistic rules of language use to studies centering on the identities of learners and teachers. The article considers how studies published in "TESOL Quarterly" over 60 years represent the approaches, trends, and impact of ethnography on scholarship in the field. Two examples of ethnographic studies appearing in "TQ" are discussed in detail. Some researcher tasks and future directions for ethnography in TESOL are considered.
ISSN:0039-8322
1545-7249
DOI:10.1002/tesq.70131