A Data-Driven Critical Review of Second Language Acquisition in the Past 30 Years

Abstract

This study aims to provide a comprehensive and data-driven review of the knowledge domain of second language acquisition (SLA) and pedagogy in the past 30 years. Using knowledge domain visualization techniques, the study first provides a review of SLA at the disciplinary level. It then identifies the major research areas and current research frontiers in the SLA research landscape based on high-quality data retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) databases. The study provides useful references for future research and pedagogy in the field in which literature reviews employing scientometric methodology and driven by data, such as the present one, are rare, and thus, are much in need of supplement views produced by traditional literature reviews.

The global trends of migraine research from 2010 to 2019: a scientometric study

“…References with citation bursts are those that have a sudden increase in citations and receive widespread attention over a period of time (29,30). In CiteSpace, we set the threshold and minimum burst duration to 4 years.…”

“…Papers with a high citation burst indicate the emerging trends and research frontiers in a specialized field within a period of time (3,16,29,30). The top 22 references with strong citation bursts were identified by CiteSpace.…”

Mapping Research on L2 Pronunciation

“…In this study, we opted for cocitation analysis over its alternative bibliographic coupling. This practice has been found in many other bibliometric studies (e.g., Andrews, 2003;Chen, 2018;Shiau et al, 2015). Bibliographic coupling creates maps on the basis of publications in their citing modality and cocitation analysis cited modality, which makes the former static and the latter a dynamic one (Van Raan, 2014).…”

Systematic Review of Research in Second Language Acquisition: A Snapshot of the Past Ten Years (2009 – September 2019)

“…Not only are learning and acquisition used interchangeably. Second language and foreign language are used in a similar fashion as well (Chen, 2018). Second language acquisition (SLA) has experienced an enormous expansion in terms of research and methodology since its inception (Pica, 2005).…”