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In:Reflexive and Reflective Research Approaches in Applied Linguistics
Edited by Pejman Habibie and Richard D. Sawyer
[Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 8] 2025
► pp. 152–170

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Chapter 9
Narrative inquiry in Applied Linguistics Research

The pleasures and perils

ORCiD logo with link | Sophia University, Tokyo
Published online: 3 March 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/rmal.8.09oka
Abstract
Everyone loves a good story, including an increasing number of scholars in Applied Linguistics. A well-told story holds our attention, conveys messages that might otherwise be lost in conventional research reports’ dense, dry prose, and connects readers to experiences in their own lives. Novice and experienced scholars alike who are deeply interested in people’s lives may find that some Applied Linguistics literature misses what they are most drawn to. Its distanced and impersonal stance somehow does not feel right when we wish to learn about people’s lives. The fact that stories are so (deceptively) easy to tell and compelling to read and listen to thus holds great appeal, particularly for novice scholars who are interested in doing research on people’s lives and experiences with languages, such as learning and teaching second and foreign languages. However, they may not fully comprehend the perils, as well as the pleasures, of conducting and writing up narrative inquiry. In this chapter, I begin with a brief background and history of narrative inquiry in applied linguistics. I follow by addressing the pleasures and perils, as well as the ethical concerns involved in conducting and writing narrative inquiry, with the goal of making a case for the value of carefully done narrative inquiry in Applied Linguistics research.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • A brief background and history
    • What is narrative inquiry?
    • Narrative inquiry in applied linguistics
  • Pleasures
    • Listening to and documenting stories
    • Constructing stories
    • New awareness of self
    • Empowerment and agency
    • Reflectivity and reflexivity
    • Engaging and accessible writing
  • Perils
    • Pretensions to truth and authenticity
    • Fuzzy and ubiquitous nature of stories, narratives, and narrative inquiry
    • Stand-alone stories
    • Stories told in L2
    • Transcripts as ‘real’ data
    • Time-consuming and labor-intensive research approach
  • Ethical concerns
  • Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
References (103)
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