On Thursday and Friday, March 6th & 7th, 2025, LEAL had the pleasure of hosting Professor Mireia Ortega from Universitat de Barcelona for a series of seminars titled Making Sense of Data: An Introduction to Descriptive Statistics in Second Language Learning Research and Exploring Second Language Data: A hands-on Approach to Inferential Statistics.
Mireia Ortega (Ph.D Universitat de Barcelona) is a tenure-track professor at the University of Barcelona. She has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in phonetics and phonology, English language, applied linguistics, second language acquisition, pragmatics, academic writing, English grammar, and inferential statistics. Her research focuses on individual learner differences, pragmatic development in EFL contexts, pragmatic and phonological crosslinguistic influence, pronunciation teaching, and phonetic training methods. She is particularly interested in L2 pronunciation learning through pronunciation-focused task-based instruction and high-variability phonetic training.
The sessions explored essential techniques in L2 research:
Making Sense of Data: An Introduction to Descriptive Statistics in Second Language Learning Research
The goal of this seminar is to provide students with a foundational understanding of descriptive statistics and their application in second language learning research. This session combines theoretical concepts with practical exercises, equipping participants with essential tools for summarizing and interpreting research data. The seminar covers key statistical measures, including central tendency (mean, median) and variability (range, standard deviation), as well as data visualization techniques such as histograms and box plots. Additionally, we will discuss normality as a fundamental aspect of data distribution and its role in guiding statistical analysis. Through a combination of theoretical explanations and hands-on activities, students will work with real-world datasets, apply descriptive statistical techniques, and explore their role in quantitative research. This interactive approach ensures that participants develop a solid foundation in understanding and using descriptive statistics effectively in their own research.
Exploring Second Language Data: A hands-on Approach to Inferential Statistics
This course provides a practical introduction to inferential statistical techniques commonly used in second language learning research. Designed for researchers looking to move beyond descriptive statistics, the course focuses on methods for analysing relationships and differences within language data. Participants will learn how to apply correlation, t-tests, and one-way ANOVA to investigate research questions related to second language acquisition. Through step-by-step demonstrations and hands-on exercises, participants will gain experience in selecting appropriate statistical tests, running analyses, and interpreting the results. Using real-world datasets, they will develop the skills needed to apply these methods effectively in their own research. By the end of the course, attendees will have a working knowledge of inferential statistics, enabling them to confidently explore second language data and draw meaningful conclusions to support their research findings.
We are deeply grateful to Prof. Ortega for her insightful talks and look forward to future collaborations!