Education 250: Second Language Acquisition
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- Find Scholarly Articles
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- Cite Sources in APA Style
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Research & Instruction Librarian for Social Sciences & Data Literacy
Welcome!
Welcome to the Library Research Guide for Education 250: Second Language Acquisition! It includes information and resources designed to aid you in locating research and managing sources for your assignments this semester.
For research questions:
- Email me at schaez1@stolaf.edu or schedule a research consultation if you have any questions!
For writing help:
- Make an appointment with the Writing Desk for assistance with organizing ideas and improving your writing style.
In-class Slideshow
In-class Slideshow
Slide 1: Education 250 Library Session
Slide 2:
Ann Schaenzer
Research & Instruction Librarian for Social Sciences and Data Literacy
schaez1@stolaf.edu
[Image: photo of Ann Schaenzer.]
Slide 3: Our goals for today are…
- Use online encyclopedias to find background information
- Learn how to find and access second language acquisition journals
- Find relevant databases and search effectively
- Citing sources in APA style
Slide 4: Before we get started…
- Sit with your project partner if you have one
- We’ll be doing a graded quiz due by end of day 9/26. If you’re in a pair, one person can upload for the pair, as long as both names are included.
- I strongly recommend you submit the quiz before you leave today; I’m happy to help if you have any questions
Slide 5: Common Sources for Research
Slide 6:
Reference Sources
Scholarly Encyclopedia
[Image: the cover of an encyclopedia of language and linguistics.]
Secondary Sources
Scholarly Journal
Scholarly Book
[Image: the covers of scholarly journal and scholarly book.]
Slide 7:
[Image: the Catalyst box on the St. Olaf Library website homepage.]
Customized Course Research Guide at stolaf.edu/library
Slide 8: Now you try! Find Background Info
- Feel free to work with group members! Describe your initial topic for Question #6 on the quiz.
- Use the Find Background Info tab on the Course Research Guide to find at least one encyclopedia entry on your topic (not a quiz question).
- For Question #7 on the quiz, write down some possible keywords choices, important terminology, or other key terms that you discover.
Slide 9:
[Image: the St. Olaf Library website homepage.]
Slide 10:
[Image: baby Yoda holding a cup with text that reads: me getting ready to become an APA master.]
Slide 11:
[Image: the first page of a scholarly article titled: Instruction, First Language Influence, and Developmental Readiness in Second Language Acquisition.]
Slide 12:
Journal Title: The Modern Language Journal
Article Title: Instruction, First Language Influence, and Developmental Readiness in Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Nina Spada and Patsy M. Lightbown
Year of Publication: 1999
Pages: 1-22
Volume: 83
Issue: 1
[Image: arrow pointing from text to the first page of a scholarly article titled: Instruction, First Language Influence, and Developmental Readiness in Second Language Acquisition.]
Slide 13:
Journal Title: The Modern Language Journal
Article Title: Instruction, First Language Influence, and Developmental Readiness in Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Nina Spada and Patsy M. Lightbown
Year of Publication: 1999
Pages: 1-22
Volume: 83
Issue: 1
[Image: arrowing point from above text to below properly formatted APA citation below.]
Spada, N., & Lightbown, P. (1999). Instruction, first language influence, and developmental readiness in second language acquisition. The Modern Language Journal, 83(1), 1–22.
Slide 14: Now you try! Find Scholarly Articles
- Go to the Find Articles tab on the Course Research Guide
- Choose a database
- Search for scholarly articles using keywords
- Write down the full APA citation for one source you think could be useful for further research on this topic in a Google Doc or email draft (not a quiz question).
- Answer the remaining quiz questions (#8, #9, #10)
Slide 15: How to get help outside of class
- Connect at stolaf.edu/library
- Make an Appointment at go.stolaf.edu/appointment
- Email Ann at schaez1@stolaf.edu
Slide 16: So about that quiz…
- Name one reason to use an encyclopedia at the beginning of the research process.
- What are two of the top journals in second language acquisition?
- Name three databases that might be useful for finding scholarly articles.
- If an article is not available in a St. Olaf database, how can you access it?
- What is one resource you can use to find examples of properly formatted APA citations?
- What is a topic that you may be interested in focusing on for your Literature Review project?
- What are three search terms you could use to find research on your topic?
- Give an example of a topic that is too broad for this project.
- Will you work alone or with a partner? (Indicate partner name.)
- What is one challenge you anticipate in your project?
Slide 17: Zotero
Zotero is an easy-to-use tool that can help you stay organized when you research. How does it work?
- Save sources to Zotero using a web browser connector.
- Take notes right in Zotero.
- Organize sources and/or share them in a group library.
- Add citations automatically to your paper using Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
- Generate a bibliography based on the sources you used—in seconds!
If you’d like to learn more about Zotero, check out the tab on the course research guide!
- Last Updated: Sep 3, 2025 3:07 PM
- URL: https://libraryguides.stolaf.edu/educ250
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