Introduction

In this concluding chapter we critically examine our understandings of mixed methods research (MMR), particularly in relation to the field of early language learning (ELL). We take as our starting point the selection of research studies included in this volume and consider the paradigmatic nature of the field represented by this collection. We should state at the outset that this collection is by no means intended to provide a comprehensive overview of mixed methods research available in the field of ELL; rather, the collection may be regarded as an initial attempt to gather together a sample of recent studies that have adopted a mixed methods approach, in some or many aspects of their research design. It is perhaps important to note also that contributors to this volume were not requested to engage specifically with mixed methods, rather, they were invited to submit a chapter that included a mixed methods approach in some or all aspects of the study design.

In the following sections we briefly continue the discussion of some relevant design aspects of MMR begun in the introductory chapter, considering their significance for research in ELL. We discuss the particular contribution that chapters in this volume make to consolidating our understandings of the relevance of MMR for ELL research. Finally, we will outline some possible future directions for ELL research, drawing on the particular merits that an MMR framework may offer.

Mixed Methods in Early Language Learning Research

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first publication in the field of ELL that focuses entirely on the use of MMR in ELL. We can identify no publication attempting to provide a ‘state of the art’ overview of MMR in ELL, although a number do provide a partial perspective on this. Indeed, in the much broader field of applied linguistics in general, it is only quite recently that such a publication has emerged (see Riazi & Candlin, 2014).