PhD research topics in TESOL

TESOL is strongly committed to research as a way to advance the field of English language teaching (ELT) and learning and to inform classroom practice. This page highlights diverse resources on research in TESOL and opportunities for ELT researchers and practitioners from various areas of focus. If you have questions, please contact TESOL Research.

TESOL Research Professional Council

The Research Professional Councilmonitors, evaluates, and encourages development of research-related informational, educational, and promotional activities for the association in coordination with thePublishing, Professional Development, Standards, and ConferencesProfessional Councils to advance TESOL's Strategic Plan.

TESOL Research Mini-Grant Proposals

Annually, the TESOL Research Professional Council accepts proposals for TESOL Research Mini-grant. Each award provides up to US$2500 for applicants who are currently working on research or would like to start research projects that are aligned with theTESOL Research Agenda.

The TESOL Research Mini-Grants Call for Research Proposals has been paused for 2020 and 2021. We hope to re-open the program in 2022, Please check back in Spring of 2021 for more information. TESOL Research Mini-grant proposals are usually due the first week of July.
The TESOL Research Agenda reports on emerging research trends and questions (practical and theoretical) in the field of English language teaching. It aims to stimulate discussion and create networking opportunities for TESOL members and other ELT professionals worldwide.

TESOLs current Research Agendaseeks to bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. This latest agenda has been designed to raise interest in TESOLs research direction as well as to bring researchers and practitioners together in the field of English language teaching.

Also available:
Research Agenda Suggested Questions
Implementing a Research Agenda (Webinar)

TESOL Research E-group

TESOL members can join colleagues in discussions of current research trends and topics, and share updates on research projects on the research community of practice in myTESOL.

TESOL Press

TESOL Press, the publishing arm of TESOL International Association, supports excellence in the field of English language teaching by providing a full range of publications on the latest research. TESOL authors may be leading experts in the field, experienced researchers, classroom teachers, and students. For a full list of TESOL publications, please visit the TESOL Bookstore.

TESOL Quarterly

TESOL Quarterly (TQ), a peer-reviewed professional journal, fosters inquiry into English language teaching and learning by providing a forum for TESOL professionals to share their research findings and explore ideas and relationships in the field. TQ's readership includes ESOL teacher educators, teacher learners, researchers, applied linguists, and ESOL teachers. TQ subscriptions are available to institutions and TESOL members for an additional fee.

TESOL Journal

TESOL Journal (TJ) is a refereed, practitioner-oriented electronic journal based on current theory and research in the field of TESOL. Articles enable an active and vibrant professional dialogue about research- and theory-based practices as well as practice-oriented theorizing and research. Subscriptions to TJ are a benefit of TESOL membership.

TESOL Award for Distinguished Research

The TESOL Award for Distinguished Research recognizes excellence in any area of research on language teaching and learning. It is open to any author who has completed an empirical research project and a subsequent scholarly paper that was published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal during the award year.

Forums for TESOL Graduate Students

TESOL offers graduate students in masters and doctoral programs an opportunity to participate in the Annual TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo without having to compete with established professionals.

The Masters Student Forum and the Doctoral Student Forum are offered the day before the annual convention begins. They allow emerging professionals to share their research results and teaching experiences and network with other graduate students and faculty from other universities..

Other TESOL Research Resources

TESOL Professional Papers and Briefs: Written by thought leaders in the field, TESOL White Papers propose research-based solutions to emerging issues in English language teaching and learning in contexts around the world.

TESOL Professional Learning: TESOL offers a wide variety of virtual seminars and online courses, as well as in-person events around the world. Members can access past virtual seminars, convention sessions, and other research-related resources through the TESOL Resource Center.

TESOL Research Stories:
TESOL Research Stories are narratives from early-career researchers, teacher-researchers, and experienced researchers joined by a shared interest in improving TESOL worldwide. These stories focus on the experience of conducting research rather than the research itself. One of the aims of this project is to humanize researchers and to give readers insight into the storied experience of a research project in a way that non-researchers can relate to. We hope these stories inspire others to engage in research in their own contexts and perhaps share their narratives with us in the future.

In this first collection of TESOL Research Stories, we share narratives from past TESOL mini-grant winners. We hope you enjoy their stories as much as we have.
Leah Shepard-Carey
David Tasker

TESOL/TIRF Research Symposium

In June 2017, TESOL International Association and The International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF) presented their first research symposium, Building an Inclusive, Sustainable Research Community in TESOL. The event, which was held in Monterey, California, drew experienced and novice researchers, as well as ELT practitioners and administrators.

Research Resources Through Other Organizations

Learn more about other research issues in the field through the websites of the following organizations: