David Nunan: Research

1975-1976	The discourse structure of interpersonal encounters Institute of Languages, University of NSW An investigation of the discourse structure of colloquial English in interpersonal encounters and the subsequent preparation of teaching materials based on research outcomes.
1977	Language functions in the classroom Department of Language in Education, University of Exeter. Analysis of classroom discourse utilising the discourse model developed by Sinclair and Coulthard. Implications of the research for pedagogy.
1978	Curriculum change in the sixth form Department of Language in Education, University of Exeter An ethnographic investigation into the effects of the political reorganisation of the educational system and shifts in ideology on the English sixth form.
1981-1984	Discourse processing by first language, second phase and second language learners School of Education, Flinders University A psychometric investigation into the development of discourse processing skills by Year 9 students from first and second language backgrounds.
1983-1984	The developmental language project South Australian College of Advanced Education and the Australian Adult Migrant Education Program An ethnographic investigation into the application of principles of first language acquisition to second language development and the subsequent development of teaching materials.
September 1985	A critical review of consultancies and commissioned working papers for the Committee of Review of the Adult Migrant Education Program
1986	The teacher as curriculum developer Adult Migrant Education Program An investigation of the curriculum planning, implementation and evaluation practices of 800 teachers of English as a second language working within a school-based curriculum model.
1986	The development of listening skills South Australian Department of TAFE A psychometric investigation into the acquisition of functional listening skills by adult learners of English as a second language.
1986-1991	AMEP National Curriculum Research and Development Project (with Jill Burton) Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs A descriptive and interpretive study of curriculum processes within the AMEP leading to the development, piloting and evaluation of pedagogical procedures and materials.
1987-1988	Learning strategy preferences of foreign language students in Southeast Asia National Curriculum Resource Centre; Southeast Asian Ministries of Education organisation The aims of the project were to: i. identify those preferences which characterised the effective learner; ii. determine whether strategy preferences relate to personal or cultural variables.
1987-1994	Investigating the Omani English language school curriculum Ministry of Education and Youth, Muscat, Oman An investigation into the teaching of English as a foreign language in the Sultanate of Oman, the development of a contemporary English curriculum and the subsequent production and evaluation of teaching materials.
1988-1990	Collaborative research in language classrooms (with researchers in a range of sites in Australia, United States, United Kingdom and Japan) Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Investigations of teacher-learner interaction by teachers and researchers working in collaboration.
1988-1991	Language teaching methodology National Curriculum Resource Centre A classroom-based investigation of the methodological practices of language teachers working in a range of contexts and environments.
1989-1990	Learning strategy preferences of EFL learners in Japan (with Tomoko Hanoaka) Temple University, Japan, Japan Association of Language Teachers An investigation of the learning strategy preferences of secondary school students in Japan.
1989-1991	Communication tasks in the professional workplace (with a research team led by Ken Willing, NCELTR, Macquarie University) Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs An ethnographic investigation into the application of principles of first language acquisition to second language development and the subsequent development of teaching materials.
1990-1991	Interactive decision-making (with Professor J. Richards, City Polytechnic of Hong Kong) Various sites including Australia, the United States and Hong Kong A large-scale investigation of the interactive decision-making processes of classroom teachers, and the relationship between teachers' beliefs about the nature of language learning and pedagogic practice.
1990	Evaluation of Metropolitan East disadvantaged schools program (with Geoff Brindley, Jennifer Hammond, and John Walsh) NSW Department of School Education An investigation and evaluation of the Disadvantaged Schools Project, a theoretically driven professional development program for teaching factual writing funded by the NSW Department of Education.
1991-1992	Language teacher education in Southeast Asia The Southeast Asian Ministries of Education Organisation and the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau An investigation of language teacher education practices in the Southeast Asian region.
1991-1992	Training the Trainers: A National Survey Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs A survey of the training of language teacher educators within the Australian Adult Migrant English Program funded by the AMEP.
1992	The Assessment of Listening Proficiency (with Geoff Brindley, NCELTR, Macquarie University) International English Language Testing System An investigation of the construct of listening proficiency.
1992-1993	The Language Proficiency and Professional Skills of Brazilian Teachers of English as a Foreign Language Cultura Inglese, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro A survey of the foreign language proficiency and pedagogical skills of a sample of 500 Brazilian teachers of English as a foreign language.
1990-1993	The discourse of language classrooms in varied cultural contexts (with Professor K. Bailey, Monterey Institute of International Studies) Monterey Institute of International Studies, California and TESOL Defense Language Institute, California Descriptive and interpretive accounts of language classrooms in Australia, the United States, Europe, Japan, South America, South Africa and Southeast Asia.
1991-1994	Curriculum renewal at Kanda Institute of Foreign Language Studies, Tokyo, Japan (with Professor C.N. Candlin, Macquarie University) Kanda Institute of Foreign Languages Foundation An evaluation of the teaching of English as a foreign language at Kanda Institute of Foreign Language Studies, and the development of a theoretically-motivated model for institutional curriculum renewal.
1993-1995	The spoken discourse of primary school children: a pilot study Macquarie University The research focuses specifically on the following: i) the achievement of cohesion in discourse through the use of anaphoric/exophoric reference; ii) the achievement of coherence in discourse through the negotiation of meaning including repair strategies, and conversational management; iii) the development of control over rhetorical relationships in discourse; iv) the development of control over speech acts in discourse.
1992-1993	Learner-centred curriculum research (with Sylvia Wheeler and Barbara Pedlar) Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs An ethnographic investigation into the discourse processes and learning outcomes in negotiated language curricula.
1994-1996	The discourse of academic writing Hong Kong University and Polytechnic Grants Commission A investigation into the development of written discourse by undergraduate and postgraduate
1995-1996	Spoken interaction in undergraduate tutorials Hong Kong Action Learning Project A study of the interactional patterns of undergraduate students in Law and Medicine.
1995-1997	Learner strategy training and motivation Kong Kong University Grants Commission An investigation into the effects of learner strategy training on students' awareness and application of strategies as well as on motivation.
1995-1997	The written discourse of Hong Kong Accountants Hong Kong Language Fund / Society of Accountants A study of the written communication 'genres' encountered by junior accountants, and an investigation of the problems encountered by accountants in using these genres.
1996-1997	The learning strategies of undergraduates in China Kong Kong University Grants Commission An extension of the study carried out in Hong Kong to the learning of English by undergraduates in China.
1997-1998	Listening comprehension strategies An investigation of the listening comprehension strategies of undergraduate students.
1997-1999	The language learning experiences of Hong Kong students (with P. Benson) Research Grants Council A qualitative investigation into the language learning experiences of first year students at the University of Hong Kong and an assessment of the implications of the investigation for the design of English enhancement programmes.
1997-2000	The Intensive English Language Programme (with J. Lewkowicz) Hong Kong Education Department A longitudinal investigation into the effectiveness of the Intensive English Language Programme in increasing the Use of English scores of Form Six students in Chinese medium of instruction schools.

Curriculum change in the sixth form

Discourse processing by first language, second phase and second language learners

The developmental language project

A critical review of consultancies and commissioned working papers for the Committee of Review of the Adult Migrant Education Program

The teacher as curriculum developer

The development of listening skills

AMEP National Curriculum Research and Development Project (with Jill Burton)

Learning strategy preferences of foreign language students in Southeast Asia

Investigating the Omani English language school curriculum

Collaborative research in language classrooms (with researchers in a range of sites in Australia, United States, United Kingdom and Japan)

Language teaching methodology

Learning strategy preferences of EFL learners in Japan (with Tomoko Hanoaka)

Communication tasks in the professional workplace (with a research team led by Ken Willing, NCELTR, Macquarie University)

Interactive decision-making (with Professor J. Richards, City Polytechnic of Hong Kong)

Evaluation of Metropolitan East disadvantaged schools program (with Geoff Brindley, Jennifer Hammond, and John Walsh)

Language teacher education in Southeast Asia

Training the Trainers: A National Survey

The Assessment of Listening Proficiency (with Geoff Brindley, NCELTR, Macquarie University)

The Language Proficiency and Professional Skills of Brazilian Teachers of English as a Foreign Language

The discourse of language classrooms in varied cultural contexts (with Professor K. Bailey, Monterey Institute of International Studies)

Curriculum renewal at Kanda Institute of Foreign Language Studies, Tokyo, Japan (with Professor C.N. Candlin, Macquarie University)

The spoken discourse of primary school children: a pilot study

Learner-centred curriculum research (with Sylvia Wheeler and Barbara Pedlar)

The discourse of academic writing

Spoken interaction in undergraduate tutorials

Learner strategy training and motivation

The written discourse of Hong Kong Accountants

The learning strategies of undergraduates in China

Listening comprehension strategies

The language learning experiences of Hong Kong students (with P. Benson)

The Intensive English Language Programme (with J. Lewkowicz)