A Comparative Study of Qualitative vs. Quantitative Approaches in Applied Linguistics Research

Abstract

The current paper explores the comparative studies of qualitative and quantitative and mixed-methods research paradigms in applied linguistics. Although all these paradigms, being very dominant in fields such as second language acquisition (SLA), language pedagogy, and sociolinguistics, are grounded in divergent epistemological assumptions and methodological practices, they differ. The current study examines 20 articles published between 2015 and 2025 and categorizes them in terms of their methodological orientation: qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods. The findings are that qualitative approaches are better suited to capturing rich, contextualized descriptions of language use, whereas quantitative approaches are valued for the sake of generalizability and statistical precision. The article also touches upon how mixed-method research facilitates a bridging gap between these two paradigms. The study concludes by advocating methodological pluralism on the basis that combining qualitative and quantitative approaches will result in augmented depth and scope for applied linguistics research.