Doing research in Applied Linguistics from a Complex perspective

Abstract

The ever-changing contemporary world requires transformations in theway we investigate classrooms, our teaching practice, and do research.The aim of this paper is to ponder about it and indicate a vision of researchand methodology - apart from the positivism of the traditional paradigm- that would allow us to have a particular view of the experiences underinvestigation. In order to achieve this objective, in this paper we sharethe experiences of Costa Neves (2011) and D’Esposito (2012) who, whendeveloping their doctorate research in the Applied Linguistics fi eld, soughta research methodology consistent with the complexity perspective whichwas the basis for the development of their research. Thus, in this paper, theresearchers focus on and present the dialogue established by them betweencomplexity (Morin, 1990/2008, 1999/2006a,b, 2005/2006; Moraes,1997/2006; Mariotti, 2007, et alli) and the hermeneutic-phenomenologicalapproach (van Manen, 1990; Freire, 1998, 2007, 2008a,b, 2010).