Skip to main content
Skip to main content

Ruirui Jia

ruirui jia profile photo

School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
Graduate Assistant II, Second Language Acquisition
Member, Maryland Language Science Center

Education

M.A., Applied Linguistics, Teachers College, Columbia University

Ruirui joined the Second Language Acquisition Ph.D. program in Fall 2022. She holds an M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her current research interests include L2 processing, individual differences, instructed SLA, and research methodology.

Publications

Modeling relationships between learning conditions, processes, and outcomes: An introduction to mediation analysis in SLA research.

We offer a step-by-step, contextualized tutorial on the practical application of mediation analysis in three different research scenarios, each addressing a different research design using either simulated or open-source datasets.

School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures | Second Language Acquisition

Author/Lead: Ruirui Jia, Bronson Hui
Dates:

In the past decade, researchers have been increasingly interested in understanding the process of language learning, in addition to the effect of instructional interventions on L2 performance gains (i.e., learning products). One goal of such investigations is to reveal the interplay between learning conditions, processes, and outcomes where, for example, certain conditions can promote attention to the learning targets, which in turn facilitates learning. However, the statistical modeling approach taken often does not align with the conceptualization of the complex relationships between these variables. Thus, in this paper, we introduce mediation analysis to SLA research. We offer a step-by-step, contextualized tutorial on the practical application of mediation analysis in three different research scenarios, each addressing a different research design using either simulated or open-source datasets. Our overall goal is to promote the use of statistical techniques that are consistent with the theorization of language learning processes as mediators.

Read More about Modeling relationships between learning conditions, processes, and outcomes: An introduction to mediation analysis in SLA research.

Do data collection methods matter for self-reported L2 individual differences questionnaires? In-person vs crowdsourced data.

Crowdsourcing offers great advantages in data collection by enabling researchers to recruit a large number of participants across geographical boundaries within a short period of time. Despite the benefits of crowdsourcing, no study has explored its valid

School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures | Second Language Acquisition

Author/Lead: Ruirui Jia, Ekaterina Sudina
Dates:

We recruited a total of 209 in-person and 209 crowdsourced participants for comparison. Both groups completed the short versions of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale and the Foreign Language Enjoyment Scale, provided their demographic and language learning background information, and completed the LexTALE test. Measurement invariance testing revealed that most (sub)constructs exhibited partial or full invariance, indicating stability in the measurement systems across both data collection settings. However, crowdsourced participants reported higher enjoyment and lower anxiety than in-person participants. These differences can be attributed to the more relaxed mental state of the crowdsourced participants who completed the survey outside of the classroom. 

Read More about Do data collection methods matter for self-reported L2 individual differences questionnaires? In-person vs crowdsourced data.