This paper examines 38 qualitative case studies, published from 2007 to 2009, to critically review whether the core notions of qualitative inquiry have been realized in the articles published within last three years. Based on the integrated criteria of evaluation from several researchers, one can conclude that most of the participating case studies in this study lack negative case analyses, which challenge researcher's hypotheses or beliefs. As a result, the credibility of the researchers’ interpretations is seriously threatened. In addition, the notion of triangulation has still not been represented, although participating researchers claim that they did collect data from a variety of sources in their studies. To reach a credible conclusion, all researchers would agree that negative case analysis and data triangulation are not options but necessary conditions, especially in case studies. To fill the gap between the qualitative researchers’ awareness of these standards and their failure to represent the results in incorporated and systematic ways, the researcher of this study postulates that adopting a computer assisted qualitative data analysis system (CAQDAS) may not only enhance the quality of analysis, but make the writing process less complicated.

Although interactionists’ input, interaction, and output hypotheses offer a clear picture of what goes on in one's language learning product as well as in one's process, they fail to explain why interaction is not possible or even desirable for certain groups of learners. To explore negative factors which hamper selected Korean learners' oral interaction processes (N=14) in-and-out of class, a one-year ethnographic study was conducted with different methods (interviews, observations, and social network analysis) and multiple sources of data. Participants strongly voiced the importance of interpersonal relationships among students, between the students and the instructor, and their effect on second language learning. The results of this study indicate that both institutional and social contexts impact learning far more greatly than the choice of teaching method, material, or techniques. This result contradicts the popular belief that learners are ready to learn once the educational environment is optimalized. This study is significant in that it raises the importance of understanding the students' group dynamics that originate in their own culture. Based upon the findings of this study, coping strategies for interactional barriers are provided for the future Intensive English Programs (IEP) for students and teachers.