LING301: Dissertation
(Including LING200 Researching Language)

Sorry, this course is not available to visiting (JYA, ERASMUS etc) students.

Terms taught:

Terms 1 and 2 of your second year (mainly Term 2, known as LING200) and Terms 1 and 2 of your final year (LING301). You will also receive individual supervision for your dissertation and this will mainly take place in your third year.

Aims and objectives:

By the end of the course, you should have a good knowledge of a variety of research methodologies used in different areas of linguistics, sociolinguistics and English language studies. Whilst you are developing your dissertation, you should:

  • develop an awareness of what the academic research process is like, and what is necessary to take a research topic from the ideas stage to completion;
  • understand how to find relevant information, and how to synthesise it into your own coherent argument;
  • develop your understanding of the nature of empirical evidence;
  • enhance your ability to think independently and critically, and increase your general analytical competence.

Course description:

This course is designed to introduce students to research methodology for studying language. As the course proceeds, you will become aware that there are many ways to approach the study of language, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The end goal of the course is to enable you to undertake a linguistic research project of your own. The research project, which is carried out mostly in your third year, takes the form of a dissertation on a topic of your choice. For your dissertation, you will construct your own research questions and answer them by analysing relevant data you have collected using a suitable methodology. The course is a good opportunity for you to investigate a topic that interests you, and examine the central issues in more depth than you have previously been able to do.

Please note:

LING200 Researching Language is the way we describe the preparatory work that you do in your second year. LING200 is not assessed (i.e. there is no coursework or exam) and does not count towards your four second-year units.

You do not need to sign up for LING200 - it will be automatically added to your list of modules later on.

Recommended reading:

Sebba, Mark (2000) Focussing on Language: a student's guide to research planning, data collection, analysis and writing up . Lancaster: Definite Article Publications. (Available from Waterstones on campus.)

Restrictions

Major students only (except English Language in the Media majors, who cannot take this module but must take LING334 instead).

Compulsory for

Most major students must take LING200 in their second year and LING301 in their final year (check Section 1.3 to see if this applies to you)

Prerequisites

At least one of the following at Part I: Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, English Language

Assessment

Dissertation (100%)

 

For further information contact Gila Schauer (for LING200).