Some useful comments on how to write a diploma paper in FL

 

The diploma paper has to be about some issue in Linguistics that is worth writing about: e.g. Semantic and Pragmatic Aspects of Political Discourse. The writer of the paper is expected to study the issue both theoretically and empirically. Theoretically - by commenting o n what linguists have said o n the relevant issue or in the related area; the writer has to be able to formulate existing approaches; give her/his own point of view and, what is most important, provide arguments for the importance of the issue the writer is intending to write about.

A corpus of linguistic data has to be collected in several ways: by excerpting language material from written texts and written conversational exchanges (if necessary); by using recorded and transcribed spontaneously occurring conversations collected by other authors (if necessary); by recording and transcribing such conversations by the author of the paper herself/himself (if necessary); by using questionnaires and by conducting linguistic experiments (if necessary). Different ways of collecting empirical data do not exclude, but o nly complement o ne another. Each example, excerpted from a written text (fiction, newspaper, etc.) has to be written o n a separate filing card that contains the following information: the name of the author, the title of the book and the page; when the excerpted material is from a newspaper or a magazine, the date and number are taken down as well. Other details of the corpus have to be taken down, too: number of informants, their age, profession and sex: conditions of the linguistic experiment (whenever there is an experiment).

The diploma paper has to answer three basic questions – what, why and how. It has to be organized as a text in the following way: Introduction, in which the object and aim of study is introduced, as well as the method or methodology used. There has to be a brief description of the collected corpus in terms of statistics: number of filing cards and pages; number of books/magazines and authors; period of time; number of transcribed conversations and number of informants. The corpus has to be representative enough, so that the conclusions will be convincing enough. E.g. at least 500 pages of excerpted material, at least 50 informants, etc.

In the introduction you also say very briefly what each of the chapters and the conclusion is about. The simplest structure of the diploma paper as a text consists of the following: an introduction, an overview of some bibliography o n the issue, your analysis of your empirically collected language material, a conclusion, bibliography and appendixes if available. In the conclusion you have to mention again the aims that you wanted to achieve, what you have achieved and what you have failed to achieve. Some prognosis for future research in the area is also welcomed.

Quotations. A very sharp distinction has to be made between your text and somebody else’s. If you present somebody’s view, you have to say ‘according to’, ‘as so and so says’, e.g. According to Austin (1962)…, giving in round brackets the year the book was published. If more than o ne work by the same author is quoted, then you have to write; Chomsky (1975; 1980). If more than o ne author is quoted o n the same problem, then you write componential analysis (Leech 1974; Kempson 1977), dividing authors by semicolons. When a direct quotation is used, then the page has also to be given. E.g. We might simply understand languages as I-languages, thus taking a language to be something like ‘a way of speaking’ ‘the finite means’ that provide for ‘infinite use’ in the terms of Wilhelm von Humbolt’s characterization of language (1836: 122, paragraph 13; 1988: 91; see also Chomsky 1964: 17), also an effort to capture his concept of language as a ‘process of generation’ rather than a set of ‘generated objects’ (Chomsky 2000: 73).

What is in the round brackets can also precede the quotation. Smaller size is used for the letters in the quotation. Chomsky has used single inverted commas for terms that somebody else has used. When you quote an author indirectly, through another author (something that has to be avoided), then you write in the text: Peirce (1931/1935, quoted in Sebeok 1995: 5) and in the references after the text you write:

Peirce, Charles Sanders (1931/1935) Collected Papers. Cambridge, Harvard University Press, quoted in Sebeok, Thomas A. (1994 ) An Introduction to Semiotics. London, Pinter Publishers.

Titles of books and articles in the References are in italic. References include o nly authors, quoted in the diploma paper. If the quotation is from a collection of papers, then the pages have to be given, too:

Chomsky, Noam (1995) Bare Phrase Structure. In G. Webelhuth, (ed.), Government and Binding Theory and the Minimalist Program. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 383-439.

When you are quoting from a journal, then you write:

Strawson, Peter (1950) On Referring. Mind 59: 320-344.

Where Mind is the journal, 59 is the volume of the journal and then you have the pages.

If a later edition of a book is cited, the copyright (found at the back of the title page) has also to be given, e.g.:

Searle, John (1969/1987) Speech Acts. An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1987 being the edition used and 1969 – the year of the copyright.

The cited authors are given after the text alphabetically. What you write is:

RERERENCES

and then the quoted authors and their works, e.g.:

Austin, John (1962) How to do things with words. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Authors in the bibliography are not numbered. The first line in which you give the details of a given author and his/her book is at the beginning of the line, the rest of the lines are further to the right as shown in the examples above.

When you have to quote somebody’s opinion or ideas you heard in a discussion with that person, then in the text and in the bibliography you write in round brackets: (personal communication).

You quote authors in the text using their family name only. First name is given if you quote authors whose family name is the same, e.g. G. Lacoff (husband and wife and scholars at the same time) or if they coincide.

If you quote words, phrases and sentences in the text as examples, e.g. John opened the door, you separate them from the rest of the text using italics and not inverted commas.

If you quote too often the same author and book in the text, then you do not have to give full details each time. In the text you write: (ibid.), an abbreviation for the Latin ibidem – meaning in the same book, chapter previously quoted.

When the book is written by more than o ne author, then in the text you have to write: e.g. Searle et al. (1992) and in the bibliography you give the name of every co-author.

References have to be followed by EXCERPTED TEXTS, if any, and by an APPENDIX, if any, including questionnaires, xerox copies of analyzed texts, etc.

Formal discourse does not allow colloquial abbreviations like ‘there’s’.

The paper has to be at least 50 pages long. A standard page has 60-62 characters in each line (including spaces between words) and not more than 30 lines.

There has to be a final approval of the applicant – 20 standard pages o n the topic submitted to and approved by the academic adviser. This is done in order to check the writing skills of the plausible writer. An excellent average grade (5.50) for the subjects taught in English is expected. If the average grade is below 5.50, then you can discuss the possibility of writing a diploma paper with your academic adviser.

The writer of the diploma paper submits to the academic adviser portions of the text (or the whole text) if and o nly if she/he does her/his best – after rereading the text and after careful self-correction. The academic adviser is not expected to correct typing, spelling, lexical, grammatical and stylistic errors.

The diploma paper has to be written in a way that enables the reader to understand what the writer has meant, i.e. the writer is expected to express his/her thoughts in words adequately and convincingly. The title of the paper has to be given a careful consideration so that the contents do not deviate, but are in line with what is stated in the title.

The academic adviser reads portions of the text and the whole text several times and each time the new and the old version of the text (previously corrected by the adviser) are submitted for further correction and suggestion. (This is necessary since the adviser wants to make sure that previously noticed errors and imperfections have been eliminated.)

Two copies of the diploma paper are given to the Department secretary two weeks before the State examination. The writer of the diploma paper is given the evaluation of her/his paper 2 days before the State examination. She/he has to tell the members of the examining board and the audience what the paper is about (talking or reading a presentation for not more than 10-15min.), then defend the paper by answering questions raised by the members of the examining board and others present.

 

How to Write Coursework

If you have ever been assigned to write a coursework, then you are aware of all challenges that are likely to accompany the process. What you find below is guidelines on how to write a coursework and how to improve it. As compared to other types of academic writing, a coursework implies carrying out a piece of research as a practical part of the assignment. The research is carried out by collecting information from various sources.

The organizational composition of your paper should comprise the following parts:

- a title page;

- an abstract: a summary of the nature, aims, and findings of the study;

- background: a review of relevant research theories related to the topic chosen;

- hypothesis;

- methodology. This section should be subdivided into the following parts: design, materials, participants, and procedure;

- results. In addition to the findings of your research this section should include a summary table, charts, and graphs whenever appropriate;

- discussion: the section where you evaluate methods used to conduct the study;

- references and appendices: the listing of all the studies you’ve referred to in your paper as well as all the articles and books you’ve used.

Taking advantage of these tips on how to write a coursework you are sure to make your paper more successful. Alternatively you may consider our custom writing agency that specializes in delivering all possible types of academic papers regardless of area of investigation, topic, and a deadline. A coursework is usually a semester work. Teachers love assigning it for two reasons. The first and most important reason is that being a separate kind of writing, a coursework opposing to pop quizzes can not only show how well you know the studied material, but also shows your attitude towards it and the understanding of problems. Another reason for assigning courseworks is its flexibility. Coursework is a general name for any kind of writing – from an essay to the research paper. This is why the depth of your investigation may be adjusted, too. As to the coursework writing tips, there is one tip you will have to memorize by heart. Work in class during the semester. You will see how much easier coursework writing will become once you are up to the topic. Take good notes. This way you will be half way done with your coursework, and even if you are not going to use them in the body itself, they will serve you as a backup.

Another coursework writing tip proposes you to have a clear idea of what you are going to write. Otherwise you will have typical problems with organizing your coursework and thinking of how and what to write about. Experienced students also know that any coursework should be based on some additional material. You will probably be assigned the books that are available on campus. Some good reading, detailed notes and attention – and the coursework is ready. Remember to include the list of sources used into your writing; otherwise you will be accused of committing academic frauds. The last but not the least is editing and proofreading your coursework to make sure everything is perfect before turning the assignment in. If you are tired, set editing aside for some time, but do come back to it. Sooner or later you will come across coursework writing, and you better be prepared for this. The meaning of a coursework writing in a modern educational system is highly important. Writing a coursework is a kind of testing – not as ruthless as a pop quiz, but still quite demanding. Teachers usually assign coursework writing in order to check how the material studied during the semester has been digested. It is a multiple check that scans your notes, attention and participation. If all of these requirements are fulfilled by you then you can pass.

Coursework writing is more like an essay or the research paper. These types of writing differ in a pattern of organization, but are similar in a way of studying sources. When writing a coursework, use those sources that have been used in class. If a teacher gives you freedom of choice, be creative – add something new and interesting.

A structure of an essay is standard, and includes the Introduction, Main Paragraphs, and the Conclusion. In your coursework writing the teacher will look for the assessment of the topic, your personal researches and theories and, which is more important, your attitude towards studied material. When writing a coursework that takes a shape of a research paper, remember to include a statement of the problem. Research papers usually tend to be more practical. This is why this kind of coursework writing should be concentrated around the Methodology part, where you need to use all available tools to provide the deep analysis. Not less important while writing a coursework is a tribute to earlier researches. Do not forget to include data about all sources used to avoid accusations of plagiarism.

Finally, when writing a coursework, essay or the research papers, remember that a Conclusion is not your final breath, that is barely heard, but a strong and self-confident statement.

Another coursework tip on how to do a coursework proposes you to have a clear idea of what you are going to write. In other words you will have typical problems with planning your coursework and thinking of how and what to write about.
Skilled students also know that any coursework paper has to be based on some additional material. Perhaps you will be assigned the books that are available on campus. Some good reading, detailed notes and attention – and the coursework is ready. Remember to comprise the list of resources used into your coursework writing; in other words you will be accused of committing academic frauds. The last but not the least is coursework editing and coursework proofreading to make sure everything is excellent before turning the assignment in. If you are exhausted, set editing aside for some time, but do come back to it.
Coursework writing is more like a research paper or essay. These types of writing differ in a pattern of organization, but are similar in a way of studying sources. During coursework writing, make use those sources that have been used in class. If a professor gives you choice freedom, be original and creative – add something interesting and new.
An essay structure is standard, and comprises essay introduction, essay body (main paragraphs), and essay conclusion. In the coursework writing the professor will look for the assessment of the coursework topic, your personal theories and researches, which is more essential, your attitude to studied material. If writing a coursework that takes a shape of a research paper, remember to comprise a statement of the problem. Ususally academic research papers tend to be more practical. That's why this kind of coursework writing has to be concentrated around the Methodology chapter, where you need to make use all available tools to provide coursework paper with the deep analysis. Not less essential while writing a coursework is a tribute to earlier researches. Don't forget to comprise data about all sources used to get rid of accusations of plagiarism.
And the final step, during course work writing, essay writing or research writing, remember that a conclusion chapter is not your final breath, that is barely heard, but a strong and self-confident statement.

There are a number of different course works that are assigned by teachers and instructors to their students. The course works can be the essays, research papers, articles, stories, dissertations, case studies or theses. For writing all kinds of course works, the writers have to keep in consideration that a coursework is not without an introduction, body information and conclusion. The introduction should give the overview of the topic on which the coursework is given while the conclusion should be written by keeping in view your argument that you have written to prove something. The introduction given by you should contain a thesis statement or it will not be a good introduction. Your conclusion should be a summarized version of your overall writing and it should end in some recommendations that are made according to the problem areas that you have identified in your writing. You should answer all those questions that you have raised in your writing. How to write a coursework is a question that is faced by all the students. Before starting to write anything for a coursework, you should assemble a number of ideas and thoughts in your mind. Drafting plays an important role in writing any kind of coursework. With the help of drafting, the final product that you are going to submit to your teachers or supervisors will be of good quality as you have checked it a number of times in shape of rough work.

- Divide your ideas in different paragraphs; don't jumble them in the same paragraph. One paragraph should contain the analysis of one idea or thought. In case of many ideas in one paragraph, it will be difficult for the reader to extract the focussed details from it.

- Divide your coursework into sections that will make your coursework presentable.

- Try to keep your coursework simple and comprehensible.

English coursework writing is a type of coursework in which there are no such differences between a professional coursework writer and a student who is a learner.

A significant rule of writing a coursework is to keep your audiences and readers in mind. A good thing about an English coursework is it has a large audience because it is easy to understand by all. A non-academic individual can also find it easier to read.

To write an English coursework one has to take care of a few points which can help greatly in writing.

• A topic is of the most importance in which your interest and knowledge are at a prime position. For a good topic one has to search it keeping in mind the requirements of the tutor. An English coursework topic is ideal if it allows analysing more than describing.
• Construct an outline for your coursework to minimise the chances of missing some important information.
• Add supportive materials to your coursework.
• A very significant point is to limit your writing within the boundaries of the coursework topic. The content should strictly relate to the topic.
• An English coursework should sound interesting and impressive to your readers. Use simple language to make it more understandable for your readers.
• Do not evaluate unnecessary to make it lengthy or just to fill the space.
• Proofread your work t o omit errors and grammatical mistakes. Check for the fluency of thoughts in your English coursework and then ask someone else to proofread it for you.

English coursework writing needs a coursework help so, one can buy a coursework also, or can write a custom coursework of English. It is recommended to give a try at least to write the coursework essay by oneself. An English coursework is not that difficult to write, but it requires time, planning, organising skills and hard work.

When students are assigned a particular type of coursework, students need to take time to understand how to write coursework papers or projects effectively. After all, most coursework assignments will require that students put some effort into writing reports, even if the assignment does not directly require a lengthy research report or paper.

For example, students in science courses often have to perform experiments. While the experiment is not directly a writing assignment, the student will need to know how to write coursework reports or scientific outlines in order to effectively complete the coursework.

The first step in understanding how to write courseworks is to determine what the exact coursework is. For example, there is a huge difference between writing courseworks for a science experiment and for a research paper.

When students are assigned a project or a paper, the professor will generally send out a list of requirements and guidelines, which may include guidelines for the coursework writing segment of a project. If students have questions about how to write courseworks assignments, the student may begin by asking the professor for more guidance. If the professor is unable to explain how to write coursework papers or reports, then the student can look elsewhere for support.

There are many schools that have on-campus writing centers that will help students learn how to write coursework assignments, including science and paper assignments. These centers may also be available to review the coursework before the student submits it for a grade in order to help the student increase his or her chances in getting a good grade on the project.

Students may also find solutions for how to write courseworks online through professional writing centers or academic Web sites. These resources can provide courseworks examples as well, which students can use to craft their own assignments.

Even students that are not in writing-centric programs, such as an English program, should be careful to follow exact directions and requirements for how to write coursework papers and documents so that they can be sure that they have fulfilled all of the assignment requirements. However, instructions on how to write coursework may not necessarily provide instructions on how to perform coursework assignments, such as a science experiment.

Because there is a difference between assignments and the accompanying reports or papers, students should do due diligence to make sure that they understand exactly what project they need help with before they look for answers. More importantly, students need to understand the different between assignment instructions and writing instructions.

Lecture № 11