This invaluable guide introduces first-time thesis writers to the process of writing up empirical research. To help students understand what content and structure are appropriate for the different parts of a thesis, John Bitchener presents a range of options, richly illustrated with analyses of and commentary on sections from a real Masters thesis in Applied Linguistics. Chapters contain answers to commonly asked questions and ample opportunity for students to develop their skills through interactive exercises. This step-by-step handbook can be used as a core text in seminars and workshops or as a reference point for independent learners.

This book has been designed to guide students through the main phases in writing and presenting an undergraduate, MA or PhD dissertation. These include choosing a topic, carrying out the review of literature, gathering and analyzing data, writing up the dissertation, and, finally, preparing and delivering a presentation within the context of a viva. This eminently practical manual has been written in a reader-friendly style. Theoretical explanations are complemented by numerous examples for analysis and illustration as well as activities to apply, practise, and review the notions introduced in each chapter.

Doing a Master’s Dissertation in TESOL and Applied Linguistics is a practical guide for master’s students tackling research and research writing for the first time. Structured for use in class or as part of an independent study, and divided into the four stages of designing, researching, writing up and submitting a dissertation, this book: carefully guides readers from the very beginning of producing a research proposal, all the way through to assessment procedures and the provisions for resubmission; covers publishing your dissertation and applying for higher research degrees, including funding; addresses all the most fundamental concerns students have about master’s dissertations, including how to choose a topic and conducting a literature review; draws upon examples from master’s dissertations from the UK, US and Australia and provides numerous ‘how-to’ tables and checklists; and includes activities and resources to facilitate master’s research and dissertation writing, as well as FAQs and solutions at the end of each chapter. Tailormade for MA students in TESOL or Applied Linguistics, this book is essential reading for students on these degrees around the world as well as for their supervisors and programme directors.

Focused on the writing process, A Guide to Supervising Non-native English Writers of Theses and Dissertations presents approaches that can be employed by supervisors to help address the writing issues or difficulties that may emerge during the provisional and confirmation phases of the thesis/dissertation journey. Pre-writing advice and post-writing feedback that can be given to students are explained and illustrated. A growing number of students who are non-native speakers of English are enrolled in Masters and PhD programmes at universities across the world where English is the language of communication. These students often encounter difficulties when writing a thesis or dissertation in English – primarily, understanding the requirements and expectations of the new academic context and the conventions of academic writing. Designed for easy use by supervisors, this concise guide focuses specifically on the relationship between reading for and preparing to write the various part-genres or chapters; the creation of argument; making and evaluating claims, judgements and conclusions; writing coherent and cohesive text; meeting the generic and discipline-specific writing conventions; designing conference abstracts and PowerPoint presentations; and writing journal articles.

The relationship of supervisor to student has traditionally been seen as one of apprenticeship, in which much learning is tacit, with the expectation that the student will become much like the tutor. The changing demographics of higher education in conjunction with imperatives of greater accountability and support for research students have rendered this scenario both less likely and less desirable and unfortunately many supervisors are challenged by the task of guiding non-native speaker students to completion. This handbook is the ideal guide for all supervisors working with undergraduate and postgraduate non-native speaker students writing a thesis or dissertation in English as it explicitly unpacks thesis writing, using language that is accessible to research supervisors from any discipline.

Fully updated and packed with new material, the second edition of Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language is the ideal guide for non-native speaker students and their supervisors working on writing a thesis or dissertation in English. Considering the purposes of thesis and dissertation of writing alongside writer/reader relationships, this book uses accessible language and practical examples to discuss issues that are crucial to successful thesis and dissertation writing. This edition offers: Insights into the experience of being a doctoral writer, issues of writer identity, and writing with authority Typical language and discourse features of theses and dissertations Advice on the structure and organisation of key sections Suggestions for online resources which support writing Extracts from completed theses and dissertations Guidance on understanding examiner expectations Advice on publishing from a PhD Suitable for students from all disciplines, Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language is essential reading for non-native speaker students looking to complete a thesis or dissertation in English.

With increasing pressure on academics and graduate students to publish in peer reviewed journals, this book offers a much-needed guide to writing about and publishing quantitative research in applied linguistics. With annotated examples and useful resources, this book will be indispensable to graduate students and seasoned researchers alike.

Provides diverse global perspectives from seasoned scholars and teachers on systematically evaluating quality writing

This book is designed to raise students' awareness of the linguistic features of a postgraduate dissertation/thesis written in English. It deals primarily with the linguistic aspects of extended pieces of writing, placing great emphasis on the writer's responsibility for the readability of the text. Each of the features introduced is illustrated through examples taken from authentic writing at the appropriate level. In addition, each chapter has a number of tasks to help students put into practice the skills that have been introduced. This book is mainly designed to help research students whose first language is not English, but it should also prove useful to native speakers of English, many of whom lack extensive experience of writing at this level. It can be used as a textbook for postgraduate students on a dissertation/thesis writing course, and may also be used as a self-study guide since an annotated answer key is provided for all the tasks. This book takes a realistic approach to helping students who may find the extended writing required at postgraduate level a daunting task; although it provides ample opportunities for practice, it does not expect students to produce extensive writing beyond that required for their degree.