2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

LING3200 Linguistics Dissertation

40 creditsClass Size: 40

Module manager: Clare Wright
Email: c.e.m.wright@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

Successful completion of Year 2 of a Linguistics programme.

This module is mutually exclusive with

LING3010

Linguistics Research Exercise

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Objectives

Students will carry out and complete a piece of original research in linguistics guided by a supervisor, thus gaining in-depth knowledge of a specific area chosen by themselves.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Design and execute a linguistics research project, using appropriate methodology
- Show awareness of ethical issues in research
- Plan and organise their time
- Develop and test hypotheses
- Construct a coherent argument
- Summarise and synthesise information
- Critically evaluate evidence and/or data
- Write up the project using appropriate academic style and conventions for presenting information.

Skills outcomes
Students will have developed:
- The ability to use an appropriate academic style;
- The capacity to analyse, systematise and examine critically linguistic data (whether collected by the student, or collected by other linguists);
- Research skills, including: finding and retrieving information, organising material and judging its worth to the project;
- The ability to manage quantities of complex information in a structured and systematic way;
- The capacity to work independently, and reason critically;
- The ability to use an appropriate academic style
- Good time management and organisational skills.

Syllabus

In semesters 1 & 2, students will attend a series of classes which are designed to prepare them for developing and carrying out a piece of linguistics research. Topics will include: what makes a research project, library resources, research methodologies, research ethics, project planning, constructing effective arguments, evaluating others' research, writing up the project. They will also have individual meetings with the module leader in the first half of semester 1 to discuss their ideas and get advice on the suitability of their project.

Students are assigned to supervisors in approximately week 7 of semester 1. They are recommended to meet four times with their supervisor during the period they are undertaking their project. In semester 2, students are required to write a plan for the contents of their dissertation (week 4, semester 2) and are encouraged to submit a draft of part of the dissertation for comment (1500wds, before Easter vacation).

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Supervision	9	0.33	3.00
Lecture	10	2.00	20.00
Seminar	8	1.00	8.00
Private study hours			369.00
Total Contact hours			31.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			400.00

Private study

Students will develop and carry out a project approved by their supervisor. This will include finding and understanding the relevant literature, developing an appropriate methodology, collecting data (where necessary), analysis of materials and the writing up of the project.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress is monitored in a number of ways, firstly by meetings with the module leader in semester 1 and individual meetings with the assigned supervisor in semesters 1 & 2. Secondly, there are a number of targets that students need to meet throughout the year: this enables monitoring of their organisation and also offers opportunities for focused feedback. These milestones are: formative assignment on research questions and methodology, formative presentation, assessed dissertation proposal, submission of a dissertation plan (compulsory) and the submission of an extract of the dissertation for feedback (advised, but optional). Students are also required to present at the undergraduate dissertation conference, after the submission of their dissertation. Failure to do this without a certificated reason will result in a mark of 40V being awarded to the whole module.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay or Dissertation	11,000 words. Must be passed to pass module.	100.00
Assignment	Dissertation proposal 1500 words	0.00
Presentation	5 minutes	0.00
Assignment	Dissertation proposal 2000 words	0.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

The dissertation component must be passed to pass module. Resits will take the same format as first sits. Two verbal presentations are not summatively assessed but are compulsory.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 04/10/2018

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD