How to Write MA proposal in Applied Linguistics

Definition of Proposal Proposal is a plan for master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation which provides the student’s supervising committee sufficient information to decide on the significance of the proposed research and whether the project is likely to be fruitful.

To propose a good proposal, it should: Present the logical need for the proposed piece of the research. Provide an analysis of the most important past research as a context for the proposed study. Specify the objectives and/or the hypotheses or research questions. Outline the basic procedures to be followed.

The Sample of Research Proposal in Linguistics will be as the Following: Contents Abstract The Problem The Aims The Hypotheses The Procedures Scope of the Study Significance of the Study Tentative Bibliography

The Abstract The abstract provides a brief overview that readers will usually use to determine whether the study is relevant to their current interests and research needs. Abstract is a brief summary of research that includes the research questions, the methods used (including participants) and the results.

The Problem The statement of the problem that underlies the proposed research is typically introduction to a research proposal. The introduction logically culminates in a problem statement. The problem statement provides the logical foundation upon which the rest of the proposal is built..

The Aims Here the aims of the research are stated. What the researcher intends to do throughout the composition of the study is different from a study to another according to the nature of the problem.

The Hypotheses A statement of what one believes the outcomes of a study will be. A research hypothesis predicts what the relationship will be between or among variables. The research should be clearly and presented as a part of a theoretical framework in the research report.

Helpful Questions in stating clear Hypotheses Are the hypotheses clearly stated? Do the hypotheses clearly specify the variables that might be related? Are the hypotheses appropriate for the theoretical framework? Will the results lead to the generation of additional hypotheses to be tested in subsequent research?

The Procedures The procedures section of proposal is an explanation of the specific steps to be followed in meeting the objectives, testing the hypotheses and /or answering the questions proposed to state clear hypotheses.

Scope of the study Here the broad title of the research will be limited depending on the objectives stated and the procedures carried out. Note: in practical researches the scope will include the limitation of the sample chosen to apply the instrument on.

Significance of the Study In this section the importance of the study will be stated, to those who are interested in the field of the study.

Tentative Bibliography A number of sources that directly refer to the title of the study will be presented.

Research Proposal in Applied Linguistics Applied linguistic research in its widest sense is to seek new ways to improve language education and intercultural communication training and searching for information on how students process information, internalize data and retain it for communicative purposes.

Or : It is a systematic study of language issues and use in order to improve delivery of services to our students.

Chapter one Introduction Note: the following will be an MA proposal in Applied linguistics, an error analysis research in which the tool of the study is a TEST. Chapter one Introduction 1.0 Preliminaries 1.2 The problem 1.3 The Aims 1.4 The Hypotheses 1.5 Procedures 1.6 Definition of Basic Terms

Chapter Two: Review of Literature 2.0 preliminaries 2.1 Review of Previous Studies 2.2 Theoretical background

Chapter Three Procedures 3.0 preliminaries 3.3 Scoring Scheme 3.1 The Sample 3.4 Statistical Means 3.2 The Tool 3.2.1 The Test 3.2.2 Test Validity 3.2.3 Pilot Test 3.2.4 The Final Test 3.2.5 the Reliability Test 3.2.6 Test Administration

Chapter Four The Results 4.0 Preliminaries 4.1 Results and Discussions

Chapter Five conclusions 5.0 preliminaries 5.1 Conclusions 5.2 Recommendations 5.3 Implications for Teaching 5.4 Suggestions for Further Research Bibliography Appendixes (if any)

Details of Chapter Three The Procedures 3.0 Preliminaries This section will give a brief account of what is going on in the section. 3.1 The Sample (participant) An individual whose behavior is being measured or investigated.

This section includes information about the participants in a study This section includes information about the participants in a study. For example how many participants are there? What are their characteristics (e.g. male/female, native language, age, proficiency level, amount and type of instruction). The characteristics that researchers describe will depend, in part, on the experiment itself. For example to test student’s fluency in using EFL, the amount and type of instruction is important.

The Test A test is an instrument whose main purpose is to convey (specially to the tester how well an individual knows or can do something). Test Validity The test is valid if it measures what is supposed to measure.

Having good direction for the testees, arranging the items from easy to difficult and the clarity of the examples will give the test its validity. For the purpose of face validity, the test should be given to a jury of specialists to see if the test is valid to measure what is supposed to measure.

The Pilot Test A smaller preliminary study that makes it possible to check out standardized procedures and general design before investing time and money in the major study. A pilot test is helpful to discover if there are certain points that a sizable number of students have failed to answer.

The Objectives of Pilot Test 1. prepare a good basis for the construction of the final test. 2. find whether the instruction of the test is clear and that the items are clearly constructed. 3. analyze the test items in the light of the students’ responses to determine their difficulty level (DL) and discrimination power (DP).

4. modify or change the weak items or the items that are thought to have a technical weakness in their construction. 5. compute the average time for the test to be answered. 6.delete the items that are regarded too easy according to their (DL, and the percentage of error).

The Final Test The test constructed depending on the results of the pilot test. The objectives of the study are going to be achieved depending on the results of the final test .

The Reliability Test Reliability refers to the consistency of test results or measurements, that’s how consistent test scores or other evaluation results arte from one measurement to another. To obtain the reliability of the test, the test-retest technique is used “ a technique used to establish reliability, by giving the same test to the same participants on two separate occasions to see if their scores remain relatively the same.

Test Administration The administration of the test is very important to be taken into account. A perfect test administration would be one that allows all examinees to perform at their best under identical conditions.

Statistical Means The use and the type of statistical means used in researches depend on the type of the data gained and the instrument used. For example, if the tool is a test of a number of items, difficulty level (DL) and discrimination power (DP) will be used.

Evaluation of the Proposal The following list shows the criteria that committees and examiners look for in proposals and finished theses. It would be useful to keep those criteria in mind as you are writing your proposal and your thesis to focus on the relevant criteria. (The items marked * are used to evaluate the final thesis, not proposals.)

Characteristics Being Evaluated (1) Title is clear and concise. (2) Problem is significant and clearly stated. (3) Limitations and delimitations of the study are stated. (4) Delimitations are well defined and appropriate to solutions of the problem. (5) Assumptions are clearly stated. (6) Assumptions are tenable. (7) The research projected by the proposal does not violate human rights or confidence

(8) Important items are well defined. (9) Specific questions to be studied are clearly stated. (10) Hypotheses, elements, or research questions are clearly stated. (11) Hypotheses, elements, or research questions are testable, discoverable or answerable. (12) Hypotheses, elements, or research questions derive from the review of the literature. (13) Relationship of study to previous research is clear.

24) Sentence structure and punctuation are correct. (25) Minimum of typographical errors. (26) Spelling and grammar are correct. (27) Material is clearly written. (28) Tone is unbiased and impartial. (29) Overall rating of creativity and significance of the problem. (30)* Tables and figures are used effectively. (31)* Results of analysis are presented clearly. (32)* Major findings are discussed clearly and related to previous research. (33)* Importance of findings is explained.

(34)* The relationship between the research and the findings is demonstrated with tight, logical reasoning. (35)* Conclusions are clearly stated. (36)* Conclusions are based on the results. (37)* Generalisations are confirmed. (38)* Limitations and weaknesses of study are discussed. (39)* Implications of findings for the field are discussed. (40)* Suggestions for further research are cited. (41)* Overall rating of the conduct of the study and the final document.

(14) Review of literature is efficiently summarised. (15) Procedures are described in detail. (16) Procedures are appropriate for the solution of the problem. (17) Population and sample are clearly described. (18) Method of sampling is appropriate. (19) Variables have been controlled. (20) Data gathering methods are described. (21) Data gathering methods are appropriate to solution of the problem. (22) Validity and reliability of data gathering are explained. (23) Appropriate methods are used to analyse data.

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