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Language Acquisition 6: Independent Research in English Language, Literature, and Culture

Vak
2019-2020

Admission requirements

A pass for Language Acquisition 2 (or an equivalent introductory course on academic writing) is required.

Description

This course is designed to assist you in preparing for larger research projects (such as a BA or MA thesis) with a focus on independent research and academic sourcing.

In the first half of the course we delve deeper into topics such as identifying a research space, searching for high quality academic source material, reading critically and strategically, sourcing in academic writing, negotiating metadiscourse, and participating in peer review. You will locate, read, and analyze academic sources related to research focus of your design in literature, philology, theoretical or applied linguistics, and construct an annotated bibliography of those sources in the first half of the course. This bibliography will serve as the basis for a literature review essay to be written in the second half of the course.

In the second half of the course, you will write the literature review essay. With guidance from your tutor and three to four of your peers, you will participate in review sessions to facilitate the process of moving your literature review from an initial rough draft to an edited final draft.

In order to participate in the second half of the course, you must meet the following criteria: 1) attend block III tutorials having completed weekly assignments; and 2) achieve a score of 6 or higher on your annotated bibliography, which is due during reading week following block III.

Course objectives

  • Write academic essays at CEF-level C1

  • Strategically read and analyse academic source material

  • Understand the role of prior scholarship in the formulation of a research project

  • Engage in independent research

  • Develop, revise and edit writing based on reviews

  • Integrate source material into written work using sound citation practice

  • Prepare for BA thesis

Timetable

The timetable is available on the MA English website

Mode of instruction

Seminar

Course Load

The course load of this course is 140 hours, allocated as follows:

  • Attending seminars: 13 hours.

  • Conducting independent research: 37 hours

  • Preparing an annotated bibliography: 30 hours.

  • Writing a literature review and preparing for peer review sessions: 60 hours.

Assessment method

Assessment

  • Annotated bibliography of research

  • Tutorial participation, including participation in ongoing peer review

  • Essay at the end of the course

Students must achieve a 6.0 pass for the annotated bibliography and miss no more than two sessions in the first half of the course in order to participate in the second half of the course. To pass the course, students need to obtain a 6.0 pass for the essay, complete reading assignments, and participate in ongoing peer review.

During the course, students must submit all assignments to Blackboard by the deadlines. Students who do not meet this requirement are automatically excluded from further participation and should contact the Board of Examiners. Students who have more than three absences for the semester cannot pass the course and cannot retake any course components.

Weighing

  • Annotated bibliography of research: 30%

  • Peer-review and tutorial participation: 20%

  • Essay at the end of the course: 50%

Resit

Students can resubmit the essay if the final mark is 4.5 to 5.5. The peer review component cannot be retaken.

Attendance

During the course, students must submit all assignments to Blackboard by the deadlines. Students who do not meet this requirement are automatically excluded from further participation and should contact the Board of Examiners.

Students who have more than three absences for the semester cannot pass the course and cannot retake any course components.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used to provide students with information about the course. Course assignments will be submitted via Blackboard.

Reading list

None.

Registration

Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.

General information about uSis is available on the website

NB: First year students will be enrolled by the coordinator of studies.

Students other than from the BA English language and culture cannot take this course.

Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs

Registration Studeren à la carte

Registration Contractonderwijs

Contact

Please contact Student administration van Eyckhof for questions.

The coordinator of studies is Else van Dijk

Remarks

None.