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Basic Knowledge for Thesis Writing
Why should we write the thesis?
To write a thesis before graduation is a must for every university graduate.
By writing a thesis, we may get some experience and some basic methods for further theoretical study and research and the ability to solve problems.
It is the reflection of a student’s study in college.
Whether a student has such an ability to write a thesis or to solve problems in his/her field is one basis for a unit to accept him/her or not.
How long should we prepare for writing a thesis?One year or so
What do we need when we write a thesis?
Firstly, for English major, most important of all, it is English knowledge and ability that based on your language skills, especially writing skill and grammar knowledge.
Secondly, the way of writing is also important.
A good title, some good ideas to support thesis statement, right language and standard format are what we need.
The language style is something that we should pay much attention to, for example:
Wording: we prefer big word to small one;
Sentence: Long sentences are quite expectable.
How do we write a thesis? How many steps should we follow?
Generally speaking, when we write a thesis, we follow 10 steps:
1. Choose a subject: that is, what you are going to write about. For English major, we may apply:
2. Choose a title/Title a paper;
3. Collect materials for reference in writing;
4. Analyze the collected materials;
5. Sort out the data and arguments;
6. List references;
7. Make up an outline;
8. 1—3 drafts;
9. Proofread;
10. The last version.
What subjects may we choose to write?
English and American Literature
The Practice and Theory of Translation
English Language
English Linguistics
English Grammar
English Phonetics
English Lexicology
English Rhetoric
Language and Culture
ELT Methodology
Teaching English in Middle School
English Teaching Research and Survey
The History of… (All mentioned above)
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Subject and Title
How to Choose a Suitable Subject
Whenever you plan and write a paper, you should keep these questions in mind:
What is my subject and what do I know about it?
Choose a subject that you care about and know about (or can find out about).
Who is my audience?
What you say about your subject depends greatly on who reads it. You must choose a subject that will interest your audience and try to present it interestingly.
What is my purpose?
You always communicate for a purpose—either to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.
What must You Write in a Thesis?
In the limited space of a thesis, you can’t say everything, so you must settle on the most important, most relevant, and most interesting.
Factors Influencing the Choice:
There are several factors which will influence your decision on which subject you are going to write about:
Interest/Experience/Science value/Ability /Scope of knowledge/Purpose…
How to Get a Title?
We have two ways to get a title:
Given by teachers
Designed by yourself
They both have their advantages. For the former, you will have a definite direction to guide you to the end, while, for the latter, it can be more flexible for you and everything depends on yourself.
What Is a Good Title?
A good title, usually created after some paragraphs or a theme is written, does two things:
1. It suggests what the subject of the thesis will be;
2. It sparks the reader’s interest
Some Basic Kinds of Titles
No-nonsense descriptive title: E.g.:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Multimedia Teaching
Two-part titles E.g.:
Sugar: The Hidden Drug
Rhetorical question. Then answer the question in your theme. E.g.:
What can be done about CET-4?
Some Basic Kinds of Titles
Relate the title to the method of development used :
Descriptive: Portrait of a Teacher
Illustration: Three Roles I Play
Comparison: Crazy English: The New All Physical Response Approach
Contrast: Pleasures and Problems of Owning a Computer
Definition: A Definition of CLT
Persuasion: The Need for Discipline in University
Classification: Three Types of Education
Process: How to Teach Young Children English
How long should a title usually be?
A title is usually four to five words long and is rarely an entire sentence. (1—10 words is more practical.)
Notice:We can’t write anything with the title “On…”, because this small “on” is too big for us.
Notice:The title is centered on the page above the body of the thesis and separated from it by one inch.
A puzzle
What is “make a fuss over a trifle”?
That is a principle for us when we write a thesis: Write as much as possible on a small title. When we write a thesis, we must make a full consideration of whether the possibility to choose a “big” or a “small” topic comparatively.
Disadvantages for a “Big” Topic
A big topic needs collecting more materials. So it is more difficult for beginners.
Hard to control. If there are too many sides in a thesis for us to make clear, the chance to be successful is very slim.
Hard to make clear about the statement within limited words (about 6000 words). Everything will stay on the surface.
Time problem (2-3months)
Notice
Remember: to see a student’s standard of writing isn’t by how “big” his or her topic is, but by his or her ability to find problems, analyze problems and solve problems.
Titling
Commonly, we can divide titling into four levels, for example:
Subject: ELT Methodology
Limited subject: Modern English Teaching Methods
Initial topic: CLT : A Modern Teaching Method
Topic: CLT in Grammar Teaching
Assignment
Choose a subject that you would be likely to write about and try to title your paper.
Consideration:When we make a title of a thesis, what factors should we consider?