Write a paper in approximately 6 pages (1,500 words) by using the Cambridge reference style, make sure that the paper must include at a minimum of 2 academic sources.
Topic:
Select two newspaper articles focussing on the same news story/event; one from a broadsheet newspaper (e.g. The Times, The Guardian) and the other from a tabloid (e.g. The Daily Mail, The Sun). Compare the linguistic characteristics of each article. How do they differ and how are they the same in the way in which they report the story? Does their language choice influence the interpretation of the story? Ensure you include the articles with your submission..
Details:
1. Addressing the question
One of the common pitfalls made by students is not addressing all or part of the question(s) set. Sometimes essays contain irrelevant material (e.g. writing about language acquisition in general in an essay which is about the acquisition of sounds; writing about how to treat aphasia in an essay on Broca’s aphasia), or even addressing a different question to the one set – for example, discussing the philosophy of ‘language’ when the question is asking for a discussion of theories of language origins.
Remember to answer all the parts of the question: e.g. the question on acquisition of sounds also asks for an account of the factors relevant to phonological development; and the question on language origins asks the writer to focus on one theory, which is in effect asking for arguments in favour of that theory. The speech errors question asks for how these may offer insights into speaker’s psycholinguistic processes.
2. Using the literature
Remember to show evidence of reading by using brief quotations (where appropriate) and/or using referencing. Remember to work closely enough with the literature, i.e. repeat in your own words what others have said about a topic. Do not present impressionistic summaries and subjective thoughts about the topic, .e.g ‘I think….’. Keep in mind that academic writing is largely about showing that you’ve read the relevant literature and can talk about it knowledgeably, e.g. ‘As stated by Chomsky (1966) language acquisition……’.
Examples can be useful when you’re discussing a particular linguistic feature. A good example can serve as the pivot of a section or even of a whole essay - the appropriate use of examples of real language demonstrates not just a grasp of ideas but of their application to data and even their rationale. Use your own examples if you want, but others’ (i.e. from the textbooks and other books/research papers) will do, provided they are sourced in the text.
3. References and Referencing
Using the literature also means using referencing in the text. Remember: firstly, to follow the instructions on how to format and use referencing in the body text which appear in the Handbook and on the slides covered in the final lecture; secondly including page numbers wherever possible with references in-text. It’s generally safer to reference everything you say that comes out of a book. If you are not sure that you know and can apply the rules for referencing fully (be honest), check the Handbook. And then check it again.
Use quoted material sparingly and keep it short – only use them when you’re trying to make a ‘statement’. Lengthy quotes are both a waste of space and irrelevant. Long quotes are hardly ever justified. Much better to try to put ideas into your own words.
Generally (there are always exceptions, but generally…) do not reference lecture material (eg. Smith, January 2013, lecture). Why not? Because it is not published work, and hence is not part of the literature of the discipline.
It’s essential to provide a full, clear and properly formatted list of sources referred to at the end of an essay. Take the time it needs to do this properly. Why do we have to do this? Because (a) it shows that you have researched and (sometimes) read relevant sources; (b) that you are concerned to let the reader (don’t just think of the marker – your work is written for a notional audience who are interested in the topic) know your sources, so that they can see how you’ve used them, and follow them up if they want to; and (c) that you take pride in your own work and are considerate of both the value of your work and its relationship to the literature, and of the interests of the reader.
Post-finally: how many sources? The question should really be ‘how many sources should I use (‘use’ here means ‘consult’, or ‘read’, or ‘draw on’, not ‘how many sources shall I list?’) in order for me to be confident that my essay, which draws on those sources, does justice to the question and to the work that I have done in preparing for it?’ . Ok, figures, even ball-park figures, help to allay some anxiety. For Level 4 essays, up to 10 sources is good. Less than 5 is bad. For Level 6, less than 8 is iffy, with 10 brightening the weather, and 12-15 bringing sunshine.
4. Presentation:
A little attention to presentation goes a long way. More concretely, careless and untidy presentation will lose marks, and just as importantly may lose the goodwill of the marker.
Note the following ‘no-nos’:
a. Failure to use paragraphs properly: scripts which consist of a hundred or so one to two-line paragraphs are not acceptable. Neither are scripts which consist of a single paragraph extending over 8 pages. These typographical freaks are usually artefacts of using a word processor with the hands, but not allowing the brain to push the text around to form coherent chunks. But there’s no excuse for submitting the text in raw form. Text must be organised into appropriately sized paragraphs centred around a clear theme. Also ensure that each of your lovingly crafted paragraphs follows logically from its predecessor(s).
b. Page numbers: easily forgotten, but worth more than their admittedly imaginary weight, so to speak, in the pleasure the sight of them on the page will bring to the marker. Most importantly they look professional. And help the marker to refer to particular passages.
c. Remember to write out the essay question/rubric on top of each essay that you write. You want the marker to know from the outside what the ‘theme’ of your essay is!
General advice:
In writing these essays, you’re learning – and doing – academic writing. Academic writing is unusual in demanding that the writer be as explicit as possible. It takes time to learn this aspect of academic discourse in particular. The model for this form of discourse/writing is the texts that you read in order to answer the questions. The difference between a good essay and a very good essay is a function of how closely the writer has read the literature and how far they have internalised it (this takes many repeated readings), and can reproduce the ideas in their own words but within an identifiably academic form of writing, which is explicit, objective and precise.