Dissertation title ideas

i’m doing english language and linguistics at university and don’t know what to do for my dissertation. Any ideas ?

i’m interested in ESL learning and educational methods ( such as online learning vs traditional )

but, i’m not sure if that’s a good dissertation idea and i’m not sure if it would give me a good grade

how can i make this idea i have into a good dissertation title and research in general ?

or, if anyone has any other ideas please let me know !

Reply 1

ExeterStudentRep

Official Rep

Original post

by ems134x

i’m doing english language and linguistics at university and don’t know what to do for my dissertation. Any ideas ?
i’m interested in ESL learning and educational methods ( such as online learning vs traditional )
but, i’m not sure if that’s a good dissertation idea and i’m not sure if it would give me a good grade
how can i make this idea i have into a good dissertation title and research in general ?
or, if anyone has any other ideas please let me know !

Hi ems134x,

It's great that you already have a general area of interest for your dissertation. It is all about making sure your stance is new, fresh and original. You could pick any topic really, as long as you can bring your own ideas to it! I don't know too much myself about ESL, as a Theology and Middle Eastern Studies student, but I have recently completed my diss, so I can give you some general advice.

Firstly, I would suggest thinking about what interests you the most about ESL, what areas are particularly striking and what are your initial thoughts on this? You should definitely pick something that you have a passion for, as this will shine through into your work and also you will be motivated to keep at it. After thinking more broadly about ESL and nailing your overall topic, I would recommend breaking your topic down into themes and or chapters, which is basically three essay/research questions that you will answer throughout your dissertation. This will help focus your dissertation and also make it much less overwhelming for you.

Just an idea, which I would get your diss supervisor to double check, but maybe you could propose a new teaching method and or approach for schools. Perhaps assessing the pros and cons of your ideas, and suggest why your idea is better than others already being used in schools.

Best wishes,
Sophie, University of Exeter Student Ambassador.

Reply 2

YSJstudents

Official Rep

Original post

by ems134x

i’m doing english language and linguistics at university and don’t know what to do for my dissertation. Any ideas ?
i’m interested in ESL learning and educational methods ( such as online learning vs traditional )
but, i’m not sure if that’s a good dissertation idea and i’m not sure if it would give me a good grade
how can i make this idea i have into a good dissertation title and research in general ?
or, if anyone has any other ideas please let me know !

Hi,

What Interests you the most about ESL and educational methods? Like the person above has said, you need to pick something that your really passionate and interested in, as you will be doing it for a year. So it can be quite easy to loose motivation across the year, if you pick something that your not all that interested in.

I would recommend that you pick a few aims or objectives that you might want to achieve through your dissertation. Through this, you will see themes emerge through your dissertation. Is your dissertation primary or secondary based research? By knowing if you are going to actively go out and get data for your research (primary research) or whether you will get your data by looking at already published research (secondary research), will be helpful, when coming up with a basic plan and title for your dissertation.

My undergraduate dissertation, I chose the main topic area and read around the main topic idea, for further inspiration for my dissertation. By doing this, I was able to come up with my main aims and objectives for my dissertation, and able to plan it out and come up with my title. I ended up getting a first (80%) on my undergraduate dissertation. I am currently doing my masters dissertation, and have built upon some of the work I did for my undergraduate dissertation, so it has been 'easier' to come up with a basic plan. Although I haven't fully settled on the title, I have got my objectives, aims and themes.

I have really enjoyed doing both of my dissertation, because i have chosen an area that I'm really passionate about! It has definitely helped me do well and keep up the motivation while doing it. Have you spoken to your supervisor? I would highly recommend that you utilise them as much as possible, as they are there to help and support you, while your doing your dissertation. They will be able to help you brainstorm ideas for your dissertation, if your stuck or need help coming up with a title.

My biggest advice would be don't worry on what will give you a good grade but focus on what you really enjoy and are passionate about, I've found that i have always done better when I have been interested in that area, as opposed to when I haven't been all that interested in the area that I'm writing/researching about.

Good luck,
Suzan - Student Ambassador