Organizing a working proposal.doc

A working proposal Preliminary Title (Topic with a Specific Focus)I. Introduction1.1 Background of the research - State/identify the existing problems with related past research/experience to establish the rationale for your study.1.2 Significance of the research- Elaborate the significance of your study from practical solutions and theoretic contribution.1.3 Purpose of the present study/Research Questions II. Literature Review-Try to cite the studies in chronological order to present the development of the concerned studies.- Cite the references with your own interpretations to show your understanding or attitude or opinions, i.e. opinion-orientated reviews.- For definitions, cite at least 3-5 different references. - Use effective transitional words to link the references as cohesive whole.- Use paragraphing or subtitles to organize your ideas.- Write a short summary at the end of the literature review. This summary is to offer a friendly guide for the readers to follow your study, i.e. to highlight your theoretic framework of your study.III. Research Methodology3.1 Research design - Hypotheses are usu. developed on “beliefs” or common practices level, not specific data. Put them into thesis statement format.- State the project/research objectives here. 3.2 Subject description- Make the following clear for subject description: What samples /the sample size/why this group of sample/sample selection3.3 Instruments- Make the following clear for each instrument description: What? / For what objectives? And How?3.4 Procedures- State the steps to be followed. You can also transcribe procedures into a structural modelIV. Results and Discussion4.1 Data Collection & Data Presentation - Use charts, tables to present the data. 4.2 Results & Analysis- For all the results and discussions, follow the following format: Data table/figure + analysis, e.g. Figure (7.47%) shows that - Analysis means to interpret the data to show the implied meanings behind the data.- Analysis after the data being presented.V. Conclusions5.1 Major Findings- Correspond your findings/answers to each of your hypotheses: HP1: Finding 1finding2 HP2: 1-3 findings, etc. Or - Correspond your findings/answers to each of your Research Questions: RQ1: Finding 1finding2 RQ2: 1-3 findings, etc. 5.2 Implications- Elaborate more on this part from the potential readers/ /beneficiaries so the significance of the study can be established. For example: teachers/test designers, etc. - Use paragraphing to organize the different section of your ideas. 5.3 Limitations of the present study- It refers to the constraints that cant be overcome within his present study, due to limited expertise, physical conditions (time/space) or others that have been observed in the designing stage, not something you can not overcome yet you didnt do. - It shows you know the limitations, which shows the intended direction for further studies. 5.4 Further Studies - Add this section to show your future intentions to work on the problems/issues listed in the limitations above. - Or indicate the future focus of your study to demonstrate the breadth of your academic sights.References（fresh page）- APA style- Arrange them in alphabetical order.- List the English references first, Chinese follows.- You need to list at least 15 references to back your study- Correspond all the in-text citations to the references listed hereAppendix I（fresh page）Appendix II（fresh page）Acknowledgement（fresh page）A Working ProposalTopic: Multi-media Assisting English Teaching I. Introduction / Background of Research1.1 The existing problems/background of the study Higher Education Institution of Foreign Language Teaching Directing Committee announced that “ in 21 century, foreign language majors are acquired of having the following five characters, strong basic skills, extensive common knowledge, certain amount of professional knowledge, high-level abilities, and great virtues” in Suggestions on Foreign Language Majors Facing Education Innovation in 21 Century .(2000) This settled down a new standard of foreign language Teaching and stimulate us to change the traditional methods of foreign language teaching. It is no longer proper that teachers keep talking in class with students simply sitting there and listening. It is time for us to form our new teaching ideal, to add modern technology into teaching, to let students be the core element of classes and to allow students-centered learning tasks penetrate teaching and learning process. Speaking about modern teaching technology, some experts pointed out that computer and internet has brought forward for foreign language learning a never-seen great situation with much more teaching materials and brand new teaching methods. 1.2 The past studies:Nowadays many different higher education institutions has noticed the advantages of multi-media assisting teaching and has started to apply the computer and internet technology into real teaching performance.1.3 The significance of the study/purpose of the study (RQS/hypothesis)When thinking of a topic of this research, I searched on different courses being acquired of students of English education major and Computer Applying in English teaching came into my mind. This reminded me of the usage of computers in intensive reading classes. I wanted to find the reasons for the department of using computers and internet in teaching, the advantages of applying computer and internet into English teaching and the existing problems of this kind of appliance. Then I lay down my research on Multi-media Assisting English Teaching. In fact, multi-media assisting teaching is becoming more and more popular, especially in foreign language teaching. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the current condition of English teaching being assisted by multi-media and provide some suggestions on how multi-media can be more efficiently and properly used in English teaching. This is why I choose this topic.II. Literature Review (theoretical basis for the present study)2.1 Definition of multi-media2.2 Classifications of multi-media2.3 Multi-media and English teaching2.4 RQS/hypothesisIII. Research Methods3.1 Subjects/subject description3 teachers who used multi-media when teaching English and 20 students who had multi-media assisting English classes before.3.2 Instruments: 3.2.1Questionnaire survey (what? for what? And How)Questionnaire delivered to 20 students who had multi-media assisting English classes before, surveying on students opinion on Multi-media Assisting English teaching3.2.2 Interview (what? for what? And How)Interview with 3 teachers who used multi-media, intending to know the reasons they use multi-media when teaching English and the teachers opinions on Multi-media Assisting EnglishIV. Results and Discussion4.1 Data Presentation4.1.1 Questionnaire survey4.1.2 Interview4.2 Discussion: 4.2.1 Questionnaire survey4.2.2 InterviewOR :4.1 Questionnaire survey4.1.1 Data Presentation4.1.2 Analysis4.2 InterviewV. Conclusion5.1 Major findings: 5.2 Implications:5.3 Limitations: Due to the authors time and social identity, the subject of the research is not large and various enough. Also, the author was not able to get the findings applied and tested in real English teaching. 5.4 Further studies:The author will try to collect more data on students and teachers attitude towards the usage of multi-media in English teaching and find out more details on how multi-media can be used more efficiently and properly in English teaching. References1. Hartmer, Jeremy, How to Teach English, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press 20002. Nunan, David, Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 19893. Rumelhart, D.E., “Schemata: The Building Blocks of Cognition,” in R. Spiro, B. Bruce and W. Brewer (eds.), Theoretical Issues in Reading Comprehension, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 19804. Willis, Jane, A Framework for Task-based Learning, Addison Wesley Longman Limited, 19965. 高等学校外语专业教学指导委员会英语组：关于外语专业面向21世纪本科教育改革的若干意见， 上海为与教育出版社2000版6. 高云峰： 应用图示理论，提高SBE阅读能力，载外语界2003年第1期7. 康晓秋、程动强：高校英语教学改革与CAI的应用浅谈“网络英语阅读与写作”， 载外语电化教学2002年第2期8. 李志荣、孔惠洁：英语专业泛读课网络教学尝试，载外语电化教学2003年第1期9. 刘慧秋：英国文学多媒体教程制作实践， 载外语电化教学2002年第2期10. 史兴松： 网络教育利弊观，载外语电化教学2001年第3期11. 苏勇：兴趣型阅读教学模式探析， 载山东外语教学2001年第2期12. 王蔷：英语教学法教程，高等教育出版社2000年版13. 王守仁、找文书：网络环境下的英语专业泛读教学研究，载外语界2000年第2期14. 杨春慧：试论多媒体计算机辅助英语教学的特点，载外语电化教学2000年第3期Appendix 1Appendix 2Speaking Anxiety in EFL university English majors public speaking course .Introduction and Background of the Research1.1 Existing ProblemsLanguage learning is a process which is considered to be complicated and difficult. It requires time and patience of the language learner. This, with no exception, is true when it comes to EFL learning. People find it more challenging to learn a second language than the first one and will naturally show anxiety, fear or tension in EFL classroom especially when ESL learners speak English in public. 1.2 Past Research and Significance of the StudyIn the past, many scholars kept on their eyes on this issue, the anxiety of ESL learning and the relevant researches but many of them focused on listening comprehension and reading. Although some put their emphasis upon speaking anxiety, the results seem far from the researchers satisfaction. Additionally, since oral English is important, many educators put their emphasis upon how to improve it. However, few of them specified the classification of anxiety in ESL classroom and systematically linked to practicable strategies which can be employed by ESL learners to perfect their English. As one of the most important basic English skills, oral English/speaking best reflects the English proficiency of a EFL learner to a certain extent. Hence, to find an effective way of reducing public speaking anxiety is of vital significance for ESL university English majors to overcome the tough challenges and improve their English proficiency. . Literature Review In this section, several aspects in the literature concerning the anxiety in the second language speaking will be addressed, which are the definition and classification of anxiety.2.1 Definition of Anxiety 2.11 Definition of Anxiety a feeling of dread, fear, or apprehension, often with no clear justification. Anxiety is distinguished from fear because the latter arises in response to a clear and actual danger, such as one affecting a person's physical safety. Anxiety, by contrast, arises in response to apparently innocuous situations or is the product of subjective, internal emotional conflicts the causes of which may not be apparent to the person himself. Some anxiety inevitably arises in the course of daily life and is considered normal. But persistent, intense, chronic, or recurring anxiety not justified in response to real-life stresses is usually regarded as a sign of an emotional disorder. When such an anxiety is unreasonably evoked by a specific situation or object, it is known as a phobia. A diffuse or persistent anxiety associated with no particular cause or mental concern is called general, or free-floating, anxiety. 2.12 Definition of second languageLanguage, no less than other aspects of human behavior, is subject to purposive interference. When people with different languages need to communicate, various expedients are open to them, the most obvious being second-language learning and teaching. This takes time, effort, and organization, and, when more than two languages are involved, the time and effort are that much greater. Most people are monolingual, and those with a working knowledge of three or four languages are much fewer than those with a competence in just one second language. Other expedients may also be applied. Ad hoc pidgins for the restricted purposes of trade and administration were mentioned above. Tacit or deliberate agreements have been reached whereby one language is chosen for international purposes when speakers of several different languages are involved. 2.13 Definition of Speaking Anxiety of ESL university English majors Speaking Anxiety of ESL university English majors is a natural reflection of students when they speak a foreign language instead of their mother tongue. 2.2 Classification of Anxiety2.3 Anxiety and ESL learningIt is conventionally regarded to be caused by the language incompetence or lack of confidence of the speaker. Other factors such as the degree of difficulty of spoken English itself, effects of negative evaluation from teachers and self-consciousness of the speakers contribute to the formation of Speaking Anxiety.2.4 Possible solutions and strategies weaken Speaking Anxiety of ESL university English majors. Research methods3.1 Subject Selection3.1.1 Sample size: 15students and 4 teachers (randomly chosen)3.1.2 Sample type: 12S and 1T for questionnaire, 4S and 1Tfrom each grade 3S and 1T for interview 1S from each grade3.2 Instrument 3.2.1 Questionnaire 3.2.2 Interviews 3.2.3 Observation. Data presentation 4.1 Questionnaire data and analysis4.2 Observation notes and findings4.3 interview notes and findings. Conclusion5.1 Major findings 5.2 Limitations5.3 Further study. Discussion . References Jackie Xiu Yan and Elaine Kolker Horwitz, “Learners Perceptions of How Anxiety Interacts With Personal and Instructional Factors to Influence Their Achievement in English: A Qualitative Analysis of EF Learners in China” Language Learning 58:1, (2008), 151183Yuh-show cheng and Elain K.Horwits and Diane L. Schallert, “Language Anxiety: Differentiating writing and speaking components” Language Learning 49:3(1999), 417446Lindy Woodrow, “Anxiety and Speaking English as a Second Language”RELC Journal 2006; 37; 308Barley Shuk-Yin Mak and Cynthia White “Communication Apprehension of ChineseESL Students” Hong Kong Journals for applied Linguistics (1996) 81-95MICHAEL J. BEATTY and RALPH R. BEHNKEm, “Effects of Public Speaking Trait Anxiety and Intensity of Speaking Task on Heart Rate during Performance” PUBLIC SPEAIUNG TRAIT ANXIETY Anxiety：(2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 27, 2008, from EncyclopediaBritannica Online: Language. (2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 27,  2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: “焦虑症状分类及其意义” CHINESE COMMUNITY DOCTORS 2007 年第18 期( 第23 卷总第336期) Research Proposal Topic: Writing Difficulties for the