*Note: The ENGL7998 course code is only applicable to students admitted in 2023-24 or before. Students admitted in 2024-25 and thereafter can only choose the ENGL7994 course code.
Each student will develop and present a final research project in linguistics as part of the fulfilment of the requirements for the MAES degree. Students will have the opportunity to pursue their own research interests and work independently towards a specific research objective in the broad field of sociolinguistics and utilize a theoretical framework in the analysis of data to support their argument. This capstone course will:
a) Provide in-depth instruction surrounding the capstone experience
b) Introduce key steps and stages of the final research project (e.g. guidelines on formulating aims and research questions, utilising secondary sources, structuring extended essays, and presentation skills)
c) Offer possible theoretical approaches and give individual guidance to students so as to help them formulate a topic and delineate the scope of their research.
Instructors will also suggest further reading, give feedback on proposals and comment on drafts. Class time will thus consist of discussions on research methods, theoretical considerations, peer editing and presentation skills. The project proposal must be submitted early on for approval before proceeding to the next stage, and students are expected to spend much of their time during the course on independent research and writing.
Starting in 2024-2025, the MAES Capstone Experience course (Linguistics) is offering an alternative to the written capstone essay (approximately 4000-5000 words) and formal conference presentation (Option 1).
Students who are perhaps not as interested in a formal academic paper as their capstone project can choose to submit instead a “working paper in sociolinguistics” (approximately 2500-3000 words) and participate in a poster session at the MAES conference in May (Option 2). This alternative capstone option requires students to engage with two academic genres: the working paper and the poster session, and shifts the focus of the capstone project to the clear communication of ideas, in written form, verbally and visually, and the interactive sharing of ideas. To summarize the two options:
Option 1: 1) Capstone essay (4000-5000 words)
2) Formal conference presentation at the MAES conference
Option 2: 1) Working Paper (2500-3000 words)
2) A poster session to be presented at the MAES conference
The other deadlines and assessments for both capstone options remain the same. All students will develop a paper idea, complete an annotated bibliography, and submit a first draft for feedback. All presentations and posters will be evaluated by moderators at the conference.
The Capstone Experience will culminate in three major research outputs:
1) An extended research paper or a working paper on your chosen project. Those students on target to receive a Distinction can apply separately to write a longer paper of up to 8,000 words.
2) A creative component due in the course of the final year (e.g., film, performance, original composition, short story, etc.) with a concept statement. Details of options will be available at the start of the academic year.
3) Presentation or poster session at the MAES conference preliminarily set for 23 May, 2026.
Other objectives include:
- To learn independent research skills
- To have the option of developing team skills within a creative group project
- To articulate an argument within or against a prevailing body of critical work on a particular sociolinguistic topic
- To situate that research within larger academic and non-academic discursive fields
- To present one’s argument coherently in front of an audience and to respond to critical questions
- To communicate ideas in a creative format to have impact on the larger community
Coursework and participation 20% (participation, early drafts of work)
Creative output with concept statement 20%
Essay or working paper 40%
Conference presentation or poster 20%