The influence of cultural reasons on learning style among ESL students in China
The influence of cultural reasons on learning style among ESL students in China
Edit paper according to comments.
– Paper requirements:
Topic: The influence of cultural reasons on learning style among ESL students in China
The most commonly-chosen option is an extensive literature review in a specialized area which systematically and critically covers seminal articles and books in that area, which takes account of multiple perspectives in a reasonable way, and which finishes with an overview discussion.
A focus that was narrow enough a decade or two ago may now be too broad if a substantial amount of research has been done since then. To take an exemplary case, a literature review that covers empirical research on the effectiveness of the explicit
teaching of linguistic form (as opposed to following a more implicit or ‘natural’ approach) might have been acceptable as a topic in 1995; however, it would be impossible to cover that literature adequately in 25 pages today.
Organization
As with all academic papers, the broad format will include an introduction in which a thesis is
presented, a body in which the thesis is developed directly and in depth, and a conclusion in
which the paper’s results are commented on. If you are doing primary research — i.e. collecting
and analyzing field data for the purpose of testing research hypotheses, your paper should follow
the standard format used in scientific papers. We will make more detailed organizational
schemes available for your review.
Language
(a) Your paper should be written in formal academic register. It should be free of
grammatical and mechanical errors, misspellings and punctuation errors. You are encouraged to
use a spell check and grammar check on your computer, but do not rely exclusively on these
tools, as they will not identify every possible error in spelling and grammar; it is often best to
find a colleague with good proofreading skills who can scan your paper for errors.
(b) Your paper should include in-text references to research literature cited. Page numbers of
references should be included wherever possible. Example:
…Use of the Total Physical Response method of second-language teaching
is reported to lead to higher student evaluations in foreign-language
courses (Krashen 1982, p.158)…
It must be clear to the reader at all times whether you are presenting your statements as original
statements or statements attributed to your research sources. In general, unless some kind of
explicit citation is done in each paragraph, the reader will assume that the statements within the
paragraph are original. If you are in doubt about whether you have made your attributions clear,
consult an advisor or other competent person before you hand in a final copy of your paper.
(c) Your paper must include a bibliography of all references used for the paper. These
normally include all books, articles and films. Every item in the bibliography must be referenced
at least once within the text of your paper (i.e., don’t give ‘ghost references’). Follow the format
of the APA Manual for both bibliography and in-text references.
Format
Your paper should be word-processed and presented without erasures, white-out, or tack
changes. The standard word-processing font is in twelve-point block letters. Papers should be
double-spaced. The standard margin size is one inch; page numbers should appear either on the
top or bottom of the paper, where the margin will be slightly larger; pagination begins with the
first page of text. Shorter tables, charts, transcript segments, pictures and diagrams, where they
play a central role in the discussion, should be conveniently located for reference within the body
of the paper. Longer tables, charts, transcripts, etc. are more suitably placed in separate, labeled
appendices following the main text of the paper.
Evaluation Criteria for the Primary Literature Reviews
A) CONTENT (‘A”, “B”, “Rewrite”, weighted by 3)
(a) The paper addresses a question or issue in an organized, coherent, and cogent
way.
(b) The topic is sufficiently narrow and focused, given the expected length of the
paper (20-25 pages for MA-AL); the paper is not overly general in scope.
(c) The main idea is clear and treated with sophistication.
(d) The paper clearly and consistently engages available research literature
that is directly relevant to the topic.
(e) The paper properly cites all sources used and cites no sources not used.
(f) The paper provides support for any specific or general claims made by the
writer. These claims may be original, or they may be attempts to refine or
reinforce others’ prior claims.
(g) The paper clearly documents specific and general claims made by authors
cite and clearly outlines (where relevant) the support given by those authors
for their claims.
(h) The paper adequately permits the reader to distinguish the claims of the writer
from those of the research sources used by the writer.
(i) The paper provides a critical approach to the analysis and includes a
reasonable consideration of other perspectives.
(j) The paper shows depth and breadth of thinking. If the entire paper is a
comprehensive literature review on a particular topic, it is expected that
the writer will go beyond mere summarization of others’ work by highlighting
problems and potential directions for future research.
B) ORGANIZATION (“A”, “B”, “Rewrite”, weighted by 2)
(a) The paper includes an introduction which effectively orients the reader to the
topic and explicitly states a thesis which informs the reader of what to expect
in the body of the paper.
(b) The essay includes a literature review (where applicable) which orients the
reader to the current state of opinion regarding the topic. (In a research
paper, the literature review normally follows the introduction.)
(c) The paper includes a conclusion which not only reinforces the thesis but also
guides the reader toward new insights into the topic.
(d) The paper is organized into discrete, logically ordered sections which are
separate but form a logical whole. If the paper involves original, primary
research following an experimental design, the organization of the paper will
normally follow the standard format of “Introduction > Methods > Results
>Discussion”.
(e) The sections of the paper are organized into separate, internally unified
paragraphs.
(f) The paper shows coherence between paragraphs and between sections. Where
helpful, cohesive devices should assist the reader in understanding how the
various parts of the paper fit together.
(g) The paper contains logical headings for the different sections of the paper and
subheadings, if applicable. Headings should be easily distinguishable from
subheadings.
(h) (For Ed.M. papers only:) If a paper is longer than thirty pages and contains
multiple sections and subsections, a table of contents is desirable.
D)LANGUAGE (“A”, “B”, “Rewrite”, weighted by 1)
(a) The paper is written in formal academic register.
(b) The paper is free of grammatical and mechanical errors (e.g., misspellings
and punctuation errors).
(c) The paper demonstrates knowledge of the conventions for in-text referencing
(including both paraphrases and direct quotations) based on the APA system,
7th edition, as used in publications such as TESOL Quarterly.
(d) The essay contains a full bibliography which follows the APA conventions
used in publications such as TESOL Quarterly.
(e) Where applicable, the paper includes ordered and numbered appendices.
(f) The paper includes a cover page with student name and paper title; pages are
properly formatted and are numbered beginning with the first page of text.
-Comments:
Reviewer 1:
This paper covers an interesting topic — the influence of culture and learning styles on English language learners in the Chinese context. However, this does not read like a literature review. It reads like a list of generalizations about Chinese learners alongside lists of teaching recommendations. The writer does incorporate several studies that seem to support their claims, but the studies are not explained in any detail (methods, findings). Instead, the writer mentions the topic of the study and moves directly into the pedagogical implications and recommendations of the study without specifying the method or findings. For example, the entire section titled “Learning Style on Chinese ESL Students,” which is the largest section of the paper, feels more like a long discussion section rather than a synthesis of research (empirical work). Additionally, the lack of synthesis within sections leads to a lot of repetition. For example, multiple studies mentioned in the Learning Style section have similar pedagogical recommendations, so the writer repeats these recommendations every time (e.g., having group work). There is no logical order to the presentation of studies within the body sections. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of transition between each study. In addition to the lack of synthesis, there is no critical evaluation of the studies. This must be partially because the writer does not describe any of the studies in enough detail to be able to evaluate them. Below are the steps I recommend for revision:
1) Regarding the introduction, the writer should state clearly the purpose of this paper. This can be in statement or question form. Currently, the writer has what appears to be roadmap sentences, but before these, they should state clearly the paper’s purpose. They could have something very direct like “The purpose of this paper is…” or “This paper aims to…” or “This paper explores…”
2) Regarding the body of the review, specifically the sections “Learning Style on Chinese ESL Students” and “Cultural Impacts on Chinese ESL Students…”: The writer should include more details about the studies themselves. Briefly summarize the research purpose, participants, method, and findings. Although the writer could briefly mention the pedagogical implications here, they should really save this for the discussion section. Instead, focus on what these studies found and how these studies findings, taken together, reveal something about Chinese students’ learning styles or cultural impacts.
3) Regarding organization, the overall structure of sections is clear enough. The writer should focus on the organization within sections, specifically the “Learning Style on Chinese ESL Students” and “Cultural Impacts on Chinese ESL Students…” sections. Some suggestions: 3a) Add an introduction sentence(s) at the beginning of the section that previews the topic/purpose of the section. 3b) Add clear transitions when moving from one study to the next. Make explicit how the studies are related to each other. Does the new study further support a point from the prior study? Does the new study offer a different perspective or idea? 3c) Conclude each section with a few sentences that sum up what the section has taught us about the topic (i.e., a summary).
“alternatively”, “contrastively”, “similarly”, “regarding” – transition words that can help you organize your thoughts
4) In the discussion section, this can be where the writer discusses pedagogical implications and suggestions. Withholding these suggestions until this section will make the paper much less repetitive. It is clear that multiple studies’ findings have similar pedagogical implications. Now, instead of repeating this suggestion after every single study in the body section, the writer can mention it in the discussion and cite those multiple studies. This will show a much higher level of synthesis.
Reviewer 2:
The paper reads as a manual of instruction for the culturally-responsive teacher, rather than a literature review of empirical studies on the influence of different teaching / pedagogies on learning styles. At times, the empirical aspect of this review is lacking in favor of a more “manual” type review of how educators “should” teach. Were there interviews conducted in students? How about questionnaires? What about their learning progress in terms of deliverables (tests, assessments)? The consequences of different learning styles/ teaching strategies is not discussed.
Requirements: above
Hi, I attached the paper and comments.
You helped me with the first draft 2 months ago. Hope you have memories about this paper so that it will be easier for you to revise.
Edit in the word file
Answer preview for the paper on ‘The influence of cultural reasons on learning style among ESL students in China’
APA 6366 words
Click the purchase button below to download full answer…….