Posted: April 5th, 2015

English in the World

English in the World

Order Description

Task: Should tests of English language generally conform to native speaker standards and norms of correctness? Critically evaluate this view, commenting on whether new varieties or non-native speaker variation can or should be taken into account when constructing a test of English.

English in the World
Written Assignment, 3000-3500 words

Task: Should tests of English language generally conform to native speaker standards and norms of correctness? Critically evaluate this view, commenting on whether new varieties or non-native speaker variation can or should be taken into account when constructing a test of English.

Marking criteria are as follows:
1. Clear demonstration of understanding of the issue chosen for discussion;
2. Ability to organise knowledge, articulate arguments effectively, and critically appraise the evidence for certain views and analyses of the English language at post-graduate level (as specified in the University Guide for Postgraduates);
3. Ability to use appropriate phonemic or phonetic notation and produce a transcript (where relevant);
4. Demonstration of a wide range of reading relevant to the chosen area (see * below);
5. Coherence of assignment, especially overall organisation and division into sections and paragraphs;
6. Presentation, especially correctness of referencing and bibliography and quality of writing.

* I expect to see AT LEAST SEVEN items on your list of references, EXCLUDING WEBSITES. Wikipedia is banned as a source of information. Academic papers downloaded from reputable websites are permitted.
The assignment must be word processed using either Times New Roman 12pt or Ariel 12pt or similar (i.e. Comic Sans Serif is not suitable), and with phonetic symbols where appropriate. You must use a suitable phonetic font, e.g. Lucida Sans Unicode (available on all Windows machines post 1998).
Lines should be double or 1.5 spaced with the page number given on each page.