CHNS3680 essay

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Overview

The research essay serves as the capstone project for CHNS3680 and builds on the materials discussed across the five modules and requires you to critically analyse a case related to language issues within the Sinosphere. Your topic should focus on collective sociolinguistic concerns, challenges, or practices relevant to a specific community, region, or country. Themes may include but not limited to multilingualism, language maintenance, language policy, minority language education, or the relationship between language and identity. Your analysis must demonstrate critical thinking and engage directly with the core sociolinguistic themes discussed throughout the semester, showing your ability to connect theoretical insights and course material and readings with real-world examples.

Essay structure

This task is broken up into 6 main parts plus references and, if relevant, an appendix. Your overall word count for this assessment is 2,500 English words, or its equivalent (4,000 Chinese characters) for the research essay (+/- 10% allowed). References and appendixes do not count towards your overall word count.

Cover page: AI Use/Non-Use Declaration

You’re permitted to use generative AI for this open assessment. You must include a clear statement declaring whether or not you used AI tools.

If you used AI, state:

that you have used AI tools in completing the work

the name and version of the automated writing or generative AI tools you have used

the publisher

the uniform resource locator (URL)

and a description of how you used them.

It’s important that you describe clearly your own usage for academic honesty. Please refer to the next section for permitted and prohibited uses.

If you did not use AI, include: I confirm that I did not use any AI or automated tools in the preparation of this essay.

Research question as your title. To find out how to write a research question.

Introduction (~300 English words/450 Chinese characters)

Clearly articulate your core argument, presenting a research question (this also serves as your title) related to the language issue you chose. Provide relevant background and historical context, explaining the significance of the issue. Identify why it is an urgent topic for research and analysis in today’s sociolinguistic landscape.

Literature review (~400w/750c)

Critically engage with existing literature on your topic, positioning your research within the broader academic discourse. Highlight key debates, contrasting perspectives, and any gaps or unresolved issues in the literature. Be explicit about how your research contributes new insights or addresses a void in existing studies.

It’s possible to combine this with the introduction into a longer contextual section.

Case study (~1500w/2250c)

Your case study should provide a focused, critical analysis of a real-world case, including language policies, practices, or debates within a defined community, region, or country. Analyse various stakeholders, historical contexts, and any underlying sociopolitical dynamics at play. Your analysis should not simply describe the case but evaluate its implications and how it ties to broader sociolinguistic issues. Ensure that your case demonstrates practical applications of the theoretical themes covered in class.

Conclusion (~300w/500c)

Summarise your main findings and reconnect to your original research question. Discuss the broader implications of your findings for the field of multilingualism or sociolinguistics. Reflect critically on the case study’s impact and what it reveals about language practices or policies in the Sinosphere. Consider proposing areas for further research or policy reform or mentioning whether the insights gained from the case study might apply to other regions or contexts in the Sinosphere or beyond.

References

List only the sources that you have cited. All references must adhere to APA7th style. We recommend reading through the library's guide to referencing as you compile your sources.

The essay should include a minimum of 15 sources, of which at least eight must be peer-reviewed academic sources. At least two sources must come from the course reading list. Non-academic sources, such as government reports, news articles, are acceptable for providing contextual information but should be used sparingly. 

We don’t encourage excessive uses of citations and quotes. It is important that you use the sources effectively to support your arguments. 

If writing in Chinese, ensure that no more than 40% of your total sources are in Chinese.

Include both Chinese and English for Chinese sources. For example: Wu, Qingjun吴清军. 2011. "赵元任：研究语言是为了“好玩”[Yuen Ren Chao: Studying language is "purely for fun”]." In 清华传奇 Legend of Tsinghua University, 15-18. Beijing: New World Publishing House.

Appendix (if any)

AI Use Guidelines

Permitted uses

The integration of AI in university writing assessment aims to enhance student writing skills and provide constructive feedback for improvement. Permitted uses of AI in this course include:

Generating ideas for a research question.

Creating a mind map to organise ideas.

Suggesting a structure or outline.

Searching for relevant literature.

Translation

Checking grammar.

Editing, polishing, and proofreading your own draft.

Prohibited Uses

While AI can potentially enhance learning outcomes, its use in writing assessments poses challenges such as plagiarism risk due to insufficient in-text referencing or a lack of original thinking. Other limitations of AI use include a lack of context understanding and potential biases. AI is also prone to hallucination. To mitigate these risks, the following uses of AI are prohibited:

Using AI to write the first draft.

Copying and pasting a draft generated by AI without incorporating original writing.

Using AI in place of your own analysis or voice

Unacknowledged or inappropriate AI use will be treated as a breach of academic integrity. To recognise students’ efforts and demonstrate their human achievements, the assessment focus has been updated to include:

Emphasis on cohesive writing, evidence-based arguments, and original insights.

Focus on accurate in-text referencing to properly cite existing literature.

Stringent assessment of similarity through Turnitin checks.

Requirement for all assignment submissions to include a cover page with an AI declaration (see Essay Structure for details).

You might also be interested in the University's AI and education at Sydney site: https://educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au/teaching@sydney/ai-and-education/

Turnitin will be used to check all submissions for originality.

Academic integrity

Please ensure you are familiar with the University’s Academic Integrity policies, available here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/academic-integrity.html

Please ensure you are familiar with the University’s approach to plagiarism, available here: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/academic-dishonesty.html

More Information

A detailed rubric can be found at the bottom of this page. Grades will be assigned according to this rubric, and your achievement against each criterion will be noted during marking.

Assessments must be submitted as Word (.doc or .docx) or PDF documents. Pages documents need to be converted before submission.

Student essays from the past: 1, 2