ma thesis topics for english language teaching

Syntax and Semantics

• The Tok Pisin noun phrase
• Towards an investigation of socially-conditioned semantic variation
• Definite article reduction in a religious community of practice
• The definiteness effect in Chinese 'you'-existential constructions: A corpus based study
• Topics and pronouns in the clausal left periphery in Old English
• Scalar implicatures in polar (yes/no) questions
• Quantification, alternative semantics and phases
• The syntax and semantics of V2 – 'weil' in German 
• An analysis of Chinese quantifiers 'ge', 'dou' and 'quan' and their co-occurrence
• Distribution and licensing condititions of Negative Polarity Items in Mandarin Chinese
• The NP/DP Distinction in Slavic: A comparative approach
• A complex predicational analysis of the 'ba'-construction in Mandarin Chinese
• Two types of raising in Korean
• Serial verb constructions in Mandarin Chinese
• From Turncoats to Backstabbers:  How headedness and word order determine the productivity of agentive and instrumental compounding in English

Forensic Phonetics

• An Investigation into the Perceived Similarity of the Speech of Identical Twins and Same Sex Siblings
• Detecting Authenticity of Audio Files Compressed by Social Media Platforms
• Investigating Changes from Neutral to Soft and Whispered Speech and their Impact on Automatic Speaker Recognition
• The Effect of Anger and Fear on Forensic Authomatic Speaker Recognition System Performance
• The Impact of Face Coverings on Speech Comprehension and Perceptions of Speaker Attributes
• Tracking Linguistic Differences in the Ultrasound Images of the Tongue in Spoken and Silent Speech Conditions Using Pose Estimation

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English Language Teaching (M.A. with thesis)

Graduate programs.

• English Language Teaching (Ph.D.)
• English Literature (M.A. with thesis)
• English Literature (Ph.D.)

Last Updated:

Program description.

The M.A. program in ELT (English Language Teaching) introduces major theoretical and methodological issues in language learning/acquisition and teaching and provides students with a foundation in the theoretical and applied aspects of the field. The program strives to provide graduates with fieldwork skills in qualitative/quantitative research in the field of English Language Teaching and Learning.

Graduates of the program demonstrate awareness of theoretical and applied knowledge about contemporary approaches, methods and techniques related to the acquisition of English as a second/foreign language and (applied) linguistics for a comparative analysis of languages and cultures. They can successfully evaluate existing instructional programs, procedures, assessment practices, language teaching methods and techniques and make suggestions to improve existing ones, or analyze innovative theories, applications and tools, and conduct small-scale research to suggest new ones. While synthesizing, critically assessing, and improving theoretical and practical findings on contemporary research, graduates are expected to carry out research studies with a scientific point of view in order to meet the educational and empirical needs in national and international contexts with the aim of making contributions to the field.

The graduates of the English Language Teaching M.A. Program can work as instructors, language teaching specialists and research assistants at national and international educational institutions.

Possible Fields of Study

Second language Acquisition, Materials/curriculum/instructional design, Language teaching methodology, ICTs and ELT, Psycholinguistic and Socio-cultural aspects of language learning, (Applied) Linguistics

Required Course Load 

7 Courses + 3 Non Credit Courses

A. Must courses (2 in total):

Students should take 2 must courses in total:

Every MA student has to take ELT 506 as one of their must courses. 

Every MA student should take at least one of the ELT 554 or ELT 555 elective courses following regulations in accordance with Article 17/8 of Academic Rules and Regulations governing Graduate Studies.

B. Electives (5 courses to choose from the list below)

Note: Students who started their MA before 2020-2021 Fall Semester are expected to take 3 must courses (ELT 506, 554, and 555), 4 elective courses and 3 non-credit courses.

Students who started their MA in 2020-2021 Fall Semester are expected to take 2 must courses (ELT 506 and either ELT 554 or ELT 555), 5 elective courses and 3 non-credit courses.

C. Non Credit Courses (all 3 should be completed within 4 semesters):

Note: For the non-credit thesis courses, you can reach Thesis/Dissertation Supervision Codes at the link below:

ELT and ELIT Supervision Codes

Note: Students are expected to select their M.A. thesis advisor by the end of their 1 st  semester (before they start their 2 nd  semester) in the program. To do this, please use the link (and the information) given below:

Advisor Assignment

How to apply

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MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL)

Why Choose Illinois MATESOL?

While the general orientation of instruction is toward practical matters, courses also have a significant theoretical component and give attention to relevant research. Students and faculty share the responsibility to integrate theory and practice as effectively as possible. Candidates can expect to become familiar with publications in the field and to be stimulated to keep abreast of recent professional literature, especially discussions concerning teaching methodologies, review of teaching materials, and other matters of pedagogical concern.

How to Apply

Follow this link to the Application Page

Nearly all of the UIUC MATESOL students are the beneficiaries of some form of financial aid for at least part of the time they spend working on their degree. Most degree candidates with native or native-like competence in English receive appointments as graduate assistants teaching English in the  ESL Service Courses  or in the  Intensive English Institute   for at least two academic years. In addition, there are a limited number of library and laboratory assistantships open to MATESL students; the assistantships offered to English language learners require proof of near-native English speaking ability. If you are an English language learner applicant for a teaching job in ESL, you must present a TOEFL Speaking Score (or an equivalent score in IELTS) of 26 (or greater) for full consideration. 

The most common form of Financial Aid for the MATESOL program is in the form of a 33% Teaching Assistantship.  This means that students with the TA position will teach one section of ESL per semester (approximately 3 hours of teaching per week), with additional hours devoted to lesson preparation, grading, office hours, meetings, etc.  All Assistantships of at least 25% include a full waiver of the university tuition cost and almost all student fees.  They also include a monthly salary. 

There is a separate financial aid application process for each academic term. Fall and Summer applications are processed together, usually in March or April of each year. Spring applications are processed typically on October or November of the previous year. Please check back at this webpage from time to time, to see if new financial aid forms are posted for a forthcoming semester.

All newly admitted MATESL students are automatically considered for financial aid for their first semester of study. There is no separate financial aid application system as part of the admission application. After arrival, all MATESOL students must re-apply for financial aid each semester, regardless of any guarantee of longer-term awards (e.g., in the admission letter). This re-application allows MATESL students to indicate if they wish to teach a different class.

The Department welcomes applicants from other campus degree programs.

General Degree Requirements

The program of study leading to the MATESOL degree requires candidates to complete a minimum of 40 hours with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher (B or better). Twelve of the forty hours must be taken from 500-level courses (that is, graduate only). These forty hours may include up to eight hours of thesis credit (EIL 599).   In addition to coursework, students must complete either a Comprehensive exam for each of the required courses  or  a Master's Thesis (more information on these below).

Core Course Requirements: 32 Hours

Elective Courses: 8 Hours

Applicants must satisfy prerequisites for entry into the program. All applicants for admission to the MATESOL Program must have taken a college level introduction to linguistics and must have at least two years of a foreign language. In addition, applicants must have also taken a basic course in language teaching methods and materials. These prerequisites may be satisfied by courses taken after becoming a student at the university, if necessary; however, credit for courses taken to satisfy curriculum prerequisites does not count toward the 40 hours necessary for the MATESL degree itself.

EIL Courses

See here for EIL Courses .

Comprehensive Exams  or  The Master's Thesis

As noted above, all students must complete either the Comprehensive Exams  or  a Master's Thesis in order to graduate from the program.  This decision is partially made based on your own preferences (some people definitely have no interest in a thesis), but the option to do a thesis is also determined by your performance in the program and your continuing satisfactory progress on that thesis.

Comprehensive Examination

Approximately one-half of the students in the MATESOL program compete the degree requirements by successfully passing the Comprehensive Exams.   See here for Comprehensive Examination  details.  

MATESL Thesis Option

For students who have a strong interest in research (whether theoretical or pedagogical) completing a thesis would be an excellent goal.

For information pertaining to the MATESOL Graduate Program Thesis Option, please refer to the links below:

• What do you need to do?   Thesis Information
• When would you need to do it?  MA Thesis Checklist 
• What have other MATESL students done?  There are many great samples of theses written by graduates from our MATESOL program available on the MATESOL Library website.

Additional Thesis resources (items with * are books available in the MATESOL library)

• MA Thesis Information from Graduate College
• Writing in the Social Sciences :  A very nice brief handout
• * Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research Methods in Education (8th ed.). New York: Routledge.
• *Mallinson, C., Childs, B., Van Herk, G. (2018). Data Collection in Sociolinguistics: Methods and Applications (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
• *Pearson Casanave, C., 2014). Before the Dissertation: A textual mentor for Doctoral students at early stages of a research process . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
• *Pearson Casanave, C. (2020). During the Dissertation: A textual mentor for Doctoral students in the process of writing . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
• *American Psychological Association. (2020). P ublication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Edition). 

Specialization in Writing Studies

Within the pedagogical and research tracks, candidates may choose to use their elective units to develop a Specialization in Writing Studies (SWS), an option approved jointly by Linguistics and the Center for Writing Studies (CWS). The requirements for such a specialization are the following:

Course Requirements

• ENGL 505/C&I 563 Writing Studies I
• ENGL 506/C&I 564 Writing Studies II
• EIL 445 Second Lang Reading and Writing

Research/Elective Requirements

• must include on their thesis committee, as thesis director, a MATESOL faculty member affiliated with CWS;
• must focus the thesis on a topic related to pedagogy, administrative problems, or research on a writing-related topic in the context of second language research. Students may develop and test instructional materials, design and evaluate an administrative procedure or program, or design and conduct a research project;
• must prepare a formal proposal describing the research, to be submitted to a MATESOL faculty member affiliated with CWS for approval at least six weeks prior to the start of the project;
• must deposit the Master’s Thesis in the Writing Studies Office within two weeks of completion; and
• must complete all requirements stated in the Master's Thesis document

Candidates who do not write a master's thesis may choose one of the following two options:

Option A: take one additional non-MATESOL course in Writing Studies, chosen from the list approved by CWS and DEIL for the specialization in Writing Studies (see page 2 for this list)

Option B: conduct a Master’s Project by completing a four-hour EIL 591 independent study under the direction of a MATESOL faculty member affiliated with CWS. The EIL 591 independent study must result in a Master’s Project that, when completed, would be deposited in the Writing Studies Office within two weeks of its completion. The Master's Project must be related to pedagogy, administrative problems, or research on a writing-related topic in the context of second language research. Students may develop and test instructional materials, design and evaluate an administrative procedure or program, or design and conduct a research project.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

The Department of Linguistics does not automatically re-consider denied applicants. You would need to fully re-apply.

The decision process for admission to the MATESOL is complex. We consider a large number of factors. In the past, people who were denied and then successfully admitted in a subsequent year did some or all of the following:

• Some took TESOL training courses at another institution. For example; denied applicants who live in Champaign-Urbana took TESL courses at Parkland College. They completed these courses with a high GPA, and they provided us with a transcript from those courses, new letter(s) of reference from instructor(s) in those courses, or both.
• Some obtained teaching experience relevant to the UIUC MATESOL.
• Some international applicants produced increased TOEFL or IELTS scores. The term ‘TOEFL Score’ here refers to the results on the entire TOEFL test, including the essay exam and the speaking component of the new iBT.

Yes. At UIUC, this Is known as 'recoding'. We will recode your admission to the subsequent year upon your request.

UIUC has two technical definitions of ‘recode’. The first is ‘recode for admission’ and the second is ‘recode for consideration’.

The Department of Linguistics grants a ‘recode for admission’ to any admitted applicant who requests it. We will only do this for up to one subsequent year. If you are admitted and wish to wait for more than one year, or if you request an additional delay beyond that first subsequent year, you will have to fully re-apply.

Financial aid is never assured for a recode. You will be fully re-evaluated for financial aid for the subsequent year.

International students who are recoded are viewed as ‘recode for admission’ by the Department of Linguistics, but UIUC requires that we classify them as ‘recode for consideration’. This is because we need to re-establish the financial support necessary to generate an I-20 and get a student visa.

We do not usually recode for less than a year, given the nature of our program and the advising cohorts by which MATESOL students move through the course sequence. In rare cases, an exception may be granted. For example, the applicant may live in Champaign-Urbana, be a student at UIUC in another degree program and be able to take some of our courses while enrolled in that program. Recodes for less than one year require that the applicant be present for and attend our August new-student orientation. See the answer to item (9) below.

See the answers to item (2) above - generally, you can revise your application dossier to include any intervening experience, new letters of reference, a new statement of purpose, and so forth.

On this point, please bear in mind the cycle of review for admissions and for financial aid. UIUC’s academic year begins in mid-August. We evaluate new MATESOL applicants and continuing on-campus students for financial aid commencing as early as the previous March. If you have been recoded and wish to provide additional or revised evidence for your admissions dossier, please send it to us no later than March 1st.

This is a complex question.

Some MATESOL applicants are self-funded and/or have funding from other sources and/or are competing for funding from other sources, and they do not wish to apply for financial aid from us. This funding from other sources may not be fully available until the subsequent year.

Some MATESOL applicants are requesting funding from us in combination with either personal or outside funds, and full funding may be better in a subsequent year.

Some MATESOL applicants - although admitted - wish to teach or obtain other experience in the intervening year to substantially impact the Department’s consideration for financial aid in the subsequent year.

Regardless, certain advantages to recoding are clear - you do not have to pay the application fee again, and some elements of your application dossier do not need to be re-submitted.

See the reply to question (2) above. The first consideration is whether or not you can obtain higher TOEFL results in the intervening year. If so, that is a good reason to re-submit it. However, there is another important consideration: UIUC requires that TOEFL scores be no older than two years, dated from the projected start of your studies. Hence, if you re-apply (from deny) or recode for re-consideration (from admit), your TOEFL score may go out of date.

Please submit the full set of test results from whatever test you submit for admissions: TOEFL, iBT TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo

Per UIUC policy, a TOEFL speaking score of at least 24 is required for all those who wish to TA.

See here for information on English requirements for admission , and English requirements to become a teaching  assistant. 

This typically arises with students who do an undergraduate degree at UIUC and who complete either one of our TESL minors or the State of Illinois teacher endorsement course sequence (which involves some EIL courses).

UIUC does not permit a student to fulfill requirements for two degrees with the same course work (called 'double-dipping'). Hence, if you took any EIL courses and counted them toward some other UIUC degree, they cannot also count toward the MATESOL degree.

The Department of Linguistics does not require that you repeat any courses. So if you took a particular EIL course during a previous UIUC degree, you would not have to take that course again while a MATESL candidate. You would have to fill in the credit hours for that course. This means that you could take an elective.

One exit option for the MATESOL is a set of comprehensive examination questions. If you choose this option, and if you did one of the EIL courses during a previous degree, you will still have to fulfill the comps task for that course. For this reason, some students (who enter the MATESOL with a few prior EIL courses) find it beneficial to sit in on a given class again, especially if it has been some time since taking the EIL course in question.

No.  This score is optional.

Congratulations! We look forward to meeting you.

The MATESOL curriculum has two pre-requisite courses: a general introduction to linguistics and an introduction to TESOL methodology. These courses do not count toward the 40 hours required for the degree. If you have not taken such courses within five years of the start date of your MATESOL, consider taking these pre-requisites before you arrive on campus. Courses that satisfy both pre-requisites are offered online by the Department of Linguistics at UIUC: EIL 486 - Linguistics for Language Teachers, and EIL 411 - Introduction to TESOL Methodology. Alternatively, if your time and location permits, try to find such courses nearby (e.g. at a local college or institution). Get information about the courses - a description, the name of the textbooks, a syllabus if possible. Contact us and share that information with us. We can determine if the courses meet our pre-requisites, and if they do, you could get those courses out of the way prior to arrival. 

However, it is generally not a good idea to seek a course equivalent to one of the required EIL MATESOL courses. 

Other than that, the best thing you can do in the forthcoming months is to get some English teaching experience: even if as a volunteer. Or you might consider the opportunity offered in point 11 below.

Yes! The Department of Linguistics offers several EIL courses online. At this time, one will satisfy the curriculum pre-requisite for an introduction to linguistics, mentioned in the answer to question 11 - EIL 486 - Linguistics for Language Teachers. (Courses taken to fulfill curriculum prerequisites do not count toward the 40 hours required for the degree, and are therefore not transferrable.) Other EIL courses apply directly to fulfilling requirements in the MATESOL program: (a) EIL 489 - Theoretical Foundations of SLA; (b) EIL 422 - English Grammar for ESL Teachers; (c) EIL 460 - Principles of Language Testing.. By taking several of these courses online (up to 12 hours total), you could potentially shorten your on-campus time (usually two years) by as much as one semester. For more information about these courses, availability, and tuition, please see  this listing .

129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching [updated]

English Language Teaching (ELT) is a field dedicated to teaching English to non-native speakers. It’s important because English is a global language used for communication, business, and education worldwide. Research in ELT helps improve teaching methods, making it easier for students to learn English effectively. This blog will explore a list of research topics in English language teaching.

What Are The Areas Of Research In English Language Teaching?

Table of Contents

Research in English Language Teaching (ELT) encompasses a wide range of areas, including:

• Language Learning: Understanding how people learn English well, like when they learn a new language and if there’s a best time to do it.
• Teaching Ways: Looking into different ways teachers teach, like using conversations, tasks, or mixing language with other subjects.
• Curriculum Design and Syllabus Development: Designing and evaluating language curricula and syllabi to meet the needs of diverse learners and contexts.
• Assessment and Evaluation: Developing and validating assessment tools, exploring alternative assessment methods, and investigating the effectiveness of feedback and error correction strategies.
• Technology in ELT: Exploring the integration of technology in language teaching and learning, including computer-assisted language learning (CALL), mobile-assisted language learning (MALL), and online learning platforms.
• Teacher Education and Professional Development: Investigating pre-service and in-service teacher education programs, reflective practices, and challenges in teacher training.
• Cultural and Sociolinguistic Aspects: Examining the role of culture in language teaching and learning, sociolinguistic competence, and addressing cultural diversity in the classroom.
• Learner Diversity and Inclusive Practices: Researching teaching strategies for diverse learners, including young learners, learners with learning disabilities, and learners from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
• Policy and Planning in ELT: Analyzing language policies at national and international levels, exploring the implementation of ELT programs, and examining the role of ELT in national development.
• Research Methodologies in ELT: Investigating qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research approaches in ELT research, including action research conducted by teachers in their own classrooms.
• Future Trends and Innovations: Exploring emerging trends and innovations in ELT, such as the impact of globalization, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in language learning, and innovative teaching strategies.

129 List Of Research Topics In English Language Teaching: Category Wise

Language acquisition and development.

• Second Language Acquisition Theories: Explore different theories explaining how learners acquire a second language.
• Critical Period Hypothesis: Investigate the idea of an optimal age range for language acquisition.
• Multilingualism and Language Development: Study how knowing multiple languages affects language development.
• Cognitive and Affective Factors in Language Learning: Examine the role of cognitive abilities and emotions in language learning.
• Language Learning Strategies: Investigate the strategies learners use to acquire and develop language skills.
• Input Hypothesis: Explore the role of comprehensible input in language acquisition.
• Interaction Hypothesis: Examine the importance of interaction in language learning.
• Fossilization in Second Language Learning: Study why some learners reach a plateau in their language development.

Teaching Methodologies and Approaches

• Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): Analyze the effectiveness of CLT in promoting communication skills.
• Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT): Explore the use of real-world tasks to teach language.
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL): Investigate teaching subject content through English.
• Blended Learning in ELT: Study the integration of traditional and online teaching methods.
• Audio-Lingual Method: Assess the effectiveness of drills and repetition in language teaching.
• Grammar-Translation Method: Compare traditional grammar-focused methods with communicative approaches.
• Lexical Approach: Explore teaching vocabulary as a key component of language proficiency.
• Suggestopedia: Investigate the use of relaxation techniques to enhance language learning.

Curriculum Design and Syllabus Development

• Needs Analysis in ELT: Identify the language needs of learners and design appropriate curricula.
• Integrating Language Skills in Curriculum: Examine strategies for integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.
• Syllabus Types: Compare different types of syllabi, such as structural and task-based.
• Task-Based Syllabus Design: Design syllabi based on real-world tasks to promote language acquisition.
• Content-Based Instruction (CBI): Integrate language learning with academic content in syllabus design.
• Needs Analysis in Specific Contexts: Conduct needs analyses for learners in specific professional or academic contexts.
• Cross-Cultural Communication in Curriculum Design: Incorporate intercultural communication skills into language curricula.

Assessment and Evaluation

• Standardized Testing in ELT: Evaluate the reliability and validity of standardized English language tests.
• Alternative Assessment Approaches: Explore non-traditional assessment methods like portfolios and self-assessment.
• Feedback Strategies in Language Learning: Investigate effective feedback techniques for improving language proficiency.
• Washback Effect of Testing: Study how assessment practices influence teaching and learning.
• Authentic Assessment in ELT: Develop assessment tasks that mirror real-life language use situations.
• Portfolio Assessment: Investigate the use of portfolios to track language learning progress over time.
• Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT): Evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of adaptive testing methods in ELT.

Technology in ELT

• Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL): Assess the impact of computer-based language learning programs.
• Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL): Study the effectiveness of mobile devices in language learning.
• Online Learning Platforms for ELT: Analyze the features and usability of online platforms for language education.
• Virtual Reality (VR) in Language Learning: Explore immersive VR environments for language practice and instruction.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tutoring Systems: Assess the effectiveness of AI-based tutors in providing personalized language instruction.
• Social Media in Language Learning: Study the role of social media platforms in informal language learning contexts.
• Gamification in ELT: Investigate the use of game elements to enhance engagement and motivation in language learning.

Teacher Education and Professional Development

• Pre-service Teacher Education Programs: Evaluate the effectiveness of teacher training programs.
• Reflective Practice in Teaching: Investigate how teachers reflect on their practice to improve teaching.
• Challenges in Teacher Education: Identify challenges faced by educators in training and development.
• Teacher Beliefs and Practices: Examine how teachers’ beliefs about language learning influence their instructional practices.
• Peer Observation in Teacher Development: Explore the benefits of peer observation and feedback for teacher professional growth.
• Mentoring Programs for New Teachers: Evaluate the effectiveness of mentoring programs in supporting novice teachers.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Models: Compare different models of CPD for language teachers and their impact on teaching quality.

Cultural and Sociolinguistic Aspects

• Language and Culture Interrelationship: Explore the relationship between language and culture in ELT.
• Sociolinguistic Competence and Pragmatics: Study how social context influences language use and understanding.
• Gender and Identity in Language Learning: Investigate how gender identity affects language learning experiences.
• Intercultural Competence in Language Teaching: Develop strategies for promoting intercultural communicative competence in language learners.
• Language Policy and Minority Language Education: Analyze the impact of language policies on the education of minority language speakers.
• Gender and Language Learning Strategies: Investigate gender differences in language learning strategies and their implications for instruction.
• Code-Switching in Multilingual Classrooms: Study the role of code-switching in language learning and classroom interaction.

Learner Diversity and Inclusive Practices

• Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL): Examine effective teaching strategies for children learning English.
• Addressing Learning Disabilities in ELT: Investigate methods for supporting learners with disabilities in language learning.
• ELT for Specific Purposes (ESP): Explore specialized English language instruction for specific fields.
• Differentiated Instruction in Language Teaching: Develop strategies for addressing diverse learner needs in the language classroom.
• Inclusive Pedagogies for Learners with Special Educational Needs: Design instructional approaches that accommodate learners with disabilities in language learning.
• Language Learning Strategies of Autistic Learners: Investigate effective language learning strategies for individuals on the autism spectrum.
• Language Identity and Learner Motivation: Explore the relationship between language identity and motivation in language learning.

Policy and Planning in ELT

• National and International Language Policies: Analyze policies governing English language education at different levels.
• ELT Program Implementation Challenges: Identify challenges in implementing ELT programs in diverse contexts.
• Role of ELT in National Development: Examine the contribution of English language education to national development goals.
• English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) Policies: Analyze the impact of EMI policies on educational equity and access.
• Language Teacher Recruitment and Deployment Policies: Evaluate policies related to the recruitment and deployment of language teachers in diverse contexts.
• Language Assessment Policy Reform: Propose reforms to language assessment policies to promote fairness and validity.
• Biliteracy Development Policies: Study policies aimed at promoting biliteracy development among bilingual learners.

Research Methodologies in ELT

• Qualitative Research Methods in ELT: Explore qualitative approaches like interviews and case studies in ELT research.
• Quantitative Research Methods in ELT: Investigate quantitative methods such as surveys and experiments in language education research.
• Mixed-Methods Approaches in ELT Research: Combine qualitative and quantitative methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of research questions.
• Ethnographic Approaches to ELT Research: Conduct ethnographic studies to explore language learning and teaching in naturalistic settings.
• Case Study Research in Language Education: Investigate specific language learning contexts or programs through in-depth case studies.
• Corpus Linguistics in ELT Research: Analyze language use patterns and learner language production using corpus linguistic methods.
• Longitudinal Studies of Language Learning: Follow language learners over an extended period to examine developmental trajectories and factors influencing language acquisition.

Future Trends and Innovations

• Emerging Technologies in ELT: Study the integration of technologies like AI and VR in language teaching.
• Innovations in Teaching Strategies: Explore new approaches to teaching language, such as flipped classrooms and gamification.
• Future Directions in ELT Research: Investigate potential areas for future research in English language teaching.
• Wearable Technology in Language Learning: Explore the potential of wearable devices for delivering personalized language instruction.
• Data Analytics for Adaptive Learning: Develop data-driven approaches to adaptive learning in language education.
• Augmented Reality (AR) Applications in ELT: Design AR-enhanced language learning experiences for immersive language practice.
• Global Citizenship Education and Language Learning: Investigate the role of language education in fostering global citizenship skills.
• Eco-Linguistics and Language Education: Explore the intersection of language education and environmental sustainability.
• Metacognition and Language Learning: Explore how learners’ awareness of their own learning processes affects language acquisition.
• Peer Interaction in Language Learning: Investigate the role of peer collaboration and discussion in promoting language development.
• Heritage Language Education: Study strategies for maintaining and revitalizing heritage languages among immigrant and minority communities.
• Language Learning Motivation in Adolescents: Examine factors influencing motivation and engagement in adolescent language learners.
• Phonological Awareness in Language Learning: Investigate the role of phonological awareness in literacy development for language learners.
• Pragmatic Development in Language Learners: Explore how learners acquire pragmatic competence and understanding of language use in context.
• Digital Literacies and Language Learning: Examine how digital literacy skills contribute to language proficiency and communication in the digital age.
• Critical Language Awareness: Investigate approaches to developing learners’ critical awareness of language use and power dynamics.
• Language Teacher Identity: Study how language teachers’ identities shape their beliefs, practices, and interactions in the classroom.
• Collaborative Learning in Language Education: Explore the benefits and challenges of collaborative learning environments for language learners.
• Motivational Strategies in Language Teaching: Develop and evaluate motivational techniques to enhance student engagement and persistence in language learning.
• Heritage Language Maintenance: Investigate factors influencing the maintenance and transmission of heritage languages across generations.
• Phonics Instruction in Language Learning: Examine the effectiveness of phonics-based approaches for teaching reading and pronunciation.
• Language Policy Implementation: Analyze the challenges and successes of implementing language policies at the institutional, regional, and national levels.
• Language Teacher Cognition: Explore language teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and decision-making processes in the classroom.
• Intercultural Communicative Competence: Develop strategies for fostering learners’ ability to communicate effectively across cultures.
• Critical Pedagogy in Language Education: Explore approaches to teaching language that promote critical thinking, social justice, and equity.
• Language Learning Strategies for Autodidacts: Investigate effective self-directed learning strategies for language learners outside formal educational settings.
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) in Higher Education: Examine the implementation and outcomes of CLIL programs in tertiary education.
• Sociocultural Theory and Language Learning: Explore how social and cultural factors influence language acquisition and development.
• Language Socialization: Investigate how individuals learn language within social and cultural contexts, including family, peer groups, and communities.
• Speech Perception and Language Learning: Examine the relationship between speech perception abilities and language proficiency in second language learners.
• Genre-Based Approaches to Language Teaching: Explore the use of genre analysis and genre-based pedagogy to teach language skills in context.
• Learner Autonomy in Language Learning: Investigate strategies for promoting learner autonomy and independence in language education.
• Multimodal Literacy in Language Learning: Examine the integration of multiple modes of communication, such as text, image, and sound, in language instruction.
• Community-Based Language Learning: Study language learning initiatives that engage learners with their local communities and resources.
• English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) Communication: Explore the use of English as a global means of communication among speakers from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Research in English Language Teaching covers a wide range of topics, from language acquisition theories to the impact of technology on learning. By exploring these topics (from a list of research topics in english language teaching), we can improve how English is taught and learned, making it more effective and accessible for everyone.

Continuous research and collaboration among educators, researchers, and policymakers are essential for the ongoing development of ELT.

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English Language Dissertation Topics

English students are bright and highly creative. This means they tend to come up with brilliant ideas!

So, coming up with a dissertation topic should be easy, right?

Well, not necessarily.

Coming up with a topic can be stressful so you might try to avoid it. Alternatively, you might have hundreds of great ideas, but not know which one to settle on.

If that’s the case, then don’t worry. This article is here to help you move forward with choosing a topic for your dissertation – so let’s get started!

Sociolinguistics Dissertation Topics

Coming up with a topic, applied linguistics dissertation topics.

• Critical Perspectives for Language Students

Sociolinguistics is one of the most interesting aspects of English studies, especially in our modern, globalised world. Put simply, sociolinguistics is concerned with how social/cultural norms shape language. Since we are becoming increasingly globalised, there is a debate as to whether our culture and language systems are converging or diverging. Of course, there is no straightforward answer to this debate, and there is still much to learn about the link between society, culture, and language. Here are a few dissertation topics in sociolinguistics to get you started.

• Mapping the diachronic development of Disney Princesses: How is language used to portray femininity?
• ‘Well jel’!’ A sociolinguistic analysis of The Only Way is Essex.
• Are accents still being used to create alterity? A review of blockbuster films from 2019-2020. ‘
• Mapping second-generation immigrants’ usage of English within the family: When and Why?
• Politeness and official address (e.g., Sir, Madam, Teacher): A comparison between the UK and China.
• How do employees use and lose power in workplace meetings? A sociolinguistic analysis.
• Do males speak more frequently than females? A review of university seminars.
• Hedges in everyday speech: Why are we so uncertain?
• A sociolinguistic analysis of advertising for vegan products.
• A diachronic sociolinguistic analysis of cosmetics reviews 1950 – 2020.
• Polite participles in everyday speech: Is it a class thing?
• Building rapport via video conferencing: How does it differ from real-life?
• Analysing humour between native and non-native English speakers: How is it manifested?
• The language of love: universal or locally specific?
• A sociolinguistic analysis of comic book villains.
• The diachronic evolution of questioning.

Coming up with your own topic is no easy feat. Above all, it’s important to find a topic that interests you!

If you are an overseas student, you might find it interesting to compare language between the UK and your own country, for example.

So, let’s say you’re from China…

Research from Kaplan (1966) shows that native English speakers prefer to use deductive forms of discourse, whereas Chinese EFL speakers prefer inductive forms of discourse.

However, this research is quite out of date, and since many Chinese people have become English language learners since 1966 (and many now live in the UK), you might question whether this difference still persists…

And there you have it! A curious ‘gap’ in the literature that you can fill with your dissertation.

Need help coming up with a great dissertation topic? Our expert writers are on hand to assist.

The field of language and linguistics is sometimes accused of being a bit ‘abstract’. But, in truth, linguistics can be applied to the real world, and these applications hold a great degree of significance, not only for language learning but for wider society. That said, if you’re a practical and solutions-focused person, you might enjoy working on an applied linguistics dissertation. Here are a few titles to inspire you:

• Children’s adoption of intensifying adverbs: How early should it be encouraged?
• Becoming a non-native teacher of English: Key challenges and opportunities.
• Delivering safety training to non-native English speakers – How to test comprehension?
• Pre-school language formation: Should we actively seek to neutralise gender differences?
• Online language learning during COVID-19: Opportunities and challenges.
• Telling my story: Refugees’ journeys through language learning and resettlement.
• Supporting translators in mental health settings – does more need to be done?
• How to teach syntax? A critical review of the approaches.
• Collaborative writing in the ESL classroom.
• The role of ‘active reflection’ in ESL teaching and learning.

Critical Perspectives for Language Students  

As part of your degree, you have probably come across critical theories such as Feminism, Postcolonialism, and Race Theory. If that’s the case, you could choose to draw upon one or more of these critical theories in your dissertation. Here are just a few titles to consider:

• How is language used to portray Disney heroes and heroines? A feminist perspective.
• Are job adverts fair and equal? A critical race theory perspective.
• English as the lingua Franca: Exploring the effects on indigenous populations.
• ‘Welcome back to my channel’ How are women creating identities and communities on YouTube? A feminist perspective.

Hopefully, this post has given you a bit of inspiration, but if you’re still feeling stuck then don’t worry! Try some of our top tips for coming up a great English dissertation topic:

• Look back over your degree – which assignment scored the highest? Which assignment was most interesting to you? This would be a good place to start!
• Have a brainstorming session with the friends on your course.
• Contact our PhD Writers today and we’ll provide you with some unique and interesting topics to choose from.

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MA Thesis - English Language Students' Preferences Regarding On/Offline Computer Based Vocabulary Exercises

This study aimed at finding out about the preferences of students at Middle East Technical University-Northern Cyprus Campus-School of Foreign Languages English preparatory classes regarding independent computer based vocabulary exercises. In order to find out about learner preferences, six different types of exercises were prepared for three proficiency levels: pre-intermediate, intermediate and upper-intermediate. Learners were provided with two types of questionnaire: immediate feedback questionnaires where learners would evaluate each exercise type after they tried them out and the final questionnaire where learners could rate each exercise type and compare them. Finally, a limited number of learners were interviewed in order to find out about the reasons behind their choices. The number of learners participating in the study was 119. Data obtained via questionnaires was grouped in three parts: Overall findings, female learner preferences, male learner preferences, pre-intermediate group learner preferences, intermediate group learner preferences and upper-intermediate group learner preferences. The findings and statistics of the study were presented via graphics, tables and text. In order to strengthen reliability and trustworthiness correlation charts of the pilot study were also provided where questionnaire items were checked for correlation. The results of the study revealed that learner preferences showed almost no difference between genders. However, there were slight differences between the preferences among learners in different proficiency levels. Although minor differences were observed regarding the exercise types, according to the overall results learners preferred mostly exercises with rich multimedia support. Exercises with no or limited multimedia and with the least interactivity were not preferred by the learners. They also stated that exercises with rich multimedia and interactivity were more useful for learning and practicing vocabulary.

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Teaching English to young learners like Elementary School students is different from teaching English to adult learners. Teacher is demanded to certain media and various learning activities to make the students interesting in learning English. The media like computer aquipted with LCD can present the teaching materials in interesting way. This reason interest the researchers to conduct research on this topic. In this study the reseacher aims to find out whether the use of computer-based English teaching can improve the students ’ vocabulary mastery or not to the fifth class of SD Kaliboto in the academic year 2012/2013. The population of the research was the fifth fifth class of SD Kaliboto in the academic year 2012/2013. The total number of population is 19 students. The researchers took all students as the sample. The instrument used in the research was vocabulary test which consists of 30 items: 15 completion and 15 multiple choice. The data were analyzed through descriptive anal...

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This study aimed to explore the impact of computer-assisted language learning on Iranian EFL students' vocabulary learning. Participants of the study were 76 students – 29 males and 47 females – learning English as a foreign language in Parto, Sadr, Poyesh and Andishe Institutes in Ahvaz who were selected after taking the Nelson English Language Test as a proficiency test. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group was taken as control and the other as experimental group. Both groups participated in the teacher-made test of vocabulary, Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), and Word-Associates Test (WAT) as pre-test. During class sessions the control group was taught the vocabulary, in the conventional way, through the printed textbook while the experimental group taught by the software version of the same book. Three ANCOVAs were run to compare the performance of experimental and control groups after the treatment period. The results of the ANCOVAs revealed that using vocabulary learning software was more effective than using printed book on vocabulary learning, vocabulary breadth, and vocabulary depth of the participants. The results of the present study could help EFL course book designers, foreign language institutes, educational planners, material developers, teachers, and learners to provide a better context for EFL learning.

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ameen akeem

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The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Quizlet, an online website, on vocabulary development of Turkish EFL learners enrolled in a preparatory program at a private university in Istanbul, Turkey. The participants were 43 students at the pre-intermediate and intermediate level of proficiency. The study lasted for a whole teaching module consisting of 7 weeks. Within this process, for three weeks students studied and practiced the target words without using the online tool Quizlet. For the last four weeks students were weekly assigned with exercises from the online tool covering the units that they had learnt in those certain weeks. Vocabulary quizzes were administered to the participants before and after the application of the treatment and the results were compared. Classroom observations, interviews and student records were also used so as to identify students’ perceptions of the online tool.The findings of the study will be discussed in relation to vocabulary development in foreign language education.

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1. IntroductionMore than three decades ago, Meara (1980) called for more research on the nature of vocabulary acquisition; since then, there has been a considerable amount of literature devoted to the role of vocabulary in second and foreign language learning and how vocabulary itself can and should be taught. (Bell, 2009; Churchill, 2008; Laufer, 1998; Laufer and Paribakht, 1998; Schmitt, 1998; Webb, 2008; Zheng, 2009). On the other hand, the so-called computer era has revolutionized most of the fields of human endeavor including ELT. This revolution in ELT has another noticeable aspect; the computer facilities and what they can offer to ELT is constantly changing. These changes have their repercussions in ELT and there is a need for revising previous findings and moving toward new theories. This study tried to compare two ways of doing vocabulary instruction; the traditional explicit one which has so far been with us (and most probably will continue to be) and an innovative one wh...

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on teaching languages with technology

Second language resources, teacher education, and research.

• Cross-lingual analysis and annotation of parallel and comparable corpora

Masters in Teaching English: research project topics

This week our second-year Masters students in the English teaching programme at the University of Nice presented their end-of-year classroom research projects to an audience of university and secondary school teachers and their peers. We heard thirty presentations on different dimensions of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in French secondary schools, which include both lower secondary ( collège , 11-15 years) and upper secondary ( lycée , 16-18 years). The students are pre-service teachers; the majority have passed national competitive teacher entrance exams and have taught part-time through this school year, with support from mentor teachers and university tutors. Some have yet to pass the exams and had shorter school placements under the direct supervision of a school tutor.

This word cloud generated from the paper titles and abstracts gives an idea of the main concerns: language (English and French), teaching and teachers, class and classroom, pupils/students/learners, and … motivation.

The options and guidelines for these research papers can be accessed from this link , (2015 edition) and this one ( 2016/17 ). Below I have grouped the 2015-6 papers thematically. This overview gives some insight into what interests and concerns new teachers and teacher educators in French secondary EFL within the framework established by my guidelines and our school requirements.

Designing task-based activities, lessons, and units

• Fostering Students’ Interaction In ESL Classrooms: An Emphasis on Learning to Communicate through Interaction in the Target Language
• The Use of Games in French secondary EFL classrooms
• Reflection on Task-based Language Teaching in Lower Secondary School Through the Analysis of a Teaching Unit
• Material design: Secondary school EFL teaching unit on Global Warming

Most of the options for this project involved task-based language teaching , but some students were particularly interested either in preparing materials based on this approach, implementing activities, or evaluating their own lessons and units from this perspective. Some students felt they fell short in this respect: real-world constraints with respect to pupils’ age or proficiency, curricular requirements, or other expectations seemed to militate against a strong TBLT approach.

Teaching and evaluating speaking

• Different activities implemented in class to help pupils to speak
• Making technology programmes pupils in upper secondary willingly communicate in EFL and be ready for the oral expression evaluation of the Baccalauréat.
• How to generate and facilitate Speaking in E.F.L. classes ?
• A comparative case study in French upper secondary education – combining fluency and traditional TBLT with accuracy and corrective feedback

A number of students chose to focus on speaking skills, an often neglected aspect of secondary school EFL in our contexts due to large classes (often thirty pupils or more in upper secondary) and to a traditional focus on (authentic) texts . Some students focused on analysing learner production (e.g., fluency and accuracy) while others sought to create opportunities for less proficient and often less motivated learners to improve their spoken language through a combination of live and recorded presentations.

Investigating classroom interaction: teacher and learner participation

• Impact of Role-plays in EFL class on Student Talking Time and Teacher Talking Time Balance
• Strengthening the development of Student Talking Time (STT) in the EFL secondary classroom: student-centered activities and differentiated instructions

Two students were concerned about achieving a balance between teacher and pupil participation in classroom interaction. They recorded themselves teaching a lesson, and compared talk times for teachers and pupils, with reassuring results in both cases.

Differentiation: addressing diverse learner needs

• Working with different proficiency levels in the French EFL classroom: out-of-class activities
• Benefits & Limits of a Differentiated Instruction in an English Class
• Impact of Differentiated Pedagogy on Pupil’s Motivation
• Differentiating reading and listening comprehension activities in a mixed- ability class.

Another common area of focus for these novice teachers was differentiation, a popular topic in language teaching and indeed other disciplines in French education at present. Students investigated different approaches to accommodating different learner needs, from mixed-ability pair work or grouping by proficiency, to separate tasks for different groups. There was some overlap between these projects and others focusing explicitly on pupil motivation, since techniques for increasing motivation often included differentiated instruction.

• Enhancing Learners’ Motivation and Interest in EFL Classrooms
• Arousing Students’ Motivation In ESL Classrooms: Increasing And Enhancing Participation, Interaction And Production.
• Implementing Ideal Future Selves in the Second Language Classroom
• Group work as a potential source of motivation

Approaches to the topic of motivation varied from the psychological (Dörnyei and colleagues) to the practical (Rivoire). A number of students and teachers in our schools have recently begun implementing Rivoire’s approach to classroom management via a “group work system.” It’s a somewhat controversial approach; see Puren et al and links on my wiki for criticism.

Teaching content: history, geography, art, literature

• CLIL in French schools:meaning-focused or form-focused?
• ‘Soft’ CLIL in French Lower Secondary School: the Benefits of Teaching Geography in English Classes
• Art in English classes or How to integrate art notions in upper-secondary EFL classes
• Access to Culture in Classes of 6ème Between Motivation and Adaptation
• Teaching Literature in Middle School: Benefits and challenges
• Reading in English : How to introduce literature in language teaching class in lower secondary school
• How to develop pupils’ taste for reading through extracts from Roald Dahl

In French universities and secondary schools, the study of English is situated within the field of anglistics , which views language and culture as indissociable, and the (written) text as the prime vehicle for conveying meaning (cf Angles ). “Culture” is thus an important component of English programmes and, I have argued , can be considered as separate content just like other disciplines which are taught through the medium of a foreign language as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). Students this year focused on teaching history and geography, modern art, and different forms of literature to upper and lower secondary classes.

Tools for teaching

• Using the dictionary Inside and Outside The Classroom
• Integrating Web Online Mapping Services in the Teaching of EFL
• Teaching Vocabulary & the use of flashcards.

Three students focused on particular tools for language teaching, two using paper-based materials such as dictionaries and flashcards to aid comprehension and retention of lexical items, and perhaps encourage learner autonomy. A third demonstrated the more complex affordances of Google applications such as maps and street view, and how these might be exploited for learning about the culture of English-speaking countries.

Classroom language: native versus target language use

• Perceptions of French students in regard to native and non native speaking teachers
• EFL teaching: Questioning L2 exclusivity and its effects on learners and teachers in a Lower Secondary school

Finally, two students focused on questions surrounding classroom language, including the native-nonnative debate and the use of the L1 in classroom.

These, then, are the topics selected and researched by our thirty masters students this year, written up and defended in English over five days last week before peers, university tutors and school teacher mentors.

Rivoire, M. (2012). Travailler en “ilôts bonifiés” pour la réussite de tous, Chambéry, Génération 5. Whyte, S. (2014). Research project topics 2014-15.  Weebly

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9 thoughts on “ masters in teaching english: research project topics ”.

Dear Shona, Compliments for the guidelines and resources for this curriculum task and the resulting student products. Have shared the briefing page on Twitter targeting the NL (language) teacher education community the more since your approach, IMO, is also a great & practical example of implementing / exploiting EU projects HE institutions coordinate and/or participate in.

Nice to see you here, and thanks for your kind comment. As you know I’m very much in favour of finding intersections among the things we do as part of our “day job” as teachers, teacher educators, and education researchers, and the EU projects we work on for the collaborative opportunities they provide.

I have a set of slides here where try to highlight some of those intersections: http://www.slideshare.net/cherryenglish/interactive-teaching-in-languages-with-technology

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I am interested to learn more about Research. I am presently continuing my Master of Art in Education major in English. The challenge and the difficulty I presently feel is on how to state and formulate my thesis problem. I find it hard to find the right diction. Can you help me go through this?

Dear Liza Thank you for your question. In my experience master’s students often find it challenging to come up with a suitable research question and design a study to answer it. I have further advice in this post https://wp.me/p28EmH-15J – see particularly the reference to a 2012 chapter for an abandoned manual by Vivian Cook which lays out the steps involved in articulating and following through a research project in applied linguistics.

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Home > College of Arts and Sciences > English Language and Literature > Master's Theses

Master's Theses - English Language and Literature

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

“Hideous things have happened here”: Rape myths, rape culture, and healing in adolescent literature , Holly J. Greca

Moments of excess: Type 1 diabetes and the myth of control in adolescent fiction for girls , Michelle E. LeGault

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

A sociophonetic analysis of female-sounding virtual assistants , Alyssa Allen

Vampire narratives: Looking at queer-centric experiences in comparison to hetero-centric norms in order to model a new queer vampiric experience , Marah Heikkila

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

Overhearers’ perceptions of familiarity between interlocutors in computer-mediated communication based on GIF usage , Alexa F. Druckmiller

Feminism by proxy: Jane Austen’s critique of patriarchal society in Pride and Prejudice and Emma , Alexis Miller

The memory of mythmaking: Transgenerational trauma and disability as a collective experience in Afrofuturist storytelling , Jessica Tapley

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Body image/imagining bodies: Trauma, control, and healing in graphic memoirs about anorexia , Kristine M. Gatchel

Word-final /t/-release and linguistic style: An investigation of the speech of two Jewish women from metro Detroit , Janet Leppala

Hermione syndrome: Reexamining feminist sidekicks and power in 2000-2010 children’s and young adult fantasy literature , Josiah Pankiewicz

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Fear and (non) fiction: Agrarian anxiety in “The Colour Out of Space” , Antonio Barroso

Sculpted from clay, shaped by power: Feminine narrative and agency in Wonder Woman , Mikala Carpenter

Players in a storm: Climate and political migrants in The Tempest and Othello , Darcie Rees

Reclaiming racial/ethnic identity vs. reconstructing Asian American masculinity in Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese , Hyun-Joo Yoo

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

The organization of turn-taking in fieldwork settings: A case study , Amy Brunett

Exploring the political impact of literature and literary studies in American government , Taylor Dereadt

"We met in a bar by happenstance": Master narratives in couples stories , Brent A. Miller

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

What is the negro woman's story?: Negro Story Magazine and the dialogue of feminist voices , Maureen Convery

Illustrating adolescent awareness: Teaching historical injustices and promoting agency through picture books in secondary classrooms , Melissa Hoak

Phonemic inventory of the Shor language , Uliana Kazagasheva

Cannibalism in contact narratives and the evolution of the wendigo , Michelle Lietz

Parody and the pen: Pippi Longstocking, Harriet M. Welsch, and Flavia de Luce as disrupters of space, language, and the male gaze , Kelsey McLendon

Haec fortis sequitur illam indocti possident: A linguistic analysis of demonstratives in genres of early Latin fragments , Erica L. Meszaros

Tricking for change: Establishing the literary trickster in the western tradition , Christopher Michael Stuart

Because, x: A new construction of because in popular culture , Stephanie Walla

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MIT study explains why laws are written in an incomprehensible style

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Legal documents are notoriously difficult to understand, even for lawyers. This raises the question: Why are these documents written in a style that makes them so impenetrable?

MIT cognitive scientists believe they have uncovered the answer to that question. Just as “magic spells” use special rhymes and archaic terms to signal their power, the convoluted language of legalese acts to convey a sense of authority, they conclude.

In a study appearing this week in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the researchers found that even non-lawyers use this type of language when asked to write laws.

“People seem to understand that there’s an implicit rule that this is how laws should sound, and they write them that way,” says Edward Gibson, an MIT professor of brain and cognitive sciences and the senior author of the study.

Eric Martinez PhD ’24 is the lead author of the study. Francis Mollica, a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, is also an author of the paper .

Casting a legal spell

Gibson’s research group has been studying the unique characteristics of legalese since 2020, when Martinez came to MIT after earning a law degree from Harvard Law School. In a 2022 study , Gibson, Martinez, and Mollica analyzed legal contracts totaling about 3.5 million words, comparing them with other types of writing, including movie scripts, newspaper articles, and academic papers.

That analysis revealed that legal documents frequently have long definitions inserted in the middle of sentences — a feature known as “center-embedding.” Linguists have previously found that this kind of structure can make text much more difficult to understand.

“Legalese somehow has developed this tendency to put structures inside other structures, in a way which is not typical of human languages,” Gibson says.

In a follow-up study published in 2023, the researchers found that legalese also makes documents more difficult for lawyers to understand. Lawyers tended to prefer plain English versions of documents, and they rated those versions to be just as enforceable as traditional legal documents.

“Lawyers also find legalese to be unwieldy and complicated,” Gibson says. “Lawyers don’t like it, laypeople don’t like it, so the point of this current paper was to try and figure out why they write documents this way.”

The researchers had a couple of hypotheses for why legalese is so prevalent. One was the “copy and edit hypothesis,” which suggests that legal documents begin with a simple premise, and then additional information and definitions are inserted into already existing sentences, creating complex center-embedded clauses.

“We thought it was plausible that what happens is you start with an initial draft that’s simple, and then later you think of all these other conditions that you want to include. And the idea is that once you’ve started, it’s much easier to center-embed that into the existing provision,” says Martinez, who is now a fellow and instructor at the University of Chicago Law School.

However, the findings ended up pointing toward a different hypothesis, the so-called “magic spell hypothesis.” Just as magic spells are written with a distinctive style that sets them apart from everyday language, the convoluted style of legal language appears to signal a special kind of authority, the researchers say.

“In English culture, if you want to write something that’s a magic spell, people know that the way to do that is you put a lot of old-fashioned rhymes in there. We think maybe center-embedding is signaling legalese in the same way,” Gibson says.

In this study, the researchers asked about 200 non-lawyers (native speakers of English living in the United States, who were recruited through a crowdsourcing site called Prolific), to write two types of texts. In the first task, people were told to write laws prohibiting crimes such as drunk driving, burglary, arson, and drug trafficking. In the second task, they were asked to write stories about those crimes.

To test the copy and edit hypothesis, half of the participants were asked to add additional information after they wrote their initial law or story. The researchers found that all of the subjects wrote laws with center-embedded clauses, regardless of whether they wrote the law all at once or were told to write a draft and then add to it later. And, when they wrote stories related to those laws, they wrote in much plainer English, regardless of whether they had to add information later.

“When writing laws, they did a lot of center-embedding regardless of whether or not they had to edit it or write it from scratch. And in that narrative text, they did not use center-embedding in either case,” Martinez says.

In another set of experiments, about 80 participants were asked to write laws, as well as descriptions that would explain those laws to visitors from another country. In these experiments, participants again used center-embedding for their laws, but not for the descriptions of those laws.

The origins of legalese

Gibson’s lab is now investigating the origins of center-embedding in legal documents. Early American laws were based on British law, so the researchers plan to analyze British laws to see if they feature the same kind of grammatical construction. And going back much farther, they plan to analyze whether center-embedding is found in the Hammurabi Code, the earliest known set of laws, which dates to around 1750 BC.

“There may be just a stylistic way of writing from back then, and if it was seen as successful, people would use that style in other languages,” Gibson says. “I would guess that it’s an accidental property of how the laws were written the first time, but we don’t know that yet.”

The researchers hope that their work, which has identified specific aspects of legal language that make it more difficult to understand, will motivate lawmakers to try to make laws more comprehensible. Efforts to write legal documents in plainer language date to at least the 1970s, when President Richard Nixon declared that federal regulations should be written in “layman’s terms.” However, legal language has changed very little since that time.

“We have learned only very recently what it is that makes legal language so complicated, and therefore I am optimistic about being able to change it,” Gibson says. 

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