Research Proposal 1: Variability in Reading and Listening Comprehension of a Second Language
This author’s research proposal seems to promise a unique and successful research project in the long run. First, the structure of the proposal follows the assignment, includes all relevant portions, and is long enough for the assignment. Besides meeting the minimum requirement, the proposal is also organized very clearly. First, there is a very concise yet informative literature review before the author offers their unique perspective on this ESL. The author provides an adequate introduction before introducing the research questions. Furthermore, the author does a good job of defining the basics of comprehension before moving into the specifics of ESL and discussing the students’ and instructors’ needs and considerations for comprehension.
The proposal is also largely successful in terms of argumentation. The proposal seems well grounded in previous research, as evidenced by its short yet concise literature review. However, the author takes a unique approach by combining a general conception of comprehension with existing literature on ESL. This means that the author’s proposal is both ‘doable’ (meaning that the relevant literature will lend the paper credence) and interesting. Specifically, one good aspect of the proposal was that the author used “building blocks” in their argumentation, starting the reader with a definition of comprehension and slowly working toward what ESL instructors can do to improve comprehension. This approach will prove to be beneficial in addressing the research question. One point of improvement for the research proposal would be to include more information on what, precisely, the research will entail. This will give the reader a clearer picture of the uniqueness of the author’s work. Ultimately, I find that the proposal is interesting and offers several reasons that the project will be interesting to the class and other teachers. Furthermore, the resulting research should prove to be useful, feasible, relevant, and focused on ESL comprehension.
Research Proposal 2: The Role of Phonics in Development of Reading for ESL Learners
This proposal is a promising example of a unique research project that will prove relevant to ESL as a whole. Overall, I found the proposal very interesting and relevant to this class’ focus In terms of structure, the proposal does present a personal perspective, relevant literature, and unique research questions. However, this is where the proposal could improve most. While it has a great deal of relevant information, insight, and questions, the proposal is not clearly organized, and often leaves the reader wondering where the connection is. This can easily be improved by breaking the proposal into specific paragraphs that build off of one another and specifying a unique and concise research question. That said, the proposal does follow the assignment sheet, includes all relevant sections, and is long enough for the assignment. Under these considerations, the proposal has all the makings of a successful research project.
In terms of argumentation, the author does a good job of combining their personal experience with relevant literature. The personal aspect of the proposal adds to the interest of the reader, drawing them into the research that the author has to present. Furthermore, the research that the author does present is quite compelling for the case of phonics ESL. By the end of the proposal, I found that the proposal is interesting and offers many reasons that the project will most likely be interesting to the class and other teachers. This is mostly because everyone has had his or her own experience learning English (with or without the use of phonics), and can relate to the author’s topic. The major positive aspect of the proposal is the unique perspective that the author provides in terms of phonics. The biggest point of improvement should be the structure of the proposal, argumentation, and paragraphs. With this in consideration, I believe that the outcome of the author’s research will prove to be useful, feasible, relevant, and focused on ESL comprehension and learning.
