extended
essay
on-line
reference
 
  1. When a reader picks up your extended essay for the first time, s/he should have to read only the abstract or first paragraph to get a clear idea of what is it you are trying to prove e.g.

    This extended essay investigates the use of the speech recognition software bundled with Windows as a possible tool for second language learners of English to improve their pronunciation in an academic context. The present state of computer speech sense disambiguation will be reviewed briefly in the light of commercially available packages for language learning and assistive technology for students with learning disabilities. A five-member focus group, representing five different language backgrounds, will be tracked over 6 months as they use Windows speech to text in Word to help them write short essays. During this time each member will try out another computer-based opportunity to improve pronunciation and results will be compared through the mediums of tape-recordings, detailed phonetic transcription and saved .doc files in Word. The effect of the English language host environment, accent loyalty to expatriate groups, and additional English classes will be factored in, but it is anticipated that using the speech recognition software will impact most positively on learners mastery of segmental rather than suprasegmental pronunciation.

 
 
  1. The blue text is the extended essay statement and the following sentences outlines the methodology the researcher will use to prove her point.
   
   
  1. The subsequent coloured sentences above also indicate the likely structure of the essay: orange represents a literature review and brief description of commercially available programmes; purple will describe the focus group, its activities over the research period, and the methodology supporting how the research is collected and analysed; green will place the research in context and draw conclusions.
 
  1. Not all departments require extended essays to have an abstract, but if one were required here, the whole paragraph could be lifted out as an abstract.
   
 
  1. A common mistake is students wasting their introductory chapter filling in the reader on unnecessary background. If your reader is not clear as to what your extended essay is going to be about by the time s/he finishes the introduction, then you have not done your job.
 
   
  1. Expect to have to go back and review your introductory section several times so it remains relevant to and gives a map of the body of your extended essay.