Anglistika magistritööd – Master's theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10062/34702

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The Use of Drama-Based Activities in Teaching Narrative Tenses to 6th-Graders
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Valdre, Liis; Rein, Eva, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
The present master’s thesis aims to create materials for teaching the English narrative tenses (past simple, past continuous, past perfect) in the 6th grade using drama based activities. As grammar should be taught in context, while making sure that the lessons are engaging for the students, drama is a method that is worth considering and testing. The thesis focuses on the following research questions: 1) How does using the prepared materials that incorporate drama elements affect the way students perceive the concepts of past simple, past continuous and past perfect tenses? 2) How does using drama to teach these tense forms impact the students’ behavioural and emotional engagement during the lessons? 3) What improvements should be made to the materials based on the data gathered during the testing period? The thesis is divided into two main parts. The first part provides an overview of the benefits of and problems in using drama to teach English as a foreign language along with discussing the different drama-based activities that can be used to teach English as a foreign language and gives an overview of the concepts of emotional and behavioural engagement. The second part describes the research carried out, including the process of designing the lesson plans and conducting the lessons with 6th-grade students in an EFL classroom, gathering and analysing data. The conclusion summarises the main findings of the thesis.
The teaching techniques that support the development of students with higher language proficiency in mixed-ability EFL classes
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Tomlinson, Berit; Zagura, Natalja, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
According to the contemporary approach in teaching, a teacher needs to consider each student’s abilities and the will to learn. It is a common situation to teach mixed-ability classes where students’ level of English and motivation may vary tremendously. To support and provide successful strategies and tools for a teacher, the study focuses on inquiring teaching techniques that are recommended for teachers who work with students with higher language proficiency in EFL classes. The research consists of an empirical study to find the answers to following research questions: How can teachers motivate students with higher language proficiency and keep them engaged in mixed-ability EFL classes? How do different modification techniques affect the engagement and motivation of the students with higher language proficiency in EFL classes? The aim of the study is to examine the effects of modifying content, process, and product of an EFL course and how that can encourage, engage, and motivate EFL learners with higher language proficiency. The study group consists of five 13- and 14-year-old students in year 7 in an EFL class of 17 students. The study group was chosen due to the fact they are part of a mixed-ability class with profound differences in educational ability.
Integrating Goal Setting into Vocabulary Learning Activities to Support Self Regulated Learning Among Grade 7 Students in English as A Foreign Language Lessons
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Paadimeister, Erika; Zagura, Natalja, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
The motivation for this paper arises from the importance of supporting and guiding students to become more independent in their studies. One of the strategies is implementing self-regulated learning (SRL). SRL skills help students to become effective learners who can take charge of their own learning processes. Therefore, understanding and promoting SRL is essential for enhancing students' academic success and contribute to their overall development. The aim of this thesis is to explore how goal setting and study planning may influence students' performance in vocabulary tests. The aim of the thesis is to answer two research questions: 1. How can the students of grade 7 be supported in applying goal setting in their vocabulary development? 2. How does consistent vocabulary study correlate with the results in vocabulary assessments over time? The present master’s thesis consists of an introduction, two main chapters, a conclusion, a list of references, and seven appendices. Chapter 1 provides a literature review discussing the meaning and importance of SRL. It also introduces various SRL models, explores SRL application in foreign language classrooms, and examines the role of teachers in supporting SRL. Additionally, it discusses the significance of goal setting as the first step in SRL and provides an overview of vocabulary acquisition in EFL classroom. Chapter 2 offers an overview of a study conducted among 7th grade students in a city school located in the north of Estonia. The study aimed to understand how goal setting in vocabulary learning could improve students' performance. The master’s thesis concludes with a discussion summarising the key findings and conclusions of the study, followed by a list of references. All the questionnaires administered and vocabulary tests employed in the research are included in the appendices.
Developing Year 10 Students' Willingness to Communicate with a Task-Based EFL Speaking Course
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Ong, Kairi; Sigus, Anneli, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
The thesis investigates teaching oral English in 10th grade in an Estonian state gymnasium with a task-based speaking course and evaluating students’ perceived willingness to communicate and competence in speaking. The research aims to find out what effect will a task-based EFL speaking course have on students' willingness to communicate and their perceived competence in speaking English. The speaking course had 30 contact lessons of 45 minutes. During the action research, 21 mostly open-ended speaking tasks and a number of additional activities, five getting-to-know and 10 warm-up activities for starting the lessons, suitable for year 10 students, were compiled and tried out with two groups of EFL learners of 10th grade, 33 students in total, in January and February 2024. Teacher notes from the implementation stage are added to the description of tasks, in Appendix 1. After the course, a questionnaire was filled out by the students about their willingness to communicate in English before and after the course, as well as their perceived competence in speaking English, and feedback was asked to the tasks and the course in general. The last part of the action research is a reflection of the findings and discussion on the future, as all of the students who participated, think that open-ended speaking tasks in a cooperative environment should be a natural part of English lessons at the gymnasium level.
ENG: Using the VirtualSpeech platform to develop oral interaction skills in the EFL classroom in an Estonian upper secondary school: an action research project
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Niilisk, Lauri; Türk, Ülle, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
English is taught as a foreign language in Estonia, and thus, students face challenges accessing English-speaking environments. This thesis explores the potential of virtual reality (VR) for providing immersive language learning experiences, thereby enhancing language acquisition and motivation. Specifically, it investigates the use of conversation with ChatGPT on the VirtualSpeech platform to improve oral interaction skills among upper secondary school students. According to the purpose of the study, an action research project was conducted, and qualitative methods were applied to analyse the gathered data. 22 upper-secondary-school students participated in a four-week intervention. First, the students were provided with input in the form of texts, words with collocations and example sentences, followed by exercises, and discussion about a topic. Later, they were led to interact with ChatGPT on the VirtualSpeech platform. The intervention took place from October to November 2023 in an upper-secondary school in Estonia. Two feedback questionnaires were filled in during and after the intervention. The thesis consists of an introduction, two main chapters, a conclusion, a list of references and six appendices. The introduction identifies the research gap based on previous research, presents the research questions and outlines the structure of the paper. The literature review focuses on applying VR and chatbots in the EFL context. The methodology section describes the action research, presents the results, the analyses of the students’ feedback questionnaires and provides suggestions for future practice. The conclusion summarises the thesis
ENG: Using group dynamics at the upper secondary level to foster speaking in English in the classroom
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Kõiv, Kadri; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Students’ willingness to communicate (WTC), foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) and group dynamics connections have not been studied enough, but separately they are considered to be really important aspects of language learning. The purpose of this study is to examine whether and how group dynamics activities affect students’ willingness to communicate and how their feelings and anxiety levels towards self-confidence in oral English change. Self-reported frequency in the use of the second language is also considered. Based on the purposes of the study, an operational action research was conducted and qualitative methods were applied to analyse the gathered data. 20 secondary school students attended an oral English self-expression course that aimed to facilitate students’ WTC through group dynamics activities and thereby also boost their confidence and lower their speaking anxiety level. The course took place in one of the Estonian upper secondary schools from September 2023 to January 2024. The three questionnaires were filled in during the course and the post-course questionnaire was completed in April 2024. This thesis is carried out in two parts. The first part gives an overview of the previous studies and theories about WTC, group dynamics, FLA and FLSA. The second chapter focuses on the study itself, where through group dynamics activities the students’ willingness to communicate should increase and thereby their FLSA should decrease and self-confidence in oral English is expected to rise. The chapter ends with a discussion and the conclusion of the study.
Using digital animation with students who have low motivation and language skills: action research
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Krainjukova, Anna; Türk, Ülle, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
This MA thesis aims to explore whether and how the use of digital animation can affect students' motivation for learning English and improve behaviour in classes where students display low motivation, limited English language skills, and frequent behavioural issues. The first chapter of the thesis consists of a literature review that examines different types of motivation and its components, along with various methods used to measure them. Additionally, this chapter discusses how digital animation impacts learning in general, with a specific focus on English language learning, and explores its potential effects on students' motivation. The second chapter outlines the research methodology based on action research comprising two cycles of experimental lessons incorporating digital animation. This chapter also describes the structure and content of the questionnaire used in the research, the types of animation integrated into the lessons, and the observation methods employed to assess student engagement and behaviour. In the third chapter, the results from the observation of the lessons and the motivation questionnaire are analysed and presented. This chapter provides insights into the effects of digital animation on student motivation and behaviour in the context of English language learning.
ENG: Effectiveness of still images vs. short video clips as visual aids in vocabulary learning and retention - a comparative study among 8-9th grade EFL students
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Roots, Jüri; Klavan, Jane, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
The present master’s thesis suggests that images and videos can be utilised as information organisers and mnemonic aids to enhance the aspects of attention, memorisation and recall in the learning process of previously unknown vocabulary. The aim of this thesis is to compare these two media and evaluate their relative effectiveness as aids in the context of learning new vocabulary. A quasi-experiment in three phases with 50 students from Estonian school was conducted where participants watched slideshows with images and short videoclips with text captions on screen. Their ability to recall previously unknown words after watching the slideshows was documented. The thesis consists of an introduction, two core chapters and an overview of the quasi-experiment results. The aim and research question are presented in the introduction. Chapter one gives an overview of the literature and addresses the most relevant theoretical considerations related to the thesis. Chapter two focuses on the methodology of images and video clips used, the design of the quasi-experiment with immediate pre-, post- and delayed post-test data analysis, followed by the section where the results are summarised.
Creating Teaching Materials For Implementing Project Based Learning in Year 6 EFL Class
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Guhse, Kristina; Tammekänd, Liina, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Project Based Learning is a student-centred method that allows to learn content through finding solutions to a driving question and presenting the results publicly either in classroom or outside. The method involves authentic materials and enhances student autonomy, creating opportunities for developing the 21st century skills. The aim of the present master’s thesis is to create materials for implementing Project Based Learning in Estonian EFL classroom to teach Scottish culture and develop the skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity in students. The thesis consists of an introduction, two chapters and a conclusion. Introduction outlines the historical background of Project Based Learning and states the aims of the thesis. The first chapter provides an overview of Project Based Learning, its implementation in EFL classroom and 21st century skills. The second chapter focuses on the principles for creating lesson plans and materials for implementing PBL, piloting the materials and discussion. The materials compiled for the project are included in the appendices.
The analysis of the elements of Greek tragedy in Donna Tartt's novel The secret history
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Havrylyshyn, Anna; Gielen, Katiliina, juhendaja; Lotman, Maria-Kristiina, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Throughout history, Greek tragedies have consistently inspired writers across generations and epochs. Contemporary writers also look to Greek tragedies as a guide for crafting narratives that both captivate and horrify readers. This thesis examines how the incorporation of elements from Greek tragedy contributes to the development of the plotline and characters in Donna Tartt's novel, The Secret History. The introduction identifies the research gap based on existing studies on Tartt's novel by examining what aspects have not been adequately addressed or explored in previous research. The first chapter introduces the theoretical framework that will be employed for analyzing the elements of Greek tragedy in the novel. Specifically, it focuses on Aristotle’s Poetics, which outlines six categories essential to a tragedy: plot, character, reasoning, diction, song, and spectacle. The emphasis is also placed on exploring the depiction of the tragic hero, with particular attention given to the investigation of a specific tragic flaw: hubris. In the second chapter, an analysis is conducted on the characters within the novel to determine whether their actions and resulting qualities correspond to Aristotle’s description of tragic characters. The analysis focuses on the character of Henry Winter, who is presented as the tragic hero of the novel. Additionally, the character of Richard is analyzed as embodying the role of the chorus within the novel. The conclusion of the thesis summarizes the main findings of the study and explores how these findings contribute to the existing research on both the novel and the use of Classical narratives in contemporary literature.
Critical discourse analysis of Bucha massacre and Kherson liberation in the articles of New York Times and Le Monde
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Osyka, Kateryna; Marling, Raili, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Ukraine has started to appear frequently in newspaper headlines across the world, sparking a public backlash in reaction to the terrible events after the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. A number of national media across the world consistently covers the news about the development of war on the territory of Ukraine. This paper aims to investigate the articles published in two influential media outlets: Le Monde and The New York Times with attention to two events that happened during the first year of the war: the Bucha massacre and the liberation of Kherson. The articles will be analyzed through the three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis proposed by Norman Fairclough. The thesis consists of the theoretical framework chapter, which includes a historical background to the conflict, aspects of media representation and news construction, methodology and literature review section, and an empirical chapter, which includes the analysis of 20 articles and a further discussion.
Something be like : performativity in the post-ironic memes
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) McCormick, Vlada; Leijen, Djuddah A. J., juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Many contemporary media objects are multimodal products, combining several channels of transferring information. One such example is post-ironic statements balancing on the verge of humor and truth. The thesis aims to study how such statements, together with a picture, are viewed as post-ironic and act as communication actors capable of constructing a representation of performative online identity. More specifically, the thesis considers for selection those statements that fulfill the content criterion of referring to subjectivity or a group of people and contain words such as "girls", "me", "women", followed by a description of the person’s action ("be like", "do") and an accompanying picture, which is not limited to selecting and might be a celebrity photo, art, or a movie shot. Multimodal Discourse Analysis as a method includes criteria such as semiotics, intertextuality, and contextuality, which are responsible for examining the selected images in accordance with the research questions and chapters. Objects are first examined for their post-ironic core with the criteria of semiotics in the first chapter. Their intertextual nature is analyzed in the next chapter dedicated to identifying tools that assist in recognizing memes and their interconnections. The last chapter deals with the objects’ ability to help construct an online identity and express oneself, considering the influence of such contextual concepts as multivoiced information dissemination, fake news, authenticity and femininity.
Production of collective memory in The New York Times' obituaries and its Overlooked series : a corpus-based study
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Laaneoja, Karoliine; Marling, Raili, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Obituaries are a genre of commemoration where individual lives become a part of the collective memory through how the events and people they represent are portrayed. The Overlooked series published in The New York Times aims to give obituaries to people who did not receive one at the time of their death for different reasons. This thesis aims to compare the obituaries of The New York Times with its Overlooked series to find out what are the similarities and differences between the two obituary cycles, what the vocabulary used can tell us about the production of collective memory, and how it differs in the two obituary types. For this goal, corpus-assisted discourse analysis is used. The corpus tool Sketch Engine is used, with two corpora created for the aims of this thesis. One corpus consists of the regular obituaries published in The New York Times from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021 (1,388,794 words), and the second of The New York Times' Overlooked series up to and including December 2023 (241,153 words). The introduction discusses the history of the obituary genre and Overlooked together with who are the subjects of obituaries. The first chapter provides an overview of previous research into the obituary genre, its role in shaping collective memory, previous research on obituaries as a discourse, and how media has attempted to use affirmative action strategies to create a more inclusive collective memory. The second chapter introduces the methods used, Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis, the corpora used, and the key findings of the corpus-assisted analyses of the vocabulary used in The New York Times' obituaries and its Overlooked series. The conclusion summarizes the overall findings of the thesis.
Exploring neologisms : two Ukrainian translations of Aldous Huxley's Brave new world
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Hrebenata, Svitlana; Gielen, Katiliina, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World uses neologisms to paint a detailed picture of a future society, making it especially interesting to study how this aspect is handled in translation. This thesis looks at the two existing Ukrainian translations of the novel by Marenko in 1994 and Morozov in 2016, focusing on how each translator approached Huxley’s unique use of language and what these approaches mean considering the construction of the novel’s dystopian setting. The thesis also examines why Morozov felt compelled to create a new translation so soon after Marenko’s, trying to pinpoint what changed in translation tactics and why. The thesis is structured as follows: an introduction that sets the stage for the exploration of neologisms in translation, followed by Chapter 1, which establishes a theoretical framework discussing neologisms, their role in literature, and their translation challenges, particularly in dystopian settings. Chapter 2 offers a comparative analysis of the translation techniques of neologisms used by Marenko and Morozov, providing a systematic categorization to enhance clarity and support the discussion. The thesis concludes with a final chapter that summarizes the findings and discusses the broader implications of these translations for understanding the language and cultural adaptation in literature.
A corpus-assisted comparative study of the representations of the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine (2013-2014) and the Belarus protests (2020-2021) in The New York Times
(Tartu Ülikool, 2024) Smuk, Kateryna; Marling, Raili, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Anglistika osakond
Media representation plays a crucial role in (de-)legitimizing social movements and their participants. This thesis aims to compare the representations of two consequential events in Eastern Europe—the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine (2013-2014) and the Belarus protests (2020-2021)—in The New York Times, a major global media outlet. The study specifically concentrates on the naming strategies used for the events and social actors and the attribution of responsibility for violence. To achieve this goal, a corpus-assisted approach to discourse analysis and van Leeuwen’s framework for social actors’ analysis are employed. The Sketch Engine tool is used to analyze two corpora, which together encompass 167 articles (192,111 words). The thesis consists of five sections. The introduction delves into media power and representation. The first chapter discusses the process of news construction and the role of language in it, the media coverage of social movements, the background of the analyzed events, the ethical policy of The New York Times, and previous research on the analyzed events and protests in general. The second chapter presents the methodological approaches employed (critical discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and van Leeuwen’s framework for analyzing social actors) and details the methodological procedure. The final chapter reports and discusses the findings of the analysis. The conclusion summarizes the main results and implications for further research.
Reported speech in the I love English textbook series
(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Voss, Merike; Sigus, Anneli, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Inglise filoloogia osakond; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut
Using authentic materials to teach EFL grammar and their effects on students' test results and motivation
(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Veski, Linda; Türk, Ülle, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Inglise filoloogia osakond; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut
Creating and piloting additional listening material for year 9 students
(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Valk, Sofia; Tammekänd, Liina, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Inglise filoloogia osakond; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut
The relationship between self-reported foreign language writing anxiety and text quality amongst secondary school students in Tartu
(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Vaher, Anna; Leijen, Djuddah, A. J., juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Inglise filoloogia osakond; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut
Creating a CLIL course for teaching everyday life in mid-Victorian England
(Tartu Ülikool, 2023) Treu, Carmen; Rajamäe, Pilvi, juhendaja; Tartu Ülikool. Inglise filoloogia osakond; Tartu Ülikool. Humanitaarteaduste ja kunstide valdkond; Tartu Ülikool. Maailma keelte ja kultuuride instituut

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