MA Applied Linguistics & TESOL student Weihao Zhao has received a Commendation in this year’s British Council Master’s in English Language Teaching Dissertation Awards for his Dissertation “The Role of pragmalinguistic recasting in E-mail requests: a study of Chinese learners in the UK."
Weihao’s dissertation analysed the effectiveness of an error correction technique – recasts – in developing learners’ pragmatic competence. Using an experimental design followed by a reflective individual interview, the study explored the extent to which recasts facilitated participants’ pragmatic awareness and use of appropriate requests in academic email communication.
Results showed that participants who received pragmalinguistic recasts achieved significant improvements in adopting conventionally indirect strategies and using syntactic (e.g., could) and lexical modifiers (e.g., please) to enhance the appropriateness and politeness of their requests. The study also highlighted participants' perceptions of the effectiveness of recasts, with most expressing increased confidence in their ability to make polite requests.
According to the British Council reviewer “The findings have direct implications for EAP instruction and material design, with potential applications in EFL and study-abroad contexts globally.”
Weihao said:
I’m deeply honoured to receive the British Council’s Master’s Dissertation Award, a milestone that reflects the growth and effort I’ve invested in the University of Liverpool’s MA TESOL & Applied Linguistics program. The program’s flexible design and supportive faculty opened up endless possibilities for exploring language teaching and research, helping me craft a uniquely personal dissertation. I will always cherish this inspiring academic journey!
Dr Nektaria Kourtali, leader of the MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL programmes, said:
Congratulations to Weihao on receiving this award, which is a well-earned recognition of his hard work. Congratulations also to Weihao’s supervisor Dr Annarita Magliacane, whose high-quality supervision contributed significantly to this success. For the TESOL team, this is the ninth award since 2016. These awards provide clear evidence of the outstanding dissertations our students produce, with both theoretical relevance and pedagogical impact.