1、(一)what areas to explore,the aspects for researching : Language studies Macro linguistics Language teaching Literary studies Translation international studies Application studies,Language studies: phonetics and phonology; morphology; syntax; semantics; pragmatics; stylistics; etc. Macro linguistics:

2、 sociolinguistics; psycholinguistics; applied linguistics; etc. Language teaching: English teaching, knowledge and skills, competence; etc.,Literary studies: British, American, Canadian, Australian literature, and their comparisons with Chinese literature,translation studies: theories and mechanics,

3、written translation and oral interpretation; international studies:any English-speaking countrys history,geography,law and so on. application studies:ESP(English for Specific Purposes) or TESL(Teaching English as a Second Language) and any expertise concerning English in use.,（二）how to discover the

4、subject,1.The advisor assigns topics to his or her students 2. The students are encouraged to work out their own topics,（2.1）Think of topics that are interesting to you.,If you enjoy what youre writing about, you will be more engaged in your subject. Think of the course youre writing for and try to

5、remember subjects that you found engaging.,（2.2）Talking with Other People,Students often influence each other. They can share their ideas both inside and outside of class. This kind of peer influenced often gives the students facilitative feedback. As they talk with each other, ideas are given and q

6、uestions are asked, which result in elaboration and collaboration through interaction.,（2.3）Brainstorming,Brainstorming is a state of mind when one is hit with some inspiration or ideas.,It is usually unrestrained and spontaneous. It is a process of free association, a way of developing ideas by lis

7、tening everything one can think of about a subject. Students may brainstorm by themselves, or with their advisors, teachers or friends.,While brainstorming, they need only to jot down the ideas that pop into their minds even if some may look like junk. at this stage, it unnecessary to consider lingu

8、istic aspects such as spelling, diction and grammar.,（2.4）Reading Source Materials,A good library usually contains excellent sources for finding a topic. Students may turn to the following for ideas: encyclopedias, books, periodical indexes, internet resources watch the news,(2.4.1) Encyclopedias,An

9、 encyclopedia article is useful in selecting a subject and a topic. it can also suggest possible bibliography sources and examples. It must point out, that encyclopedia articles are only broad introductions. Books and journal articles are more specific and up-to-date. Therefore, encyclopedias serve

10、only to familiarize students with fundamental facts and basic concepts. e.g.,(2.4.2) Books,Books are among the best sources which to discover a topic for research. They should always remember what they need to do is to find materials for their topics. This means that it is unnecessary to take the ti

11、me to read the entire book.,what we need to do is to skim a books 1. introduction 2. context 3. index and a few chapters,（2.4.3） Periodical Indexes,Periodicals are usually published monthly, bimonthly or quarterly. They contain more current information, opinions and up-to-date report. The informatio

12、n provided by periodicals may also be more specific and detailed, which better facilitates relevant research.,（2.4.4）Internet Resources,The most frequently used search engines in China include 1.http:/www. google. com, 2. , 3., 4.“”, 5. 學(xué)校學(xué)術(shù)期刊網(wǎng)etc. 6. 中國基礎(chǔ)教育網(wǎng)： 7. 中國英語教師網(wǎng)： 8. 美國全球英語學(xué)習(xí)網(wǎng)：english 9. 21世紀(jì)英語教學(xué)網(wǎng)：http/21th 10. 北方教育網(wǎng)： 11. 空中英語教育服務(wù)綜合網(wǎng)： 12. 上海外語教育出版社： 13. 外語教學(xué)與研究出版社 14. 中國對外翻譯出版公司： 15. 清華大學(xué)出版社： 16. 北京大學(xué)出版社： 17. 高等教育出版社：,(2.4.5)Watch the news.,Local and national news broadcasts feature some of the mos