MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

THESIS GUIDELINES
Requirements and guidelines for preparation of Theses of
Master of Arts in English language
(For internal use only)

Ho Chi Minh City, March 2018

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................. 3
SECTION 2: STYLE AND FORMAT ....................................................... 3
2.1. Word Length ............................................................................................. 3
2.2. Page Size and Margin ............................................................................... 3
2.3. Fonts and Font Size .................................................................................. 3
2.4. Justification ............................................................................................... 4
2.5. Line Spacing ............................................................................................. 4
2.6. Pagination ................................................................................................. 4
2.7. Headings ................................................................................................... 5
2.8. Citation Style ............................................................................................ 5
2.9. Footnotes .................................................................................................. 5
2.10. Tables and Figures .................................................................................. 6
2.11. Proofreading ........................................................................................... 7
SECTION 3: ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS .................................. 7
3.1. Cover page ................................................................................................ 8
3.2. Title page .................................................................................................. 8
3.3. Statement of authority/ Certificate of originality .................................... 9
3.4. Retention and use of the thesis ................................................................ 9
3.5. Acknowledgements .................................................................................. 9
3.6. Abstract ..................................................................................................... 9
3.7. Table of contents ...................................................................................... 10
3.8. List of tables ............................................................................................. 10
3.9. List of figures............................................................................................ 10
3.10. List of abbreviations and symbols .......................................................... 11
3.11. Chapter 1: Introduction .......................................................................... 11
3.12. Chapter 2: Literature Review ................................................................. 11
3.13. Chapter 3: Methodology ........................................................................ 12
3.14. Chapter 4: Results and Discussions ........................................................ 12
3.15. Chapter 5: Conclusion ............................................................................ 13
3.16. References .............................................................................................. 14
3.17. Appendices ............................................................................................. 14
SECTION 4: THESIS SAMPLE .................................................................. 14
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THESIS GUIDELINES
For Master of Arts in English linguistics

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this manual is to provide overall guidelines of the Master thesis
preparation at HCMC University of Technology (HUTECH). This manual contains
explanations of style and format as well as organization of the thesis. It also features
an overview of a thesis sample. Hence, it is advisable that students should read all
guidelines prior their preparation of manuscript so as to grasp the format and purposes
behind the rules.

Students should be responsible for satisfying all requirements for the thesis
required by HUTECH, as detailed in this document. Furthermore, a student‟s thesis
which does not conform and use correct forms and rules of spelling, punctuation, and
grammar, and commits plagiarism, falsification of data, or other research misconduct
may result in a thesis being declared rejected.

SECTION 2: STYLE AND FORMAT

2.1. Word Length

The acceptant length of a master thesis is approximately 20,000 words (but not
more than 45,000 words).

2.2. Page Size and Margin

 Text should be printed on one side of A4 (297 mm x 210 mm) sheets.

 The margins on each sheet must be 3.5 cm at the top, 3 cm at the bottom, 3.5 cm
on the left hand side, and 2 cm on the right hand side.

2.3. Fonts and Font Size

 Font for the title page should be Times New Roman with a 20-point size.
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 Font for the rest of the thesis should be Times New Roman with a 13-point size
(exceptions of footnotes, subscripts and superscripts, and for tables, figures or
illustrations imported from other sources).

 Italics and boldface are acceptable only for occasional, appropriate use.

2.4. Justification

 Justification must be consistent throughout the body of the thesis.

 A thesis should be fully justified (e.g., have even left- and right-hand margins).

2.5. Line Spacing

One-and-a-half (1.5) spacing of typescript should be used in the main body of

the thesis, while single spacing is only permitted in the cases of block quotations, table
and figure tables, notes, and tabular materials.

2.6. Pagination

 Every single page in the thesis must be numbered at the bottom center, except
for the title page (the title page counts as a page but does not include a page
number).

 The lead (prefatory) pages, up to the beginning of the text, are to be numbered
with lower case Roman numerals (e.g., i, ii, iii, iv, etc.) on the top middle of the
paper.

 Beginning with the first page of the text, all page numbers must be in Arabic
numerals, beginning with the number “1”, and continuing consecutively.

 The bibliography/references and appendices must also be numbered following

the rest of the thesis.
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2.7. Headings

 A consistent system of headings must be used throughout the thesis.

 Chapters should be written using at least major and minor headings, with the
levels of headings numerically distinguished, e.g.

1.1

1.1.1

 Each level of heading should be typed consistently throughout.

 Each chapter should begin on a new page.

 A new page should begin with each element of the front matter (list of tables,
acknowledgements, etc.), the reference section, and each appendix.

 A heading near the bottom of a page should be avoided unless there is room for
two lines of text following the heading. Instead, a little extra space should be
left on that page and the heading should begin on the next page.

2.8. Citation Style

The format of citation should be consistently conformed in accordance with the 6th
APA (American Psychological Association) style detailed at http://www.apastyle.org/

a. Citations of sources from Vietnamese authors

Format: Author‟s surname, initials of middle names and first name, year.

 One study by Nguyen Van Binh (2014) examined the trend in ….

 Many studies (e.g., Le Thi Ly, 2015; Nguyen Van Binh, 2014) examined the
trend in….
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 In 2014, Nguyen Van Binh examined the trend in….

b. Compiling a reference list

b.1. Book

Format: Author‟s Surname, Middle name & first name in full words (Date of
publication). Title (Edition, if not the first). Place of publication: Publisher.

e.g.,

 Nguyen, Thien Giap (2000). Vietnamese Pragmatics (Dụng Học Việt Ngữ). Ha
Noi: Publishing House of National University.
 Tran, Hoang Phu (2005). Vietnamese Culture: An introduction (3rd ed.). Ho Chi
Minh City: Vietnam National University-HCM Press.

b.2. Journal article

Format: Author‟s Surname, Middle name & first name in full words. (Year of journal).
Full title of article. Full Title of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), page
numbers of article.

e.g.,

 Tran, Quoc Thao, & Dang, Van Hung (2014). Culture Teaching in English
Language Teaching: Teachers Beliefs and their Classroom Practices. Korea
TEOSL Journal, 11(1), 207-223.
 Tran, Quoc Thao, & Seepho, S. (2016). Intercultural Language Education: EFL
Learners‟ Perceptions Toward Intercultural Language Communicative
Teaching. Philippine ESL Journal, 16, 46-64.

2.9. Footnotes

Notes (if any) should be positioned as footnotes, placed at the bottom of the
page on which the notes are marked by superscript numerals. Entries should be single-
spaced with a double space between entries. The numbering of footnotes should be
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successive through the thesis body.

2.10. Tables and Figures

 Tables, figures and other types of illustrations, including those in the

appendices, are to be numbered consecutively throughout the thesis in order of
appearance.

 The number and title of a table should be placed above the table.

 The number and title of a figure should be placed below the figure.

 The typeface of table and figure titles must match that of the text.

 All tables and figures must be referenced explicitly in the text immediately
preceding their placement.

 If a table or figure is no more than half a page in size, it should be inserted at

the paragraph break following its reference, if space permits.

 A paragraph on a given page should not be interrupted with the placement of a

table or figure. It should be finished before the table or figure is positioned.

 If there is not sufficient space on the page to place the table or figure, the text
should continue to the normal bottom margin and the table or figure should be
placed on the next page.

 If a table or figure is more than half a page in size, it should be placed by itself
on the page immediately following the page on which it is first mentioned. In
this case, the text should continue to the normal bottom margin on the
preceding page, and it should be resumed normally across the page break, on
the page following the full-page table or figure.
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2.11. Proofreading

Careful proofreading for mechanical mistakes, typos and general consistency is

strongly recommended before the thesis submission.

SECTION 3: ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS

The organization of the thesis must be in the following order:

Cover page

Title page

Statement of authority/ Certificate of originality

Retention and use of the thesis

Acknowledgements

Abstract

Table of contents

List of tables

List of figures

List of abbreviations and symbols

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter 3: Methodology

Chapter 4: Results and Discussions

Chapter 5: Conclusion
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References

Appendices

3.1. Cover Page

The cover page of the thesis is the very first page which displays the information
as follows:

 Managing institution (E.g., Ministry of Education and Training)

 Student‟s university
 Student‟s faculty
 Thesis Title
 Statement of thesis requirement
 Author‟s name
 Supervisor‟s name
 Place and Date

3.2. Title Page

The title page is right after the cover page, and it displays the same information
as appeared on the cover page.

3.3. Statement of authority/ Certificate of originality

This section is a declaration that the thesis has not previously been submitted
for a degree or similar award at another institution.

3.4. Retention and Use of the Thesis (optional)

This section indicates the agreement of retention and use of the thesis deposited
in the library for purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal
conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of theses.
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3.5. Acknowledgements

The aims of this section are as follows:

 Explaining the thesis journey, its challenges, and how to overcome them.
 Identifying people to thank (e.g., supervisor, research participants, etc.) and
thanking them properly.
 Accepting responsibility and making dedications.

3.6. Abstract

An abstract which is an obligatory for a thesis is a succinct summary of the

thesis. The abstract must include:

 Background information
 Research problem(s)
 Aims / purposes
 Research design (sampling, methods for data collection and analysis)
 Results
 Conclusions
 Implications (if)

The word length is no more 350 words. Furthermore, there should be at least
five key words following right after the abstract.

3.7. Table of Contents

The table of contents contains all front matter material that follows it (e.g., title page,
statement of authority, retention and use of the thesis, acknowledgements, and
abstract). It also lists the chapter titles as follows:

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1.
 9

1.2.

1.3.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1.

2.2.

2.3.

3.8. List of Tables

This section appears after the table of contents. Each title should be worded
exactly as it appears on the table in the document. All tables in the text and in the
appendices should be included.

3.9. List of Figures

The list of figures should appear after the list of tables. Each entry should be
worded exactly as it is worded in the figure title, except that parenthetical information
in the figure legend that has meaning only in reference to the figure need not appear in
the figure title in this list. All figures appearing in the text and appendices should be
included on this list.

3.10. List of Abbreviations and Symbols

This type of list presents all the abbreviations and symbols that are used in the
thesis. It should appear after the lists of tables and figures.

3.11. Chapter 1: Introduction

The introduction may include an explanation of author‟s own background and

motivation to undertake a particular piece of research. The introduction can include the
following elements:
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 Background to the study

 Statement of problem / Rationale of the study
 Aims and objectives of the study (Research questions / Hypotheses)
 Scope of the study
 Significance of the study / or Significant contribution of knowledge
 Definitions of the key terms
 Overview of thesis chapters

3.12. Chapter 2: Literature Review

The role of the literature review in thesis is to provide a critical review and analysis
of the literature relevant to a particular topic. The purposes of a literature review can
be to:

 Summarize and evaluate past research

 Show similarities and differences in previous research
 Give an overview of controversies in past research
 Place your own research into context
 Show a gap in research
 Generate new research hypotheses
 Indicate the conceptual framework of the study

The literature review should meet certain requirements:

 Most of the citations should be recent (preferable in the last five to seven years).
Earlier studies should only be cited if they appear to be classic, landmark
studies.
 Literature reviews should cite works from journals, books or government
document.

3.13. Chapter 3: Methodology

The Methodology Chapter tells readers how the research has been conducted in
order to answer research questions. It may have sections that explain:
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 WHERE the study was carried out

 WHEN the study was carried out
 WHAT materials, techniques, samples, data, approaches, theoretical
frameworks were used in the study, and
 HOW the study was carried out/ WHAT procedures were used.

The components of Chapter 3 can be as follows:

 Research design
 Research site / Research context
 Sample and sampling procedures
 Research instruments
 Data collection procedures
 Data analysis procedures
 Validity and reliability

3.14. Chapter 4: Results and Discussions

RESULTS

The Results section is normally written in a descriptive and narrative style, presenting
straightforwardly all the details observed and recorded that will make the focused
experiment stand out from the previous studies. The moves and steps for this section
can be as follows:

Moves Steps
Move 1 – Preparatory information
Move 2 – Reporting results
Move 3 – Commenting on results Interpreting results
Comparing results with literature
Evaluating results
Accounting for results
Move 4 – Summarizing results
Adapted from Yang and Allison‟s Framework for the Results Section Analysis (2003,
p. 374)
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DISCUSSIONS

This section will indicate how the results can be reviewed, interpreted,
evaluated, and made use of for specific implications, and applications. The focus is
shifted to the specific findings from the present study where are foregrounded. The
works of others are mentioned this time to confirm, compare, or contradicted with
these findings. It explains differences and similarities, and makes claims for
contributions to research.

Moves Notes
Move 1 – Information move Background about theory, research
aims or methodology
Move 2 – Finding With or without a reference to a graph
or a table
Move 3 – Expected or unexpected Comment on whether the result is
outcome expected or not
Move 4 – Reference to previous
research
Move 5 – Explanation Reasons for expected or unexpected
results
Move 6 – Claim Contribution to research, sometimes
with recommendations for action

Adapted from Peacock‟s Framework for the Discussion Section Analysis (2002, p.
492)

3.15. Chapter 5: Conclusion

This section is to wrap up the thesis by providing:

 A summary of the main findings of the thesis

 The implications of the research
 Limitation of the research
 Recommendations for further research

3.16. References

A thesis must include a reference section in the APA format. References

include only those works actually cited in the text. There must be a reference entry for
every citation in the text, with spelling, dates, publishing information, etc., that are
 13

correct and presented consistently. For more information on the 6th APA Reference
Style, please visit the website: http://www.apastyle.org/

3.17. Appendices

Materials related to the text but not suitable to be included in it (raw data, tables,
copies of documents, etc.) may be placed in an appendix. When there is more than one
appendix, each should be given a letter, e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B. Appendices
should be referred to the body of thesis.
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SECTION 4: THESIS SAMPLE

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING (Font 13)

HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (Font 13)
---------------------------

(TITLE)
(Research title; Font: 20, Times New Roman, centered, bold)

Submitted to the
Faculty of English Linguistics
in partial fulfillment of the Master‟s degree in English Linguistics

Course code: 60220201

By

NGUYEN VAN A

(Font: 16, Times New Roman, centered, bold)

Supervised by
NGUYEN VAN B, PHD
(Font: 16, Times New Roman, centered, bold)

HO CHI MINH CITY, OCTOBER 2017

 15

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

I certify my authorship of the Master‟s Thesis submitted today entitled:

THESIS TITLE

In terms of the statement of requirements for Theses in Master‟s programs issued by

the Higher Degree Committee of Faculty of English Linguistics, Ho Chi Minh City
University of Technology.

Ho Chi Minh City, October 20…

NGUYEN VAN A
 16

RETENTION AND USE OF THE THESIS

I hereby state that I, NGUYEN VAN A, being a candidate for the degree of Master of
Arts (English Linguistics) accept the requirements of the University relating to the
retention and use of Master‟s Theses deposited in the Library.

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the original of my Master‟s Thesis deposited
in the Library should be accessible for purposes of study and research, in accordance
with the normal conditions established by the Librarian for the care, loan, and
reproduction for theses.

Ho Chi Minh City, October 20…..

Signature …………………………….

NGUYEN VAN A
 17

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would first like to express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Nguyen Van B, my supervisor,
for his patience, guidance, insightful advice, and constant encouragement through the
whole research process. Without his support and guidance, this thesis would never
have been completed.

…..
 18

ABSTRACT

Language and culture is inseparable, and the integration of culture teaching in

language teaching has been widely recognized as an indispensable component in
language education. However, the perception of the role of culture in English language
teaching (ELT) varies from one teacher to another. Therefore, the aim of this study is
to explore teachers‟ beliefs about the role of culture in ELT and their classroom
practices at a foreign language center in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, with three
guiding research questions: (1) What beliefs about the role of culture in ELT do EL
teachers hold? (2) How do they define the objectives of culture teaching? and (3) To
what extent are their beliefs reflected in their classroom practices? This study involved
twenty-three Vietnamese teachers of English (VTE) and fifteen native English teachers
(NET) in participating in the triangulation of data collection (questionnaire, classroom
observation, and interview). The results showed that most VTE and NET believed that
culture plays an important role in ELT, and culture should be included in ELT. Both
VTE and NET defined the objectives of culture teaching to provide cultural knowledge
and skills. The results also revealed that although VTE and NET‟s classroom practices,
to some extent, corresponded to their beliefs, there was a small discrepancy between
VTE and NET toward culture teaching activities. VTE most often employed cognitive
and skills activities, while NET frequently used activities in cognitive and attitudinal
dimensions.

Keywords: culture; ELT; native English teachers; teacher’s belief; Vietnamese

teachers of English
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

Certificate of originality ……………………………………………………... i

Retention and use of the thesis………………………………………………. ii

Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………… iii

Abstract……………………………………………………………………….. iv

Table of contents……………………………………………………………… v

List of tables…………………………………………………………………... viii

List of figures ………………………..……………………………………….. ix

List of abbreviations………………………………………………………….. xi

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study…………………………………………... 1

1.2 ……
1.3 …

1.x Organization of the thesis…………………………………….….. 10

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………….

2.2….

….

2.x Summary………………………………………………………….

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

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CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

APPENDICES

Appendix A

Appendix B

….
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LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 3.1 The general information of participants………………………. 40

Table 3..
Table 4.1 EL teachers‟ interest in culture teaching………………………… 50
Table 4.. 51
Table 5.1
….
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LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 1.1 Teacher cognition, schooling, professional education, and

classroom……………………………………………………….. 5
Figure 1..
Figure 2.1
Figure 2..
Figure 3.1
Figure 3…
Figure 4.1
Figure 4…
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS

CBE New Communicative English

EFL English as a foreign language
ELT English Language Teaching
ESL English as a Second Language
GE General English
IELTS International English language Testing System
TESOL Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
 24

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background to the study

……..

1.x Organization of the thesis

 25

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

….

2.x Summary
 26

CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

….

3.x Summary
 27

CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Results

4.2.1…

4.3 Discussions

4.3.1…

4.x Summary
 28

CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

5.1 Conclusion

5.2…
 29

REFERENCES

Agar, M. (1994). Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation.

New York: William Morrow and Company.

Alptekin, C., & Alptekin, M. (1984). The Question of Culture: EFL Teaching in
Non-English Speaking Countries. ELT Journal, 38(1), pp. 14-20.

Argyle, M. (1982). Inter-cultural Communication. In S. Bocner, (Ed.), Cultures

in Contact (pp. 61-79). Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Baker, J. (2002). Trilingualism. In L. Delpit & J. K. Dowdy (Eds.). The Skin that we
Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom, pp. 49-61. New
York: The New Press.

Barrow, R. (1990). „Culture, Values, and the Language Classroom.‟ In B. Harrison

(Eds.): Culture and the Language Classroom. ELT documents, 132. London:
The British Council.

……
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APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A

A COVER LETTER FOR THE QUESTIONNAIRE

…..