Dissertation Update

Things have come to a pretty pass when I start thinking wistfully of my own dissertation as I plough through fourteen of my students' 3000 worders. At least, as I tweeted, it's raining: splendid weather for those chained to a pile of scripts.

Anyway, here's a note to self, as I've been contemplating the dissertation and not had the space to do anything with it for a few days. I'll be back onto it tomorrow. There are three things I need to do: begin to process the data that I've got; read up and review the literature on "norming"; read up and review the literature on the CEFR.

And next week I've got to get to grips with the data available to me. I couldn't really chase up the teachers whose students are providing it this week (we've all had a big marking burden), but I can do that next week. I'll be following the fortunes of six students and two teachers through the assessment process. I need also to get consent forms printed and signed.

However, it is proceeding. It's like a ship which has just been launched: an almost empty shell sitting in the river. But she is demonstrably a ship. She needs a lot of work before she can sail the seven seas, but the shipyard knows its business.

The deadline is now 16th October. I need to work all day tomorrow, and several afternoons and evenings next week. I may as well use this time away from home to good advantage. The burden of marking gets easier from hereon in, I think.

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