This is SO HELPFUL. You both answered a lot of questions I had about where I need to be with my thesis when I'm approaching graduate school, particularly how specific I need to be.
So interesting to hear this comparison. I did my undergraduate in France and Ireland, my MA/MLitt in Mexico, Scotland and Canada (2 years), and currently my PhD in comparative literature in the US (though I live in the UK). In France, the focus was heavily on the primary sources, so much so that by the time I went to Ireland for my third and final year, I did not know how to write a research essay (but was very exercised in close reading). There is also little to no choice of modules in France, so I had a very broad range of exposure to disciplines, which felt intense but very complete. The American system is actually the best I have experienced, the most positive and the most open-minded, but I may also have got lucky with my university and dissertation committee.
So interesting to compare the differences with my uni and country. I'm studying linguistics and currently doing my PhD (though it's called differently here), and it seems like here you go vice versa: from a very narrow to a broader topic, especially in terms of the material you analyse; e.g. if you study CZcams speech characteristics, then during your bachelor's you have to analyse, for example, one famous person and find some specialities, then during your master's you analyse some more and compare them and then for your PhD you analyse a great variety of different vloggers (e.g. a long list of beauty vloggers) and find the main similarities, differences and unusual traits, like a whole discourse/genre analysis (It's just an example, but that's how it works in general)
Or like: for bachelor's you study conceptual metaphor in one specific corpora or one specific domain, etc. And then you just broaden the topic and try to find some correlations with reality, with some real situations, etc.
Great video! The research question part was my expertise with my topic. People have written about my subject but not in the detail that I would like to read. Or want the answers to!
We had some English uni students study for a semester my uni in Australia and they said they were not taught about colonialism in high school and were shocked what they learned in Australia in regard to how barbaric the English were.
Lace making: a friend of mine is just finishing her PhD on the move from wool to synthetic dresses in Melbourne, Australia in the late1960s.
This sounds so fascinating!
This is SO HELPFUL. You both answered a lot of questions I had about where I need to be with my thesis when I'm approaching graduate school, particularly how specific I need to be.
So glad it was helpful and you got the information you needed- if you have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask
Berkeley as a university is sooo ingrained in the city that you would definitely hear folks talking about theorists in random cafes 😅
I love that! It just adds something extra to the atmosphere and the community!
So interesting to hear this comparison. I did my undergraduate in France and Ireland, my MA/MLitt in Mexico, Scotland and Canada (2 years), and currently my PhD in comparative literature in the US (though I live in the UK). In France, the focus was heavily on the primary sources, so much so that by the time I went to Ireland for my third and final year, I did not know how to write a research essay (but was very exercised in close reading). There is also little to no choice of modules in France, so I had a very broad range of exposure to disciplines, which felt intense but very complete. The American system is actually the best I have experienced, the most positive and the most open-minded, but I may also have got lucky with my university and dissertation committee.
So interesting to compare the differences with my uni and country. I'm studying linguistics and currently doing my PhD (though it's called differently here), and it seems like here you go vice versa: from a very narrow to a broader topic, especially in terms of the material you analyse; e.g. if you study CZcams speech characteristics, then during your bachelor's you have to analyse, for example, one famous person and find some specialities, then during your master's you analyse some more and compare them and then for your PhD you analyse a great variety of different vloggers (e.g. a long list of beauty vloggers) and find the main similarities, differences and unusual traits, like a whole discourse/genre analysis (It's just an example, but that's how it works in general)
Or like: for bachelor's you study conceptual metaphor in one specific corpora or one specific domain, etc. And then you just broaden the topic and try to find some correlations with reality, with some real situations, etc.
That’s really interesting! Your area of study sounds super fascinating as well!
Great video! The research question part was my expertise with my topic. People have written about my subject but not in the detail that I would like to read. Or want the answers to!
Exactly - it's important to realise how narrow your question and research can be :)
Such a fun video to film together
I’ve been waiting for a video like this! 👏🏼🤗
Had the best time in Oxford with you! Thank you for being a part of this video
Yay! Thrilled you enjoyed it!
Absolutely captivating and incredibly informative content ma'am
Thank you ☺️
Amazing video!
You are so kind! Thank you :)
We had some English uni students study for a semester my uni in Australia and they said they were not taught about colonialism in high school and were shocked what they learned in Australia in regard to how barbaric the English were.
Insane that it’s so brushed over
first
😍
for some reason I KNEW she was from UCLA. It's a vibe.
Haha thank you!