Appendix B: Assignment Prompts
Project 1: Linguistic Identity Manifesto
Self-exploration is important to our development as individuals and our relationships with others. For this piece, you will explore one side of your sense of self - your language identity. You can focus on either yourself as an individual or a social group you belong to (e.g. family, neighborhood, sports team, special interest club, professional community, etc.) and describe a linguistic portrait of this group. However, if you do not feel confortable talking about yourself, you can choose a third person (a friend, a family member, etc.) and write about that person.
Many scholars agree that language not only is closely connected to our sense of self but also defines our sense of belonging to a specific community: speaking the language of a community means belonging to it, and vice versa – not speaking the language means being excluded from that community. However, there are also different and sometimes conflicting definitions of linguistic identity. For this project, you will need to come up with your own definition of linguistic identity. You can use the scholarly and non-scholarly readings we have looked at so far to help you with the definition. After you have a definition, you will need to describe your own, or your group’s, linguistic identity, providing specific examples and/or anecdotes. You can use English and any other language(s) or a variation(s) of English. Remember that linguistic diversity is not only about different languages but also about different dialects of the same language (e.g. Vernacular English, Spanglish, Chicano English, Yinglish, etc.) and sometimes even different registers of English (e.g. casual, conversational English VS very formal, code-bound English you can find enforced in some workplaces).
As a starting point for your own exploration, take a look at these two definitions of linguistic identity:
Identities are double-edged swords because, while functioning in a positive and productive way to give people a sense of belonging, they do so by defining an “us” in opposition to a “them” that becomes all too easy to demonize. Studying the construction of identities is important precisely because it offers our best hope for helping to undo their negative impact, while at the same time providing deeper insight into the role languages play in our interpretation of who does or doesn’t belong to which particular group.
-John E. Joseph, from “Linguistic Identities”
So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity - I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.
- Gloria Anzandua, from “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”
You can use these definitions as a starting point for developing your own.
After you’ve created a definition of linguistic identity, you can think of more specific ideas regarding your own (or your social group’s) linguistic identity. To help you find an angle to this rather broad topic, here are a few questions you can consider when narrowing down your particular topic (all of these questions can pertain to you individually or to your social group):
Project 2: Rhetorical Analysis
For this project, you will write a rhetorical analysis of a text that uses multiple languages or variations of one language. It could be English and Spanish, or English and African American Vernacular, or British English and American English, or different dialects and registers of the same language such as academic English and conversational, informal English. After that, you will create a video presentation of your analysis.
While your analysis is going to be primarily in the essay (text) format, the text you are analyzing does not have to be. You can choose to analyze a text if you want to (e.g. a book, a short story, an autobiography or memoir, a newspaper article, a poem, etc.), but you can also use films or cartoons, comedy sketches, radio performances, commercials, political campaigns, music lyrics, etc. You can find a list of texts and videos you can use on page 3 of this assignment, but you are not limited by that list; you can choose to use other texts, videos, etc., as long as you let me know in advance what you are planning to analyze.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you are analyzing your chosen text (you don’t need to follow this order in your paper):
You don’t have to answer all of these questions, but you should aim at answering at least a few of them. You can also add your own questions based on the type of message you are analyzing. For example, if you are analyzing a video, you can also talk about the visual part of the message; if you are talking about a short story, you can talk about what literary devices the author uses (i.e. metaphors, similes, voice and point of view, allegories, etc.). Other possible elements of the message to analyze could be its organization and structure; how the message has been received in public and if it has sparked any controversy or debate; specific historical moment and context, etc.
Project 3: Argument
You have written about language in connection to identity and about different uses of language or languages in other people’s arguments. Now you will choose a language-related issue that you find important for yourself, your community, or for our society in general and make a well-informed, thoughtful argument about it.
The range of issues you can look at is only limited by the condition that it has to do with language(s); it is up to you to choose your specific topic. Among other issues, you can look at bilingual education in the US, the problem of disappearance of Native American languages, illiteracy, the politics and/or marginalization of African American vernacular or Chicano English, the politics of Standard American English, foreign language education in the US, and many other possible debates. You can even look at what kind of language has come to characterize the current political debates and argue about what we should do about it.
In your argument, you need to make a strong case for your point of view on the issue you’ve chosen; use all the rhetorical strategies and persuasive techniques you have learned throughout the course. You will also need to acknowledge the opposite side of the issue and offer some counter-points to argue against possible opposition. If you only present your own side of the issue, your argument will look too one-sided and less trustworthy.
Format:
Furthermore, your argument will have to be multimodal; i.e. it will not be written only as a text-based essay. You have the choice to create your argument in one of the following formats and mediums:
Research:
Finally, in all of these mediums, you will need to incorporate at least 4 scholarly secondary sources into your argument to make it sound more credible and developed.
Self-exploration is important to our development as individuals and our relationships with others. For this piece, you will explore one side of your sense of self - your language identity. You can focus on either yourself as an individual or a social group you belong to (e.g. family, neighborhood, sports team, special interest club, professional community, etc.) and describe a linguistic portrait of this group. However, if you do not feel confortable talking about yourself, you can choose a third person (a friend, a family member, etc.) and write about that person.
Many scholars agree that language not only is closely connected to our sense of self but also defines our sense of belonging to a specific community: speaking the language of a community means belonging to it, and vice versa – not speaking the language means being excluded from that community. However, there are also different and sometimes conflicting definitions of linguistic identity. For this project, you will need to come up with your own definition of linguistic identity. You can use the scholarly and non-scholarly readings we have looked at so far to help you with the definition. After you have a definition, you will need to describe your own, or your group’s, linguistic identity, providing specific examples and/or anecdotes. You can use English and any other language(s) or a variation(s) of English. Remember that linguistic diversity is not only about different languages but also about different dialects of the same language (e.g. Vernacular English, Spanglish, Chicano English, Yinglish, etc.) and sometimes even different registers of English (e.g. casual, conversational English VS very formal, code-bound English you can find enforced in some workplaces).
As a starting point for your own exploration, take a look at these two definitions of linguistic identity:
Identities are double-edged swords because, while functioning in a positive and productive way to give people a sense of belonging, they do so by defining an “us” in opposition to a “them” that becomes all too easy to demonize. Studying the construction of identities is important precisely because it offers our best hope for helping to undo their negative impact, while at the same time providing deeper insight into the role languages play in our interpretation of who does or doesn’t belong to which particular group.
-John E. Joseph, from “Linguistic Identities”
So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity - I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.
- Gloria Anzandua, from “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”
You can use these definitions as a starting point for developing your own.
After you’ve created a definition of linguistic identity, you can think of more specific ideas regarding your own (or your social group’s) linguistic identity. To help you find an angle to this rather broad topic, here are a few questions you can consider when narrowing down your particular topic (all of these questions can pertain to you individually or to your social group):
- What are the language(s) and/or language varieties/dialects you mainly use (it can be different depending on particular social settings, e.g. home, school, work, etc.)? What is the difference between these different languages and/or dialects? Which of these languages or varieties do you think is closest to you personally? Or which of these languages/dialects do you feel most comfortable speaking? What about writing? Here you might need to do some research to find out what are the characteristics of the dialect you primarily use.
- Do you think the languages or dialects you speak have different or equal weight or value in society? How so?
- Do you think there is a connection between the language(s) you or your community use and the culture(s) you/your community belong to? Can you identify any cultural values expressed in these languages or dialects? Can you trace them to larger cultural concepts (e.g. the same way Alzaldua does in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”)?
- Do you think there are any conflicts between the languages or dialects that you identify with? If yes, what kind of conflicts are they? (It can be very personal conflicts like the mismatch between what can be expressed in one language as compared to the other, or it can be conflict that are social or political in nature, like the conflict between indigenous language in the US and English.)
Project 2: Rhetorical Analysis
For this project, you will write a rhetorical analysis of a text that uses multiple languages or variations of one language. It could be English and Spanish, or English and African American Vernacular, or British English and American English, or different dialects and registers of the same language such as academic English and conversational, informal English. After that, you will create a video presentation of your analysis.
While your analysis is going to be primarily in the essay (text) format, the text you are analyzing does not have to be. You can choose to analyze a text if you want to (e.g. a book, a short story, an autobiography or memoir, a newspaper article, a poem, etc.), but you can also use films or cartoons, comedy sketches, radio performances, commercials, political campaigns, music lyrics, etc. You can find a list of texts and videos you can use on page 3 of this assignment, but you are not limited by that list; you can choose to use other texts, videos, etc., as long as you let me know in advance what you are planning to analyze.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself as you are analyzing your chosen text (you don’t need to follow this order in your paper):
- Who is the speaker/author? What do we and/or the audience know about him/her? Is the identity of the author important or not, and why?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What is the speaker’s (or the performer’s/author’s) goal? what is he/she trying to accomplish?
- What language(s) and variations of a language does the author use? What is the (intended) effect on the audience, and how does the use of multiple languages or variations of a language help (or not help) the author accomplish her/his goals?
- What genre does the author utilize? (E.g. comedy, memoir, etc.) Does the author follow one genre throughout or a combination of a few different genres? Does the author follow the conventions of that genre or does she/he break them, and to what effect?
- What vocabulary does the author use? What words stand out, and why? what words are repeated, and why?
- What tone and register does the author use? (e.g. formal, casual, informal, etc.) Does the author switch between different registers, and to what effect?
- What types of appeal does the author use (logos, ethos, pathos)? How does the author build each of them? (E.g. how does the author use emotions?) In regards to ethos, how does the author position himself/herself, and what role does the language(s) he/she uses play in it?
- What values does the author rely on? How are they expressed? Do you think these values are shared by the intended audience?
- What ideologies does the text promote or rely on?
You don’t have to answer all of these questions, but you should aim at answering at least a few of them. You can also add your own questions based on the type of message you are analyzing. For example, if you are analyzing a video, you can also talk about the visual part of the message; if you are talking about a short story, you can talk about what literary devices the author uses (i.e. metaphors, similes, voice and point of view, allegories, etc.). Other possible elements of the message to analyze could be its organization and structure; how the message has been received in public and if it has sparked any controversy or debate; specific historical moment and context, etc.
Project 3: Argument
You have written about language in connection to identity and about different uses of language or languages in other people’s arguments. Now you will choose a language-related issue that you find important for yourself, your community, or for our society in general and make a well-informed, thoughtful argument about it.
The range of issues you can look at is only limited by the condition that it has to do with language(s); it is up to you to choose your specific topic. Among other issues, you can look at bilingual education in the US, the problem of disappearance of Native American languages, illiteracy, the politics and/or marginalization of African American vernacular or Chicano English, the politics of Standard American English, foreign language education in the US, and many other possible debates. You can even look at what kind of language has come to characterize the current political debates and argue about what we should do about it.
In your argument, you need to make a strong case for your point of view on the issue you’ve chosen; use all the rhetorical strategies and persuasive techniques you have learned throughout the course. You will also need to acknowledge the opposite side of the issue and offer some counter-points to argue against possible opposition. If you only present your own side of the issue, your argument will look too one-sided and less trustworthy.
Format:
Furthermore, your argument will have to be multimodal; i.e. it will not be written only as a text-based essay. You have the choice to create your argument in one of the following formats and mediums:
- A blog post. It will be primarily text-based, but the text will need to be enhanced by pictures, videos, hyperlinks, graphs, etc., and you will need to pay careful attention to the design elements of your blog. Your blog will need to be at least 1300 words long. You can use any online blogging website and tools you are familiar with (or get familiarized with some new ones - all of them are user-friendly and intuitive), including Weebly, Google blogs or sites, Blogpost, Blog.com, Wordpress, etc.
- A video that would promote your argument to a wide range of viewers. You can use pictures, cartoons, video clips, and recordings of yourself for the visual part, and for the audio, you can use your own voice or a combination of your voice and something else (e.g. music or other speakers). You can record and include interviews with other people as well. The video will need to be at least 5 minutes long. You can use any video editing software tools you know or find some new ones. Ask me for more directions if you need them.
- An audio podcast. In this format, you will present your argument in an audio form, to be presented either over the radio or online. There are many different types of podcasts; you will decide who your specific audience is going to be and what format you want to use. Creating a podcast will also require a few tools: you’ll need an audio recorder or a microphone (your smartphone will likely have a built-in recorder) and possibly audio recording software such as Audacity (which is free). You can always ask your instructor for help with using these tools.
Research:
Finally, in all of these mediums, you will need to incorporate at least 4 scholarly secondary sources into your argument to make it sound more credible and developed.