Ongoing:
Discussion leader instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NSe4DOAojrDRx-8S1q-0Ffq3QeLKACQPoKuzCCyXtjc
Discussion leader schedule: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1o1-PvJT33N0ui3xKLdTSmtUYInAU8cvp6GqhDRanhvM
Final research project: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ocG1Cw8_sLGYZJ3LGJPXa8BNclKea5_2lZWz7Ro6rkk
Week 11: Tuesday 4/17, Thursday 4/19.
Assignment due Thursday 4/19: Blog #6
Continuing preparations for the research project, in this blog you should:
1) describe the analytical framework that you plan to use. Some of you have mentioned authors you’ll plan to cite, but here, you should give more detail. Find at least one outside source and explain how it will apply to the way you analyze your data, and the main theoretical concepts you’ll be using, referring to the sources (from class and from outside of class). For example, in my research project on Latinx hip hop, I’m applying the concepts of codemeshing and plurilingualism from Canagarajah (2009). Give or cite brief definitions of the theoretical concepts you’re using.
2) Data analysis. Take between one and three examples from the data you’ve collected and provide a brief analysis. Here’s an example from a paper I’m writing:
“A number of comments contain orthographic and syntactic features which are particularly representative of the hybridity of fans’ plurilingual repertoires.
(1) Holllllll up +Chingo Bling , great Lil jam, when the screwed and chopped bersion dropping. Traje fajitas
(2) Awesome bideo!
(3) +Chingo Bling bro you need to do choutouts to your fav YouTube fans one. Vid por favor
(4) Damn chingo u need to get this song longer and screwed. Do it me please
In (2r-2u), several different commenters use alternative, stylized orthography reflecting non-normative pronunciation (as viewed from a Standardized English perspective), as in <bideo> ‘video’ <choutouts> ‘shoutouts’ <bersion> ‘version’. These respellings indicate the stereotypical pronunciation of English words by Spanish speakers. This aligns with Canagarajah’s (2009) contention that in plurilingualism, the phonology of one language can affect the orthography of another.”
Your analysis does not have to be this directly linguistic, based on the approach you’re taking, but what I’m asking for is for you to relate concepts from an author (or multiple authors) to the data you’re analyzing.
Week 10: Tuesday 4/10, Thursday 4/12.
Assignment due Thursday 4/12: Blog #5.
For this blog, we turn to the final research project. You should write a blog post pitching your project. This should involve identifying the language variety (or varieties, if applicable) you’re planning to study, and where you plan to collect your data. Give a few examples of public pieces of data (you can link or embed in your post), and a bit of context and how you plan to analyze the data. Will you be drawing on a sociolinguistic approach (like Heyd?) or a cultural-studies/critical-theory approach (like Prater?) Will you analyze these in terms of literature? Provide some context for your proposed study, and try to frame it with three draft research questions.
Week 9: Tuesday 3/27, Thursday, 3/29.
Final research project assigned.
Week 7: Tuesday 3/13, Thursday 3/15.
Essay #2: Creole literature. Draft due 3/15, Final due 3/29:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m6qjCNngfFsAZ7wXYNp2npjiMvA4FtaZld-6pnzJiyE/edit?usp=sharing
Instructions in the document linked above. Information for submissions:
The rough draft (3/15) should be brought to class or e-mailed to the instructor (with the subject line ‘Essay #2’.
The final draft (3/29) should be posted as a blog post on the Commons site in the ‘Essay #2’ category.
Week 6: Tuesday 3/6, Thursday 3/8.
Assignment due Thursday 3/8: Language resource sites & Blog post #4
This is a group project–we’ll assign groups on Thursday 3/1. I have created the following sites on the Commons, and will add students in the groups as administrators:
jamaicancreole.commons.gc.cuny.edu
guyanesecreole.commons.gc.cuny.edu
trinidadiancreole.commons.gc.cuny.edu
By Thursday, 3/8 (48-hour grace period applies), you should collaborate with your group members (in person or online) to create a resource site for one of the Big Three Caribbean Creole languages.
This means you’ll be working together on:
- a 500-word introduction, packing as much (originally written, but based on cited sources) information into the intro as possible. The site should seek to inform people about the language variety your group is studying. Maybe someone has never heard of ‘Trinidadian Creole’ before and they type it into Google to find more info. That’s what your site is for. You can also (optionally) put your names on the site.
- A section (a page is a good way to do this) on the history of the variety, with correct citations (at least 3 sources with links if the sources are online). This can be somewhat brief (250-500 words), but include links to help people find more complete information.
- A section on the features of the variety, with correct citations (at least 3 sources with links if the sources are online). A bird’s eye overview of the distinctive features of the creole language, i.e. what kind of lexicon, syntax, and phonology the language has (especially the features that distinguish it from other creole languages)
- A section on the social context, literature, and music of the variety. Provide some discussion of the language’s use in education or for news media (print, audio, video) and the history of literature in the variety. Again, cite sources where appropriate.
- Then, on the main commons course site, each group member should write a blog post (blog post #4) linking to the site, and briefly explaining what they contributed to it.
This is a website, so you have more flexibility in terms of how you use and embed content in your site. I encourage you to get creative in every way–as long as it serves the purpose of the site, which is to provide an introduction to the language variety.
In addition, because these sites are public, people will be able to tell if you just copied and pasted stuff from around the web–these sites should avoid plagiarism by using original writing and citing appropriately (in this case, citing should be done through hyperlinks in a list at the end of each page, with a brief title and description of the site). Think usability!
Week 5: Tuesday 2/27, Thursday 3/1.
Assignment due Thursday 3/1: Essay #1 Final Draft
Please turn your first essay into a blog post, titled with the language you’re reporting on. The blog post will serve as your final draft. It should be in the format of an academic essay, but when formatting it, consider the idea that people might look at it and rely on it as a source of information about the language. Feel free to include embedded pictures or videos (when they help make your point) in the 2000-word post, and include (properly formatted MLA/APA/other published system) references at the end, with links where possible.
Week 4: Thursday 2/22.
Assignment due Thursday 2/22: Blog post #3: Choosing a language variety
For the first essay, you chose an English-lexified pidgin or creole language (other than Guyanese Creole, Jamaican Patois, or Trinidadian Creole) to focus on in Paper #1. In this blog post, explain your reasons for the choice you made and list the resources you found for the language, including descriptions of the language, places to find the written form in daily use (if applicable) or the spoken form. Were resources about the language variety easier or more difficult to find than you expected? Include links to these resources and descriptions of the resources in the blog post. These can also be references for your first essay. This blog post can serve as a kind of informal ‘introduction’ to your essay and your later posts on the language variety.
Week 3: Tuesday 2/13 and Thursday 2/15.
Essay #1: Research Profile of a Language Variety. Draft due 2/15, Final due 3/1:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IDmLipyekhlspyFx7jFD3rSSuUmgh-5viTo7-o4BG4M
Instructions in the document linked above. Information for submissions:
The rough draft (2/15) should be brought to class or e-mailed to the instructor (with the subject line ‘Essay #1’.
The final draft (3/1) should be posted as a blog post on the Commons site in the ‘Essay #1’ category.
Week 2: Tuesday 2/6 and Thursday 2/8.
Assignment due Thursday 2/8: Blog post 2 – Make a public blog post on the main course site after reading Sebba Chapter 1 and 2. In this blog post, choose three terms from the chapters that you’re not particularly familiar with, and look for definitions online. Try to stick to academic sources, and indicate where you got the definitions from (a citation or link). For each of the three terms, find at least two definitions from different sources, and try not to overlap with terms other students are defining (if two students post at nearly the same time and choose similar terms, that’s OK). Finally, write a bit about which definitions you find most compelling or complete, or what some of the problems are with defining the terms.
Week 1: Tuesday 1/30 and Thursday 2/1.
Assignment due Thursday 2/1: Make a public blog post on the main course site introducing yourself and your language background. You do not have to give your real name if you prefer not to. Answer the following questions: 1) Start by telling us a bit about yourself. 2)Where did you grow up? 3) What are your plans after graduating? 4)What languages/varieties do you speak today? 5) What languages were/are spoken in your home? It’s OK if you don’t have the ‘correct names’ for those languages, just go with what you called them (if anything) or try to describe them. Feel free to write more if the spirit moves you, but this is a sort of ‘test post’.
