Language Varieties Paper
For this paper, you will be composing a traditional-style academic essay. You will compose a thesis, organize your ideas into paragraphs, and edit your language to be clear so no grammar issues get in the way of understanding the point.
The topic of the paper is language diversity. We have read/listened to a variety of texts on the topic, proposed sample theses, and synthesized sources with our own ideas. Your job now is to write something individually that captures your opinion on a subject related to language diversity.
While your overall topic is language diversity, you need to narrow that down. You can focus your thesis and your overall writing by choosing an aspect of the larger topic. You might think about: immigration, employment, education, stereotypes, bilingual/multilingual experiences, being a member of society, or the evolution of language over time, or something else. Choose a sub-topic you think is interesting, and tell the class why is interesting and important.
Organize your ideas into academic paragraphs that develop your point, present evidence, and explain the significance of your stody. Focus your writing with a clear thesis statement, and clear topic sentences for your paragraphs. Provide in-text citations for your sources: author name and page number if there is one. (Lyiscott) (CCCC #) (Greene) or write/attribute the author name in the sentence. Make sure you reference and apply the sources from your chart!
Within the parameters, you still have the freedom to make the paper your own! Be creative, expressive, and experiment with ways of communicating your ideas in writing.
You may earn credit for any combination of the following (10 points for each category up to 110):
- Having a compelling introduction: present a good reason for writing and a clear thesis statement
- Using evidence from and analyzing “3 Ways of Speaking English” by Dr. Jamila Lyiscott
- Using evidence from and analyzing “Students’ Right to Their Own Language” by CCC
- Using evidence from and analyzing “Who or Whom? Who Cares.” by Lane Green
- Using evidence from and analyzing your own experiences
- Using evidence from and analyzing another source of your choice
- Having your paper reviewed at the writing center
- Using well-organized paragraphs to communicate your information
- Citing correctly: use MLA or APA citations in-text and in a works cited/references list
- Presenting quotes correctly and integrating them with your own words
- Using language clearly and proofreading for grammar lab items such as complete sentences, comma usage, other punctuation, and parallel structure
- Having a clear paragraph structure used throughout where you present a topic, evidence, and analysis. Make sure you reference how/why paragraphs relate to the thesis.
Your paper should be word-processed (Microsoft, Google docs, or similar). double-spaced and in a regular 12-point font. Turn in only .pdf or .docx files. You must turn this paper in on Canvas by the due date.
