Choose a dialect of American English and describe its historical origin, major features [phonological i.e. sound/accent; lexical/vocabulary, syntactic i.e. sentence structure/grammar) that differentiate it from other dialects. Where is it spoken (map-wise)? Find and describe radio show, TV channel or online forum that uses the dialect predominantly. Is the dialect dying out or is it thriving – i.e. is there increase or decrease in speakers /domains of use/ attitudes? What non-linguistic features define the dialect [demographics, ethnicity, social class]?
NOTE: The primary task is analyzing a dialect of AME as used authentically in a show, podcast, YouTube channel/video, tiktok [social media] or any radio programming. You can use Data and /or examples of the dialect you choose from a textbook or article – [i.e. from a current/authentic source] but such textbook sources as examples can only be used as supporting evidence but the primary sources should be from a source that is addressed above i.e. tv/radio show, blog, magazine, newspaper etc
RUBRIC:
[2 pts] length requirement: 4-5 pages, double-spaced (brevity doesn’t mean less detail though, but conciseness]; 12-font
[3 pts] clear introduction/brief summary of the chosen dialect
[10 pts] clearly explained dialect features [Minimum 5; phonological/lexical/syntactic] distinct from other dialects
[3pts] explanation of socio-linguistic features of the dialect
[3 pts] use and explanation of appropriate examples referencing newspaper / TV channel/ Radio Service
[4 pts] quality of writing in terms of (a) overall structure of the essay, (b) clear paragraph topics and paragraph-level writing, (c) sentence-level writing including no run-on sentences, (d) proofreading and attention to mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, typos, citationLinks to an external site., references etc.)
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