Summary:
All of your readings have focused on Discourse and the various ways communities are literate. One of the larger questions that you should be pondering, both about yourself and the world at large is, about the nature of literacy – what do we mean when we say “being literate?” After all, language is inextricably bound together with identity.
William Lutz, a linguist and former professor at Rutgers University, claims that “Thoughts corrupt language, and language corrupts thought.” In other words, how we think and speak influences the language in use, and our language in use will simultaneously influence the way we analyze and interpret information.
Some key terms you’ve encountered thus far include: code meshing, code switching, d/Discourse, and metadiscourse. While this isn’t a complete list, they are important concepts that will help you distinguish between your language in use (discourse) and your combination of “saying (writing)-doing-being-valuing-believing” that makes up your various Discourses.
I will be grading this essay (primarily) based off of overall organization, your thesis statement, and how you are able to contextualize ideas from the readings into your own understanding.
Prompt:
This essay asks you to evaluate and analyze your own Discourses and concepts of Discourse communities. Your essay should answer the following questions (Note: You do not have the answer them in order, but they should all be answered).
1. Write a description of your primary Discourse. Remember to discuss things like grammatical usage, common phrases, body language, tone of voice, formality of speech, and values as they relate to the Discourse. Afterward, discuss (in a similar manner) a secondary Discourse you have.
2. How is your identity and language use related? (this is where you would reference the key terms and topics referenced earlier). Provide at least one specific example and connect it to the overall concept of the essay.
4. Is learning about Discourses and code switching important or relevant today? Outside of this class, where else can you apply the knowledge you gained from these readings?
DIRECTIONS: Upload a word document of your rough draft for your first paper. You will get full credit for submitting the minimum required pages (4 full pages). One point will be deducted from the total score every 24 hour block that the assignment is submitted late per the late assignment policy. This is a draft, so I’m not expecting perfection, complete organization, or even a solid working thesis. However, what I am expecting is coherency of ideas – I should see effort in your paper’s progress and what your paper’s premise is. Outlines, bullet points, or other forms of shorthand do not count towards the concept of “full pages.” Additionally, any cover page, abstract, and references do not count toward the total pages requirement – for the rough draft you’re not required to submit those. However, if you want feedback for your APA formatting, it’s a good idea. You should adhere to APA 7th student edition formatting and be a typed paper, which includes the font as Times New Roman, size 12, and double-spaced throughout.
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