Unit 1: Language Narrative

Due October 4

In this unit, you’ll have a chance to discuss your experiences with language. We’ll look at the genre of Language Narratives to learn:

1. What it means to be a genre
2. How writers craft genres
3. What our own narratives reveal to us and to others

In this unit, you will write about a significant event or events that impacted how you view language and literacy. Think about the examples we’ve read in class: they talk about specific events in-depth, using concrete, significant details. Then, they explain why those events were important: not just to the writer, but to the reader.  

For example, what can your experiences with language tell your audience about the ways bilingualism is perceived in America? Or the ways we speak differently around different groups of people? You want your reader to come out of your narrative having learned something or thinking about things in a new way.

You may want to write about:

• An event when you noticed language (either your own or someone else’s) that was particularly formative
• An experience around speech or communication that led you to become the person you are today
• The first time you had a profound experience related to language

Whatever context you choose from, you should:

• Talk about how the event shaped your relationship to communication in general
• Talk about how your particular experience relates to some of the bigger social and cultural issues we discussed in class, such as race, Standard Written English (SWE), etc.;
• Reflect upon how your experience has enabled you to understand something specific about reading, writing, learning, or language AND how that understanding reflects on the communities/world you inhabit.

What you’ll be graded on:

• Your ability to develop an overall point/significance for your narrative.
• Concrete details: are you painting us a picture?
• Focused event(s): did you focus on one event or a connected, series of events?
• Language: have you incorporated sentence structure and vocabulary that allow you to express the complexity of your ideas in a clear, effective style? This style does not have to be Standard Written English (SWE) 
• The carefulness of your proofreading and organization: you should be able to explain the choices you made.
• Word count: At least 1000 words