Term paper #2 (10% of your total grade)
The purpose of the term paper is to encourage you to apply key concepts relating language to macro societal issues by finding your own examples and analyze data.
Choose one of the following topics and write a 4-page paper.
- Linguistics Landscape
Collect three photographs of signs or posters in New York City or another city that you are familiar with. Analyze the language and the visual representations depicted in these signs. What does your analysis reveal about how signs reflect language and social ideologies?
2. Language and the Media
(a) Choose a current event or issue, and examine how it is reported differently in different newspapers or by different people on twitter. Analyze the differences in detail (e.g. passive voice/active voice, choice of verbs and adjectives, etc.), and what effects are achieved in each report. Explain the difference and connect your analysis with social and language ideologies.
(b) Follow Lippi-Green’s (1997) example, focus on one or two movies or TV series and analyze the characters’ language use (e.g., accent, dialect, speech style, etc.). Can you find any patterns? How is the representation of the characters and their use of language?
Read “What Does it Mean to Sound Black”, an article from the Atlantic to help you. (You can download it from OpenLab.)
Grading Criteria
Your term paper will be graded on the following:
- Clear understanding of the key concepts discussed in class and in readings
- Quality, quantity, and originality of examples
- Overall organization of your paper
- Quality of your writing (e.g. grammar, sentence structures, style, citation, etc.). Please be sure to cite your sources properly following either MLA or APA citation format.
Due day: Wed, Nov 21 Email your paper to hlo@citytech.cuny.edu. I will reply to your email to confirm that I have received your paper. The subject line should be “YOUR LAST NAME LNG1100 Term Paper #2” (e.g., Solanges LNG1100 Term Paper #2)
