Tense errors in English among the English second language immigrant learners in America.

Audience Analysis Assignment

Topic: Tense errors in English among the English second language immigrant learners in America.

The publication of choice is The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper

To complete this assignment, you must first determine which publication you will write your Opinion Article toward.  This should be a local newspaper from your hometown.  It can be your daily newspaper or an alternative news publication that publishes opinion articles on current events.  Also, refer to your Realize it module for further insight into audience awareness.

Opinion Article Assignment Instructions

In this assignment, you will continue writing about your ongoing research topic, but you will modify it to meet the various formatting and style needs of a typical opinion article for a local publication.  This does not mean that you can just take a 2,000-word paper and cut off 1,000 words; instead, you must demonstrate that you have made careful choices to revise your more academic writing to fit another medium targeted toward a different audience.

1. Determine a local publication to which you will write your Opinion Article. This is likely to be your hometown daily newspaper; however, you may also have a local alternative newspaper that you could use as your target publication.

2. Determine the style, tone, level of formality, etc. that is typical for that publication. Do this by reviewing and reading articles from the publication with particular attention to the Opinion/Editorial or Letter to the Editor sections.

3. Determine the style, tone, level of formality, etc. that is typical for that publication. Do this by reviewing and reading articles from the publication with particular attention to the Opinion/Editorial or Letter to the Editor sections.

4. Write an Opinion Article of between 700 - 1000 words using the same topic you've been researching all quarter.

5. Use APA format- it is likely that the publication you choose will not use APA format; however, since learning APA is a key component of this class, we will continue to use it here. If you do decide to submit for publication, be sure to consult publication guidelines and use the reference style specified

Part I (2 paragraph minimum): In a Word document, name the publication choice and explain the target audience's demographics.  The following categories can help guide you as you define your audience.  Rather than listing these items in bullets, however, write two full paragraphs that define who your audience is.  You do not need to cover each bullet, and you are welcome to include other defining features.  The goal here is to explain who your readers are by showing what qualities or traits they hold.  What makes them unique?   

· Age

· Gender

· Income level

· Education level

· Political affiliation

· Beliefs

· Values

· Motivations

· Experiences

Part II (2 paragraph minimum): Now take your overall audience understanding and explain how you will use it to guide your writing choices for the Opinion Article.  Think about your specific topic (which you've been working with all quarter) and the new angle you plan to take for this article, and explain the audience's expectations and needs by answering the following questions:

· What do my readers know about the topic?  

· What are their current beliefs about the topic?

· What will they want to know?  What is their purpose in reading my article?

· How can I build their understanding of my topic in a compelling way?  (Think about writing strategies, use of support, etc.)

· What might my readers be skeptical about?  How will I handle this skepticism? 

· What choices can I make in terms of style, tone, and word choice to connect with my readers?

ASSIGNMENT REQUIREMENTS:

· Label the Word document with Part I and Part II and use paragraph formatting rather than bullet points.  The questions provided are intended to guide your responses.  Note paragraph length requirements above.

· Use 12-point Times New Roman font and double space.  A title page is not required.

· Document any researched information or direct quotes in APA style, both with in-text citations and a References page. Including research is not required; however, it is required to document the research in  APA style  if you choose to include it.

· Write in complete sentences with fully-developed paragraphs, paying attention to grammar, spelling, and punctuation.