Linguistics (Language in the World)

9/16/22, 11:26 PM The Step 1 Assignment - LING150A1 Fall 2022

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/1163491/viewContent/12955404/View 1/4

Resources:

Note:

This step invites you to think about how you would like your language to work.  What problems might

it solve?  What characteristics do you want it to have?  You'll create the a set of ten words that you

can use to start things out.

Continue to use our class styleguide.  For this step you will also need the

Swadesh List and the of�cial Interactive IPA Chart.  

To be eligible for a grade, your work must be submitted as a pdf �le to the

correct assignment folder  We do not accept assignments by email.  If you

experience a technical dif�culty with your upload, contact the 24/7 IT

Support Desk and document that contact.  Then notify Amy

([email protected])

The Assignment

Revise your Step 0 as needed based on the assessment you received and your own ideas and

preferences, then list the things you changed and your rationale in your change log.

Delete the random paragraph of text from Step 0, page 3.  Replace it with these two new

sections of your Language Project:  the Introduction and the Core Vocabulary. Each of these

sections should be introduced with a section header.  Your three-column table will end up in

your Core Vocabulary section

In the introduction, write about your goals and rationale for your invented language.  What

problems would you like it to solve?  What do you want it to be like?  As you discuss your

thinking, integrate at least one of our supporting readings.  Use either a paraphrase or direct

quotation, and use our stylesheet to format your in-text citation and complete reference

citation.  Your introduction must be at least two paragraphs, but it may be longer if you wish.

In the core vocabulary, create and introduce at least ten words that you'll use in your

language.  Your words must be spelled phonetically, using the IPA.  At least 5 of your words

must have meanings taken from Claire Bowern's Swadesh List, and that list must be cited and

referenced.  Present your words in a three-column table, with the columns 'pronunciation',

'meaning', and 'note'.  Introduce the table with at least one short paragraph (double-spaced). 

Make sure the table itself is single-spaced.  After the table, write a brief summary or

conclusion paragraph (double-spaced).

Aim for a total of 1-2 pages of double-spaced text for these two sections.

Imagining a Rationale and Core Vocabulary

9/16/22, 11:26 PM The Step 1 Assignment - LING150A1 Fall 2022

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/1163491/viewContent/12955404/View 2/4

Note: 

Page 1: Title page (updated with the correct date, an accurate title, and an updated honor

footnote)

Page 2: Change Log

Pages 3-?:  The Introduction and Core Vocabulary sections of your paper.

Last Page:  References (includes at least your citation for the course reading you used in your

introduction and the complete citation for Bowern's Swadesh List).

Amy's Demos It took Amy a total of about one hour to complete this assignment - about 40 minutes of which are

captured in the videos below.

Video: Change Log (8:30)

Video: Introduction (12:27)

Video: First words (17:16)

PDF:  Amy's Example Step 1

NEVER COPY AND PASTE or QUOTE and never CLOSELY PARAPHRASE

from Amy's demos.  They are here as examples to provide you with

inspiration, but your work must be a product of your own invention.  If you

use any speci�c ideas from Amy's language project in your own, you should

cite this as Fountain, Amy. 2021.  Example language creation project.  Ms.

University of Arizona.

Grading Rubric Your work will be assessed according to this rubric, which is summarized in the table below:

advanced advanced- intermediate

intermediate beginner wrong track

revised content

revision is

comprehensive

and effective,

content shows

advanced

mastery of

relevant

concepts

30 points

revision is

comprehensive

and effective,

content shows

intermediate

mastery of

relevant

concepts

27 points

revision is

comprehensive

and effective,

content shows

beginning

mastery of

relevant

concepts

24 points

revision is not

comprehensive,

or is not

effective, or

neither

15 points

there is no

evidence of

revision

0 points

9/16/22, 11:26 PM The Step 1 Assignment - LING150A1 Fall 2022

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/1163491/viewContent/12955404/View 3/4

advanced advanced- intermediate

intermediate beginner wrong track

draft content

new sections

are complete

and content

demonstrates

good-faith

effort

25 points

new sections

are not quite

complete, but

content

demonstrates

good faith

effort

22 points

new sections

have

substantial

gaps, but

content

demonstrates

good-faith

effort

19 points

all or some new

sections exist, 

but they do not

show evidence

of good-faith

effort

12 points

all new

sections

are missing

0 points

referencing style

in-text

citations and

references are

complete and

fully consistent

with our

styleguide

10 points

in-text

citations and

references are

complete and

partially

consistent with

our styleguide

8 points

in-text

citations and

references are

complete but

use some other

style (APA,

MLA...)

6 points

referencing and

citation is

incomplete

(academic

integrity

violation?)

4 points

there is no

referencing

or citation

(academic

integrity

violation?)

0 points

presentation the paper fully

matches our

styleguide and

is beautifully

presented

10 points

the paper

mostly

matches our

styleguide but

has a few

formatting

inconsistencies

8 points

the paper

mostly

matches our

styleguide but

has lots of

formatting

inconsistencies

6 points

the paper does

not match our

styleguide, but

is legible

4 points

poor

formatting

renders the

paper

illegible

0 points

Revised content is assessed based your demonstrated mastery of course concepts, as well as your

effective use of both self-directed and (if applicable) instructor-directed revision.  For this reason,

assessment of your revised content crucially depends on your Change Log.  If you fail to note a

change in your log, you are unlikely to earn credit for it. 

Draft content is assessed based on the completeness of your submission (does it include all the

required sections and parts?  Does each section respond to the prompts in the assignment

description?) and evidence in your writing of good-faith effort to follow these instructions and to

really engage with our course content.  You can provide evidence of your good-faith effort by writing

9/16/22, 11:26 PM The Step 1 Assignment - LING150A1 Fall 2022

https://d2l.arizona.edu/d2l/le/content/1163491/viewContent/12955404/View 4/4

something that attempts to address every prompt, even if you think you might be doing it wrong. 

Getting things wrong and making 'mistakes' is a great way to learn, and we will reward excellent

mistakes with points!   You can also include comments in your writing to let us know you're

struggling.  Failure to address instructions and/or leaving sections blank is inconsistent with good-

faith effort.

Any non-zero score you earn is a successful one!

What if I missed the previous step? Students who were not able to submit the previous assignment for a grade should:

Complete that assignment on their own; then

Note in the Change Log that there is no instructor-directed revision because of the miss.

Contact Amy and your Section Instructor if you require additional support.

Preparing for the next Step

Assignments that earn 'advanced' or 'advanced-intermediate' assessments should be revised

for the next step under based on your own insights and goals. 

These levels of attainment are used when you have met the minimum requirements we've

provided.

This means that you should look for opportunities to improve your assignment based on your

own ideas and preferences, still in keeping with assignment rules. 

You may receive suggestions from your grader, and if you do, you must address them. 

Assessments in these categories, handled as suggested here, represent excellent progress to

a high course grade!

Assignments that earn 'intermediate' or 'beginner' assessments should be revised for the next

step under the guidance of the grader's comments, and with careful review of the instructions

given here. You are always encouraged to do self-directed revision as well!

These levels of attainment are used when your work is not fully compliant with the minimum

requirements we've provided.

You will receive suggestions from your grader, and you must address them.

Excellent strategies for addressing 'intermediate' or 'beginner' assessments include

discussing your work with peers, visiting instructors during of�ce hours or by appointment,

and reviewing assignment descriptions.

Assessments in these categories, handled as suggested here, represent excellent progress to

a high course grade!

The only way an assignment score can 'damage' your course grade is for you to ignore it or fail to

respond productively.  Any score can be problematic if you do not productively revise your work.