i need help writing essay

WOODBURY UNIVERSITY WRIT 100 Bridge to Academic Writing Prof. Laurel DiGangi [email protected] (best way to contact) Formal Essay #3– Cross-Cultural Communication Combining your own ideas with those from an outside source. PLEASE SEE SYLLABUS FOR DUE DATES MINIMUM of FOUR full double-spaced typed pages (not 3-1/2, 3-3/4, etc.). The fourth page must be a full page. Your APA formatted cover page is not included in the page count (so it would be a fifth page). Short papers will be downgraded. Learning objectives:

• How to summarize and paraphrase another writer’s work. • How to synthesize multiple sources to support a thesis • How to integrate concrete, supporting details • How to successfully combine first and third person writing. • How to clearly differentiate between an author's ideas and your own. • How to use transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and ideas • How to properly integrate quotes.

Readings: To write this formal essay, you must first read the following: “Sex, Lies, and Conversation” by Deborah Tannen “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, and “Lost in Translation” by Lera Boriditsky. Depending upon the prompt, you must paraphrase and quote either Tannen, Tan, or Boriditsky in your essay.

Your assignment You will choose one of the following prompts (also called “research questions”) below: 1. For this prompt, you will need a thorough understanding of “Sex, Lies, and Conversation,” by Deborah Tannen. Your main research question is this: How does gender affect communication styles and what Tannen calls “cross-cultural communication”? You may write about your own experiences, and/or interview others. Here are some related questions to consider: Do you notice differences between the conversational styles of men and women (within your family, circle of friends, etc.)? How would you compare your observations with those of Tannen? Do you agree with her analysis (the reasons for these differences)? How do you think these differences—if they exist—vary between cultures or different age groups? Do some differences (or analyses) seem valid while others do not? Do you have your own interpretations for these differences? Do men and women need to communicate better? Why or why not?

2. For this prompt, you will need a thorough understanding of “Mother Tongue,” by Amy Tan. Your main research question is this: When people are bilingual, but have limited communication abilities in their second, non-native language, how does this affect cross-cultural communication and perception? You may write about your own experience of being bilingual, and/or interview others. Here are some related questions to consider: Do you (or your interviewee) use different "Englishes" (or other languages) in your day-to-day life, as a student, employee, friend, or family member? Have you ever been judged by your use of language (English or another language)? Do you know of anyone who may have had problems similar to Amy Tan's mother because of his or her limited use of English? Have you ever been embarrassed by another person's inability to "fit in"? Is there a need for better communication among people with different skill levels in a nation’s primary language, and how can this be achieved? (See back)

3. For this prompt, you will need a thorough understanding of “Lost in Translation” by Lera Boridisky. Your main research question is this: When people are bilingual, how does their “first” language affect the way they think compared to native speakers of that language, and how does this affect cross-cultural communication? You may write about your own experience of being bilingual, and/or interview others. Here are some related questions to consider: Do you (or your interviewee) think identically or differently in both languages? What is different? What is the same? What prevents ideas from being accurately translated; in other words, what is “lost in translation”? How does this affect communication between different cultures? Will a greater understanding of how language affects thought processes lead to a better communication between specific cultures? Your essay should be 8 - 11 paragraphs in length and contain an introduction, a thesis statement, a well- developed of body of supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Your imagined “audience” will include students both inside and outside this class, as well as instructors. You must write your essay in such a way that people unfamiliar with Tannen’s, Tan’s, or Boriditsky’s writing will understand both their ideas and your own. You must paraphrase and quote either Tannen, Tan, or Boriditsky in your essay. You should include your own personal experiences OR the experiences of others. You should change the names of the other students you interview to ensure their privacy. You should have between 3 to 7 quotes in your essay; no quote can be longer than three lines. These quotes can be from the writer (Tannen, Tan, or Boriditsky) or other Woodbury students. Your essay should use APA formatting, but you do not need APA citations. Purpose: This essay is basically a persuasive essay, in that you will be persuading your audience to believe your point-of-view. Your paragraphs may use patterns of definition (you will need to define certain terms and ideas), examples (your own, the writer’s, and your friends), cause and effect (you will be proving how certain situations and events can lead to miscommunication), and compare/contrast (you will be comparing and/or contrasting a writer’s views with your own). You will not have to use all these patterns, only the ones that help you support your thesis. YOU MUST TURN IN YOUR FINAL DRAFT TO TURNITIN.COM. See your syllabus for class ID and password. This essay assignment is worth a total of 225 points Prewrite 15 pts. maximum (graded on adherence to prewrite requirements, including length,

sincere effort; minor grammar errors that don’t impede comprehension are acceptable; major grammar errors that impede understanding are not.

In-class peer review 10 pts. maximum (student must be in class with 3 copies; must have total required pages to earn full points. Final Essay 200 pts. maximum ) graded on syllabus rubric) Total 225 pts. EXTRA CREDIT! Writing Center visit 5 pts. (make sure tutor sends report to [email protected])