Linquistics

LIN 100/ANT 115 Fall 2015 Professor Finn Final Paper Information: Length: 3-4 pages, typed and double-spaced (12 point Times New Roman font) Reference style: APA or MLA (include a References page) Percentage of grade: 20% Paper Options:

Option A: Language and Gender For this option, you are required to conduct a linguistic analysis and determine the ways in which gender is reflected in the language of either print advertisements or music. You can either analyze 3 - 5 print advertisements or two songs. Choose samples that will give you linguistic information about gender, and make sure to first discuss key words and/or phrases that are used and then write a detailed analysis. You must include information from one article to support your ideas. You can choose from the following two articles on Blackboard:

1) “Language and Gender: English and English Speakers,” by Nancy Bonvillain or

2) “Language and Gender,” by Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet

Your paper should include conclusions that you draw based on your linguistic samples. You must also include either the lyrics to the songs or copies of the print advertisements that you are analyzing.

Rubric: Choice of songs or advertisements: 20 points Identification of key terms: 20 points Analysis of key terms: 20 points Inclusion of outside article: 20 points Final conclusions: 10 points Organization and mechanics: 10 points

Option B: Language Preservation In this paper, you will discuss the issue of endangered languages, analyze the vitality of an endangered Native American language of your choice, and make predictions about the survival of the language. UNESCO uses a number of variables to measure the vitality of a language, including statistics like: the proportion of speakers within the total population and the absolute number of speakers, and also:

· intergenerational language transmission (do people of all ages use the language?)

· community members’ attitudes towards their own language

· shifts in domains of language use (i.e., for home use? school? work?)

· governmental and institutional language attitudes and policies, including official status and use

· type and quality of documentation (is there a written grammar for the language?)

· response to new domains and media (can you use the language with new technologies, like texting and the internet?)

· availability of materials for language education and literacy (are there books written in the language? newspapers? magazines?)

For this paper, you will first discuss the issue of endangered languages (using one of the two articles listed below to support your ideas). You will then choose one Native American language (see below) and provide background on the community that uses the language, including the proportion and absolute number of speakers (and any other information you find online). You will then need to analyze the language vitality using 3-5 additional factors from the list above. Finally, you will offer a prediction about whether you think the language is likely to survive. Choose one of the following Native American languages listed on the website:

http://ourmothertongues.org/home.aspx

And choose one of the following articles to reference:

1) “Endangered Native American Language: What Is to Be Done and Why?” by James Crawford

or

2) “Tribes Struggle to Keep Languages Alive” by Doug Abrahms

Rubric: Background on the issue of language extinction, including supporting source(s): 20 points Background on the Native American language of your choice: 20 points Analysis of language vitality: 30 points Final predictions: 20 points Organization and mechanics: 10 points