MLA / APA workshop in the Library Tuesday (Dec. 6) at 5:30pm

Dear students,

This workshop could help you with the Works Cited or References list and in-text citations for your research paper, if you are able to attend:

Subject: MLA/APA Tomorrow @ 5:30 p.m.

The Library is offering a drop-in workshop for students on both MLA/APA.  This session is designed to provide informal one-on-one assistance to students who are in the process of compiling their Works Cited lists. Students can drop in anytime during the two hour session.


Tuesday, December 6th   5:30-7:30 p.m.

WHERE:  Library Lab (E101-B)

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY!

Questions? Contact, Alexandra Rojas, arojas@lagcc.cuny.edu, x6020, or
Catherine Stern, castern@lagcc.cuny.edu, x 6021

Research Paper Topic and Sources - due Mon., Nov. 28

Please post your research paper topic and a list of sources you have already gathered for the paper.  You must have at least 3 sources (and more is better!)

**The final research paper is due Thursday, Dec. 8 (the last day of class).**

If you want feedback earlier on your paper, you must give me your draft on Thursday, Dec. 1.

TIPS FOR DOING RESEARCH AND WRITING YOUR RESEARCH PAPER:

As you decide on the topic you are interested in researching, I suggest that you read the chapter listed with the topic, to see if this is what you have in mind.  Each topic has a wide range of possibilities for you to focus in on for your own paper, but the chapter would give you a good idea about the overall topic.

I suggest that you then search for a few articles online using Google Scholar.  Through Google Scholar, you will find academic or journal articles, which have better, more scholarly information than most websites.

Google Scholar:
http://scholar.google.com/schhp?hl=en&tab=ws

You can also search for online resources and access other information (such as MLA and APA citation style guides) on the LaGuardia Library site:
http://library.laguardia.edu/home/

I hope to reply to your post about your topic choice on Monday and discuss any potential problems or questions you have.  I will need the draft by Thursday of next week, if you want feedback, so you may want to start writing it over the weekend!

Please use a good research paper format:

--An introduction to the general topic, and maybe stating why you are interested in exploring this particular topic

--A clear discussion of either (a) the findings from the 3 (or more) separate sources you read or (b) a discussion of the main ideas that were found throughout and across (in each of) the sources you read

--A good conclusion summarizing the main issues or areas that the research needs to go (questions still to answer) in the area you chose to look at

--Use citations (author and page number) for the information you use in the paper, whether you paraphrase or quote from them, and have a "Works Sited" or "References" list at the end of the paper with each source.  MLA or APA format is OK.

MLA Citation Style:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

APA Citation Style:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Have fun with this!  Research a topic you find interesting, and think of it as exploring something you really want to know (like searching for information on your favorite actor or your favorite artist online).

ELL101 – Introduction to Language

Research Paper

In the research paper you write for this class, you will consider the relationship between the individual and language usage. 

Consider the following:

What aspects of language are shared by a society as a whole?

What individual differences do we as language speakers have?

To arrive at these questions, you will need to focus on and research one particular individual language aspect, such as

·       socio-cultural identity (e.g., gender or cultural influence) (Ch. 20),

·       regional variation (Ch. 18),

·       first language (Ch. 13) and second language acquisition (Ch. 14),

·       social variation (e.g., a community of practice/speech community) (Ch. 19),

·       or biological factors such as brain injuries and language ability (Ch. 12) or hearing impairment and languages like American Sign Language (Ch. 15)

You may write your paper alone or with a partner.

You must submit your topic idea and a list of 3 sources after Thanksgiving, on Monday, Nov. 28.

The final paper will be due on Thursday, Dec. 8.  No late papers accepted.  If you want early feedback on your paper, please submit a draft by Thursday, Dec. 1.

Links to Pragmatics / Speech Acts Videos

For your interest, here are the two videos we viewed last week in class regarding speech acts and another one we didn't have time for.

Video on Speech Acts by Ben Loka
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Yy3neW-FzA

Video on Speech Acts with Joel Kimmel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfXGJ4mFXj0&feature=related

Video on the Pragmatics of "Hello"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aeCxWyNAQQ

Mid-Semester Course Survey - please take a few minutes to complete this survey and let me know how you think the class is going!

Dear Students,

As an educator, I want to always look for ways to make classes better and serve my students in the best ways possible!

Please go to the following link to take the anonymous Mid-Semester Course Survey to let me know how you think the class is going and what improvements you would like to see in the class.

Fall 2011 Mid-Semester Feedback for Professor Johnson:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5PTD8B6

Sincerely,
Dr. Johnson

Extra Credit BP - Syntax Tasks

Dear students,

For extra credit, you can post an "Extra Credit - Syntax" blog post.  To complete the assignment, please make trees for the following sentences.  You may write them down and then take photos of your work and upload the photos, or you can use "Word Art" in MS Word to create trees, or other drawing software, and then save the documents as images (JPEG or GIF files) which you can then insert into your blog as an image.

Assignment
Please make syntax trees (like SoL Chapter 8) for the following sentences:

1.  She told me that he had heard that we were on vacation in Vermont.
2.  Chris assumed that I had told you that we were going to the beach next weekend.
3.  The family's twin daughters were born on November 3rd, 2008, in New York City at Columbia Presbyterian hospital.

**This extra credit assignment is due by next Thursday, Nov. 3**

Drop course deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 25

I want to remind you of the course drop deadline coming up next week on Tuesday, Oct. 25.  You must drop a course before that date.

To remind you, the grading in this course is:


Exams & Quizzes: 50%
Blog Posts: 20%
Final Research Paper: 20%
Participation: 10%

Assignments and upcoming Quiz 5 and Exam 2

Dear students,

I have posted the Power Point lecture slides from Chapter 7 (grammar) on Bb and also a document explaining what the extra credit assignment is.  Remember, the extra credit write-ups are due on Monday (Oct. 24).

Don't forget to complete BP#5 if you haven't already, and if you missed Quiz 4, it is also on Bb and you can bring me your answers on Monday for partial credit.

Also don't forget that there will be a Quiz on Ch. 7-8 on Monday and Exam 2 (Chapters 5-8) on Thursday.

-Professor Johnson