Your task is to identify a ‘problem’ within the wide-open field of ‘language in use’ which will enable you to demonstrate how the English language has adapted to historical and social change, particularly in response to migration, technological developments and globalization. But, this is not simply an exercise in historical research: more importantly, you will need to show not simply how the English language changed, but also how it creates meaning, how it impacts the way that people understand their personal and social identity. The underlying assumption in this field is that language does not just reflect reality–it also creates it. We live our lives through language–thus it is imperative that we pay attention to the way that it is operating, often ‘secretly’, to shape our beliefs and perspectives. Thus, you will want to ask how can we “read against the grain” of certain speech-acts/texts in order to discover just what those constructions are and how they’ve been put together for us. What ideological or power relations are embedded in the text and supported by their use of language? What people, classes, or groups may be left out or “silenced” by those presuppositions? What can this particular use of language tell us about our culture?
It is up to you what angle you want to focus on, but you must try to keep the twin poles of language as ‘structural rules’ and language as ‘social interaction’ in mind. In other words, you must operate on both the ‘micro and macro’ levels as you draw upon concepts from semiotics and linguistics broadly.
Additionally, you must use at least one article from a scholarly journal (if you do not use Language, Society and Power, then you need to use at least two scholarly sources). (Note that “scholarly journals” means just that—please do not use articles from non-scholarly publications. You may use specific chapters from pertinent full length books, however.) Articles that you obtain from online databases of scholarly articles accessed via the library (such as Academic Search Premiere, One Search, MLA) are acceptable.
If you would like, you may approach this assignment as a ‘press release’–but of the New York Times quality and quantity (12+ pages), as you must include academic sources and plenty of facts and details about the specific lexemes, signs and/or texts which you gather and analyze to present your newsworthy story about a ‘problem’ that needs the public’s attention.
