Assignment:
Linguistic/Cultural Memoir
This assignment has two parts. You will first write an essay that considers the questions about the history, culture, and language use of your family. Research documents and interview a family member to discuss the questions, as outlined below. Finally, write about your own cultural and linguistic experience. In the second part of the assignment, you will link your personal and family culture and linguistic development to the concepts we learn about during the semester.
Part 1:
• Researching your family's background, cultural and linguistic development
Research the history and place of origin of your family (e.g., Cuban, Black, AfroCuban, Native, Asian American), going back several generations. For most members of this group, what has been their experience with...
o Language
o Culture
o Privilege/oppression
o Migration patterns
o Education
- Did it happen?
- Miami? Elsewhere?
- Monolingual? Bilingual?
• Interview family member/s to document their past and present around their experiences with...
o Language
o Culture
o Privilege/oppression
o Migration patterns
o Educational experiences
- Did it happen?
- Miami? Elsewhere?
- Monolingual? Bilingual?
How does this family member's (or these family members') experiences compare with the typical history of this same group of people?
How do you fit into this group (or how do you not fit in)?
• Defining/describing your experience/history/identity as a language learner/user
Using your findings and comparisons from above, together with what you recognize to be your own experiences, respond to the following questions using narrative form.
o Who are you as a language user? Do you consider yourself to be monolingual? Bilingual? Multilingual? Why? Think about how we define these terms in this class, how we describe the ways that bi/multilinguals use language, and how you learned any languages that you use (think about the theories and perspectives).
o What are some defining language learning experiences in your life?
o What assumptions did you hold about your own language use? About the language use of others?
o How has your culture, ethnicity, and/or identity influenced the way that you use language?
Part 2:
• What did you learn about yourself, those around you, and your future students during this semester?
• How will what you learned this semester influence how you teach?