Homework: Ecology of a Language/Dialect
Anthropology/Spring, 2020
Your homework is to research and report on the ecology of a language.
Topic Choice. You will choose to write on a particular language/dialect. Your choice must not be one of the more wide-spread "languages" such as Spanish, French, Russian, Latin, Greek, Chinese, etc. Instead, you must narrow your focus to a specific dialect or variety of one of these or some other language; or you may choose a lesser-known non-European language. For example, rather than "Spanish," you might choose Cuban Spanish, or Andean Spanish. Instead of "French," you might look at Quebec French, or West African French. You are also welcome to choose a dialect of English. This might be a regional dialect, such as New England, Southwestern, or Appalachian; or it might be a social dialect, such as Cajun, or Boston Brahmin.
You may, if you wish, report on a creole language. Some examples include: Sea Island Creole ("Gullah"); the West Indian Creole languages (Jamaican, Haitian, Belizean, Trinidadian, Papiamentu, etc.); South American creoles (Sranan Tongo, Saramakan, Ndjuka, etc.); Tok Pisin (Papua New Guinea); Krio (Sierra Leon); Kamtak (Cameroon); etc. It should be noted that African American (Ebonics), may be analyzed as either a dialect of American English, or as a creole language; if you choose this language variety, you must explain how you classify it, and why. You may chose an endangered language, or a language in a "post-vernacular phase.
Questions you will address. A successful paper will address questions relevant to the language variety under investigation and, where possible, suggest answers for the questions presented. Some questions that may be relevant are given below. Depending on the variety you choose, you may find that one or more of these questions are not relevant, and you may encounter other questions as you research your language variety. Addressing these questions should be the main focus of your paper. DO NOT come to me and complain that you can't find this information about the language your chose. Either you aren't looking hard enough, or you need to choose a different language. Here are the basic questions you should answer (Adapted from The Linguistic Reporter, Winter 1971, page 25):
o What is the name of the language variety (what do its speakers call it; what do non-speakers call it; what do linguists call it)?
o Who are its users, and how are they grouped by nation, geographical location, class, religion, or any other relevant grouping?
o What larger "language" does it belong to? What are the main closely related dialects?
o What other dialects are employed by its users?
o Is this dialect written? If so, how and in what contexts?
o Is its use restricted or limited in certain ways, for example religion or ritual, written literature, legal proceedings, folk tales, and so on?
o What issues of power and authority are relevant to this dialect?
o Is the dialect endangered? If so, what factors might be involved? If not, what might be contributing to its vitality?
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.