Assignment task: Write a brief linguistic autobiography in which you reflect on your language habits and behaviors.
Start by listing all the languages/varieties/dialects that you know and where/when you learned each one. Also, describe the contexts where you use each one.
Then comment on at least four of the following prompts, making sure to provide examples for each.
- What differences have you noticed between the way you use language and the way the adults in your family use language?
- Has anyone ever told you to speak/sign/write in a particular way, or not to speak/sign/write in a particular way? (In other words, have they corrected your grammar?) What effect did their correction have on you or on your language use?
- Where have you lived? If you've ever moved from one place to another, what differences did you notice between the two places in how people used language?
- In what ways do your gender identity and expression play a role in your language habits?
- In what ways do your ethnicity, culture, race, or religion play a role in your language habits?
- What specific language habits have you picked up from particular communities or affinity groups you belong to? These might be sports, jobs, fandoms, etc.
- What specific language habits have you picked up from media you consume? These might be shows, music, internet sites, books, etc.
- What other differences have you noticed between your language use and the language habits of people around you? What do you attribute these differences to?
Please ensure your answer to this question is no longer than one page.