BA Language in Society 1LIN407, University of Westminster

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BA Language in Society [1LIN407]
Assignment 4: Final Essay
Tutor: Dr K U Ihemere

Module mark: 55%

Your assignment should be 2500 words in length
(10%).
Submission deadline: Tuesday, 1st May 2012
Electronic submissions to: turnitin uk via
Blackboard
Presentation: Double spaced word processed essay

Choose ONE (1) of the essay questions below:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

What is your overall reaction to Krausss

predictions; and under what conditions might
these predictions become a reality or otherwise?

Points to remember:
1) Include the following at the front of your
assignment:
i. Your university registration number
ii. Your full name
iii. The total number of words in the exercise
(excluding any appendices and references)
2)
Ensure you provide a clear introduction
to your assignment, outlining what you intend to
discuss.

Making recourse to relevant literature critically

assess the reliability of using occupation as the
principal basis for assigning speakers to a particular
3)
Make sure you supply complete reference
socioeconomic class?
details
for
any ideas you use that are not your
Give detailed descriptions of the real time construct,
own.
detailing its advantages and limitations. In addition,
outline how these limitations can be ameliorated.
In general, please try and avoid internet-based articles
Drawing on appropriate literature discuss the
(unless they are from electronic journals such as those
mechanics of how social networks and communities
listed in the course outline and Blackboard) unless you are
of practice might be implicated in language
using a website as a source of evidence or data, in which
variation.
case you may draw freely from it. Remember that authors
One of the consequences of language contact is the
and websites must be acknowledged and full reference
emergence of Pidgins and creoles. Outline their
details provided, as far as is possible.
major distinguishing features paying particular
attention to lexis, syntax and pronunciation.
4)
You will gain credit for the following:
To what extent do you believe it is possible for
i. the depth and clarity of your discussion;
groups of people to retain their ethnic identity when
and
(a) they are removed from their ethnic homeland
ii. making relevant use of reputable
and/or (b) they lose the use of their mother tongue?
published literature (from books and
Michael Krauss (1992: 7), of the Alaska Native
journals), whether as sources of factual
Language Centre, predicts that by the beginning of
information, ideas to support your
the next century the world will see the death or
arguments or as propositions for you to
doom of 90% of mankinds languages. Based on
refute.
these predictions, by the year 2100 the world will
have only about 650 of the present 6528 languages
(Grimes, 2000):
BEWARE OF PLAGIARISM!