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Assignment 2 Guidelines: Analysis of Cultural Meanings
This is a written assignment of approximately 1000 words, worth 20% of overall assessment. It is to be prepared in two stages:
(a) Email for approval of topic and data plans by Tuesday 3 April 2012
(b) Written assignment due Tuesday 24 April 2012 (about 1000 words)
The assignment consists of analysis and brief discussion of the cultural meanings conveyed in 1-3 keywords from a language of your choice (your mother tongue, or one in which you are fairly fluent), based on linguistic data including 10-20 examples of the use of the word/s in written and/or spoken sentences in the language, with evidence from relevant literature to support your analysis. (Keywords are culturally important words that are usually very hard to translate accurately.)
How to begin
First, you need to choose your keywords. It is best to focus on words from a language that you know fairly well, or have access to good information on. The word or words you choose should be words for ideas that you consider essential to a proper understanding of the culture associated with the language from which they come. There are numerous examples of words like this in the Core and Advanced Readings, particularly for Week 6. You can choose to focus on just one word, or up to 3, which should be related in meaning (to give an Australian English example, an assignment could focus on just one word, such as mate[ship], or on a group of 2-3 related words like mate, friend, partner).
Next, you will need to collect 10-20 (or more) examples of the word in written or spoken sentences in the language (with translations, if not in English). Make a note of the source of each example. (Examples and quotations do not count as part of the word count for the assignment, but should be listed in full as an Appendix, and discussed in your analysis.) The reason for collecting a variety of examples is so that you can see whether the things you say in your analysis apply to all examples of the word?s use, and to try to pin down the core of meaning that all the examples have in common. Collect examples from a variety of contemporary sources, preferably both spoken and written; not from dictionaries or historical sources.
The topic and plan (email by 3 April to Jean.Harkins@newcastle.edu.au)
When you have collected a few examples, you will have a sense of direction for your assignment. Write a brief email (a few sentences should be enough) outlining what you intend to do, including the words you propose to analyse, and a general idea of what sources you plan to collect examples from. I will email back with approval of your topic, and any suggestions that may help you.
The written assignment (due 24 April)
The main focus of the written assignment should be on fully and accurately stating the meanings that are included in the word(s) you are analysing. The aim is to express these meanings as clearly as possible in non-ethnocentric and non-technical terms, and to show how your analysis is supported by your examples and other relevant evidence. You may use NSM, or plain English, for this purpose.
A minimum of three (3) academic references (in addition to the sources of your examples) is required, with a preference for recent articles from academic/professional journals or other professional sources; but older ?classic? sources may also be appropriate. You are expected to make use of library and journal database resources to locate appropriate items from the literature on your topic. For assistance, see:
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library/findinfo/index.html
The preliminary outline and final assignment should be fully and accurately referenced, using the Harvard, APA or other standard referencing system (depending on what you use in your major area of study). Please note that examples, quotations, and references are not counted for word-count purposes; the full written Assignment 2 submission should contain at least 1000 of your own words, in addition to appropriate excerpts from sources. The word limit is somewhat flexible, but you can keep it brief by using point form and/or semantic formulae when discussing the meanings of the words.
Submission Guidelines
Assignment 2 should be submitted electronically via the Assignments section of the course Blackboard site on or before the due date, and in hard copy (on-campus students only) in class the following Wednesday. For distance (WebLearn) students, no hard copy is required. Please do not submit CCC assignments to the Hub or GradSchool. The format can be more report-like or more essay-like, depending on the kind of writing you do in your main area of study. The journal articles in the Core and Recommended readings are good role models for clear and effective presentation of examples and discussion of meanings.
Please see next page for more advice and guidelines.
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Advice on sources and assignment writing
A minimum of three relevant academic sources should be cited in the assignment. You may also use non-academic sources if they provide relevant examples or discussion of your keywords, but at least three must be academic sources. These should be journal articles from relevant periodicals from linguistics or other relevant disciplines (such as anthropology, sociology, or other professional areas), or similar books. All sources should be used effectively to support your original discussion or approach to the topic. Sources should be fully and accurately cited and referenced, as indicated above. The sources of your examples should also be clearly indicated. For more information about referencing styles, please see: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library/guides/referencing.html
In the assignment, you should take a specifically linguistic approach, focussing on matters of language and how it is used, and using linguistic evidence (in the form of words or phrases) for the points you make. This refers to evidence about and from language; it is not necessary to have prior knowledge of linguistic analysis or terminology in this course. You are expected to make careful selection of information and evidence from your sources, as support for an original analysis that you construct and present in your assignment. Quotations and paraphrase should be used sparingly in such a short assignment, but it is useful to present examples from the language material that you are examining. Page numbers should be included in the in-text references (e.g. Smith 2008, p.23) for all quotations and specific points from the sources. All sources mentioned in the text must be fully referenced in the references list at the end, and every item in the list should be mentioned in the text. For more information about accurate and effective use of sources, please see: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/library/tutorials/infoskills/index.html
As you develop your analysis of each word, please talk to people about it as much as you can, inside and outside of class, including the Blackboard discussion forum if that works for you. Your analysis of meanings will be improved if you try explaining your words to someone from another cultural background. This will help you refine your understanding of the meaning, and you?ll also get some good practice communicating about meanings with people from your own cultural group and others.
Please be aware that plagiarism is an extremely serious offence and should be carefully avoided (please note that deliberate plagiarism can attract a FAIL). For the University of Newcastle policies on plagiarism, and for guidelines on how to avoid plagiarism, please see the Course Outline and Additional Information. However, if you develop your own analysis according to the guidelines above, you?re extremely unlikely to have plagiarism problems. It?s all about doing your own original thinking and learning.
You are encouraged to contact the Learning Development service well in advance if you are likely to need additional support or assistance with writing your analysis.
Assessment Criteria
The following assessment criteria will be applied (out of 20 points):
? thorough and competent treatment of the subject-matter (max 7)
? sound selection and interpretation of the sources used (max 7)
? balanced and well-argued approach to the topic (max 4)
? effective written presentation (max 2)
– clarity and precision of expression (3)
– sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctuation (1)
– referencing (2)
– presentation (1)
Total: 20
See the Course Outline and Additional Information for general assessment criteria in the School of Humanities and Social Science. Out of 20 points, the scale is applied as follows:
17+ High Distinction
15-16 Distinction
13-14 Credit
10-12 Pass
0-9 Fail
Please contact the Course Coordinator if any aspect of the assessment requirements is not clear to you.
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