Language and Culture Assignment 2001

 

For this year’s version of the Language and Culture module, I have devised the following assignment.  In devising it I have had the following aims in mind:

 

1)      Skills

The assignment should aid you to develop a further practical writing skill that you may or may not have an opportunity to acquire elsewhere, but which is useful as a so-called ‘transferrable skill’ – to wit, writing for the Internet.

2)      Topics

The assignment should help you develop that skill in relation to a particular topic which you are studying on this module and which you will be examined on in January, in the usual way - for example, the rise of English as a global language.

 

Your task is a follows: it comprises 2 elements: ‘execution’ and ‘reflection’.

 

1)      Execution

Design and write a set of web pages, connected by hyperlinks, on one of the following subjects:

 

i)        English as a global language

ii)      The replacement of written language forms by visual representations and images in public contexts

iii)    The nature of ‘call centres’ and the particular type of discourse which they produce.

iv)     The concepts used for making sense of the language used in multilingual workplaces, e.g., ‘crossing’, ‘codeswitching’.

 

(I have deliberately left these topics vague so that you can exercise your own judgement in deciding what aspects of the topic you want to pursue.  However, if this seems too vague, I am willing to provide more detailed guidance upon request).

 

2)      Reflection

Write two pages assessing your work, considering the similarities and differences between writing for the Net and writing in traditional essay style.

 

To do this assignment successfully you will need:

 

(a)     to understand the concepts of ‘hypertext’, ‘hyperlinks’, etc. – we shall be discussing these during that part of the module concerned with English in cyberspace, weeks 4/5.

(b)     to be able to use a software programme to construct Net pages. (Microsoft Word is adequate for the purpose: just remember to save your work in html format not Word format.  The files should have .htm extensions rather than .doc extensions.  See me if you have any problems with the practicalities of this).

(c)     To appreciate the critical arguments about the strengths and weaknesses of hypertext over more traditional forms of composition AND to be able to apply these arguments to your own work.

(d)     To address one of the other topics on the module (global English; visual English; English and market forces; language in multicultural societies).

 

In marking this assignment, marks will be assigned as follows:

 

1.       The skill performance

Your mark here will depend on how well have you mastered the technique of writing for the Net.  This element of the assessment will be worth 30 per cent of the assignment mark.

 

a.      Technical competence

Is the ‘writing’ technically competent, as hypertext, i.e., do your hyperlinks actually work, can readers distinguish hyperlinks from ordinary text, etc.  If you are using the software appropriately, you should not have any problem with this. (10 per cent).  If you think you need a lesson in how to use the software before you can tackle this exercise, I will provide personal tuition in week 7: see below for some on-line references for further information.

 

b.      Sense and Suitability

Does the writing arrange the related pages in a way that is suitable for the subject matter (10 per cent).

 

c.      Visual appearance

What thought have you given to the visual appearance of your material and how does this contribute to the reader’s understanding and appreciation of what you are trying to get across (10 per cent).  (Remember that I won’t be impressed by all-singing, all-dancing graphics unless they contribute in a serious way to the exposition/argument of your account)

 

2.       The critical assessment

Your mark for thie element will depend on how intelligent your account is of the advantages and disadvantages of writing in this way, and how clearly you connect that account with your own efforts at doing so (30 per cent)

 

3.      Topical knowledge

Your mark under this heading will be assessed in relation to your understanding of the topic you are writing about (Global English, etc.) It will be assessed by the usual criteria: how well-informed are you; how much supplementary reading of Web sources, books and  articles have you done,  how well do you understand what you have read, and so on) (40 per cent).

 

Submission

 

The provisional deadline for this assignment is Wednesday, November 28th.  You will need to provide the following:

 

1)       2 printed copies of the assignment (both parts)

2)       A ‘top sheet’, different from the standard School topsheet and which relates specifically to this module (I will provide these to everyone registered on the module)

3)       A floppy disk containing all the files which comprise your assignment, so that I can check the hyperlinks and also see your work in the form it was designed for.  Alternatively, I will accept electronic copies of your work as email attachments, to kay100@liv.ac.uk.

 

If any of you wish to make your work public on the Web, in your own name, I believe there are facilities to do so for anyone registered on the new Windows 2000 service.  Most of you are not registered on this service but on the MNTS service: ask at the Computer Helpdesk about procdures for transferring.

 

References

 

http://www.liv.ac.uk/Documentation/wwwguide.html.

http://www.liv.ac.uk/Documentation/HTML-primer.html

http://www.w3.org/Provider/Style/Overview.html

 

There are many, many more guides out there in Cyberspace which you can no doubt find with a bit of intelligent surfing but the three mentioned here are satisfactory for the purposes of this module. 

 

Kay Richardson

September 3rd 2001.