A reminder: the top sections (Purpose, Requirements, Steps, and Rubric) will be the same for all of the "So What?" papers. The final section (Prompt) will always have the questions for this specific paper.

Purpose

These short "So What?" papers give you the opportunity to reflect critically on the material in the class and connect the concepts to the world around you. What is your understanding of the concepts? How would you explain to a friend why these ideas are important in your major, your career, or everyday life?

RequirementsLength

• PLEASE 300- 350 words (though if you have more to say, feel free to keep going!)

File Type

• Turnit in doesn't allow me to limit file types, but please submit only Word files or pdf files. (I can't view Pages docs, for example, and copypaste.txt files don't preserve your good formatting!)

Sources

• Incorporate and cite at least 2 sources from our Canvas modules, whether it be the readings, podcasts, videos, or PPT lectures. This may also include those given in the optional "Resources & Other Interesting Items" section.
  • What do I mean by "incorporate"? Take a look at the grading rubric below in the "Support" category. An exemplary paper won't simply drop in a quote from a source without including context and discussion. Instead, it will demonstrate critical understanding of the material by using ideas from sources in a significant way to support your ideas. That is, if you include a quote or a paraphrased idea, be sure to explain why you included it. Why is it important? What should the reader understand about it? etc.
• You don't need to add outside sources, but if you'd like to, make sure it is credible! Not sure? You can check with me! I am very happy to help you analyze credibility. There are also tips on our Writing Resources page in Canvas.

Format

• MLA or APA
  • This means overall format as well as citations! Double-spaced, header, name block, organized paragraphs, etc.
  • If you are using APA, you can include a title page if you want to, but can use an MLA-style name block instead if you prefer.
• You don't need to include a full Works Cited/References page unless you use a source that is not from our Canvas material.
  • If you do include a source that you find on your own, you must include a full citation on a Works Cited/References page.
• Once you decide whether to use MLA or APA, use it consistently! Do not mix different styles together in the same paper! Our Writing Resources page has help, or you can come to my office hour or make an appointment in the Writing Center.

What about AI?

• You may NOT use AI to brainstorm or draft this paper for you. I'm interested in your ideas and your Take a look at how I grade this assignment in the rubric to understand clearly what is most important for this assignment, and you'll see that the kind of help that AI can offer would only be about a C paper at best. You can do better!
• You may use it as a grammar check or for individual sentences if you want help with rewording for clarity. If you use it in this way, you must cite it! (How? Here's an MLA guideLinks to an external site. and here's an APA guideLinks to an external site..)

Steps

1. Look at the options below and choose the one that is most interesting to you.
2. Use the information and concepts from the course material, as well as your own ideas and analysis, to inform your answer.
3. As I mention above, a good approach is to put yourself in a scenario where a friend asks you what you've learned in class. You say, "Attitudes about language are not really about language!" And your friend says, "So what?" How would you respond? This means that your response may be formal if you prefer that style, or written in a more informal style, as though you were actually having this conversation with your friend.
4. Remember to give an in-text citation (either MLA or APA) when you refer to ideas from the readings or other sources. Even if you take an informal approach rather than writing in a formal style, you must still cite your sources. (IMPORTANT)

Grading Rubric (50 pts)

Be sure to look at the grading rubric at the very bottom of this page to know how I will be assessing this assignment!

Option 2: What can be done?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal for employers to discriminate against employees based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity), or national origin. However, as Martin (2018) mentions in her article in this week's readings, "Linguistic prejudice is one of the last widely socially acceptable ways to discriminate against certain racial or socio-economic groups, by using criticism of nonstandard dialects as a proxy for criticism of their speakers" [emphasis added].

Both articles this week mention steps that can be taken to begin addressing the issue of linguistic racism. What do you think? Are there steps you can take as an individual? That we can take as a campus community in CSUN? In California? The U.S.? Globally? Don't forget to refer to at least 2 sources from our class materials in your response!

CITE the quotes MLA style in the paragraphs.

2 Sources or more

https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/07/linguistic-prejudice-in-sorry-to-bother-you-is-a-real-world-problem.html

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210528-the-pervasive-problem-of-linguistic-racism

https://www.ted.com/talks/john_baugh_the_significance_of_linguistic_profiling?subtitle=en

https://humanities.uchicago.edu/articles/2020/07/op-ed-bias-against-african-american-english-speakers-pillar-systemic-racism

https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/linguistic-discrimination-still-lingers-many-classrooms