Day 8
Thurs. Nov. 19
Share problems about language learning
Intro to course paper
Homework
➤ Begin the process of researching and writing your paper
For Tuesday, I would like you to begin the process of researching and writing your course paper.
Step 1: Commit to a topic
All the problems that you shared in class would make excellent topics for a paper. However, if for whatever reason you decide you are not interested in making the problem you shared the basis of your course paper, you are welcome to change your topic. If you do, the first thing you should do is message me and tell me what you want to write about instead. (If you're going to stick to the problem you already came up with, no need to message me.)
Step 2: Do some thinking and some research
Please complete the following list of small tasks. Each of these tasks is designed to help you generate ideas and material for your essay. Please write all these up on a single Word document and upload them to the folder in Box called "Research Notes."
Find one or two sources that demonstrate that the problem you're writing about is real. (These sources could be anything -- articles, interviews, web content, even movies, ads, etc. They could be ones we encountered in class, or not -- either is fine.) Link to these sources on your document, and provide a 1-2 sentence summary explaining how they show your problem is real.)
What are one or two ideas we've encountered in this class so far that have some connection to your problem? (Try to think of one even if there isn't an obvious connection. Making connections between seemingly unrelated ideas is a skill that will serve you well in your academic work!) Write down the idea(s) with a 1-2 sentence statement explaining how they connect to your problem.
What are 3-4 keywords or key phrases related to your problem? These could include the concepts above, but need not be limited to them.
Step 3: Look for some models
Browse the "Ideas" section of the online magazine Aeon and the opinion section of the magazine Sixth Tone and find at least two articles you find interesting that either describe problems, propose solutions to problems, or both. Link to these articles on your "Research notes" document and for each include a 2-3 sentence summary explaining what the article is about and what its main point seems to be.
Step 4: Write the beginning of your paper
Ideally the beginning of your paper should establish that the problem you're writing about is real, and give the reader a vivid impression of what it is. (By “real,” I mean: experienced or perceived by many other people, not just you.) Once you've received feedback from me on your short writing assignment (the one that describes the problem) write a couple paragraphs that you think could serve as the beginning of your essay.
Upload your beginning to the folder on Box called “Course Paper Beginnings.”
➤ Read the announcement about “Intersections”
Read the description of this online publication, which will be launched likely at the beginning of 2021. As you envision your essay, imagine it as a possible candidate for being published on Intersections. Think: If you were running this publication, what kind of articles would you want to publish? What would make a “good” article?
➤ Speakers for next class
Ruohan and Kaiyuan: (carried over from last class)
Catherine and Speaker 4: Share language-learning plans
