Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Language of Women in Korean and English

by sung-yun park

This article was very influenced by Lakoff.

Like English, Korean females are considered to speak more politely. Stereotypical female speech will use more -yo and less plain verb forms, very weak curses, more adverbs of degree, and a more varied intonation.

Sexuality as identity: Gay and lesbian language

by Cameron and Kulick

Research on the language of gays went through 4 stages:
  1. 1920s-1940s. seeing it as a pathology and the language emphasized its strangeness. (Also, at that time it was thought that gays actually desired sex with the opposite sex). Focus on vocabulary and gender inevrsion
  2. 1950s-1960s. Researchers drew a division between old-fashioned "princesses" and young gay brothers, idealizing white middle-class speech.
  3. 1970s-mid 1990s. Influenced by literature on ethnic speech varieties, group cohesion as a gay identity and unity.
  4. 1990s to present. Queer theory: looking at variety and diversity in gay identity. Identity is now the effect of semiotic forms, not its source.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Do women and men speak the

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/oct/01/gender.books

Deborah Cameron. Extracted from The Myth of Mars and Venus published, by Oxford University Press in hardback at £10.99. To order a copy for £9.99 with free UK p&p go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0875.

covers a lot of ground, like how manufacturing jobs have declined, service jobs have risen, and the myth that women are better at verbal skills means that employers will discriminate against men.

Says that "evolutionary biology" justifies modern discrimination by appealing to genetics.

The folk belief persists because it justifies prejudicial behavior.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Common Writing Problems: Focus, Organization, Development, Style, and Correctness

Ch 4 of What the Writing Tutor Needs to Know

My goal is to create a more thoughtful writer. Their goal is to make an A.

They need a clear thesis and to develop meaningful arguments. Short paragraphs are signs of a weak argument and undeveloped ideas.

Setting the Agenda for the Next 30 Minutes

by Macauley

The tutor and student should create a road map of what they want to accomplish. This is an agenda that the student can take with them should the tutor not be able to get to all the points in 50 minutes.

Tutoring in Unfamiliar Subjects

by Alexis Greiner

First ask what the assignment is. Then ask for the main points. Read it with a focus, paying attention to the situation--why is she writing it? Test out ideas: "I got this from this paragraph. Is that what you meant?" Ask thought-provoking questions and build on the client's response.

Working with ESL Writers

ch 9

NNS don't just come to get their grammar checked, they don't need more basics, you should work on higher-order concerns below later-level concerns, you should have a rulebook handy, and you can teach anything.