Think about your own language usage for a day or two. use the questions below to analyze your use of english.
in what ways is your natural language different from standard english? (material in the lesson "learning a standard" will you to distinguish these two types.)
did you grow up in the united states? in what region? in a city, a small town, or the country?
in what ways is your accent different from other regions or from standard english?
what about vocabulary? think of specific words or phrases that you use that would be considered nonstandard.
what aspects of your natural language make it a challenge to learn standard english? do you speak standard english at home? are you learning english as a second language?
use your findings to write an organized essay with at least four paragraphs, including an introduction and conclusion (150-250 words). you do not need to answer all of these questions, nor answer them in this order, but you should answer most of them.
your essay will be graded based on the following:
your attention to the instructions given above
use of evidence or explanation
use of proper punctuation, spelling, grammar, and sentence construction (commonly called "conventions")
proper paragraphing (either indent each paragraph five spaces or double-space between paragraphs)