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Communication Skills, 2004.
A discussion on the importance of having effective communication skills in business.
1,321 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at gender-based differences in effective business communication. The writer points out that, just as men and women have different characteristics in other areas, so too is this evident in how they communicate in the workplace, not only in the words they use, but how they express those words. The paper also looks at the difference between good and poor communication skills in general.
From the Paper
"Persuasive speech, especially, requires the ability to listen actively to opposing positions with a degree of intellectual flexibility that enables the speaker to synthesize a follow-up position capable of being integrated into an intellectually valid counterargument (Ehrlich, 1993). In this regard, anticipation of possible counterpoints is crucial to success, since the only alternative for the unprepared speaker is the choice between a potentially damaging off-the-cuff, spontaneous response and continuing with a scripted argument that has already been effectively challenged."
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Sociolinguistics, 2004.
A review of two articles on the spread of the English language and its historical and current uses.
3,128 words (approx. 12.5 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 91.95
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Abstract
This paper examines two articles, both purporting to deal with the issues of the globalization of English. It looks at how Alastair Pennycook, author of ?Images of the Self: Our Marvellous Tongue?, has a much more benevolent attitude toward the globalization of English than does Edwin Thumboo, whose scholarly article, ?Closed and Open Attitudes to Globalised English: notes on issues?, was published in 2003.
From the Paper
"Pennycook contends that the tremendous reach of English gave rise to an increase in the study of the language (1998). It seems a fatuous contention. Naturally, anything that is widely spread will be encountered by more people and likely studied by them. But he had a reason; he was leading up to his extensive, if sometimes rambling, discussion of the ways in which the culture of the English and the cultures their language encountered carried influence back and forth. Indeed, he goes to far as to posit that the studies of English that had become so prevalent were not engendered by the English themselves, but rather have their origins in the colonial context rather than in what is often assumed to be their provenance in Britain itself (1998 p. 131)."
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Tex-Mex, 2004.
An examination of the colloquial dialect known as 'Tex-Mex' in the southern United States.
1,621 words (approx. 6.5 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
An analysis of the article by Gloria Anzaldua, ?How to Tame a Wild Tongue?. It shows how this article explores the essence of Chicano culture in America through an analysis of language. The author speaks about gender, race, and identity as functions of language. It focuses on Tex-Mex, which is described as a language of rebellion, both against standard Spanish and standard English.
From the Paper
"The reason why using more than one language at a time can be so important for immigrants or children of immigrants is that it enables us to preserve our cultural heritage while at the same time fitting into the dominant culture. Anzald?a talks about assimilation as a negative act, but in many ways assimilation can be positive, as long as people make an effort to maintain some of their customs and their language. One of the reasons why Anzald?a is proud of Tex-Mex ?Spanglish? is because it reminds her of who she is. She remembers when she first discovered Chicano literature. ?When I saw poetry written in Tex-Mex for the first time, a feeling of pure joy flashed through me. I felt like we really existed as a people,? (29). The formation of Chicano culture happened largely through the use of language. ?Something momentous happened to the Chicano soul?we became aware of our reality and acquired a name and a language (Chicano Spanish) that reflected that reality,? (33)."
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"Mother Tongue", 2004.
An examination of Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue".
1,569 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the way that Amy Tan defines and identifies different language groups within the English and Chinese languages. It explains how a child born to Chinese-speaking parents and growing up in the United States develops a dialect of her own.
From the Paper
"A few of Amy Tan?s ?different Englishes? won?t be found in dictionaries. Their lexicons are unique, singular, individually tailored by Tan for each moment and each situation. They aren?t ?official? like Oxford English or Webster?s English, although she might speak those too. Amy?s Englishes are her Englishes. She created them, she owns them, and she alone employs them. Her mother tongue is one of them. Neither a dialect of Chinese nor of English, Tan?s mother tongue literally stems from her mom?s mouth. It is her mother?s means of communication in an English-speaking society. But Tan?s mother tongue is more than ?broken English.? In fact, Tan balks at that phrase: ?It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than ?broken,? as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, or lacked a certain wholeness and soundness,? (404)."
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Hip Hop Music and BEV, 2004.
A dissertation that addresses the evolution of speech patterns that have developed from black music during the past half-century, focusing on hip-hop music.
6,700 words (approx. 26.8 pages), 17 sources, APA, $ 152.95
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Abstract
The phenomenon of hip hop has spawned a new way of dressing, acting, and speaking adopted by black young people, as well as an increasing number of young whites, especially males. Hip hop and its music and speech patterns, known as hip hop or rap or gangsta rap, has moved out of the ghettos and into suburban, middle-class neighborhoods, especially among the young males in those neighborhoods. This paper questions whether it is a bona fide language type, such as Black English Vernacular (BEV), in and of itself, or whether it is a dialect of BEV. Also investigated are the vectors by which this speech might have crossed the color divide and why. Finally, how hip hop/rap/gangsta came to be and what it owes to previous black dialects, as well as to African and West Indian influences, are considered. What emerges is a constantly changing dialect that appeals to the same populations that generally cause language change, the lower classes, which start it, and the middle classes, which carry it upward.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Introduction: Statement of Problem
Review of the Literature and Research Questions
Language of the Black Diaspora
Other Cultural Factors
Black English Vernacular Dialects: Africans via the West Indies
Use of ?Downmarket? Speech among Britons, White and Black
Is Estuary English Equivalent to BEV Dialects?
Lowest Common Denominator?
Hip-hop Language and Women
Women as Primary Musicians/Speakers of BEV Dialects
Other Voices
Methodology and Results
Appendix
From the Paper
"Kopano argues, in essence, that in their defiant states, both bebop and rap (hip-hop) artists create a rhetoric that is creative in the verbal and nonverbal mode. Both obviously include, either by contribution or adoption, other lifestyle factors, such as clothing choices. And, by extension, the dialect of Black English each one has engendered is likewise dispersed throughout the Black community, and adopted, at least in some ways, by the White community, particularly by the White males who are arguably attracted to the inherent subversive/aggressive message contained in it."
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Teaching Reading, 2004.
Discusses the different processes of learning to read with first and second-language students.
2,751 words (approx. 11.0 pages), 11 sources, APA, $ 82.95
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Abstract
Reading is a critical component of second-language learning. Although the research on second-language reading has been going on for decades, the findings are not communicated to the ESL (English Second Language) teacher at the secondary level. ESL teachers are left on their own to understand how to teach ESL reading, to follow the swings of the pedagogical pendulum without understanding the principles, or to follow trends in primary-language reading without considering differences between primary and secondary reading practices. This dissertation examines the most recent research-based instructional and reading processes for both primary and secondary language students. The study examines the difference between primary language instructional theory and practice and second-language learner instructional theory and practice.
From the Paper
"Vocabulary development is also a vital part of the ?learning to read English? process. It is very important to understand that ESL students may not have life experiences that contribute to English vocabulary meanings. This makes it difficult for an ESL student when approaching an unknown word and trying to sound it out. The ESL student determines if the word makes sense based on his or her understanding of the word. If a student does not know the meaning of the word, there is no way to check if the word fits, or to make meaning from the sentence. Vocabulary development is also a primary determinant of reading comprehension. Readers cannot understand the content of what they are reading unless they understand the meaning of the majority of words in the text."
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Male and Female Non-Verbal Communication, 2004.
A discussion of the ways men and women interact with each other without using speech.
1,438 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how nonverbal communication differs between the genders. This paper focuses on examining three forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions, eye gazes, and the ability to "decode" the individual meanings behind these gestures. The paper also looks at how men and women use and interpret these gestures differently. The last part of this paper looks at the reasons behind the gender differences in nonverbal communication, focusing on the different socialization of men and women. In this part, the paper also makes recommendations regarding the implications of these gendered forms of nonverbal communication for daily interactions.
From the Paper
"In their seminal work on facial movements, Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen argued that there are six basic human emotions -- fear, surprise, anger, disgust, happiness, sadness and surprise. Furthermore, the researchers argued that these emotions are expressed through universal facial gestures, using the same facial-muscle movements. People from different parts of the world use the same facial expressions, regardless of culture. However, later studies found significant differences in the degrees of expressiveness in the faces of male and female subjects."
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Yiddish, 2004.
A study of the Yiddish language and its use today.
1,813 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 58.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the Yiddish language, which originated in Eastern Europe and was brought to the Western World towards the end of the 19th century. The writer includes a history of the language and shows which Yiddish words have become common used words in the English language today. Finally, the paper offers some data collected by a study at Columbia University about the dialect.
From the Paper
"The Yiddish dialect is commonly used in the American language. There are dozens of Yiddish words that have been assimilated into American slang speak. Yiddish has impacted American culture in a variety of ways. Yiddish culture, drama and writing influenced the American theatre scene and a large body of literary works through the early 1900s. It was in fact greatly popularized during this period of time, and many Yiddish playwrights and poets were well known and respected within the United States. However of late the press suggested that Yiddish is steadily declining within the United States, to the point of virtual extinction."
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Laughter and ESL, 2004.
A look at the use of humor in teaching English as a second language.
6,582 words (approx. 26.3 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 151.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how laughter can be an important tool for teaching and how one of the areas in which it can be especially helpful in teaching students is that of ESL, or English as a second language. It looks at how understanding humor requires an analysis of language on the level of syntax, grammar, and semantics, and unlike other exercises that require an equal amount of linguistic ?work?, in the case of humor there is a reward, ?getting? the joke. It also discusses how the complexity of humor that combines cultural, ethnic, national. and religious backgrounds can help the second-language learner to recognize that humor contains many hidden cultural meanings and, therefore, functions as a social unifier within groups.
From the Paper
"Puns can server as useful ?pedagogical tools for several functions. . . . enlarging vocabulary and in explaining the anomalies of English spelling, syntax and phonology? (Monnot, 1974, p. 71). Teaching bilingual students requires a great deal of flexibility on the part of the teacher. This is especially true if there are several different cultures and languages represented in any given classroom of the second language learners. Monnot (1974) recognizes that ESL classes usually require special emphasis on cultural background as well as the language being spoken."
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Cognitive Psychology Meets the Lexicon of Linguistics, 2004.
Explains the cognitive processes of understanding sentences with anaphoric references.
1,853 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the use of anaphors, an element of language that can only be understood contextually, in the English language. More specifically, an anaphor is defined as an element of speech that depends for its reference on the reference of another element. The paper looks at the syntactic constraints on anaphoric reference and how the use of anaphors can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Also discussed is the importance of sequencing in language and how anaphors refer to sequential aspects of language patterning.
From the Paper
"One could argue, of course, that either way, this is irrelevant, as the two ideas are interrelated?when boring people visit one?s home, life often feels quite boring, just as visiting boring people can itself be quite boring! However, to determine the precise semantic meaning in a sequential fashion, one must understand the context the speaker is speaking from. Is it that dear Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob are boring people, and the speaker finds these unwelcome visiting relatives to be unpleasant intruders in his or her happy home? Or is the speaker dreading suffering through a visit to these two individuals? home for a dreary Thanksgiving of dry talk and dry turkey?"
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