Year Mark: 20% Tool: Discussions Forum: Assignment 01: Whenever We Use Language, We Reflect Who We Are

This document provides instructions for submitting Assignment 01 using the online Discussion Forum. Students are asked to discuss their linguistic identity and how language reflects who they are. They must also read an article about a family who adopted children of a different race and culture, and discuss topics like cultural learning, the importance of birth culture, and whether adopted children should learn the culture and language of their birth parents. Students will then review and comment on at least 8 of their peers' submissions. The assignment is marked out of 100% based on thoroughness in various discussion topics and providing thoughtful comments to others.

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Year Mark: 20% Tool: Discussions Forum: Assignment 01: Whenever We Use Language, We Reflect Who We Are

Uploaded by

Theo Moloto

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Instructions: Use the online Discussion Forum to submit this assignment.

Assignment 01: Whenever we use language, we reflect who we are.

Year Mark: 20%

Tool: Discussions Forum

Check your assessment plan document found in the Additional Resources for Unit 0. You will
find a separate document for Semester 1 and a separate document for Semester 2 which has
suggested start dates and due dates for each assignment. Ensure you look at the document
for the correct semester.

How do you upload this assignment?

Go to the Discussions tool, by clicking on the tool in the left-hand panel of this webpage. Look
under “Assignment 01” and Click to open the Discussion Forum. Click again under the topic
“Assignment 01”. Do not under any circumstances create your own topic.

You will see a message from Dr Nene with instructions to go to the topic, “Assignment 01”, click
“Reply” below J Nene and type your assignment in the message box. When you are finished
typing your assignment, scroll down and click “Publish”.

To comment on other student’s posts, go to that specific post, press “Reply” and type your
comment in the message box. Then click “Publish”. Remember to address the person to whom
you are commenting.

Do not copy any text or even one sentence from another student’s assignment, from the
internet or from any other source. It is called plagiarism and you will be penalised with a
0% mark for that assignment and face a disciplinary hearing from the university. All
statements that are not your own should be correctly referenced.

Ensure that you submit the correct assignment as you will not be given an opportunity to resubmit.

Assignment 01: Discussion Forum

Task 1: Language as a Process

Task Total: 60%

“Human beings are linked to each other and the world they share through language, the symbols
used to represent and describe things and events. Distinctions and descriptions in language
generate the phenomena that we observe, and this should alert us to the incredible power inherent
in the human ability to use language. Language may be used to create contexts of creativity,
reconciliation, destruction, mutual confirmation, war and so on.” (Maturana & Varela, 1987, p.
248)

Introduction:

Discuss your linguistic identity in terms of your linguistic environment with reference to: “Whenever
we use language, we reflect who we are”.

Body:

Read the article (Study Unit 1) from The Times (Feb 16, 2008) of Julie and Roger Greaves’ who
adopted two children of a different skin colour and cultural background.

For little Kayleigh Greaves, race, skin colour and cultural differences are insignificant in her life.
All she knows is that “we have a really good family” (Suthentira Govender, Feb 16, 2008, The
Times).

The article mentions that culture is learnt.

1.1 Based on what you have read in the Study Unit or books or journal articles or various
internet sources or from a discussion you have conducted with someone, what is your
understanding of culture? If you use outside sources, make use of the APA7 Referencing
techniques you have been provided with.

1.2 Do you think it is important for a person like Kayleigh who has been raised in a different
culture, to know her birth culture and traditions – elaborate with examples.

1.3 Do you believe children that who have been adopted into a different culture should be
exposed to and learn the culture and languages of their birth parents? You need to give a detailed
explanation and substantiate why you hold to this view.

1.4 When a person has been adopted into another culture does their idiolect reflect their birth
culture and language identity or does their ecolect reflect their current community.

Conclusion:

In your conclusion, discuss how not knowing or speaking the language of the community or your
own environment has disadvantaged you. Elaborate.

Feel free to watch the following YouTube video to assist you with referencing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8914hv18xnU

Samuel Forlenza, PhD. (2020, January 21). APA Style 7th Edition: In-Text Citations, Quotations,
and Plagiarism [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8914hv18xnU

Task 2
Task Total: 40%

Only when several students, including yourself, have completed Task 1 should you begin
with Task 2. Based on the above, read the assignments of your peers and choose at least 8
assignments to write comments on. Your comments should be thought provoking, promote
critical thinking which encourages leading questions, while being uplifting. Comments should
display an understanding of what you have read. Each professionally written and relevant
comment has a mark allocation of 5%. The comments to other students should not be an
assessment of the quality of their work. Each comment should be a paragraph of at least 100
words or more, commenting on each section of the discussion. Anything less than the
stipulated word count will negatively affect your marks. Remember to address the person to
whom you are replying. (40%)

Task 1: Language as a Process – Task Total 60%

Introduction
Discuss your linguistic identity in terms of your linguistic environment with reference
10%
to: “Whenever we use language, we reflect who we are”.
Body

What is your understanding of culture? 10%

Do you think it is important for a person like Kayleigh who has been raised in a
5%
different culture, to know her birth culture and traditions – elaborate with examples.
Do you believe children that who have been adopted into a different culture
should be exposed to and learn the culture and languages of their birth 15%
parents?
When a person has been adopted into another culture does their idiolect reflect their
birth culture and language identity or does their ecolect reflect their current 10%
community.
Conclusion
In your conclusion, discuss how not knowing or speaking the language of the
10%
community or your own environment has disadvantaged you. Elaborate.
Task 2: Comment Section 40%

8 Comments X 5%