Part 1: Language in Cultural Context

Written Task Guidelines

The Goal
Demonstrate sound learning and understanding in Part 1 by exploring the topic of language and identity or language and
service in an appropriate text type of your choice.

Purpose of Part 1
To explore how language develops in specific cultural contexts, how it impacts the world, and how it shapes both individual and
group identity.

Part 1 Learning Outcomes

By studying language in cultural context, students are able to:
- analyze how audience and purpose affect the structure and content of texts
- analyze the impact of language changes
- demonstrate an awareness of how language and meaning are shaped by culture and context

Part 1 Topics
The written task must relate to a Part 1 topic that weve studied in class:
- language and identity
- language and service

Part 1 Texts
The written task must relate to a Part 1 text that weve studied in class:
Language and Identity texts: Language and Service texts:
- On Multi-Lingual Identity (Minfong Ho) - Who We Are webpage of San Francisco
- Mother Tongue (Amy Tan) SPCA website (SF SPCA)
- Singapore at 50: Learning how to speak Singlish (BBC World News) - What is Poverty? (Jo Goodwin Parker)
- Asian Words in Oxford English Dictionary (BBC News) - Save our Van Dyck! (Andrew Roberts)
- Introduction to The Stories of English (David Crystal) - Signature for Good (Montblanc)
- We should lift our declining English standards (Fung Keung)
- Franglais: Is the English language conquering France? (Agnes Poirier)

Written Task Examples

The written task must look and sound like the text type youre creating. Content is important, but so are layout, tone, and register.
The task must consist of 800-1,000 words.

On Multi-Lingual Identity (Minfong Ho)

- An op-ed written by Minfong Ho responding to Fung Keungs We should lift our declining English standards; published in
China Daily
- An op-ed written by Minfong Ho responding to Agnes Poiriers features article Franglais: Is the English language conquering
France?; published in BCC News Magazine
- An op-ed or features article written by Minfong Ho praising BBC World News endeavor to highlight and celebrate a societys
multi-lingual richness by producing the documentary short Singapore at 50: Learning how to speak Singlish; published in
BBC News Magazine
- A pair of personal letters one from Minfong Ho to Amy Tan in which Ho praises Tan for celebrating, not denigrating, her
mother tongue; the other is a response from Tan to Ho in which Tan praises Ho for raising awareness about the burdens of a
multi-lingual identity
- A pair of formal letters one from Minfong Ho to Dr. Guy imploring her to value VSA students Cantonese linguistic identity;
the other is a response from Dr. Guy defending VSAs decision to prioritze English and Putonghua over Cantonese.
- An interview with Minfong Ho that focuses on why she has written On Multi-Lingual Identity, including what she hopes to
achieve and who she hopes to help; published in an Asian American magazine like Hyphen or ALISTI
- A memoir called On Chinglish Identity written by a Hong Konger and modelled after Minfong Hos On Multi-Lingual
Identity
 Who We Are webpage of San Francisco SPCA website (SF SPCA)
- A blog post that outlines and discusses the SF SPCAs strategic use of stylistic features to create a Who We Are webpage
that successfully captures readers interest and support; published in the News Generation blog
- An essay called What is Euthanasia? written by the creator of the SF SPCAs Who We Are webpage and modelled after Jo
Goodwin Parkers What is Poverty?; published in the xxx section of the SF SPCAs website
- An interview with the creator of the SF SPCAs award-winning website that focuses on advice for building Internet texts that
successfully capture readers interest in and support for charities; published in the News Generation blog

Written Task Assessment Criteria

Criterion A: Rationale*
Does the rationale for the written task explain how the task is linked to the aspect of the course being investigated?
Marks Level Descriptor
* The word length for the rationale is 200
0 The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
to 300 words. If the word limit is exceeded,
1 The rationale shows some explanation and understanding of the aspects being investigated. one mark will be deducted.
2 The rationale shows clear explanation and understanding of the aspects being investigated.

Criterion B: Task and Content*

To what extent does the task show understanding of the topic(s) or text(s) to which it refers? How appropriate is the content to the task chosen? To what
extent does the task show understanding of the conventions of the text type chosen?
Marks Level Descriptor
0 The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-2 The task shows little understanding of the topic(s) or text(s) to which it refers.
The content is generally inappropriate to the task chosen.
The task shows little understanding of the conventions of the text type chosen.
3-4 The task shows some understanding of the topic(s) or text(s) to which it refers. * A formal essay is not an appropriate
The content is partially appropriate to the task chosen. text type for Written Task 1. Submission
The task shows some understanding of the conventions of the text type chosen. of a formal essay will limit the marks
5-6 The task shows an adequate understanding of the topic(s) or text(s) to which it refers. available for this criterion.
The content is generally appropriate to the task chosen.
The task shows an adequate understanding of the conventions of the text type chosen.
7-8 The task shows a good understanding of the topic(s) or text(s) to which it refers.
The content is consistently appropriate to the task chosen.
The task shows a good understanding of the conventions of the text type chosen.

Criterion C: Organization*
How well organized is the task? How coherent is the structure?
Marks Level Descriptor
0 The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1 Little organization and structure are apparent. * The word length for the written task is
2 Some organization is apparent. The task has some structure, although it is not sustained. 800 to 1,000 words. If the word limit is
3 The task is organized. The task has some structure, although it is not sustained. exceeded, two marks will be deducted.
4 The task is organized. The structure is generally coherent.
5 The task is well organized. The structure is coherent.

Criterion D: Language and Style*

How effective is the use of language and style? How appropriate to the task is the choice of register and style?
Marks Level Descriptor
0 The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1 There is little clarity, with many basic errors; little sense of register and style.
2 There is some clarity, though grammar, spelling, and sentence structure are often inaccurate;
some sense of register, style, and appropriate vocabulary.
3 The use of language and the style are generally clear and effective, though there are some * A student who writes an appropriate
inaccuracies in grammar, spelling, and sentence construction; generally appropriate in register, rationale but fails to achieve an
style, and vocabulary. appropriate register in the task cannot
4 The use of language and the style are clear and effective, with a good degree of accuracy; score more than three marks.
sentence construction and vocabulary are varied, showing a growing maturity of style; the
register is appropriate.
5 The use of language and the style are very clear and effective, with a very good degree of
accuracy; sentence construction and vocabulary are good; the style is confident and register
effective.
Sample Rationale (285 words)

This task is based on the topic of language and identity from Part 1: Language in Cultural Context. It is inspired by an extract from
Minfong Hos memoir, On Multi-Lingual Identity. In this text, Ho recounts the frustrations of juggling multiple languages as a child,
emphasizing how it fragmented her identity.

I will write a letter to Ho from the perspective of a native Cambodian who suffers from language and identity frustrations after
moving to England, where few people speak her mother tongue. The intended audience is Ho, and I will tell her how comforted I felt
while reading about her similar struggle and ultimate triumph in On Multi-Lingual Identity. I will share a few examples of the
linguistic schizophrenia that I suffer in my own life, and ask for advice in coping with these painful and frustrating situations.

Writing an informal letter allows me to talk to Ho in the absence of a real conversation. It also enables me to be personal in
discourse as demonstrated by the use of first-person and second-person voices while I share private thoughts in a safe and
sincere way.

I will use conventional and mannerly language that is appropriately relaxed at times to produce a consultative register that reflects a
conversational situation in which Ho and I are both welcome to engage in the matter at hand. I will use a candid and reverent tone
the former to convey in frank terms my disheartenment as a Cambodian negotiating life in England, and the latter to express my
great respect for Ho. Concerning structure, the letter will include a date, a salutation, short paragraphs written in prose, a closing,
my full name and signature, and my contact information.

Rationale Check List

Required Component
200-300 words in length
Explanation of the purpose of the task
Brief description of the content of the task
Name of text/s that the task is based on
Name of other source materials (only applicable to some written tasks)
Identification of the part of the course to which the task relates: Part 1 Language in Cultural Context
Identification of the Part 1 topic to which the task relates: language and identity or language and service
Justification of the chosen text type
Discussion of the structure/conventions of the text type
Discussion of the register and tone of the task
Information about the intended audience of the task
Information about the context of the task
Work/s cited (bibliography)