Question 1: What is language and what does it allow us to do?
Responding to this question, you must present an analysis in three paragraphs or more that accomplishes two goals. 1) Elaborates on the biological, cultural, and technical aspects of language and 2) examines how these features function together as a complex system that does something in the world (but what?!). You may make use of existing definitions as part of your analysis, but the foundation of your response must be your own integration of various aspects of language and how they work together. As part of your response, you may also:
• Write about misunderstandings about language.
• Provide concrete examples of language function.
• Explain the connection of language to other concepts, issues, or topics we have raised in the course.
Question 2: Why is the use of language to communicate an inherently “political” act?
In framing your response to this question, be sure to define explanatory terms and locate them successfully in relationship with each other. For example, you might want to focus on articulating ideology, power, authority, prescriptivism, descriptivism, and/or resistance as you compose your answer. You can frame your response however you like, but it should focus on the definition of political as “an attempt to change actors’ values, beliefs, perceptions, or actions” within a discourse community (Bell 1979). In other words, you are writing about how people use language to get what they want from others, either as individuals, or groups.
Question 3: What is “political correctness” and how does it work? From a socio-linguistics perspective, compose a response to how either (a) political correctness *or* (b) language reform functions as an ideologically-based resistance (resistance to what?!). Feel free to use examples from your own life, or from class discussion. As part of your response for the term you choose, you must discuss:
• What the term means from a linguistic point-of-view.
• What role ideology plays in the phenomenon that the term is attempting to describe.
• How the phenomenon functions with respect to the exercise of power in a language community.
Question 4: Can you even language?
Examining the excerpt from the beginning of President Barak Obama’s 2009 Inaugural Address accompanying this exam. You can also find it below