Term Paper Prompt

Linguistics 96 (Winter 2009)
Term Paper Prompt:

Purpose: This term paper will be the culmination of what you have learned throughout this quarter. You will be able to practice the writing techniques that you have been taught in a no-pressure environment. This paper will not be graded, but will be read by the instructor and your peers to provide you with important feedback to improve your academic writing abilities.

Directions: This paper will be approximately 2 to 5 pages in length, typed, double spaced with a reasonable font, size no larger than 12 point.. You will be writing portions of this paper throughout the quarter, each of which you will email to the instructor for feedback. Please let the instructor know what topic you choose as soon as possible. On the final day of class you will submit, via email, your final paper for evaluation. You will also present your paper to the class. More on presentation guidelines will be discussed later in the quarter.

Evaluation: Each section of your term paper (and the final paper) will be read for the following things:
• Grammar mistakes
• Spelling errors
• Paragraph construction
• A logical progression of topics throughout the essay
• Academic style
• Use of appropriate references

Topic: You may choose from a variety of topics listed below:
• An overview of your favorite computer program: when it was developed, by what company, what is the program used for, who generally uses the program, etc.
• A brief history of a major website, including: Yahoo, Google, Wikipedia, Youtube, or another website approved by the instructor.
• A comparison/contrast paper outlining the difference between American emoticons/Internet lingo and that of another culture. You must include several examples from each culture and describe why these differences might exist.
• Any other topic that you think would be appropriate for this class, with approval of the instructor ahead of time.