Language, Culture, and Power Questions for the Author Assignment Instructions

This assignment consists of short writing exercises (about 300 words; not fewer than 250) written in response to assigned texts and addressed to the author. In each exercise, you will formulate a question about something that confused you or interested you while reading a recently assigned text(s).

While the overall effect of each exercise should be to pose a question, an adequate paper will contain more than sentences ending with question marks. You should explain how the question occurred to you when reading, which will likely require quoting or paraphrasing the text (and citing page numbers). You should also attempt to answer the question yourself, either by speculating on what the author might answer or offering your own perspective.

It may be helpful to imagine that you are having a conversation with the author. Address the author by beginning your submission as "Dear [author's first name]" and as "you," express your interest, and write the kinds of things you would say to start a conversation. For example, you might write: "I appreciate how you drew attention to the social context of language by describing your relationship to the speaker (p. 5), but I was wondering..."

The style of the paper should be only slightly more refined than "freewriting," which involves writing continuously without pausing to correct mistakes or organize ideas. Setting a timer for 5-10 minutes (depending on your writing speed), writing until you run out of time, and then submitting the assignment is a great way to complete these assignments. In fact, it is the preferred way. You might feel compelled to make revisions after you finish writing. Minor
revisions are okay, but one of the purposes of this assignment is to create an opportunity for you to practice producing words-not editing, just producing. (That said, please ensure that you have checked your submission for spelling, syntax, and punctuation.)

Another purpose is to create an opportunity for you to practice reading both critically and creatively. These papers are not to prove that you read the text. They are conversations between you and the author about ideas that you are incorporating into your own thinking, and perhaps into your own paper. In fact, as your paper develops, you are encouraged to formulate questions that relate to it directly.

Grading: Your grade for this assignment will be based on the number of papers you submit. Each paper is worth 1%, and you will receive the full 1% if you complete the assignment as described above. Submissions that indicate that you have not engaged the text will not be given points.
You are permitted to submit more than ten of these QfA exercises (i.e. you can get up to two bonus points!)

Submission Instructions: Submit to the appropriate Moodle topic before the beginning of class on the day in which we will cover the reading you have responded to. Late submissions will not be accepted; Moodle will prevent submission of your Question after the start of class.