SLANG: Language, Identity and Social Power
Who gets to call a variety 'incorrect', and what that judgement is actually doing.
Who gets to call a variety 'incorrect', and what that judgement is actually doing.
The practical core
Begin by writing down what you already know about "SLANG: Language, Identity and Social Power" in plain sentences, without sources open. It is uncomfortable, and it is the fastest way to find out where the actual gaps are.
- Write the claim first, in one sentence, in your own words.
- Find the strongest objection to it before you go looking for support.
- Keep a running list of what you have not read yet but should.
A note on time
Sixty focused minutes on four separate mornings will outperform a weekend of undirected effort, and it is far easier to sustain across a term.
Clarity is not a style. It is the residue of having actually decided what you think.
Written by
Lecturer in English, working on theoretical syntax and psycholinguistics in Islamabad. He writes about the grammar of South Asian languages, teaching English, and what Pakistani universities could be.