Assignment for Essay 3

English 21a

Professor Gordon Dossett        Assistants Cindy Cruz and Taryn Jeffrey

 

For this topic you will be writing on a broad topic and you will be looking in particular at one individual, your partner in the ESL 21a class. For your partner, how has a part of his or her identity been established because of an aspect of his or her culture?  Or, put another way, how has an aspect of culture shaped the identity of your partner?  Both culture and identity are huge, abstract topics.  In class we have discussed ways of narrowing these topics.  For example, identity can include such things as a person’s name, relationships within family, friendships, and values.  Culture implies socialization, social hierarchy, food, film, and music—just to name a few.  For example, this topic could be narrowed to ways in which fashion in Japan give a person a sense of identity in high school or ways that being the oldest son in an family in Argentina shaped another person’s identity.  You may go online or consult other resources to write your essay, but your primary source is your partner in ESL 21a.  You should name him or her (spelling the name correctly!).  Quote him or her in your paper—two to four times.

 

To write your essay, you will need to conduct an interview with your partner, and probably a follow-up interview, too, once you know what your narrowed topic will be. 

 

For the essay, pay special attention to:

·        Focusing your topic

·        Developing ideas though specific examples and details (including quotations)

·        Using paragraphs with topic sentences

·        Avoiding fragments and run-ons.

 

 

Length:  3 pages typed (900 words)

Draft due:  complete, legible!  In conference Thursday, March 20

Final Draft due:  Tuesday, March 25

 

Partner in ESL 21a: 

 

Partner(s) for conference (March 20):