11.13 Practice interview protocols

I started class by drawing your attention to the revised calendar (posted to the right).  Because of the storm, we are on a tight schedule for finishing up your research projects.  I have collected informed consent forms from almost all of you, and those of you who have yet to line up your subjects and arrange your interviews should do your best to get your forms in as soon as possible.

Short Analysis projects:  You turned in your Short analysis essays, and I will return them with comments next Tuesday.

Interview protocols.  You also turned in your interview protocols, and most of today's class was about getting ready to do your interviews.  We reviewed the handout on doing interviews, and one of its points was that you will need to "test" your interview protocol before actually conducting your interviews.We discussed  the overall procedures set forward by the handout, and then you worked in pairs to test your protocols. Discussion at the end of class indicated that you noticed both that you repeated some questions - and that you left other questions out.  Hopefully today's practice will result in some thoughtful revisions to your protocol.

For next class:
In class on Thursday, we will take a look at the sample introduction and literature review that I handed out in class.  If you were not in class, I will leave some extra copies in my mail box by the English Department.  After we talk through the form used in Glynda Hull's essay, you will workshop what you have written so far for your introduction.

Read:  Sample introduction + literature review.   Excerpt from "Hearing other voices" by Glynda Hull

Blog 19:  Post a draft introduction and literature review for your research essay.  The more writing you post - the more you will have to work with on Thursday.  This does not need to be perfect.  It can include questions, requests for help, and drafty sentences that you know you will need to re-write.  The point is to get started on this!!!

Your draft introduction should state your research question and why it is important to language research, what other researchers have found with respect to your question, and how your research contributes new information.  Your literature review should discuss in detail relevant findings by other researchers who have studied your question.