Linguistic Ethnography Research Project

For this project, you will compare and contrast the language used by two groups of people: Chinese international students at SCH and American-born students at SCH.

First, you must do some research. Observe your friends and classmates speaking in class, in the hallways, via text, on social media, and at home. Do not spy on them, please! Only observe conversations and messages intended for you. As you are doing this, write down some notes. You will need to provide six direct quotes from your classmates, which means their exact words. The quotes should support your observations. Make sure you use quotation marks properly, but do not use people's real names. Please make up aliases (fake names) for your classmates.  Also, please do not include anyone's personal information in the quotes. For example, please do not include any quotes about a specific problem a classmate is having with her parents. It is important to respect others' privacy.

Please research the following questions:

1. Language: When and why do you and your classmates choose to or need to speak English? When and why do you and your classmates choose to speak Chinese? When do you switch back and forth between languages in the middle of a sentence (code switching?) Do you ever notice your American-born classmates speaking other languages? When?

2. Formal vs colloquial language: Where do you observe your classmates using slang terms? What are some examples of slang terms that you have heard? Where do students avoid using slang terms? Where do you observe your classmates using more formal or academic language? Are there any differences in the use of formal versus colloquial language between your Chinese and American friends?

3. Turn taking: When do you notice speech overlap, which means interrupting or talking while others are talking? When don't you notice your classmates doing this? Are there any differences between your Chinese and American friends? Do any particular people seem to speak for more time than others in conversations? Why do you think this is? Does anyone else decide who speaks, (for example, the teacher?) How does this person determine who gets to speak, (for example, choosing students who raise their hands, calling on random students, or allowing students to speak freely?) Do any particular people seem to speak more or less than others? Why do you think this is?

4. Volume: How loudly do your friends and classmates speak in different locations and situations? Are there any differences between your Chinese and American friends?

5. Body language: What kind of body language do your friends and classmates exhibit in different locations and situations? Are there any differences between your Chinese and American friends?