Personal and Cultural Identity
ASSIGNMENT 3: Deriving Meaning from Language
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Learning Target (Curricular Competencies):
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The use of language in First Peoples texts shape readers' and viewers' construction of meaning and appreciation of author's craft. Types of language used include
Colloquial: conversational language
Dialect: a particular form of language that is specific to a region or social group
Vernacular: the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region
Accent: a distinctive mode of pronunciation of a language, especially associated with a particular nation, locality, or social class.
Slang: a type of language that consists of words or phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people
Read the following "letter" written by First Nations Cree writer Louise Bernice Halfe. Her use of dialect is used to reflect the Cree storytelling voice. Her use of the vernacular is to emphasize the stereotype she is portraying. Her books are mainly "based on her childhood experiences while being forced to attend a residential school and being ripped away from her family at a young age." However painful her experiences, her writing actively involves reclaiming the long overlooked Native comedic tradition. Her poems about the erosion of old ways, the terrors of residential school and the pain inflicted by alcoholism abound with satiric portraits and shared jokes, yet pierce the heart with their truthfulness and wry humour.
She wrote a letter to the Pope in response to his apology to First Nations people for abuses they suffered in the residential school system.
Task:
Read Halfe's letter on the following page. Make some notes on your initial response. Then listen to Halfe read her letter out loud as it was intended. You can follow along with the written text.
Write a personal response that explains how her use of language conveys her primary message. What is she saying to the Pope? Why does she use this language? How does your initial response change (or does it) when you hear the letter read out loud? Are there life lessons being taught in this letter? What are they? You may want to explore some historical resources to give you some contextual background.
Your response should be 200 words and include 3 paragraphs: an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. Remember that a paragraph should be 5-8 sentences.
Assessment: Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.
Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective. Student demonstrates exemplary active reading skills to comprehend and respond to text in personal, creative, and critical ways. All activities are complete. Ideas generated are thoughtful and unique.
Written Expression: Exemplary (6/6): Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen. Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.
Submission:
Use the "3.3 Meaning from Language" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.