What am I looking for? I should be able to hear your personal voice in your writing. A reflection is not an essay, do not retell the articles or list a whole bunch of facts. Use the articles to support your reflective thinking. If you read something that made you think, yes, language is intrinsically connected to Indigenous cultures and world views, cite it and discuss.
What am I marking on? I want to see how deeply your insights are developed. You should cite the readings to support your reflection but your thinking should extend past the quotes you are using. I’m really looking to see if you’ve expanded your thinking beyond the articles to make your own connections. Critical thinking/reflective thinking are my main focus for this first assignment.
You must cite at least one of the readings. Your reflection should be focused on the readings and use citations to support your thinking, though you can bring in the videos and class discussion as well. You need to follow APA format (see Nexus for information if you’re unfamiliar with APA). Papers should be double-spaced, new paragraphs should be indented 5 spaces (one tab) and don’t use headings for each paragraph. APA format includes a specific format for title page, reference page, citations, etc.
All papers are due on Monday, September 16th by 10:00 AM. IL 1408 – Indigenous Languages Contact & Change
Requirements for Reflection Paper #1 (10%)
Students will submit a 2 page paper reflecting on any of the topics discussed during Week 1 &
2. Topics discussed will include: What do we know about language? Why are languages
important? What do we know about the Indigenous languages of Manitoba? How are language
& culture connected for Indigenous people? You will reflect on what was discussed/read in class
and make your own personal connections.
Due Date: 10 AM on September 16/24 (submit via Nexus)
This reflection paper is worth 10%. The purpose is to encourage the exploration of ideas, and
expression of opinion as opposed to summarizing the opinions of others. This is not a reading
assignment, summary or formal essay. This is your opportunity to explore, challenge, and reflect
on your own thoughts about what we are learning in class.
Requirements:
Reflections are due on September 16/24 at 10 AM
Please review late submission policy in the syllabus
Reflections must be no longer than 2 pages (not including Title page & Reference page)
Please use Times New Roman 12pt font for entire paper
Please include a Title page & Reference page (using APA formatting)
Please use APA citation style (*see Resources in our Nexus classroom for help)
Reflection Paper #1 is a response to:
any of the class discussions/videos from Weeks 1 & 2
the assigned readings for Weeks 1 & 2
you must include at least one citation from the readings
You can also cite your classmates, myself and/or the videos shown in class
Reflection Ideas:
If you need help getting started, here are some sample prompts:
Reflect on the difficulty of translating Indigenous languages into English. What can be
lost in translation? Why would that be important? Have you ever experienced this
yourself (if you speak multiple languages or communicate with others who have a
different first language than you)?
Reflect on language loss and how that limits/or changes the transmission of
culture/knowledge/history etc. Who does that affect and how? What would it feel like to
not be able to speak the language your grandparents or community speak?
Reflect on how Indigenous languages connect to the land. How or why is that important?
Not important? Do you have an experience or connection to land and language? Are
place names different if theyre translated? What gets lost if place names are changed?
You are free to come up with your own ideas to reflect on, based on your connections to the
readings/videos & class discussions. Only pick one topic to reflect on.
