I.B. A-2 English Name:________________________

Language & Culture: Bilingualism

Essay: Autobiography as a Bilingual

Assignment: Write an essay which describes you and your experiences as a bilingual person.

Register/Tone: This is an informal essay. That means you may use the pronoun “I”, and use personal anecdotes, without doing any research. Still, this is not entirely informal; you must present evidence and use language appropriate to a school assignment. More information is below.

Length: 1,000-1,500 words.

You should personalize your writing with your own personality and tone.

• You can start with an interesting and unique title.
• You might begin with a personal anecdote, family story, or personal idea or thought, something which contains a major point to focus on for your essay.
• Then, continue with further evidence, ideas, or anecdotes which gradually complete the picture of you as a bilingual person
• Finish with a conclusion that says something about your bilingualism, its values or benefits, or your future as a bilingual person.

You may find it useful to use these terms when discussing these concepts. You don’t have to use all of them, or even a minimum number of them. Just use them when or if it’s natural to do so. If you use them, use them naturally and confidently:

domain(s)

balanced bilingual

bilingual/-ism

performance

competence

interference

code switching

slang

jargon

dialect

accommodation

turn-taking

the floor

Due Date: Monday, 18 September, 2006