Bariah Qadeer, W14, Final Thoughts

Hi Everyone!

We’re done!!! We made it and that’s the part that we should be most proud about!

I think that my podcast turned out good for someone who has gone through this experience of creating a podcast for the first time. However I don’t like how my voice sounds – this is something that always happens to me! Even when I listen to my voice in family videos, I find it annoying myself! Nobody else says anything but I feel that myself for some reason.

If I had more time to work on this assignment, I would've tried to pick a topic that was really close to me because I feel that I would've enjoyed the whole process of this course much more. Nevertheless, I found my topic interesting as well and I am glad I researched this topic because I found interesting information. This is the pleasant aspect of research that you’re never left empty-handed. At the end there is something that you learn.

I would suggest to future students to refer to our blog posts because they can really act as a guide on how to complete each part of the assignment and how to obtain successful results. It would be even better if each student in the future chooses one of us and follows our posts from the beginning to the end. I think it would be smart for future students to choose one of us based on the criteria if our podcast topic is of their interest. This advice leads to another inter-related advice which is to choose the topic of your interest because you have to stay with that topic for four months and remember that research takes time so don’t give up!

On that note I am glad that I had this online experience in a course because nowadays many courses are online and I have gained some confidence to take an online course. So I would like to thank our course instructors for this experience!

And congrats to everyone for completing their podcasts! 

How Language Change Affects Writers? (Bariah Qadeer, W14)

Language is constantly changing and we have to be aware of the changes in order to stay up-to-date. In this podcast language change will be examined by specifically looking at the "because noun" phrase which has come in popular usage over the past year. Through this analysis, the question will be answered as to how language change is affecting us as writers? Positively? Or negatively? In order to obtain this important information please enjoy the podcast below!

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is just an emulation of Lexicon Valley and none of the views in this podcast reflect those of Lexicon Valley. 

Enjoy! 

Bariah Qadeer. W14: Software

Hi Everyone,

For recording the podcast I decided to use SoundCloud, but on their website it says that they may not allow you to record if you use music in your podcast. I will use music and therefore I decided that I don’t have time to deal with these issues. This is why I have decided to use Audacity.

Recording on Audacity:

• I already had Audacity downloaded on my laptop. Before downloading, check if you already have it downloaded as well. I opened Audacity and pressed record. This allowed me to record and so I recorded. Then afterwards I checked out how I could edit or more specifically cut some parts out that I don’t want anymore. All you have to do is select the selecting tool and highlight the amount of voice you want deleted from the bar and then click the cut icon (scissors, left hand corner). In order to add music or interviews (sound files) to Audacity, all you have to do is click file, import, audio. This "imported" file will be opened in another bar. If you want to bring the music before your own voice, use the time shift tool. Finally, to save the file click file, export and save as an MP3 file. As you can see the steps are easy to follow and this is why I feel this software will be easy to use.

Here is advice on how to use Audacity for creating podcasts:

http://www.wikihow.com/Record-a-Podcast-with-Audacity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXUJyV6hVHk

Publishing:

• Then I will upload the MP3 file on Podomatic (https://www.podomatic.com/login). Click on sign in and then click sign in with email. Enter your Google account information (you could use the same account that you are using for our course blog). Then click on create podcast https://www.podomatic.com/quick_post. The other steps are easy: you just have to give your podcast a title and finally publish the podcast to the web. Through these steps you will get a link for your podcast. Then all you have to do is create a new post on our course blog and paste your podcast’s link on your post! 

And you’re DONE!

 http://ihistory.wordpress.com/podcasts/how-do-i-publish-my-podcast-on-the-internet/ (This is information on how to publish a podcast). 

Whenever I hear my voice recorded I don’t like it, but then I eventually get used to it. I am in the same situation right now; however, I know I’ll get over it. The good news is that the quality of Audacity seems really good, which means we can expect good results and so I am happy :) 

Can’t wait to complete the final steps! Good luck to everyone!

Bariah Qadeer, W14: Structure

Hi Everyone, 

My podcast episode’s structure resembles the “Morning Edition” structure because the first line is the opening scene where I introduce the topic.  However I introduce the topic for a couple of lines! The triangle represents “history and context” as Bradley Camphell explains so that resembles my podcast as well since I talk about the history of language change. Then the individual lines represent connections that characters have to the story. In my podcast the characters are the different implications and the research that I found about the “because noun” phrase which answers my research question. The research question is that: how does language change affect writers? And I found research that supports the fact that changing language does not affect writers negatively. The research and implications are connections to the story of the “because noun” phrase. Therefore, this structure resembles the structure of my podcast.

Nonetheless, I don’t return back to the beginning of my podcast directly.  Meaning I do answer my research question but I don’t have a direct connection between the opening and ending scene. I will make a connection because as Professor Bell said in lecture that it is more effective to tell a story than facts. This is because the story will stay with the listener. So the structure of my podcast resembles the “Morning Edition” and I will make the structure of my podcast resemble this structure completely. This is because I will have a better story for my audience to hear.

This structure is similar to Lexicon Valley's structure because they also talk about the history and generally about the topic for a couple of minutes before they actually answer the research question. Then they answer the research question with different studies and research done on the topic. So my podcast does follow the typical structure of Lexicon Valley's podcasts. 

I counted 20 citations in episode 102. 

Bariah Qadeer, W14: Search Strategies

Hi everyone,

Below is some information about a search strategy:

BOOLEAN Logic is a technique that you use to research on search engines such as Google Scholar and on databases such as EBSCO. The following terms are used: AND, NOT, OR. For example for my podcast I researched:

• Formal AND Informal Writing

   à This helped me to find an article regarding whether informal writing affects formal writing or  

                not. So I was able to use Boolean Logic successfully.

This technique is helpful because it narrows down the results of your search. It prevents you from reading about 100 articles, which could be irrelevant. These three terms allow you to reach the specific and relevant articles that you need because it forces you to use the keywords of your research question.

After this experience, I will use Boolean Logic again because when you’re doing an assignment with a specific due date, you don’t have much time to read and you have to manage your time. So Boolean Logic does help to manage your time and narrow the results of your search.

I am glad that I completed the draft transcript for the podcast because now I have a vivid image of where I’m headed.

I hope our podcasts turn out good because we’ve been researching efficiently!

Bariah Qadeer, W14: Digging Deeper

Hi Everyone,

I am in the process of reading and taking notes on the sources that I have found.

Scholarly Sources:

-          I wrote “language change” and “English” in EBSCO and found the following article:  TELEVISION CAN ALSO BE A FACTOR IN LANGUAGE CHANGE: EVIDENCE FROM AN URBAN DIALECT.

(This will give some information on language change and what causes it. But I still need to find more information as to how language change affects writers? So this article will be used to understand “language change” but may not be used as a source).

-          I also have an article on “Language Change” from the National Science Foundation

So I am looking in journal article and in books for scholarly sources. Also, I am looking under the fields of humanities and psychology. I have found some information, however I still need to find how language change affect writers?

Popular Sources:

- I found a podcast on Spark: Beauty and Brains, Beautiful Sound, Because Noun, 24-hour Music, Dramatizing the Internet, and Photo Organization.

• This podcast provides cultural implication of the “because noun” phrase and this is helpful.

- Also this podcast referenced a blog post “All things Linguistic.” This blog has information on the “because noun phrase.” (This is Gretchen McCulloch's blog post who is a Linguistics M.A. grad from McGill University).

- I even have Geoff Pullum’s article on the “because noun phrase” which I will use as a primary source.

So I am looking at podcasts, blog posts and newspaper articles for popular sources. I am looking for information under the field of English and linguistics. 

Research and note taking is still going on!

Bariah Qadeer, W14: Topic Refinement

Hi Everyone!

            The pitch exercise did help me to refine and decide upon my topic because I had to explain my topic and its importance in just 4 minutes. It seemed like a challenge! However, I gained a positive response from the class and therefore it has helped. It’s challenging due to the fact that you have to impress the audience in just 4 minutes which means that your pitch should include the most important and interesting parts of your topic. Even though it takes more than 4 days to prepare for these 4 minutes, it does help out in the end because you have a clearer direction of where you’re headed with your research.

            After this experience, I believe that the pitch exercise will be a useful pre-writing exercise in other writing assignments as well because it forces you to get to the core aspect of your topic. This prevents your research question from remaining vague. For example, in a thesis essay the pitch exercise can help you to refine your thesis which is the most important part of the paper. Therefore, the pitch is helpful!

My podcast will explore how language change affects us? This will be done by closely analyzing the cultural implications of the “because noun” phrase.

My Pitch Transcript:

Why’s the word “because” so confusing?

Because language…

This is the new use of the word “because.” In the blog, Language Log Ben Zimmer states that The American Dialect Society has recognized “because” as the Word of the Year for 2013; however, this has caused several linguistic issues. “Because” is known for its use as a subordinating conjunction. Nonetheless Geoff Pullum wrote on Slate where he insists that we should treat “because” as a preposition. Linguists call this the “because noun” phrase. This phrase has become popular due to its widespread use on the internet such as on Twitter. Grammar Girl has talked about this “because noun” phrase as well but she focuses more on the history and grammar of this word. On the other hand, Lexicon Valley focuses on the actual uses of a word in context, meaning pragmatics and this is why I will create my podcast for Lexicon Valley. I will focus on the cultural implications of the “because noun” phrase on us.

We as writers are always writing and speaking in different forums. The truth is that we all write formally for our academic papers in universities and the rest of the time whenever we write it is not as formal. For example, in blogs, texts and in our personal write-ups the writing is informal. This indicates that we all are writers and should be aware of the changes in language. Therefore, it is essential for us to know that English is a living language. The Linguistic Society of America also states that “languages are continually changing.” So I will begin by analyzing the cultural implications of the “because noun” phrase on us. Then based on different studies I will address the topic of how changing language affects us as writers? Is it positive? Or negative for us? And to find out, stay tuned! I hope you’ll hear my podcast!

Thank You! J

 Works Cited:

Mahoney, Nicole. "Language and Linguistics: Language Change." National Science Foundation. National Science Foundation, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

<http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/linguistics/change.jsp>

Pullum, Geoff. "Why Do Dictionaries Insist That Because Is a Conjunction? It Is Not." Slate Magazine. The Slate Group, 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

<http://www.slate.com/blogs/lexicon_valley/2014/01/16/because_why_the_word_is_not_a_conjunction_as_dictionaries_have_it_but_instead.html>

Reed, and De Smet. "How Language Change Sneaks in." Linguistic Society of America. Linguistic Society of America, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.

<http://www.linguisticsociety.org/node/75>

Whitman, Neal. "Because as a Preposition." Quick and Dirty Tips. Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Holdings, LLC., 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

<http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/because-as-a- preposition>

Zimmer, Ben. ""Because" with Non-verbal Complement." Language Log. University of Pennsylvania, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

<http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=9959>

Bariah Qadeer, W14, Pitching

Hi everyone,

I have changed my topic. I will now talk about the word “because” as a preposition and its new use. I plan to emulate Lexicon Valley's podcast as I explained in the last post. I will look at the cultural implications of "because" as a preposition and: how it affects us as writers? Grammar Girl has talked about this topic but she focuses on the history and grammar of "because." I will focus more on the cultural implications that "because" has on us as writers. 

Here are links to useful pitch tips:

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/public-speaking/how-to-make-a-good-pitch

This is the website where “Grammar Girl” posts her podcasts as well! The advice is given by Lisa Marshall who is a communications expert and works on people’s public speaking. Therefore her profession gives her tips credibility. Moreover, she provides the tips for a good pitch in an easy manner which is helpful. She provides 5 simple tips .. check them out!

http://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/32665/elevator_pitch_presentation.pdf

These tips are provided by the University of Notre Dame (The Graduate School). The information provided on this website is relevant to our podcast pitch, especially the “Questions your elevator pitch should answer” section. Be sure to check this section. 

http://lessonstream.org/2011/02/15/elevator-pitch/ (If the video doesn't work, click on “YouTube” on the video)

This is a short video clip provided by Sean Wise who is a venture capital expert. He is a consultant for CBC on the reality show “Dragon’s Den.” Dragon's Den is a show where people pitch ideas so his advice is definitely trustworthy! His video is succinct and the points he provides are really useful. Its about a 2 minute video so check it out. 

For my podcast pitch I need to clearly explain:

• All of my points so that it is easy to understand as Sean Wise explains in the video.

• My “so what” question as that is a key element of the pitch

• Also why is this topic interesting for my audience? What good will this podcast do?

• If possible I could try to connect my work to a broader discipline because the University of Notre Dame provides this tip.

• My “call of action” meaning what I want to do in my podcast as Lisa Marshall explains.

As these sites explain, I shouldn't memorize but note down my main points so that I don’t forget what I have to say during the pitch and so that the pitch is effective. I’ll try to start with a question that leads the audience into the topic. Then explain how we all can relate to my topic and why its’ an important issue to address. I will try to answer all potential questions so that all the questions of my audience are answered. Lastly, I will try to end the podcast with an intriguing question that will leave the audience tempted to hear my podcast. (I hope!)

This is the plan and I hope that all our pitches turn out good! J

Citations:

Capdevielle, Matthew, Ralf Bendlin, and Gretchen Busl. "The Elevator Pitch: Presenting Your Research in Conversation." University of Notre Dame (The Graduate School), n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014. PDF file.

Keddie, Jamie. "Elevator Pitch." Lessonstream.org by Jamie Keddie ». N.p., 15 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

Marshall, Lisa B. "How to Make a Good Pitch." Quick and Dirty Tips. Mignon Forgaty, Inc, 17 Nov. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.

Bariah Qadeer, Week 2: Topic Selection, W14

            I listened to “Why is No among a Child’s First Words?" (Lexicon Valley) and I really liked this topic. This is because during the past summer my baby cousin from Sweden came and I got to spend lots of time with him. He learned many new words while he was here and one of the words was “no.” After listening to this podcast I find this topic even more interesting and I want to extend on Mike Vuolo’s research. As I mentioned on the last post that I am taking linguistic courses so I feel that I will enjoy researching the topic and this will make the podcast turn out good! (Hopefully!)

            I will use a similar template as Mike Vuolo because I will start the podcast with some intriguing research on this topic as this will allow me to introduce more ideas in the podcast. Mike Vuolo had Bob Garfield with him in the podcast and so they had a back-to-back conversation. However, I am working on the podcast myself which is why I have to make the podcast interesting on my own. In order to make this happen I will add more music so that I can have a greater audience. Also I’ll try to add news from other people’s voices if I find any in order to have variation of voice and this will prevent the podcast from becoming boring.

            In my podcast I will also incorporate research on “why is no among a child’s first words” because I find it interesting. However, I will extend on this research by this question: doesn't it depend on the child’s environment to determine what will be their first words? I think that this topic will be interesting because it is an extension of Mike Vuolo’s topic.

            SPARK did help me because it guided me on how to form a research question by asking if I could tie any of my personal interests and I like working with children. Therefore SPARK guided me to come up with my question. I would recommend other students to also tie the topic to their personal interests because we have to stick with this topic till the end of March so we should enjoy the topic in order to create an interesting podcast! 

Bariah Qadeer, Week 1: Introductions, W14

I’m Bariah Qadeer and I’m in my second year of English & Professional Writing. I am also taking linguistic courses on the side because I am thinking of becoming an English teacher. That’s why I’m also interested in learning education and maybe psychology.

I remember in high school I used to find research a bit frustrating because I didn't know where to begin and what points would prove my arguments in a thesis essay. However, over the years I have overcome this frustration and I have realized that research can begin anywhere. Nonetheless, I still feel a little frustrated sometimes when I get a research assignment and so I want to get over this frustration completely! Prof. Bell made me realize that we all are researching everyday in different contexts which makes research important and I want to fine-tune my research skills through this course so that I can research effectively.

For school assignments I have used York’s Library database such as EBSCO and it has always helped in finding scholarly journals which are appropriate to use for assignments. However, I have never used management software like RefWorks or Zotero but I plan on using them for the podcast assignment. I have no experience with podcasts but I am still excited to create my own podcast because in high school I had to make my own documentary and I enjoyed the process. As I mentioned earlier that I have a little bit of frustration but I am also excited so it’ll balance out!

I am considering Under the Influence for the podcast assignment because I have taken Media classes in high school so I feel that I’ll be able to look at the techniques used and what the ad suggests about the advertising industry/culture in detail which will make an effective podcast. Also Lexicon Valley sounds interesting because I just took Discourse Analysis last semester so I think I’ll have a good scope on this topic. Discourse Analysis talked about linguistics but also about culture and so I think I’ll be able to make good connections between linguistics and culture on the word/phrase that I may choose to research.

I hope that we all have great podcasts in the end! J