Turn in both the original of your tape (you keep a copy) and this assignment, along with signed permission slips. Keep photocopies of your permission slips. Permission slips are not necessary for projects taped from radio or television.

The essay must be typed--I assume on a computer. Minimum length: 750 words (about three double-spaced pages)

Goal: The goal of this part of the project is to give an overall description of your corpus (what you have captured on tape) and the data it contains.

Make two copies. One you turn in to your instructor, and the other (or a revised version of it) you turn in as part of the final project. Each of these pieces contributes to the final grade.

The data: When and where were the data collected? What type of equipment was used to record it?

The interactants and the context: Give as much detail as possible about who the people on the tape are (you do not have to use real names) and the social relationships among them. Since all discourse takes place within a societal-cultural context, describe that context. (Is it a family dinner conversation? Lunch among women friends? Children playing--neighbors or siblings or a school or daycare group? A business meeting? A talk show--which one, what topic?)

The corpus as a whole: What happens on the tape? What are the people on the tape communicating and how do they use language to do it?

You: What are some of the issues/problems you came across with this type of data collection? Is there anything you would do differently? How easy was it to get permission to tape? Do you think that you collected typical and natural data? What did you learn about language and communication from this experience?

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