Page 45 - ELA_CA_HighSchool_Sampler_Flipbook

ACTIVITY 1.3 continued
19 Review the Language & Writer’s Craft: Formal and Informal Voice.
20 To discuss further the concept of formal and informal voice, separate the class into two groups: one focusing on “What is Cultural Identity?” and the other “Ethnic Hash.”
21 Have the “What is Cultural Identity?” group look for
• Rhetorical questions
• Inclusive pronouns (we/our) • Diverse punctuation
• Active verbs
• Illustrative examples
Have the “Ethnic Hash” group look for
• First person point of view
• Punctuation that creates humor • Fragments
• Shifts in tone
• Vivid details and descriptions
When the groups have completed their work, have them participate in a jigsaw.
16 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 10
16 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 10
9781457304668_TCB_SE_G10_U1_B1.indd 16 10/6/15 11:56 P
ACTIVITY 1.3
continued
Exploring Cultural Identity
My Notes
Working from the Text
Language & Writer’s Craft: Formal and Informal Voice
Though formal and informal voice are both effective and correct writing styles, each is characterized differently.
Formal (academic) voice: main point(s) are clearly introduced in logical order with obvious transitions; uses limited emotion and depicts confidence and expertise; avoids contractions, abbreviations, and slang; arguments are supported by evidence; longer and more complex sentences are preferred; may contain technical language and cited facts or statistics
Example: “Children begin to develop a sense of identity as individuals and as members of groups from their earliest interactions with others (McAdoo, 1993; Sheets, 1999a). One of the most basic types of identity is ethnic identity, which entails an awareness of one’s membership in a social group that has a common culture. The common culture may be marked by a shared language, history, geography, and (frequently) physical characteristics (Fishman, 1989; Sheets, 1999a).”
Informal voice: similar to spoken conversation in structure; displays emotion and acknowledges difficulty of subject; may use contractions, abbreviations, or slang; arguments are supported by personal example; may use short and simple sentences; vocabulary is conversational more than technical
Example: “My last name is from a presumably Welsh plantation owner. My mother chose my first name from a dictionary of girls’ names. ‘It didn’t sound like Edna or Myrtle,’ she says, as though that explains anything. I have two mostly Cherokee grandparents. There’s a Scottish great-grandfather, a French- Canadian great uncle, and a bunch of other relations no one ever talks about. Not one of them left recipes. Of course the ancestors who have had the most tangible influence on my place in the world were probably the West Africans, and I can tell you right off that I haven’t the faintest idea what they do for hors d’oeuvres in West Africa (although I have this Senegalese friend who always serves the loveliest, poufiest little fish mousse things in puff pastries that look, well, totally French).”
PRACTICE: Referencing the characteristics of formal and informal voice, use the My Notes space to notate the characteristics of formal voice found in the first example and the characteristics of informal voice found in the second example. Choose one of the above examples, and rewrite it using the opposite voice.
Example 1 (formal or academic): main point is clearly introduced, transitions are consistent and sequential, writing is free from contractions and abbreviations, main point is supported by cited evidence, writer uses complex sentences and technical/academic vocabulary
Example 2 (informal): writing structure and tone are conversational, writer uses casual vocabulary and contractions, writer speaks from personal experience and does not cite outside sources
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.
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