While there are billions of people in the world who are bilingual, some people believe there is no such thing as ?true bilingualism?

These are the topics to choose from; remember to come up with a title of your own.)

1) Are English language and culture related when it comes to teaching English as a foreign language?

2) The following languages are currently national minority languages of Sweden: Finnish, Me?nkieli, Sami, Yiddish, and Romani. Should English be added to the list?

3) What makes some words taboos and not others?

4) ?There is a built-in masculine bias in English? (Cheshire, 2008, p. 7). Do you agree with this statement?

5) ?If, moreover, we want what ?society lays down? for women and men to change, then one way to do this may be to focus to a certain extent on language and try and change that? (Trudgill, 2000, p. 80). Is Trudgill correct in his analysis?

6) In your view, is the increasing use of English in Sweden a cause for concern?

7) Is a bilingual approach to education always a good policy?

8) While there are billions of people in the world who are bilingual, some people believe there is no such thing as ?true bilingualism? (cf. Beardsmore, 2003, pp. 12-13). Argue whether it is possible for an individual to know two or more languages perfectly, what is meant by ?perfectly,? and whether we should adopt perfectionist or maximalist definitions of bilingualism (i.e. a bilingual has ?native-like control of two languages? (Bloomfield, 1935, p. 56)).

Instuction:
Course Essay
Topic and aim
You are asked to write an argumentative research-based essay of 900-1200 words (excluding references), where you discuss and argue for or against a sociolinguistic topic. You may choose one of the topics discussed in class (the themes in the schedule) or choose your own. If you want to choose your own topic, please consult your teacher first.
The aim of your essay is to produce an argumentative research-based linguistic essay. This involves reading relevant books and/or articles to become acquainted with research in the field, forming your own hypothesis based on the research, expressing it clearly in text and then arguing for it on the basis of what you have read. In other words, it is not enough to have an opinion; you have to be able to argue for it convincingly and in keeping with academic discourse.
The essay is to be written in academic English. The essay must have a clear structure, an appropriate title, a thesis statement in the introduction of the essay, sufficient evidence to support your claims, and a conclusion. For more on this, see the Style Guide and the information below.
Grades
You will be graded on the following (scale A-F):
? linguistic accuracy (the use of grammatical, idiomatic, academic English);
? the ability to write with a clear and transparent structure;
? the ability to formulate a convincing argument based on secondary sources;
? the proper use of secondary sources (see further below).