There is a short research paper (8+ pages) due on 
Monday, May 5th, as noted on the Course Calendar. You may build on any of your earlier work for this project.
Assignment: The topic is very general: to write an analysis of the cultural impact of some aspect of language variation or change. It may concern English during any period.
Prospectus Instructions. About two weeks before the paper is due, on April 17th, you will hand in a Prospectus for your paper. This will form part of your final paper grade.
Grading: Here is the grading rubric for the paper. The paper and prospectus are worth in all about 1/3 of your final grade (75 points out of 300). The page requirement is not arbitrary; one goal of this course is to be able to coherently manage this much information.
Paper Format: The paper should be a minimum of 6 pages, formatted in MLA Style, typed in a professional font (11 or 12 point, Times New Roman), and have 1" margins all the way around. MLA Style, which applies to both layout and documentation, is described in any writing handbook (such as those which I assume you purchased for a composition course). READ THIS on how to Quote! Not following this style will adversely affect your grade. In an upper level English course, I assume knowledge of this coming into the course. Writing too short a paper will also hurt your grade; the assignment is to manage an argument containing this much information.