Specific topic + Attitude/Angle/Argument = Thesis

2. Specific topic + Attitude/Angle/Argument = Thesis The United States should opt towards having one official language. What you plan to argue + How you plan to argue it = Thesis Writing in schools should be more accepting to modern and contemporary writing.

3. Tests for Solid Thesis • Can the thesis be argued against? ✔ • Would a reasonable reader respond with "Duh!" or "So what?" or "Gee, no kidding!" or "Who cares?” ✗ • Can we already guess your points? ✗ • Does the thesis  inspire a reasonable reader to ask, "How?" or Why?” ✔ • Does the thesis make a specific, contextual argument? ✔ • Can the thesis be adequately developed in the required length of the paper or project? ✔

4. Can the thesis be argued against? ✔ • I believe that certain individuals can express themselves more when they use words that they are already educated with ... • As new language; which includes words, phrases, and speech, emerges, culture changes over time.

5. Can the thesis be argued against? ✔ • Language is the main source of communication, it can both help and hinder societies cohesion. Language can either categorize people, put them in groups where it is more likely for them to interact and it can also label people, causing them to discriminate. In a constant changing culture, language plays the role of a median between different cultures. The median creates many ways for people of different cultural backgrounds to communicate with each other.

6. Would a reasonable reader respond with "Duh!" or "So what?" or "Gee, no kidding!" or "Who cares?” ✗ • Local Dj’s, movie stars, and recording artists are the real scripters of the American language. As they come to fame they leave an imprint in U.S. history by giving American culture cool phrases and catchy words which almost instantly become accepted in our lexicons. Yet, as time changes, new movie starts come to rise and the genre of music changes leaving the influences of the previous authors to slowly be forgotten.

7. Would a reasonable reader respond with "Duh!" or "So what?" or "Gee, no kidding!" or "Who cares?” ✗ • Advertising can function as a common language through images, symbols, and appropriation of minority cultures' languages. • I want to argue that as time progresses, pop culture changes, leading to a change in the language spoken in America.

8. Does the thesis  inspire a reasonable, real reader to ask, "How?" or Why?” ✔Can we already guess your points? ✗ • Writing in schools should be more accepting to modern and contemporary writing. • If institutions would accept different languages, then maybe students would be able to be more understood.

9. Does the thesis  inspire a reasonable, real reader to ask, "How?" or Why?” ✔Can we already guess your points? ✗ • The United States should opt towards having one official language. • Educational institutions, such as high schools and colleges, should not be accepting improper language on papers, in America you should know English well enough to able to write properly in school.  

10. Does the thesis make a specific, contextual argument? ✔ • Then negative stereotypes society has placed on certain groups of people can hinder the strength of the human spirit. • Shared language promotes social identity between different cultures, thus creating social cohesion between them.

11. Can the thesis be adequately developed in the required length of the paper or project? ✔ • All cultures? All forms of languages? Etc. • Shared language promotes social identity between different cultures, thus creating social cohesion between them.

12. Proficient vs. Advanced Thesis Statements • Proficient: Inspires the reasonable reader to ask “How?” or “Why?” • Advanced: Inspires the reasonable reader to ask “How?” or “Why?” and to exclaim “Wow!” This thesis engages the student in challenging or provocative research and displays a level of thought that breaks new ground.

13. Political correctness is hindering the ability to accept different cultures as a result of being too wary of asking questions to better understand; remaining politically correct is detrimental to positive social change as a result of people being too afraid of offending somebody.

14. Narrow Thesis / Avoid Generalizations • Use specific terms instead of vague categories. (Narrow "music" to "reggae.") • Use adjectives. (Narrow "reggae" to "American reggae.") • Limit the discussion to a particular context. (Narrow "American reggae" to "the American reggae revival in the 1980s.")

15. Counter Arguments? • Anticipate the counter-arguments. • To refine thesis / to narrow thesis • To include refutation as support

16. The US should adopt an official language. • Despite fears that a common language would marginalize minority cultures, adoption of an official language would reinforce social cohesion and ultimately give minority cultures a voice.

17. Writing in schools should be more accepting to modern and contemporary writing. • Although American educational institutions should continue to teach standard English, classes should also provide students with opportunities to write in their home discourses.

18. Advertising can function as a common language through images, symbols, and appropriation of minority cultures' languages. • Advertising, a language of images, symbols, and specific discourses, promotes social cohesion because of its significant presence in the media.