TABLE of CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (OPTIONAL) WHEREYOU THANK PEOPLE FOR THE ROLE THEYPLAYED IN THIS
PROJECTGENERAL INTRODUCTIONPREFACEREFLECTIVE: (TITLE OF
STORY/POEM)ANALYTICALCONCLUSION (NOW THAT YOU HAVECOMPLETED THIS EXERCISE WHAT
HAVEYOU LEARNED?)APPENDIX (YOUR 2 ARTICLES FROM YOUR EXPOSITORY)BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERNCES

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

THEME:The theme of this portfolio is

Down syndrome: TheStigma Effect

. This theme/topic can be linked to my academic careerand it can help my school work as it allowed me
to strengthen myresearch methods and techniques and it broadened my knowledge.This topic can be
linked to my future career as it taught me howto work with people who are different and how to
approach situationsthat requires
sensitivity.PURPOSE:My interest was generated toward this topic as Imyself have a cousin with Down sy
ndrome and I wanted to bringawareness to the topic. Generally people can be apprehensive
towardpeople with Down syndrome as not much is known about Downsyndrome.THREE SECTIONS OF
THE PORTFOLIO:My portfolio is divided into threesections: the expository, the reflective and the
analytical. In theexpository section, I presented to my teacher a seven minute speechon what can be
considered the pertinent issues in “Down Syndrome:The Stigma Effect”. In the reflective section I have
created in the shortstory genre the mandated one literary piece which is also directlylinked to my
theme. The story entitled,

“The Day I met John

,” isaccompanied by a preface which gives an account of my purpose,intended audience and the context
where this story can be usedappropriately.I have chosen to analyze the story in terms of registersand
dialectal variation. (can also do attitudes to language andcommunicative behaviours

The theme of stigmatization has academic relevance as after much in-depth discussions with
my peers whilst completing this assignmenthave impacted on their world view of this situation. My
Ethics classhas taken part in several lively discussions on this theme, examiningthe overall effects it
could have on its young

victims

.Having decided that my future career will be in the field of psychology I truly believe that the
information and experience gainedhere will help me in the future.I hope that my work will sensitize my
fellow school matestowards people with Down syndrome and bring awareness to it. In myportfolio the
issues faced by people with Down Syndrome in Trinidadwill be discussed.

PREFACE

Down Syndrome can afflict anyone who has the propensity to beafflicted and having Down Syndrome is
not easy for children as
inmany cases they are stigmatized and ostracized. In my piece theintended audienceis high school stude
nts both male and femalebetween the ages of 12-18 or members of a support group for newparents
with children with Down Syndrome.CONTEXT:This poem can be presented at an assembly focusingon
people with disabilities or Down Syndrome to highlight theimportance of treating these victims of Down
Syndrome with respectsthat they deserve.PURPOSE:In writing this story I wanted my friends and
schoolmates to be aware of the trials that families with a Down Syndromechild are faced with
on a regular basis and how they can help torelieve their burden of stigmatization

REFLECTIVE

The Day I Met John

It was like any other Saturday morning in the grocery, my mother and Iwalked along the aisles pushing
our cart. Until I noticed a little boy,about eight years oldwith twinkling brown eyes thatglittered, as
helooked up at me “Hello beautiful”he smiled up at me. Before I couldreply I spotted this woman
hurrying towards us, I realized that she washis mother who was out of breath andfrazzled from looking
from him.Reachingto hug him quickly she smiledand put out her hand to shakemine as she said “Thank
you Miss

(Register)

I’m so sorry he botheredyou but he tends to run away a lot” fidgeting as shesaid this refusingto make
eye contact. “J.J, honey what do you say to the nice lady?” she prompted her son.

(Dialectal variation)

“Tank you, lady.Quickly his mom corrected, “Not tank J.J

(Register)

it’s thank you. Doyou remember what I told you about what ‘th’ says? (

Attitude tolanguage)

Nodding he said softly, “Thank you, lady. Mih name is J.Jand ah …Ihave nine years

, (Dialectal Variation)”

putting out his hand andsmiling broadly up at me. His mom nodded.Reaching down I took his hand and
smiled, “I am Amanda, and I ampleased to meet you, J.J.”

(Dialectal variation)

His mom meanwhilecontinued to look around furtively as she pulledher son closer (

Communicative behviour

)to her and I felt for herbecause I knew from the instant I saw him, he was Down Syndrome.“It’s ok I
actually have a relative with the same condition’’ Iwhisperedsoftly.Thewrinkles in her forehead relaxed
as she smiled(
Commbeh)“

People are usually scared or uncomfortable around him, you areone of the first person to not stare at
him or run away from him”reaching out to hold my hand.I squeezed her hand beforeletting go to pat the
head of her son(

Comm beh).

What she said bothered me but I knew how cruel peoplecan be as I too had experienced the stares
when I went out with mycousin. It’s not a nice experience and to see it happening to this littleboy was
heart breakingAs I pushed the cart I felt him following me. I looked at mom and shesmiled. I took his
hand and as we walked we started talking about hisfavourite food and television shows. His intelligence
amazed me eventhough every now and then he’d stop to askme if he was saying hissentences
correctly.When I asked him why he was so anxious abouthow he speak he said with his head bowed he
said, “My mom said Ispeak bad…badly” looking at me, he continued “She said I need tospeak properly.” I
patted his head. (

Attitude to language)

I noticed he got quiet as two the shoppers who were passing

turnedaround to stare at him, hiseyes fell to the ground as he heard“children like that don’t belong out
in public”.

I pulled him along starting a new conversation quickly, “So J.J did youplay mas?” I asked.(

Dialectal variation)

“Yes I sure did an ahhh…I wined dow de place”starting to dance. “ I went to jump up an play mas!” he
said loudlyashe proceeded to dance and jump up and sing his favourite soca song“Palance! Jump up!
Jump up! Jump and put your hands up!” he told mehe played mas with the Lady Hochoy Home.As silly
as it was he had me singing and dancing along with him. I wassmiling as I danced down the aisle I felt my
heart beating loudly for thislittle boy as he helped me fill my grocery cart and relate all his storiesto me.
John even read the list of items on the list to me amazing mewith his intelligence again his mother came
back to check on him aswe walked up the isle. John was such a charmer pointing up at me heturned to
his mom and shouted “’Manda (

Register)

is pretty” my faceturned red.“I’m glad you met a new friend” his mom beamed.“She not my friend she
my girlfriend! ” he reached to hug me with aburst of laughter.As I looked at him all I thought was that I
wished people could see thisside of kids like John. Not as monsters but as people they could talk to.I was
shaken out of my thoughts as he held my hand and said
“Pretty,you ok?”. Looking down at that precious face how could I not be.Approaching the cashier I felt
my mood sinking as I knew we would beparting shortly. “John sweetie(

Register)
 it’s time to go ” his mothercalled.John and I hugged and said our good byes. As he was leaving in
trueprince charming fashion he turned to and said “Dahlin call me

(Dialectal var and Register)”

winking and turning on his heel he

e influenced by their perceptionof language (Creole or Standard). Perceptions rangebetween pride and
shame or negative or positive.In this story the dominant attitudes to language are(identify and give
ample examples in support)

If your choice is Communicative Behaviours then yourintroduction may sound like this

All communicative behaviours accompany a speakerswords (oar or written) so for example if a speaker
wasspeaking angrily to another person we would expect hisaccompanying communicative behaviours to
be somethinglike “ pounding his fist” or even (shouting loudly or evenspeaking really softly).In this story
the characters displayed various communicativebehaviors, for

example when Amanda smiled at the woman when she first met her …

Analytical

My reflective piece entitled “

The Day I Met John”

is about a youngboy named John. The narrator of the story Amanda meets John inthe grocery. This piece
will analyzethe dialectal variations,registers,attitudes to languageandcommunicative
behaviorsemployed in the writing of this story.The dialectal variations are seen throughout the story.
Mainlywith the character of John for example “Hello beautiful” this is inStandard English. John uses this
to introduce himself but laterswitches to creole “

dahlin call me”.

These are examples of codeswitching John uses Standard to introduce himself as he wants tomake a
good impression and receive acceptance from others as heknows how he is viewed by others and he
thinks that by usingStandard he will be accepted.John’s use of creole can be seen as he gets comfortable
talkingwith Amanda as he feels that she has accepted him showing usthat he usually speaks creole.

whichlends itself to a formal register. This is as a result of her of her notknowing Amanda and also she’s
feeling uncomfortable aboutAmanda’s possible reaction to John. Another indicator being
hercommunicative behaviors “

fidgeting as she said this”

But we see a change in John’s mothers register and bodylanguage as she realizes that Amanda does not
scorn John. “
Thewrinkles in her forehead relaxed

” show that she begins to relaxabout the situation knowing that Amanda has accepted John herregister
changes as well “

I’m glad you met a new friend”

to casualregister as she gets friendly with Amanda.John mother’s choice in language in standard shows
her attitudeto language that she is comfortable using standard. Amanda aswell feels comfortable with it

“I’m Amanda nice to meet you”.

Thisshows that both they have a positive attitude to their choice inlanguage and communicate
effectively.John also uses communicative behaviors to show his feelingswhen his eyes fell to the ground
which shows that he feltuncomfortable and saddened by the conversational the shopperswhere having
about him.In concluding the employment of dialectal variations,communicative behaviors and language
registers used by thewriter all add substance and credibility to the story.