Important
1. Begin with the facts
Find out as much as possible about the history of your country from sources you know are reputable. Remember to keep an eye out for any UN action in your country related to the topic, relevant statistics, and anecdotes you could write about.
Important
The timeline page is VERY useful when writing the history of the issue paragraph
2. Search Elsewhere
Using your wonderful Google skills and other resources available to you, begin searching for other sources of useful information that can tell you about the history of your country and/or the history of your topic in your country.
It is always a good idea to take advantage of the committee website, in this case UNECO. It can often lead you to helpful resources directly related to your topic.
Even though this article doesn't relate directly to language, it helps to give me an idea of what the country has been dealing with instead.
Guinea-Bissau was the only country in West Africa to have fought its way to independence.
But since that war with Portugal ended and the country's flag was hoisted in 1974, it has lurched from one crisis to another and analysts have long warned that the country urgently needs to change into a democratic state.
3. Broaden your scope
If searching specifically for your country/topic has not given you enough information, broaden your search terms. This can mean a larger geographic area (ex. west Africa), an organization, or an allied country. (Remember blocs?) Inferences start to come in handy now.
This resource was found using the Google scholar search. The information comes directly out of a published book.
This is an excellent resource for many reasons. Not only is it a published book, it gives me a wider picture of the issue of language endangerment in Africa.
4. If all else fails...
If there is absolutely no relevant information about your country's history on the issue, you may write about the general history of the issue as it relates to the world. This should be a last resort!
Topic: Promoting multilingualism and the safeguarding of endangered languages
Country: Guinea-Bissau
Since gaining autonomy from Portugal in 1974 after a long fight for independence, Guinea-Bissau has faced many setbacks in the ultimate goal of development. Issues of civil war, political instability, and a weak economy have left the country impoverished and highly dependent on foreign aid. With such turmoil constantly plaguing the advancement of the country, it is no surprise that cultural preservation has not always been considered a top priority. Regrettably, the country has already reportedly lost one language with many others classified as endangered. Guinea-Bissau's history has played a huge role in shaping the face of language in the country today. The linguistic situation has always been very complex with over sixteen ethnic groups each with their own language. As early as the 15th century with the dawn of Portuguese contact, a creole emerged as a result of the mixing of Portuguese and the native languages. During the colonial period, when the natives were subject to Portuguese rule, they were not asked which language they wanted to speak nor in which language they wanted to be dressed in. Portuguese was made the official language of the country and remains so even after independence. Even so, the kreole language has remained the most widely spoken. This trend towards a dominant language has been prevalent in West Africa as a whole. "The last decades of the 20th century have witnessed almost continuous warfare in some parts of the region" (Brenzinger 141). This unstable situation has left many ethnic groups split, relocated, and highly endangered. The consequence is the loss of a traditional way of living in favor for the dominant language in the region.
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Step by step guide to writing the first body paragraph of your position paper complete with an interactive example!
Updated on Oct 05, 11
Created on Oct 05, 11
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