English Vinglish Essay

1006 Words3 Pages

Everyone is a part of a community. Most people are a part of multiple communities. A community is a group of people that have a commonality. Sometimes it is based on where you live, hobbies, goals, etc. I believe that communities are created unconsciously and are connected to someone’s identity, especially when a person is considered a part of multiple communities. Sometimes, a person may connect very well with their community. Sometimes, a person may feel very distant from their community. In the movie, “English Vinglish”, the main character, Sashi, shows examples on how communities are created through commonalities, and the acculturation theory. Sashi was a part of multiple communities. A few communities included her, her Daughter’s school, …show more content…

Sashi’s daughter did not want her to go to her parent-teacher conference because her daughter felt embarrassed that her mom could not speak English. Sashi was then able to build a connection with her daughter’s teacher because he was able to speak Hindi with her. In the textbook, “Foundations for Multilingualism in Education,” it states that, “Multiple languages and the absence of one common language will undermine political unity and cohesiveness” (de Jong, 2011, p. 39). Although this quote is referring to unity in America and using English to become a national community, I think that this also refers to smaller communities as well. Sashi felt distance between the parents and her because she could not express herself to them in English. Sashi did not feel comfortable in the school community until the teacher was able to speak Hindi with her. This also shows how parents that do not know English too well, may feel when they come into a parent-teacher conference in school. Educators need to be able to accommodate parents the best that they can because it is important for parents to be a part of a child’s

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