There has only been one year in my entire time of study that I felt extremely comfortable, and confident in my writing. My confidence was because of the environment, and some methods used by what Peter Elbow describes are needed to create a safe environment for the mother tongue. Pondiscio and Elbow both describe both situations and I believe it is important to understand both perspectives to help a writer mature. I believe it is very true, some dialects of English are seen as inferior. In Elbows essay, I feel like it helps readers be more understanding of pieces of writing not exactly to the level of Standard Written English while also including the importance of punctuation and grammar.
I believe it is extremely important to emphasize one
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Some people speak differently, some will use words in a different context than the typical prestigious writer/speaker. I have been lucky enough to be in an environment that my mother tongue has been accepted. Most of the emphasis in my years have been focused on grammar and punctuation, to a certain extent. Much of the focus in my english/writing classes has left out developing ones voice. I am definitely grateful for some experiences, including this class to help me use my “home voice” to the best of the SWE standards. The styles of writing that are produced reach out a larger reader audience. I also agree with Elbow on what his goals are. He states “to help speakers of non stream dialects come up with good essays in correct SWE as quickly and as early as possible,” while also hoping to converse these dialects in the long run as they can get lost in trying to conform to the standards of …show more content…
No doubt, I agree with him. It is important to know how to start writing what may be an unknown language. I think it is important to emphasize both matters when first learning to write. Learning punctuation/grammar anybody can learn, but developing ones own voice can be turned into something unique. Writing is a dark spot for many, because of the issues both Elbow and Pondiscio are trying to address. Some feel scared because they think they may sound stupid in their writing, but feel differently when speaking; they have not developed their home voice. Others feel scared because their lack of knowledge regarding punctuation and grammar shows in writing. Nonetheless, both issues run one with another. For me, developing your own voice is crucial, as no one else will be able to edit that into your paper like correcting your grammar. An important part of that process is for one that the mentor gives the writer confidence to write, even if his/her spelling in not correct. Second, the mentor is able to understand the dialect of the
The article Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan is a personal look into how language, and the dialects of that language, can affect a person 's life. It 's a look into how the people inside the cultural circles who use dialect derivatives of a major language are treated by people who exist outside of those cultural circles. It shows us how society treats a person using a "broken" or "limited" dialect, and how society 's treatment of these people can also affect the children who grow up using these "broken" dialects. Tan wrote this article try and convey to the reader that English is a colorful, and ever-changing language that has many dialects. Tan makes the point, several times throughout the article, that society judges you based on the type of English that you use. Throughout the article, Tan uses both her mother, herself and society 's treatment of them as evidence to support her idea. The purpose of pointing this out is to show the reader that the language a person uses, whether it be taught to them in school or by a parent at home, isn 't indicative of a person 's intelligence or value, and they shouldn 't be judged as less for using it.
The way writing is structured and written is important to the reader because that way, the reader can easily understand what the author is saying. Elbow talks about the importance of freewriting, and Murray talks about the importance of revising and editing. The way they structure and write out their writings is different yet similar, in that one is more organized, gives more detail and uses more references, or they both use examples, and personification. Both Elbow and Murray have similarities, for example, using similes, metaphors and examples, but they also have different ways of structuring out their writings or how many references they use, but neither of them are wrong. The straight forward way of Elbow’s writing may be more beneficial
If you ever have said that you were “tongue-tied”, or “in a pickle”, you were quoting Shakespeare (Boston 2). His use of English in his plays and poems were so prestigious, that they became regular sayings in modern English. Shakespeare was also a pioneer with his plays and poems. He uses English in a comedic, emotional, and intriguing way, that can quickly attract the audience’s attention(Boston 3). The way he specifically wrote his introductions was fascinating for his time, and is also used as a basis for modern day writing. In classrooms across the nation, teachers stress the importance of having an interesting introduction and overall essay. Having these characteristics makes your essay all the more better, and helps gain the support of the reader, if they enjoy learning and reading about your
According to the Susan Adams and Kyle Wiens article writes for Forbes and Harvard Business Review. Grammar helps people look very intelligent towards life, (Adams). It shows you how to organize your resume for a job, (Adams). The poor grammar shows sloppiness toward an essay or interview for jobs, (Adams). The writer’s integrity determines your reputation, (Adams). Always be serious about your subject matter, (Adams). One rule is to listen and pay attention to others, (Adams). They need to have respect for your readers because it shows that you are thinking about the topic and making an effort, (Adams). Grammar errors make people look unintelligent, (Wiens). People judge a person based on their grammar, (Wiens). Good grammar is credibility because of blog posts, Facebook status, and e-mails, (Wiens). Paints the picture of an employee that need to tell a good report of whom, or what was doing at the job, (Wiens). A person attitude can reflect on the company, business, and agency, (Wiens).
Despite growing up amidst a language deemed as “broken” and “fractured”, Amy Tan’s love for language allowed her to embrace the variations of English that surrounded her. In her short essay “Mother Tongue”, Tan discusses the internal conflict she had with the English learned from her mother to that of the English in her education. Sharing her experiences as an adolescent posing to be her mother for respect, Tan develops a frustration at the difficulty of not being taken seriously due to one’s inability to speak the way society expects. Disallowing others to prove their misconceptions of her, Tan exerted herself in excelling at English throughout school. She felt a need to rebel against the proverbial view that writing is not a strong suit of someone who grew up learning English in an immigrant family. Attempting to prove her mastery of the English language, Tan discovered her writing did not show who she truly was. She was an Asian-American, not just Asian, not just American, but that she belonged in both demographics. Disregarding the idea that her mother’s English could be something of a social deficit, a learning limitation, Tan expanded and cultivated her writing style to incorporate both the language she learned in school, as well as the variation of it spoken by her mother. Tan learned that in order to satisfy herself, she needed to acknowledge both of her “Englishes” (Tan 128).
In the essay, “How To Tame A Wild Tongue”, by Gloria Anzaldua and the essay, Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan, the ignorance shown by many people is highlighted. Amy Tan’s essay focuses on how some people look down on others who do not speak English without an accent. Anzaldua’s essay focuses on how people do not have a broad view of language and often look down upon others who do not speak the language that they speak. Both of the essays address language, but the broader topic that they acknowledge is more important. The essays both acknowledge how humans feel uncomfortable around people that are different from them, and often demean others. People demean others due to people wanting to look more powerful by giving their views correctness while discrediting
This essay opens the minds of people to see that perfect writing is not always the perfect thing. Murray’s essay would interest almost every person who has been a student and taken an English class. Most
Those dialects are affected by the communities that use them. People add slang or shorten words to make the language their own. This has an immense impact on how authors write. Some authors will attempt to use proper English, but often times will use words common to their community. In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara (DiYanni, 2007, pp. 1).
“Mother Tongue” is an essay that show the power of language and how Amy Tan uses the many forms of English and the different ways in which the language she knew impacted her life. I feel connected to Tan’s essay because I also come from a multilingual home. I have smart emigrant parents who are educated, but even though they are educated they still need my help with communicating with people occasionally. I believe the most important idea in Tan’s “Mother Tongue” is the limitation that an imperfect English can cause in a society and the richness that such English can bring to
In his essay, “Why Good English Is Good For You,” John Simon argues that speaking and writing English correctly is obligatory; the author suggests that he acknowledges the fact that language is constantly evolving, but Simon still believes that one should always use the correct “framework of accepted grammar,” while still “producing a style that is his very own” (31). Simon suggests that the argument that it is acceptable to use incorrect English since language is always changing is merely “an imperfect excuse for bad usage” (29).
As a second language learner I have never expected myself to be a perfect writer throughout the semester. Even If English was my first language still, I would not be a perfect writer. It is not about first or second language, it is about how well I understand the learning objectives. Then organizing and writing with my own ideas and putting them in my paper. I am going to be honest, I am not good at English subject and English subject is my strongest weakness than the other subjects. In this paper I will discuss and analyze my own writing, reflecting on the ways that my writing has improved throughout the semester.
“I am someone who has always loved language. I am fascinated by language in daily life.” Amy Tan, an Asian-American writer of the article Mother Tongue loves the different “Englishes” that can be spoken. In the article, she shares her personal feelings of when she was younger; her embarrassment of her mother’s English and even her own struggle with the language. Amy Tan effectively writes Mother Tongue through the use of diction to show the tone, portray amazing syntax, and express the vivid imagery.
The purpose of Amy Tan’s essay, “Mother Tongue,” is to show how challenging it can be if an individual is raised by a parent who speaks “limited English” (36) as Tan’s mother does, partially because it can result in people being judged poorly by others. As Tan’s primary care giver, her mother was a significant part of her childhood, and she has a strong influence over Tan’s writing style. Being raised by her mother taught her that one’s perception of the world is heavily based upon the language spoken at home. Alternately, people’s perceptions of one another are based largely on the language used.
In my 205 I was asked to consider how and why my writing changes from one community to another. This essay represents the results of that exploration.
This competence however, can be a hindrance. Individuals will model the style based off of their native language, causing a miscommunication between people with different cultural backgrounds. According to this theory, the way to minimize the miscommunication is to conform to English standards. Unfortunately, this viewpoint disregards the validity of the native language and the culture of the speaker, compromising their