Javier Pujols

9/13/2021

WLLN

English Comp.

Cover letter

This essay hasn’t taught me anything, in retrospect. In any event, it helped me recognize what was already there; all I had to do was open my eyes, which this project assisted me in doing. In this article, I discuss a linguistic experience that is similar to mine. 

Those who are learning a new language, as well as those who are having difficulty with their second language, are the target audience. This is because they will be able to connect , comprehend, and compensate for what they read. It also offers a lesson to the viewers. Things should not be pressured, but rather should develop spontaneously and fearlessly. However, the audience isn’t the only one who has picked up on this lesson; I have as well. This was one of the most significant aspects of this period. Looking back on my language journey, this period aided me in understanding something I had never considered before. Furthermore, doing this homework made me understand how essential language is, since it has an impact on both your life and the lives of others around you

Onward and upward I learnt how this course would benefit me in the future and how it has changed my perspective on language. Some people think of language as only a means of communication, but this project taught me that it can also be a journey or a story. That is why I found this project to be really useful.

Aside from that, rhetorical circumstances have had an influence on my studying and writing abilities. They have aided me in a variety of ways; for example, knowing them has aided me in analyzing and comprehending articles, essays, and a variety of other readings. Knowing them and understanding how they operate has also aided me in implementing various rhetorical situations in my works.

Now one of the things that this assignment has helped me the most, is in recognizing the role of language attitudes and standards in empowering, oppressing, and hierarchizing languages and their users, and being open to communicating across different languages and cultures. In addition, writing about my language experience assisted me in realizing how much language unlocks. Being able to communicate means that you can understand and even celebrate other cultures, it also took me back to June Jordan’s essay, because white English was claimed as “standard English” it became superior to other types of English becoming “normal” and that is why Jennifer was scared to speak because she speaks English that isn’t white making her feel abnormal.

   The Scope of Learning A New Language

Learning a new language takes time for everyone, and being comfortable in your home tongue makes it even more difficult. Maybe that’s why learning English was so simple for me. Coming to the United States at the age of six, a memory I can hardly recall, and learning a new language a year later. Because I couldn’t speak Spanish well at the time, English came effortlessly to me. But, after all these years of primarily speaking English, my Spanish had become rusty, as I had only spoken Spanish to my family on a few occasions. As a result, my Spanish grammar and vocabulary aren’t the best. This is because I have to translate words from English to Spanish rather than having the words come naturally to me, which makes things tough.

However, I cannot speak for everyone. In my fourth-grade class, a group of new students was exposed to English, and they did not have the same problems; in fact, they had the opposite problem. They were taught English while conversing in Spanish. It’s as though you’ve been following a pattern for years and now everything has changed. They translated Spanish terms into English in their case. Two of the six children excelled in English classes. Because we could connect to their successes, we were able to develop a particular link and become wonderful friends.

On the other hand, several of them struggled to learn English. Jennifer, one of the students, was able to learn English on one occasion. She developed her English communication skills through speaking, writing, and reading it. She was able to demonstrate that she understands English, even if it wasn’t the most fluent. She knew the language’s ideas like the back of her hand. But there was always one thing that stopped her: the dread of being laughed at or just embarrassed because of her terrible English. This immediately became an issue when it came time for our seventh-grade final project. Jennifer and I were paired up and given a month to prepare. All of our work, including our project, paper, and presentation, was ready, by the time we had to present.

It was our turn to speak, and we were the first to do so. Jennifer approaches the teacher and asks if she can present in Spanish as I step up to walk in front of the class. Her answer was no, but she persisted in trying to persuade her that she felt uncomfortable giving a presentation in English. We decided to go last because this caused a lot of problems. However, our teacher objected, so Jennifer opted not to present, and I did so on my own. Numbers are used to grading the students, with four being the highest and one being the lowest. We would have received a four if everyone in my group had participated, but we only got a three because of Jennifer.

I was upset at first because I didn’t earn the finest grade possible, but maturing means realizing that things shouldn’t be forced; they should come naturally. Instead of forcing her to speak English aloud, it would have been preferable to allow her to speak when she was at ease and at the appropriate time. Receiving a worse mark because of someone’s behavior over which we have no influence is, nonetheless, unjust. It isn’t fair that everyone receives a lesser mark because of a student’s language and literacy difficulties.

“Behind The Mountain.” The Nature Conservancy”, 19 Feb. 2021. 

I chose this image from “The Nature Conservancy” because it shows that with time, beauty can persevere. Just like Jennifer’s language, over time she was able to be confident in her English and it turned into a beauty.

Because everyone has a distinct tale to tell and a different manner to tell it, this incident transformed the way I look at people and their language. Jennifer was unhappy because she couldn’t deliver in Spanish, but it was a push that would help her in the future. It wasn’t the push she wanted, but it was the push she required. 

This was a photo of me and my group on the day of our presentation which was a rough day for us but we still came through. This material reminds me of that day and my language experience every time I look at it.

In this world communication is key, it is something we need for survival, and as June Jordan expresses, in her essay “Nobody Mean More to Me Than You1 And the Future Life of Willie Jordan” She talks about the different types of English there are and how they shouldn’t be thrown in the shadow for not being “Standard English”.  Furthermore these different types of “English” can be developed while learning the language. She states “White standards of English persist, supreme and unquestioned, in these United States” and this may be the reason why Jennifer was embarrassed by the standards of English.

One of the things I hope this class will help me with in the future is improving my writing skills. I’m already anticipating how tough college classes will be. As a result, understanding how to write and being able to explain myself in an academic and informative manner is a skill I can learn in this class. Especially in terms of language. One of the things I’d like to learn in the future is a new language, and I may portray myself and my experiences learning a new language through narratives, just as I am now.