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Post by Ms. English on May 31, 2022 7:07:24 GMT -5
Post your answers to the discussion question here. Make sure to read the responses of those posted before you and respond directly to them when appropriate before posting your own.
How does Anzaldúa use definition to discuss her experience with language, and to what effect?
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Post by nateyat on Jul 4, 2022 8:18:57 GMT -5
Anzaldua describes her experience of being Chicano in America as painful and isolating. Not just by the people in this country but also by people in her own culture that have Latin origins. In this autobiography, she describes a variety of different languages that she speaks to express the barrier of communication that can affect culture. A non-Latino America might look at it as English and Spanish but these slight changes in syllables, dialect, and mannerisms affect the way people communicate and connect to one another. There are eight different languages that Anzaldua speaks and the word differences within them show differences in culture, gender norms, and the origin of the language itself. The eight languages that she speaks are Standard English, Working class and slang English, Standard Spanish, Standard Mexican Spanish, Northern Mexican Spanish dialects, Chicano Spanish, Tex-Mex, and Pachuco. As a Chicana, she speaks different things depending on the group of people she is speaking to. However, no matter what dialect the language is spoken in she feels as if it comes with a certain amount of shame. In America, there is pressure to conform, not just from American society but also from other Latin people telling her that her dialect of Spanish is watered down and colonized. Chicanos in American society are not represented equally in literature, music, or film. On the other hand, people that grow up in a Latin place, are completely surrounded by elements of their culture that represent them. Their language reflects it. They use more "proper" Spanish by expressing more syllables and not using English words with Spanish endings. It is isolating not feeling Latin enough or American enough. Even within the Chicano communities, the language shows prejudices. Anzaldua was surprised when she heard Cuban and Puerto Ricans using the word "Nosotras" when referring to multiple women instead of using the plural term that is masculine. These slight changes show a history of prejudice. There are differences in communication depending on the location of the Chicano community. Anzaldua recalled an experience when she was with a group of Chicanas from San Fransico and they did not want to speak any Spanish which is different from Texas. The age of a Chicano also matters when it comes to dialect. Anzaldua said she often speaks Pachuco when she was younger. Anzaldua describes this as more of a secret language. There are whole different words that an older generation of Chicanos and Latinas would not understand. She has lost a lot of her ability to speak most of this due to lack of use. There is one thing that is consistent among them, all Chicanos speaking all dialects refuse to stay silent. Anzaldua makes it very clear that even though it is really hard to grow up in American society as a Chicano her language is still really important to her and she is determined to keep it alive for other generations. No one will take away her speech.
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Question 2
Jul 19, 2022 11:50:00 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by isabellaessink on Jul 19, 2022 11:50:00 GMT -5
Anzaldúa using definitions to help describe her experience with language shows the different ways she understands all the languages she speaks and what makes each language unique. It shows the more factual side she understands of the language and she also brings up the slang and mixing of languages she also understands. The definition allows some background to the readers so they are able to grasp the concepts Anzaldúa brings up. The effect of definitions in Anzaldúa‘s writing is that there is a trust between the reader and the information given. It adds another layer onto her writing. Not only does the reader read her story and experience with her languages, but the definitions bring a history into the story. The history of the language and how it has evolved to match the time period. It brings up the idea to the reader that Anzaldúa isn’t the only person that experiences discrimination because of her languages because she isn’t the only one speaking these languages. It makes her bad experiences even more prominent because it wasn’t a one time experience, groups of people have experienced discrimination due to language. The definitions make the story bigger than just her own and adds other stories onto hers.
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Post by Lucas Frankart on Jul 25, 2022 21:51:07 GMT -5
Anzaldua Describes her Experiences based on Definitions of herself as a Chicano who is living in America where her codes aren't as common as someone who spoke English, or even Spanish. There are eight different languages that Anzaldua speaks and the word differences within them show differences in culture, gender norms, and the origin of the language itself. The eight languages that she speaks are Standard English, Working class and slang English, Standard Spanish, Standard Mexican Spanish, Northern Mexican Spanish dialects, Chicano Spanish, Tex-Mex, and Pachuco. As a Chicana, she speaks different things depending on the group of people she is speaking to. Even within the Chicano communities, the language shows prejudices. Anzaldua was surprised when she heard Cuban and Puerto Ricans using the word "Nosotras" when referring to multiple women instead of using the plural term that is masculine. These slight changes show a history of prejudice. There are differences in communication depending on the location of the Chicano community.
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Post by Cameron M on Aug 15, 2022 10:41:11 GMT -5
Anzaldua uses definitions to help describe her experience as a Chicano woman living in America with a language barrier. In her story, she lists all of the languages she speaks and included a few encounters she had with a few. One included being caught speaking Spanish at recess and ending up getting punished for doing so. That made her feel like she was in the wrong for speaking in a language that she was comfortable expressing herself in and she was told " If you want to be American speak American" which is a dis at her expressing herself and her culture which I could only imagine could make someone feel isolated and shamed for expressing themselves. Then another encounter included having to take two speech classes so she could get rid of the accent she had from speaking this language with a mix of Spanish and English and other things as well. That could make someone feel ashamed for the way they speak it almost reminds me of "Me talk Pretty One Day" where the author was ashamed to attempt to speak french because of fear of failure and then shame that the teacher would put onto him. Anzaldua faces people shaming her for the way she speaks and expresses herself.
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Post by zacharyhiscock on Aug 15, 2022 10:56:55 GMT -5
Anzaldua uses definition to describe her experience of being a Chicana living in America. She states that it's awful, telling the audience how, no matter where she goes, she's discriminated against by Americans and Spanish people. She wished that she could be herself, but her school wouldn't allow her. She got caught at recess speaking Spanish and got in trouble for it. Her own mom didn't like her accent, and she had to take two speech classes so that she could get rid of her accent that she had. Anzaldua had to live with even discrimination from other Chicanas, stating that during most encounters, it was a battle between who was the better Chicana. She felt as if she didn't have freedom at all and wished that she could have a way to express how she truly felt. By defining how language gave so much freedom, but also took away all of her own freedom, she was able to express how it truly is living as a Chicana in America.
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Post by Ellen T on Aug 16, 2022 17:06:13 GMT -5
Anzaladua uses definition throughout this piece of writing to really help readers understand her back around and upbringing. By defining each type of language she inserts her own feelings about said languages and how they have affect Mexican and American culture. By defining Chicano Spanish readers see how this language evolved due to Spanish/Anglo colonization. Because of these beginnings it is viewed as poor Spanish because it was adapted not only from Standard Spanish but also the English language. The definition of this language shows how the author had to censor themselves growing up due to views on Chicano Spanish and the history of this language, something she shares with us to better understand the restricted upbringing she endured. By defining several different languages in this short article readers also see how smart this writer is. She can understand and speak several different languages including Chicano, English, and Tex-Mex to name a few. This goes against the horrid stereotype of Mexican-Americans, that they cannot speak english, do not have a high level of education and therefore are not very intelligent. Through her definitions and her writing she rebells against stereotypes sadly often viewed by the public and opens the eyes of many readers.
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H. Hallett
New Member
"I know I said he was perfect but he wasn't perfect; still we loved him, in spite of, because."
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Post by H. Hallett on Aug 19, 2022 7:00:29 GMT -5
In presenting her experience with languages, Anzaldua lays out all the concepts she introduces very formally. Out of all the essays, this one felt to me the most like the science writing that I usually associate with nonfiction. This lends her statements a huge amount of credibility and makes it evident that she knows what she's talking about. It's scientific, it's well-established, it's laid out neatly, so there can't be a question as to whether it's legitimate. It's reminiscent to me of how growing up my mother would talk about being precise in the way that I was speaking so that people wouldn't have an excuse to not take the things that I was saying seriously. That feels like an additional part of the point that Anzaldua is making. Semantics and sentence structure is another facet of the experience of language that people make judgements on, the example coming most readily to mind being the shunning of AAVE as "improper English." This labelling as inferior of a certain language or aspect of language is tied into the linguistic and cultural erasure that this essay is speaking about, and by being very careful to be correct, Anzaldua is highlighting the fact that she must hold herself to this standard of correctness if she wishes to be taken seriously by certain people, in her writing as well as in her speech.
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Post by madelynide on Aug 19, 2022 17:22:45 GMT -5
Anzaldúa uses definition to discuss her experiences with language to help describe the different languages she speaks throughout her life, including standard English, Standard Mexican Spanish, Chicano Spanish, Tex-Mex and more. As she defines what each language means, she explains how it applies to her life such as where she speaks it and who she speaks it with. By knowing how she uses each subtype of the languages she speaks it helps the reader better understand her experiences with each individual language. As someone who grew up only speaking English, the experiences Anzaldúa describes surrounding language helped me to better understand the challenges that immigrants face. They’re surrounded by a completely foreign language, and often are made fun of for speaking their native language. Immigrants have to be very conscious of what language they’re speaking based on where they are and in doing this, they often lose a part of their identity. Because I’ve always been surrounded by native language I have never considered those aspects of immigrating and Anzaldúa’s definitions really helped to provide this new perspective on language and immigration.
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Question 2
Aug 19, 2022 18:29:14 GMT -5
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Post by chanks on Aug 19, 2022 18:29:14 GMT -5
Anazaldua uses definitions of the different dialects of Spanish to discuss her experience with language. I think using the definitions is a way to let the readers know that I’ve read this language and that I'm aware of it because it’s the language that's widely accepted in a certain group of people. This is to the effect that she's had conflict with the different languages other than her own and conflict with her identity just because she didn’t speak a certain way. I think since so many different languages have so many different rules she defines each one to express that she uses a different language with a different group of people. I think her explaining the definition also signifies that she’s respectful and that she understands that this is traditional and formal even though she is comfortable and has stuck with the languages she knows. It’s not like she’s abandoned every other dialect but she accepted it.
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Post by Brendan T. on Aug 20, 2022 10:55:06 GMT -5
Anzaldúa uses the definition of all the different languages she speaks to tell a story of what she has to go through on a daily basis. defining these languages allows for insight of the reader into her life and how it feels to have so many different languages to choose from and to help her in her da to day life. It also allows for some quality of life for the read, making this essay easier for the reader to understand and to get the message across with out any miscommunication. The positive and best out come of defining the languages is it does make her life a lot easier when it comes to communication and we get to learn and hear about it through these stories and or informational bits.
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Question 2
Aug 22, 2022 20:57:58 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by adewees on Aug 22, 2022 20:57:58 GMT -5
Anzaldúa uses definition to draw distinction between the languages she knows. She also uses definition as a tool to explain how she feels when she speaks the different languages. She speaks different languages when she talks to different people, or people from different regions. She explains how she uses English as a middle ground language with people she does not feel comfortable speaking other languages with. Her main languages — Tex-Mex and Chicano Spanish — she does not feel confident in using with most people. She had been judged and shamed her whole life, in order to make her feel like her language was illegitimate, because it was parts of two languages. She also uses these definitions to really explain how connected she is with Chicano Spanish. When Anzaldúa feels insecure about speaking Chicano Spanish, she feels that she is insecure as a person. She feels that being confident in this language is the same as being confident as a person. Defining these languages is a strong tool for Anzaldúa.
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Post by babydollbouncyballs on Aug 22, 2022 22:57:33 GMT -5
Anzaldúa uses definitions to describe her experience with language and how it connects to her with the emotional aspect of language, as well as its effects on her dialect and language with other groups of people. She has to sift through each of the languages in each different setting she's using them in because each language and word connects differently with other groups of people. For her the closest languages to her heart are chicano spanish, and tex mex the words in that language to her have a deeper closer meaning because language is not just words it's also emotions. It’s a connection to a word that can’t be given in just the literal translation but has to be developed with experiences. So in different groups of people in order to relate, or communicate with them the languages that she uses are tailored to them (code switching) so even though she is more emotionally connected with chicano spanish, and tex mex she was taught to feel ashamed when using them in the “wrong” situations because she wouldn’t be taken seriously or people wouldn't understand her like they would in their own dialect. We can see this in the essay when she begins to describe where and to whom she would use different languages and dialects and how those affect her interactions. For example in the essay she talks about how her “home” tongues are the languages she speaks with her sisters and brothers and how for job situations, and school she's adapted standard and working class english. Anzaldúa is emphasizing the fact that in order to be taken seriously and understood by people in different communities she feels the need to hold herself to a certain standard of correctness.
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Post by Beckett Moon on Sept 1, 2022 11:51:13 GMT -5
Anzaldua uses definitions to discuss how different dialects have impacted her throughout her life, and how she uses different languages to navigate various social situations. Anzaldua states that chicano spanish and tex mex come most naturally to her because that is how she grew up speaking. However, in different settings she has to "switch codes" and change which version of the language she uses. She does this so that she can connect and effectively communicate with certain groups of people. During her childhood, she was punished at school and shamed for using forms of Spanish. She defines the different versions of Spanish/English and discusses how she feels about having to switch so frequently for most of her life.
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Post by sophocles on Sept 2, 2022 12:43:08 GMT -5
Anzaldua in her essay, How to Tame a Wild Tongue, uses different Spanish and English dialects to define her experience as a Chicano. Everybody in Anzaldua's life reacts differently to each dialect. Her mother disliked that she "spoke English like a Mexican". Her teachers wanted her to assimilate into a "normal" English dialect. To her peers, she spoke mixtures of Spanish and English, with unique slang that adults couldn't understand. To Anzaldua, her language defines her. Depending on who she is speaking to, the language she speaks changes. How to Tame a Wild Tongue describes how Chicano culture sprouted out of American and Mexican cultures. How their parents want them to become more American, to speak what they consider "normal" English. How to Americans all they can hear is Spanish words mixed into their English, or them just speaking unique native tongues to their friends and family. Language is how people communicate to each other, and to Anzaldua her language, or her tongue, is her.
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