English 325: All American Boys

Where to start with this one? This is going to be more of a stream of consciousness post than my previous posts, simply because I have so much going on in my head and no real way of organizing it. I apologize in advance.

Now perhaps it is because I knew I was going to teach this book, but I really enjoyed this novel. “Enjoyed” isn’t the right word, “enjoyed” implies that I found pleasure in it for pleasure’s sake. Don’t get me wrong, I did find myself smiling from time to time when reading, but the real joy I obtained from this novel was looking at it from the lens of how I would teach it. I really wish I could teach this work, chapter by chapter rather than simply pushing it into one lesson. There is so much I want to talk about, so many lines to dissect and reassemble, so many themes to dive into, so many analogies to interpret! I want to rip this book apart, chapter by chapter, line by line, word by word, and reconstruct it. There is so much here that I’m just overwhelmed. I need more time with this one, I need to read it again, and then again. I need to write notes in the margins, I need to spend an hour or so thinking about what “We are not the same,” or “leave it at the door” could mean and what ramifications those ideologies could have. This work just feels like its dripping with meaning, and I’ve only been able to squeeze it once.

The characters are great. Not only do I feel like both of the many characters are real teenagers, with their language, their topics for discussion, and their lives, but the way in which they deal with the tough issues of the work seem very authentic as well. Additionally, I think all the characters represent certain types of people in the real world. Whether it’s the political activist, the silent bystander, the protective parent, or a collection of other personality types, I feel as if this work reflects back on us in the real world very well.

Now the work touches on a lot of big issues: police brutality, race, bystander mentality, religion, the uncertainty of the future, doing what is right vs. easy, etc. I think these are all very important issues that teens can not only relate to, but should also become very aware of. This isn’t an easy book to read, and it shouldn’t be. It makes you feel uncomfortable. It makes you think and rethink your position on issues that are not always easy to talk about. This is a hard book, but a necessary one. It is relevant to teenager’s lives in the most difficult way. Welcome to the real world kiddos.

So yeah, I really liked this novel, but I liked it because I want to teach it. I want to pick it apart, and come to understand it better, but I also want the challenge of making students confront this work. It is not an easy book to teach, in many ways it is a minefield of sensitivity and deeply held convictions. This work is dangerous, and it is I for that very reason that I love it so much. I want to push the envelope, I want to skate the line.

I’m now going to go on a lengthy and likely unnecessary rant. I’m kind of a space nerd. Now I say this because there is this movie, based on true event, that I really love, called The Right Stuff, and it’s about the Mercury astronauts. Long story short, all these astronauts were test pilots, insanely talented (and perhaps stupid) adrenaline junkies that pushed the limits of what their aircraft and their own bodies could handle. They had a knack for this stuff, a talent that other people didn’t possess, a skill that allowed them to push the boundaries a little further than anyone else: they had the right stuff. That’s what I want to do, not with planes or rockets, but with my teaching. I want to see if I can push those boundaries: see if I have the right stuff. This book allows me to do that.

Anyway, I apologize for my ranting, time to wrap this up. I have only one complaint with the novel: it’s a little obvious sometimes. There were a couple of moments where I went, “No don’t explain how it’s like racism, we already understand!” You can leave some things unsaid. It’s like how explaining a joke will never make it funnier. This is my only complaint and the only reason I am giving the work a flat A instead of an A+.

This was a good one. This one’s going to stick.  

English 326: Early draft

When looking at the Roman Empire and the role language played in the assimilation of the people conquered by the Romans throughout their long and expansive history, on might originally presume that Latin, the language of Rome, would play a role similar to how English was utilized when colonizing large portions of the world. However (pointing back to the previous sentence, thereby connecting original presumption and actual conclusion),  Latin was not a major aspect of Roman assimilation, in fact the process of Roman assimilation almost worked counter to what we traditionally see with Empires and conquest. Instead of enforcing Roman culture unto those people conquered by Rome, many of the cultures of the native people were incorporated into Roman culture. Obviously there is a give and take between cultures, but the Roman Empire is curiously characterized with a surprisingly large amount of “take”, especially when it comes to language. By looking at how Roman cultural, language included, shifted in order to adapt to the people and culture, it can be concluded that the longevity and success of Rome was at least in part due to its acceptance and inclusion of those that they conquered.  

While this paper’s primary focus is to look at language, it is first important to have a firm understanding of what the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire where, their growth, their culture, and their success. Rome was a major power for nearly six centuries, from around 200 BC to 400 AD. While we traditionally talk about the fall of Rome, it is important to remember that this culture lasted an incredibly long time, especially considering how large of an area Rome controlled. By comparison, the British Empire really only lasted 400 years, and that is generous. Rome changed to incorporate the people it conquered. It bent where other Empires broke. Yes, the great Roman Empire would eventually fall, but because of how it did not overtly push its culture unto those people it conquered, it managed to prevail for a long period of time.     

Religion for example illustrates this idea well. Take Christianity, a foreign religion that, despite being fought for an extended period of time, actually replaced the official religion of the state. The Egyptian pantheon of Gods was also incorporated into the Roman religion long before Christianity came to be. The very belief system of this great state morphed and changed with the people of time.

More interestingly, this reverse flow of influence also relates to language. At the height of the Roman Empire, Greek was almost as common a language, and just as accepted, as Latin. Image the language of a defeated foe not only being free from persecution, but accepted as an equal to the language of the Roman state! I thought that Rome would use language as a way to oppress, but rather it has shown itself to be a way to include.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion to Tim’s research paper…

English 325: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I’m not going to lie: I’m torn on this one. On one hand I really like the work. Viewed through a certain lens, this a story about a young boy who is in a bad situation and through hard work, determination and a desire for a better life, claws his way out of that situation and improves himself. In a way, it exemplifies the American dream. It is an inspiring story, something that reminds us that something better is always within our grasp.

But on the other hand, this book makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. It feels as if all the good things that happen are a result of leaving the reservation and Native American traditions behind. Going to a White school, making good friends with White kids, having White teachers that care about him. Almost everything on the reservation is viewed in a negative light. While the people on the reservation are decent enough, everything else about the location is painted as grim, dark and hopeless. Perhaps this is the truth, perhaps nothing good ever comes from places like that, but it feels wrong to assume that everything about a place is bad. To me, at times, it seemed like the reservation was shown as flat out bad, and the White school was portrayed as better, not just in an academic sense but every sense. Perhaps this was intended to show the poor situation that many native people deal with, but by giving it next to no redeemable features it comes off as a little insensitive.

Anyway, I did enjoy reading the novel. I thought that the characters were interesting, and they developed well enough. I like the diary format, which makes it seem more personal, and I really like how you can jump into a young teenager’s head. It was a fun read for me.

I think that this would capture the attention of many students. Even if it was not taught to Native American students, students could still find ways to connect to the text. There are a lot of very teenage centered issues in this work. Not fitting in, figuring out who you are and what you want to be, balancing responsibility to family and society with responsibility for self, grief, friendship, loneliness, the list goes on. I think the novel does a good job of presenting these issues in a fair light and students will relate to these things, making the work more interesting.

As for a grade, I’m kind of stuck. I’m still torn as to whether or not I think this work is offensive. I’m going to say no, and assume that it was written with the intent of pointing out a bad situation rather than simply bashing on a certain culture. Still a little uneasy though. With that in mind, I really liked reading the novel and I got invested in the story so: B+.

I guess.

Maybe.   

English 326: Blog #5

Wow! I really enjoyed reading this, and by this I should specify that I read How to Tame a Wild Tongue. Growing up in a middle-class white family in the state of Washington I think I took, and still take, language for granted. The language I speak is not only easily recognized and identified but it is also the language of the mainstream. News anchors talk like me, politicians talk like me, famous actors talk like me. It is strange for me to think that one’s own language could not be accepted and even serve as a source of shame. To think about an entire group of people that feel as if they do not have a place because their own language is viewed as different and inferior is an incredibly disheartening idea. Having a language that is consider in between to “real” languages must be incredibly difficult. Sadly however, it is a fact of life, something that this selection does a good job of looking at.

I’m going to go off on something of a tangent here so I hope you can stay with me. Being a history major I spend a lot of time thinking about conquests. For better or worse, humanity’s story is nearly a constant cycle of one people taking over another people. The players change, the rules change, but the game… the game never does. Whether it’s German and Poland, France and Spain, the British and Native Americans, one group of people conquers another. And when I think about these things I think about events or policies that show how the oppressors dominate over the oppressed. I think about mass killings like the Holocaust, or terrible events like the Trail of Tears, or disgusting institutions like slavery. These issues are incredibly important and they are also flashy: their terrible nature attracts attention. (Colon provides additional explanation by stating that it is the particular vial nature of these events that cause them to be analyzed). They are a spectacle, something we can look at and easily say, “Wow, that was a terrible thing.” They’re clear, they’re recognizable, they are a voice of agony crying out at the top of their lungs. However, drowned out by that cry, is the soft yet ever present sobs of language desecration. We focus on the big things, but in doing so we overlook perhaps a vital aspect of how oppression works. Okay, there’s my little rant, thanks for not changing the channel.   

      

As an educator I clearly don’t want to take away a part of them or make them feel lesser or oppressed. I think by first understanding that language is something very important to someone’s sense of self, one can more tactfully approach the teaching of language. I like the idea of having students have writing journals that they must use throughout the course of the semester, however how they write in that journal is completely up to them. I think this is just one simple way of letting students utilize their own language, but also getting them use to simply writing on a regular basis.

5B: I'm thinking of looking at the Roman Empire and how the role Latin played in the conquest and assimilation of such a large area with many diverse cultures. Here are the three source:

MacMullen, Ramsay. "Provincial Languages in the Roman Empire." The American Journal of Philology 87.1 (1966): 1-17. Web.

Jones, A. H. M. "The Greeks under the Roman Empire." Dumbarton Oaks Papers 17 (1963): 1-19. Web.

"Language of the Ancient Romans." Ancient Roman Language. Web. 16 Oct. 2016. <http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/ancient-rome/language-of-the-ancient-romans/>.

English 325: Gabi, A Girl in Pieces

This text is interesting in my opinion because it touches on a lot of issues. I think the themes that this book addresses are relatable and relevant. A lot of bad stuff happen in this work, but the characters manage to deal with these things in the best way they can. Rape, addiction, race, the double standard between men and women, body image, the list goes on. These are not light subjects, but Gabi faces them head on, thinking about them, trying to understand them, and taking action that she thinks is appropriate and necessary. Even if these actions don’t align with what we think is best, they are very human, and illustrate that Gabi is doing the best she can. These themes are deep, dark, and realistic, and I think the novel addresses them in a well thought out manner.

Additionally, all characters, but most notably Gabi grow in this novel. Gabi has to face a lot of inconvenient truths throughout the course of the work, and these help her grow as an individual. On top of that, she also experiences a lot of new things through her relationships with other. She grows as she comes to better understand sexuality, what to expect from a decent partner, and herself.  I think the character development of the novel is well executed.

I don’t have many complaints with this work mainly because it addresses so many issues. There is not much that the work leaves out. That said, I do think that this work would be harder for guys to read. The novel is written in a diary format from the perspective a female character who spends a large amount of time talking about issues focused primarily around women. These are important issues that should be address and men should certainly be aware and considerate of, however by presenting it in this format, I think it would lose some male interest. I could be, and hope I am wrong about this because I think the themes addressed by this book need to be heard, but I’m not sure this format allows for this to be executed as well as it could be. This is only a minor complaint however, and I think for the most part it can be easily overcome.

I think that this text would appeal to most students. There is a lot of important stuff that I think could be very relatable to them. The work touches on a lot of important subjects, and I think even if a student can relate to one of them, it would pull them in. While I do think this work would be slightly less popular with males, I also believe that there are many aspects of the novel that transcend gender.

In conclusion, I think this is a well-crafted work that touches on a lot of really important issues of teenage life. I also think that it addresses those issues in an admirable and realistic fashion. With its wide range and touchingly real characters, it does a good job of portraying teenage life while also helping to address some of its most difficult challenges. I do think the focus on solely female experiences in some instances may isolate part of the viewership, but I do think that this should not be a major hindrance.  A good novel all around, I’d give it an A-.         

English 326: Blog #4

The article starts by describing the problem that the rest of the work will address and what actions can be taken to fix the problem. It states that the classroom is a major influence on students and how they grow. If only one language is taught in the classroom as correct or acceptable, then it will greatly hinder students’ ability to appreciate and utilize their own distinct variety of speaking and writing.

The article then continues to describe a difference in how English is perceived in the world today. Metropolitan Englishes (as it is referred to) is English spoken in countries than traditionally claim ownership over the language such as Britain, Australia, and the United States (Aside set off by parentheses. I decided to put the statement in parentheses because although I wanted to mention that the article referred to Metropolitan English in such a fashion, I didn’t want it to overpower the sentence. It was a side note). On the other hand World Englishes are described as versions of English that are in countries not normally associated with the English language. These languages, although they are just as well constructed as Metropolitan Englishes, are considered lesser and not fit to be taught in schools because it is “improper.” As the article points out however, World Englishes are growing and will soon overtake people who speak “proper” English.

It then goes on to describe how individuals who speak multiple languages are more likely to meet others in the middle when it comes to communicating. While ME speakers expect those around them to conform to their own form of the language, WE speakers are more likely to compensate, allowing for a blend of the languages to occur. This is described as a major advantage for WE speakers because this ability helps them to be much better negotiators.

The article also describes a situation where teaching “proper” English in schools proves ineffective. Students are made to feel that their speech or writing is “broken English” and that they are not learning the language properly. An example is given of one student who stays silent in class out of fear of failure, but communicates avidly with others online in English. Here he is fluent and comfortable and, using his own interests, he begins to learn the language in a way that works for him.

Lastly, the focus at the end of the article is centered on a shift in how to teach language. Rather than simply making students learn a specific dialect and having them join that group, students should be taught how to “shuttle” between different styles of a language. Rather than being stuck with one “right” way of speaking or writing, students should be able to read a situation and adapt their own language to fit that circumstance.

I found this article interesting because I never thought about people that might have learned their own form of English since birth but because it is not a mainstream English dialect, people see it as broken. It had never occurred to me that such a large power differential could become present simply based on how people use the same language. It is rather sad in a sense that this hierarchy has been constructed.

These are important lessons to know going into teaching a middle or high school English class because it really rearranges your priorities. Rather than drilling students to learn the “correct” way to speak one very specific type of English, it would be in their best interests to learn how to swap between different styles of English. This does not mean that one must abandon teaching the rules of Standard English, rather it simply serves as a reminder that there are different styles of the English Language, and pigeonholing students into a singular one will do them no good.