Response 3

English for me is a way to communicate to someone. English in my life shows my personality and lifestyle. My personality is always changing along with my english. If I am in a bad mood my english is horrible and I use alot of slang. If I am in a great mood I use perfect english to prove my point. The english language is my first and german is my second. I can relate to Tan's idea of trying to fit in with a foreign language. It was difficult for me not only to speak german but also to learn the customs and gestures. Plus there was many different dialects. I live in Rheinland which was differant from Saarland or Bavaria. I understand the struggles that people have in learning english as a second language because it is not just the words but also the heritage that goes with it.

respone 3

English is the means by which I communicate my thoughts and feelings. In my life I have not had to struggle to fit in with learning a second language like Amy Tan mother’s “broken” English, Gillian sacrificing his Italian, and Agosin struggling to find anything to compare with his beloved Spanish. These authors see us as socially judgmental of those who do not speak English perfectly and treat those lacking inferior. I’m sad that all these authors have a negative point of view about how we perceive foreign speakers and are perceptions that English is the “right” and “only” language. Wow, how self-centered we are.

I was really mad when I read Amy Tan’s article and saw that her mother was even treated poorly because of her trouble speaking perfect English. No one should receive poor service or be ignored simply because of their speech. I am glad that I have not had to face these social injustices in my life.

English For Me.

For me english is about unique style, that when is done correctly creates different levels of power that convey messages to others. English for me is an ongoing relationship, something I learn from everyday. I speak English, I write in English, I even think in English. Because I am in constant use of this language, I am always learning its different moods, ways to benefit from using it, to provoke certain emotions, and persuade others. Our relationship is an intersting one, sometimes when I am unable to discover the right word to use, I am frustrated with English. Other times, when I use English to market myself, abilities and accomplishments, or to express my love for another, I have a great appreciation for English.

What English is for me, however, is different from what it is to someone who may not be in constant companionship with it. Amy Tan for example, has a relationship with English that is different for my experience with it. Amy used English to assist her mother in recieving benefits that were denied to her. For Amy, it was as tool that she was fortunate to have, a mastery of the English language, being a gift to her mother. To Amy's mother, however, English was a relationship that was not always satisfying, at times it was disheartening.

English represents my lifestyle and my family. I was born in America and have spoken English all my life. In America, majority of people here speak English except the select few states off to the west who may speak Spanish. In reflection, Maria Mazziotti Gillan wrote a simple poem with bold meaning. She wants to tell her classmates and teacher that she is indeed an American as they are, but can't bring herself to do it because they will just tell her she is wrong. Amy Tan's writing seemed filled with passion. She was a struggling writer who was told numerous times that she needed to give up writing and focus on something that her "kind" was successful at. She ignored them and realized that she wasn't writing correctly for everyone to understand. She began writing in a way that her mother could understand and found easy. That was when she became successful as she wished. Marjorie Agosin only wanted to write in Spanish. She believed that her heritage was striped from her and the only thing left was her language. She continued to only write in Spanish, later publishing a poem that was full of meaning. Agosin is familiar to me because I too love my language enough that I too would do the same as her. My language is who I am and I would never want to change that. I was enrolled in Spanish classes for three years. The language didn't come easy. I found English to be so simple compared to it, but it was a real experience because now I understand.

Response # 3

English is the medium that I use to communicate with and interpret the world around me. English as my language has different, but important functions in my life; the symbols and meaning behind words in English allow me give meaning to my beliefs and emotions as well as identify and define the things around me. English also enables me to comprehend and learn from the ideas and messages that other people send to me.

Marjorie Agosin, in her article, “Always Living in Spanish,” shares that she writes in Spanish and it gives her, “the sense of being and feeling” (203). She is able to harmonize her senses, emotions, and beliefs when she writes in the Spanish word than in English. For Agosin, Spanish is the language that she knew first; in childhood, a time when she was creating meaning for the world around her, Spanish was her medium of symbolization.

Language is a medium of communication and expression; as human being we all share similar thought and belief patterns as well as a need to share with others. People tend to favor their language of origin because it is the most familiar and accurate recall for communication. The sharing of ideas is the reason for lanuage, which form of language should not take away from the ultimate purpose. Agosin notes the importance of translation as she discusses her preference for writing in Spanish. Spanish is the medium that she can be her most genuine and creative. She understands the “great human community of language,” as she explains can that more people can be affected by her message because of translation to English.

Response to Tan, Agosin and Gillan

English represents one of the most adopted and practiced languages in the world. It represents a sort of power because there's a good chance that no matter where an English speaking human might go in the world, that particular language will be present in some way whether it be spoken or written.

For Gillan it seems that the English language is almost a burden. At first in her piece she seems to be somewhat sad that she can't conquer the English language but then her sadness quickly turns to anger near the end. If I were to move to a new country where I had to learn a new language and couldn't seem to grasp the foundations of it, I, too, would find myself angry. But by the end of Gillan's piece, it's almost like she has decided to not put any further effort in trying to improve her English speaking skills.

With Agosin, I wasn't exactly sure of her journey with the English language. While Gillan focused on her struggle, Agosin decided to place emphasis on how she kept her Spanish identity alive through her writings. I would assume that's how it would be for an English speaking American moving to France: even if they learn to speak French, they will most likely continue to write/speak in English, too.

Gillan, Tan, and Agosin Response

The English language is a very universal and largely spoken language in the U.S. as well as around the world. It is in fact becoming the dominant language used worldwide and this can make a tremendous and impacting effect on the people that are not used to or familiar to using this language. The article excerpts from the assigned readings were good examples of individuals with native tongues being affected by the difficulties of learning or encountering proper use of the English language. In Tan's essay for example, her mother's inability to speak clear and distinct English made certain encounters and social situations very difficult to deal with. Often her daughter would have to speak on the phone or handle other tasks which I'm sure was very impending on her. To conclude on thoughts concerning the difficulty of using proper English, it is difficult to pinpoint when this is necessary and when it is considered to be a "push" for those who can not change or alter their native tongue or dialect.