Response to Delpit

When it comes to Gee’s articles Delpit agrees with his argument that literacy more that reading and writing and that it is “part of a larger political entity”. However, once she went over his articles again she found two aspects of his to be problematic. The first one she mentions is Gee’s belief that people who have not been born into dominant families or lifestyles will find it hard to succeed in life and eventually become dominant themselves. Delpit finds this to be a disturbing statement because it gives no hopes for the teachers teaching these students and leaves the students feeling like there is no point whatsoever. His second aspect that she disagrees with is that once a student is born into a certain discourse and values it will be hard for that student to obtain another discourse and values. This can leave teachers feeling that they can not teach the same discourse to all of their students and will have to separate them.
Delpit proves her argument by giving examples of people from other cultures that were pushed and urged on by teachers to overcome obstacles in an alien environment. She does so to show that teachers can make a difference if they really want to. Delpit believes teachers shouldn’t shut out the students’ home language because it is important to the way they view themselves and their community. Delpit then moves on to say that the teacher needs to come to terms with the fact that there is “discourse-stacking” in our society. She says the teachers should then make their classrooms aware of what is taking place in their society as well.
Delpit’s argument is well thought out and has many good points. It wouldn’t make sense for teachers to teach the same discourse to every student when there are many different cultures around; especially in the United States. Thoughts and comments like Gee’s seem to intimidate teachers to take further action with their students; leaving the students to fall behind and do no better that what the society thinks of them. A student from a poor family or colored family can be just as smart and willing to learn as a student from the dominant discourse. The teachers just have to be willing to teach them and motivate them to do their best and succeed.

Gee’s “Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics”

This essay has a lot of information for students who are looking into becoming a teacher. Being a teacher is important to be able to read students and understand where they are coming from to help them learn better. Gee’s introduction explains “language” is more of the grammar, so that leads to a misleading term. Language has to do with the environment as which we speak in and how the grammar could be perfect in a phrase but may not fit with the environment. “ It is not just what you say, but how you say it” shows that Gee is staying that no matter what you say it might be wrong for the setting of the place or people that you are speaking to. Further in the reading, Gee brings up her way of writing “Discourses” with the capital “D” which are “ways of being in the world” meaning that language is a social role that is present in our beliefs, values, and attitudes. Discourses are like your self- identity, how you approach things and the way you are in your environment. There are many different types of Discourses just as primary and secondary, dominant and non- dominant ones. Primary Discourses are is the one we grow up with and “ make sense of the world and interact with others” and Secondary Discourses are the social institutions that are in the public sphere like school, the store, and etc. Dominant and non-dominant Discourses are secondary ones but which you master in a common place or mastery in an environment alone. Gee explains that two of these can interfere with each other because you may use the one in the other or mix up the grammatical features to the other.
Gee continues by referring this essay to teachers who want to teach a certain language to students. English teachers are the ones who need to find this balance of how to teach the students and ways of not interfering with their native tongue. “Vygotsky says that learning a foreign language “allows the child to understand his native language as a single instantiation of a linguistic system” which helps the child learn both the new language and their native but leads to the understanding which Gee uses the term “meta- knowledge” as one learning a language plus putting that to the real life situations which you would deal with.
In Conclusion, I believe that the rest of the essay of “what is literacy?” states Gee’s argument of how the way we speak in our environments and people is also literacy as well as the writing and grammar.

Autobiography week 6

Well with everything I have been through in the last week i have definitely had to watch what i say around certain people. Normally I find myself being of free speech but because the situation called for more of a following and listening I had to do so. I had to watch what i said about my mom or to my mom because it would be upsetting and the same went for my dad this week too because the social situation was one of a somber one. In waiting rooms I found myself communicating with others as if I was in school carrying on a conversation with professors about what I was reading and it is because family encouraged me o do so to be on top of my game. i find myself when I talk in school and in that type of situation I try too hard to sound smart and sometimes it backfires but sometimes I impress. 

I find myself separating my school and home language as o fit the type of situation I am in even though sometimes they blend. I never really noticed I was doing it until this assignment was given and I don't necessarily think it is a bad thing but I do now find myself doing it and I just wonder how I sound to others or what they think as I am talking to them. My family never says anything to me but it might be out of politeness I am not sure. I do think though that all of us do maintain a certain language in certain situations as to not sound stupid or mean or even smart in some cases all to avoid possible teasing or even being looked down upon.

One Person, Many Voices

We all make changes to the way we speak to people based on the place, time, and situation. I have found that I speak in numerous ways depending on who I am speaking with and where I am at, at the time. When at school during class I have to be able to speak properly and be able to back up what I am saying. I cannot use words that not everyone might know. Just as when I am tutoring my students I have to make sure I am using vocabulary that they can comprehend. I often find myself using words that are beyond their comprehension and I have to go back and correct myself. When I am at work I have to be sure to have a professional manner and speak politely to customers; especially when I answer the phone. However, when there seems to be no one around my co-workers and I tend to go off on our own conversations; speaking the way we would if we were hanging out outside of work. And then when we see someone we go right back to being perfect little angels. At home is where I feel like I can be myself and speak however I choose. My brother and I are always messing around and saying random things; usually things that don’t even exist. I tend to not pay attention to grammar and structure when I am talking at home. The downside on that part is that my family is constantly making fun of me and saying, “Aren’t you the English major?” which tends to get very annoying.

"Sponsors of Literacy"

Brandt, Deborah. "Sponsors of Literacy." Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook. Cushman, Ellen. et al. New York: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2001

In Brandt’s "Sponsors of Literacy", she explains how the. She starts out by defining sponsors of literacy as those in her study that came up most frequently as influences on her subjects’ literacy development. These people consisted of relatives, teachers, clergy, authority figures and authors. Brandt theorizes that literacy is defined by the interest of its sponsors. This in turn affects the way and reason why people read and write. She goes on to describe how literacy has political and economic value. This being true, many Americans go through great lengths to obtain literacy for their families. Because literacy plays such a huge role in our economic system, a sort of stratification regarding literacy emerges, and roadblocks are placed in front of certain individuals to gain literacy in the name of competition. Brandt explains her theories by citing two individuals she studied.
Raymond Branch belonged to the “majority-race membership, male gender, and high-end socioeconomic profile”. Because of this, Brandt explains, Branch had more access to literacy than his counterpart of the same age that lived in the same town Dora Lopez. She also explains that the difference in access has to do with the difference in the level of sponsorship available in both situations.
Brandt’s account of how economy and sponsorship affect literacy is quite striking and I found quite a bit of truth. Most people recognize the sponsor’s role in literacy, but rarely recognize economic influence. Sponsors are either congratulated or blamed for any one individual’s literary competency. If one is unable to read critically or write effectively, this is blamed squarely on the sponsors and the efforts and abilities of the individual are seemingly disregarded. I also agree with Brandt’s theory that the interest of the sponsor is reflected in the capacities in which an individual is successful in literacy, as well as how and why they read and write. In school, reading and writing are seen as a means to an end of economic accomplishment and intellectual growth. In church, literacy is seen as a means of spiritual and personal growth. In the home, literacy is seen as a way to connect to your own culture. Whichever sponsor is the most influential usually has a hold on how and why that individual will read and write. Brandt’s theories on how economics influence literacy can be seen in our society. Socioeconomic status can play a huge role in access to literacy. Socioeconomic status is often determined by race and gender, contrary to the capitalist thought that everyone chooses their socioeconomic status through work ethic. It is clear that those apart of the dominant culture have more access to literacy than those who are not. Teachers don’t want to teach in low socioeconomic areas because of the crime rate and behavioral problems due to broken homes. Those that are supposed to be literacy sponsors in the community find little importance in literacy, as most of their employment only requires the basics and nothing more. This creates literary roadblocks for those belonging to different social and economic groups, and severely limits access to literacy.

What I Meant to Say Was...

It wasn’t until I actually stopped to really notice how I speak in different situations that I noticed that my speech changes according to the situation that I am in. I noticed that I speak differently in these situations: at school, at work with my immediate superior, with superiors/when I conduct business, when I am speaking to my mother, when I am speaking with my grandmother, when I am speaking with my younger siblings, and when I am speaking with my friends/fiancé. When I first started reflecting on my own speech, I really had the idea that I would only have two differences in my speech; one type of discourse when I speak to my friends and one type of discourse when I speak to everyone else. This was not the case. When I speak at school, I do a combination of things. I attempt to speak in a seemingly intellectual manner, but because I got along with my teachers so well when I was in high school, I also allow a bit of my personality to come through in my speech. It’s a formal speech, but it’s not so sterile that I sound like Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. When I speak to my immediate superior at work, I speak in an informal yet respectful manner. We work closely together so that allows for the informality, but she is also my superior so I take that into account when I am speaking to her. My speech with her is somewhat conscious.

When I speak to any other authority or when I am conducting business, I do assume a very formal, sterile sort of speech. This is because of my respect for him and as well as my willingness to adhere to certain social standards. When I speak to my mother, it is more informal than when I talk to my immediate superior at work and contains more colloquial language, but there is still a level of respect in my speech that I am conscious of and try to maintain. When I speak to my grandmother, I actually regress a little bit. I become a tad childlike when I speak to her. This is a response to the fact that she still speaks to me as if I am a child. My manner of discourse with her is very instinctive, and has not changed in 21 years. I have a very authoritative yet loving tone and style of speech when I speak to my younger siblings. I am the second oldest of seven and I had a hand in raising the five siblings under me. They respect me and I respect them, but to do what they are told and when I say something that I mean it. This speech is very instinctive as well. When I speak to my friends and my fiancé, my speech is totally informal and full of colloquialisms. I am conscious of the fact that I don’t need to speak in a formal manner with them, so I can relax and allow whatever comes to my mind to come out of my mouth. None of are offended easily and things said between us would be acceptable if said to a total stranger. What was interesting to me when I started to observe myself is how smooth my transitions between the different discourses were.

Response to Farr

In Farr’s article she discusses how she studied Mexican families from Chicago and two ranchos in Mexico. She watched how the families had close relationships with friends, calling them “compadrazgo”; which is just another way to say godparent. She explains how some of the families have members that move back and forth from Chicago to Mexico, some only visit for weeks at a time and others only have the husband in Chicago sending money to his family back at home. Not every member in these families went all the way through school; some had to stay at home to help the family. But Farr states that some of them were at a higher level at literacy than expected due to their own motivations. A group of men were able to “pick up” literacy from other people using spoken language. What motivated these men to want to be able to read and write was that they wanted to be able to write to their families back home. What the article then continues to prove is that it is quite possible to learn literacy without actually going to school. One man was able to teach himself after only going to school for a total of three months. He would just practice on the things he saw. She also mentions that it is possible to learn to write before learning to read; there is no right order.
As Farr explained, what helps a person learn literacy by spoken language is motivation, and it’s not something everyone has. This just proves the old saying that “you can do anything you put your mind to” can work for reading and writing as well. It doesn’t have to be taught in a school setting; however a person has to want it. I find it interesting that a lot of this can be related to earlier readings such as Douglass and what we know from our history. Common people couldn’t send their children to school because they needed them at home to help work or there wasn’t a school close enough to them; just as it was for these groups of people. But just like Douglass, some of them found a way to learn it other ways and succeeded.

Totally In Control

The first time that my language abilities made me feel powerful was when I was a junior in high school and I was Mock Trial. Mock Trial is a high school extracurricular activity/group where students come together and form legal prosecution and defense teams. These teams receive a fictional case, and work both ends. Competitions are held locally at actual courthouses, and are very intense and fun. In my high school’s mock trial I was the lead defense attorney. I took this position because I like a challenge, and most of all I love to argue. It was very important that my teacher who was advising the group had faith in my ability to perform well in this position. I was also chosen for this position by my fellow classmates who were participating in Mock Trial because I have strong verbal communication skills, especially if my speech is thoughtfully planned. I also had to be able to think on my feet and really come up with rebuttals to the prosecutions arguments in the blink of an eye. I also had to do so in a legal and professional manner, and without breaking the rules of the court. I felt powerful because I was using my language skills to argue points in a legal setting. It gave me such a rush. I have no idea why I’m not planning on going to law school after college.

Intimidated

I do not remember my first experience with speaking and others speaking around me, but I do remember some interesting experiences when I transferred from community college to Cal State. When I first took classes at my community college it was a nice transition from high school; almost like I never left. It seemed to be at the same level as far as speaking and comprehending went. But when I was finally able to transfer to a four year college, I noticed a big difference in the classes, instructors, and students that attended. It wasn’t that the instructors spoke in a way that I could not understand; it was the way the students would respond to the discussions we were having. I felt like I was on a completely different planet. I started to question my abilities when it came to speaking and writing. It even made me very scared to include myself in the discussions. It wasn’t like I couldn’t understand what they were saying; I just felt that they were explaining their ideas in a way that could have been summed up in a simpler way. The reason a situation could be scary for someone is because it makes them feel like they should know how to speak or write as eloquently as these students. But as time has passed I have listened to different students and even broadened my vocabulary by doing so. I have also noticed other students that are like me and feel that things don’t have to be said in such a complicated manner; making me feel a little more confident with the situation. It made me realize that some people are just articulate when it comes to speaking; it doesn’t make them smarter, they just have a gift with words.

Precis: Heath: Protean Shapes in Literacy Events

Heath's essay describes the importance of literacy value of communities. She explains traditions that have changed throughout the years and the society with the use of literacy. Heath goes on to explain the term “Literacy Event", which meaning " is any occasion in which a piece of writing is integral to the nature of participants' interactions and their interpretive processes" and this is a helpful tool in describing the communities of today's society. Heath gives the examples of a Girl Scout is selling cookies to you and gives you a paper to look at plus she gives her speech which includes everything on the paper, so the speech is more important than the paper which is the reading part. Concluding her example she states, “there are more literacy events which call for appropriate knowledge of forms and uses of speech events than there are actual occasions for extended reading or writing." Heath continues her main argument by using ethnographic work to experience the society using literacy in their daily lives. Tracton is a literate community because the members could read printed and use written materials. In a work setting is different because it restricts the types of materials. But looking at these examples enable us to see only the protean shapes of oral and literate traditions and language.

Week 5: Trouble with Speaking

Looking back at my first time that my language meant something meaning was when I gave my first speech to my high school class. I was really nervous and I was scared that I would sound like a moron up there trying to motivate my peers to do something. I wasn’t really shy in school but after that experience and trying to talk in class made it hard for me because I get scared that I am going to say a stupid thing or sound like a moron when doing so. I didn’t feel the support from that teacher in that class and not that moment scarred me for the rest of my life because ever since I don’t say anything in class because it will be stupid or people are going to look at me strange. But thinking back on the moment I don’t really see why I would be like the way iam now because I do at times feel comfortable to be talking in front or with a large group of my peers, it’s the speeches I have to give to people older than I and more professional than I is when it is scary and my nerves get the better of me.

Book Reports Do Not Work

I believe the reason it took me so long to appreciate literacy was the way it was forced upon me as a student. The teachers had to follow a strict curriculum, which meant reading certain novels and plays. Although there were a few that I grew to love, I usually had no interest in reading them. What made it even worse was when the teacher would assign us to write a book report on the reading. This just made the reading part feel more miserable. Instead of just reading a book to enjoy it or escape from reality, I had to actually pay close attention to specific details. And usually in the end I hardly ever actually finished reading the book. I would just skim through it and also read the back cover or inside flap that gives the details of the plot. I feel that in order to get students into reading, they should be aloud to choose what book they want to read at first and then be asked questions as to why they chose it, and what they found to be the most interesting aspect of it. I understand as a literature major that I do have to pay close attention to details in novels, and that is to be expected. But when trying to get a student to read, especially middle and high school, it needs to be a gradual process; letting them pick a few novels on their own, and then introducing them to the curriculum. It could be a way for teachers to learn more about their students and also compare the more modern novels they choose, to the classic novels the curriculum suggests.

Szwed and Moss with Ethnography

Moss, Beverly J. “Ethnography and Composition: Studying Language at Home.” From
Composition in tour keys: Inquiring into the Field, Mark Wiley, Barbara Gleason, and
Louis Weatherbee Phelps eds. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield 1996.

Szwed, John F. “The Ethnography of Literacy” From Literacy: A Critical Sourcebook.
Ellen Cushman, Eugene R. Kintgen, Barry M. Kroll and Mike Rose eds. Boston, MA :
Bedford/St. Martin’s 2001.


Both writers to have read this week to have a common reason for writing on how to study such things as language and literacy but as I read I saw two different purposes for the studies they were doing. In Szwed he wanted to improve the studies done now on measuring literacy to move away from statistics to include the social factors. He does point out that students do read different ways in school then at home or anywhere else. He is very critical of the standard testing going on in school and I am in complete agreement. Those tests are to critical and want to put a standard on reading and is a student cannot reach that standard as put forth by above standard people their future can be severely retarded. Szwed points out that we are constantly reading all around us from billboards to road signs telling us how to drive. It seems the question is being raised; isn’t literacy a comprehension of the text and the ability to translate it and take action on it? It might actually not be what the symbolism in Harry Potter is because it is just as significantly important to have comprehension in the social sphere. He says that this is exactly what these standard tests do not account for the account for a nervous student reading something for the first time and being forced to write an essay on the spot in a given time and nothing else. Although these tests do not affect grades schools have still found ways to have it affect the student and their future in school.
Now in the Moss article she was more concerned with the language part of schooling and the responsibility of parents or learning in the home to further the education of students in the classroom. This study stayed away from statistical numbers and tries to bring in the social context because it could not be ignored. She specifically links the study of language and the cultural setting into writing and both authors brought up this point, that the two language and social context are important to reading and writing because the social defines the language and the language determines the writing which leads to the social determining the reading and reading determining the comprehension measured in writing. It all links back to the social context. Moss is more so about how to conduct the study as Szwed would want it done. The studying purely not the influencing but the observing solely and pulling info and theories from what the community has defined as acceptable in itself.

What Made Me Hate Reading

Well I have never really had extremely bad experiences with reading but what did make me hate reading was school. It was the fact that we have to take a perfectly good book and tear it apart to find some hidden meaning and when I could not find that meaning or even have the same meaning as the rest of the class I felt less and less literate and it still horrifies me to feel this way. I come to college to expand my mind and reach new learning horizons but some days I leave feeling I never measure up. In my English 315 class I was supposed to read Harry Potter and the when we were done we were supposed to break it down into what the gender roles were, what the wand and a feather mean and even what a name meant. I could not find it easy to take this book I loved as a child and pull it apart to basically find evil undertones to the whole thing and find it was more of a hidden critique teaching children to be ever so negative about the society they live in. Not what I would imagine a childrens’ book to be doing at all. This book was ruined for me and all because we can not leave things alone and take them for face value. Reading at the college level has forced me to criticize everything I read and I find it hard to read for pure pleasure anymore and I honestly miss it because in my mind it becomes work. I am hoping though that because of this I will be able to show kids how to break down a book but also encourage pleasure reading where the mind is cleared and the things learned in the classroom are forgotten to an extent because literacy is not just what we learn in school it is all around us and it takes many forms and is interpreted in many forms.

"Developing" Pains

One of the most dreadful schooled experiences with literacy I had was when I first started writing essays. I hate academic writing. I hate it. Nothing traumatic ever happened to me to make me hate it, it’s my soul that hates it. I resisted writing academically at all costs. I got away with it mostly in middle school, but once I got to high school there was no getting around it, especially since I was in honors and AP classes. The rigidness of learning how to write academically always made me cringe. All throughout high school I was told that I was a relatively good writer, but that I needed to develop more. However, no one, absolutely no one told me what that meant. In my head, when I read my own essays, I understood what I meant. I knew the points that I was getting at. But still on my papers it would consistently say “B-/C+ Good use of diction, fluid and mature style, great transitions, needs more development”. No other human being hated the word “develop” more than I did in high school. Peer editing was of no use either. The kids in my classes would read essays then give a hearty “Good job” without even giving any constructive criticism. That was mainly because everyone hated peer editing essays. After being told over and over again that my writing was underdeveloped, I finally learned how develop my essays my senior year in my AP Literature class. At that point it was either figure out what was wrong with my writing or fail the AP exam. Since I took AP classes mainly to receive college credit, I finally figured out how properly develop my essays. Even now as a college senior, the word “develop” makes me grit my teeth.

What a Speech?

One of my positive schooled experience is when I was giving my salutatorian graduation speech. It wasn’t really a schooled experience but I think I learned out from this speech because it gave me the motivation I have today and knowing that I achieve this much, I was super proud of myself. This learning experience was major for me because it seemed like I had to put everything I learned in high school and sum it into one great speech that everyone is going to hear. It involved a lot more of literacy to develop a speech, you must have great communication, writing and reading aloud skills, so having all these combine made this moment one of the most memorable experiences in my life. If you think about it there were a lot of people involved in this experience, the audience which was filled with school board members, family, and friends, and then you have all your teachers that you feel pressure from. This day was a major stepping stone in my life because I was graduating high school which only happens once and that I was giving the most awarded title that I worked hard for four years.

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