End of Class Reflection:
Kevin Ramirez
Miller & Nagales
Language and Literacy
12/12/18
Self-Reflection Essay
This course, Language & Literacy, focused on languages and the impact that they have on us, but also how we perceive them based on what our society tells us. Through each phase we focused on different aspects on language and then how society views languages and finally by focusing on a specific myth about languages that are widely believed. Each of them was in depth attempts to understand language and its affects socially and culturally, and probably more importantly, how it affects us. The course focused on 8 course learning objectives, which were the focal points of what we were being taught and how we were graded.
Throughout my essays, I have applied the course learning objectives at a consistent rate. However, one of the things that I did, was I placed the assignment before the course outcomes, because of this I didn’t place to much importance on them in my first essay. I think that some of these things I did without thinking of them because, to me, they were crucial to writing the essays. For example, if I had not recognized the role of language attitudes and standards and how they affected people then I think the essay would have not made much sense. Also using citations throughout my essay and using and finding research. Without these different but complementary objectives, I wouldn’t be able to write the essay in appropriately. When implementing rhetorical situations that I implemented were ethos and pathos to enrich my essay and allow the reader/audience to better understand my perspective and argument. There are definitely some objectives that either a. I didn’t place too much importance on or b. I already did, but because of the wording I had thought they were something else. These objectives include: recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situation, develop and engage in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes and understand and use print and digital technologies to address a range of audiences. For developing and engaging in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes, that means taking the revisions and advice from different people who read my essays including my peers and teachers. I took into consideration these revisions and tips to improve because, if someone was confused or couldn’t understand a part of the essay or asked to elaborate, I would change it or elaborate. Because if they couldn’t understand it, even though I could, it didn’t make sense to not do it as my argument would’ve been weaker. In my first essay, I was talking about certain things about language that when people read, they thought that I didn’t introduce properly, so I tried to change it so that people could understand it. One of the times where I forgot, was on the last essay. I was told that I had to introduce my sources, but the way that I introduced the sources wasn’t specific or detailed enough to actually introduce the source. Because of this, I got a less grade because of that and I fixed it by adding a more detailed introduction to the source. This way, it wasn’t just a random introduction but a more detailed way to introduce the source. The rhetorical terms and strategies that I used are ethos, logos and pathos, although I put more emphasis on ethos and pathos because I felt that they were the easiest that I could use in order to push my arguments further. By showing my credibility to the reader/audience they can take my argument more seriously. In all of my essays, I show the connection that I had with the issue at hand, so that the reader can also see if they have a connection similar to that. In my first essay, I tried to show my connection to languages, by talking about the languages that firstly impacted me and their features and why I loved them so much in the first place. In the last essay, I talked about the language myth of people who speak with accents are dumb, which I talked about how my parents both speak with accents, but their accents are very different, but I talked about how they live in America and their experiences and lives here are so much more different than each other that they have different accents. When using pathos, I try to show the reader instances in where their emotions can be affected. I want them to feel something; in my second essay, I tried to show them instances of linguistic discrimination that can sadden them and even upset them, which is more likely to stick with them and have them talk about to other people. I know I did when I saw these kinds of instances. For example, I mentioned how an elementary school librarian, Sulochanna Mandhare, was refused renewal of her teaching license simply because of her accent, despite of the fact that she spoke Standard English. To some people it doesn’t matter, you’ll still be discriminated based on what they hear and perceive from you. So, when people are told that, they can sympathize with those people, as they have people who speak with accents and they wouldn’t want them to go through that.
I think that this class allowed for me to understand language better. When I signed up for it, I was thinking that it would be a more in-depth view of what languages are, such as technical things. But instead I got a more cultural and societal view of language, which I haven’t gotten before. I learned about language discrimination, something that really affects our society but isn’t talked about. Due to my aspirations and career choices, trying to be a linguist or a professor, I think it’s important for me to have learned this, so that I could have better understanding of language. First, by learning about languages and their differences and then by learning about how they are viewed differently by society and how they are viewed, more importantly, by us.
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