Farewell.

As I write this last blog, I feel a pinch of sadness overcoming me…another semester done…another farewell to classmates and wonderful teachers. Looking back at this semester I am definitely feeling some shock at the fact that I made it! We all made it! I remember the first week when I read the “Here’s What To Do” section and felt the anxiety building up in my chest…so much stuff!
From blogs to responses to EL Thinking work to discussions to group work to essays….and more. This has been one of the most challenging classes I have taken and I think a lot of it has to do with being online and being disciplined enough. It took a lot of energy for me to stay up to date with all the assignments. This has, however; also made this class one of the best I have taken. The communication skills I have learned, not just from thoroughly discussing and studying communication chapters in the book, but from actually communicating in different settings and different ways, has made my ability to communicate effectively so much stronger. I have gained a sense of appreciation for being able to communicate face-to-face, and also gained the skills needed when communication cannot take place face-to-face. We learned about the different means of communication: e-mail, blog, advertisements, cartoons, nonverbal, verbal, etc. and every new thing will stick with me in the future and better influence every situation (since communication is always being used everywhere).
The other very important thing that I have taken from this class is the skill of pure writing…not necessarily in a blog or a response or even a PDR, but the simple task of writing and expressing myself in what I write. The essays were not only the most challenging to me, but the most successful in building this skill for me. The extent to which I needed to stretch my abilities was exhausted after every essay. To express myself I had to carefully consider all aspects of what I was writing, how people would perceive it, and how I would want them to perceive it. The weekly responses we did on different topics in the discussion board were helpful in this sense. When I wrote something I was eager to see how other students would respond…would they understand what I was trying to convey? Would they get angry or sad or agree or disagree with my opinion? Would they consider my point of view and still give theirs? (Something I found difficult to do). Finally the essays called for PDR activities, which definitely scared me. I wasn’t too comfortable giving my opinion on someone else’s writing since my own was not something to brag about. I did, however; realize that it did not matter, because what these PDR’s allowed for others was the same as I was anticipating in the weekly responses. These PDR’s allowed others to see how their writing was impacting readers, how it was being perceived by different people with different backgrounds and different opinions, and finally something valuable…how they would take their life experiences and add to the writing to make it even better. I have learned to love those PDR’s!
These are only a few points that I have made on things that I will take away from this class. I enjoyed it (most of the time) and I am absolutely proud of every single student who made it through this class with me this semester! Thank you Jennifer for being such an amazing, easy-going, comfortable, and helpful professor. Good luck to everyone on your future educational and life adventures!

An almost-final word on writing:

One of the challenges that came with this class was the amount of writing that we did…not because it is an English class…but because it varied in the type of writing that was required. Blogging, group work, peer reviews, responding to blogs, discussion board, essays and more all came with this course.

Reflecting on this semester I would say that I have definitely gained in my ability to write. The blogging was definitely completely new for me. Setting up a blog on this site and following other bloggers is an experience that I have learned to like. A few weeks ago we worked on an assignment in which I discussed blogging and what it has become. I said in this assignment that I would probably not continue blogging after this class, but I am reconsidering. It is not a fact of having other people read this blog, or respond to anything I write, no…it is a way of venting (as we were able to do in last week’s blog) and the fact that it feels good! Blogging was the most fun writing I had this semester…mostly because it had more freedom in terms of how we decided to go about writing our assignments. A lot of my classmates took this freedom and went wild with it, something I do not have enough courage to do, and did beautifully. Another new and very challenging thing was the group work…online! I did not think this was possible but I had my fair share of online group work and it has helped me to be more aware of how I write…to maybe add some structure to my sentences and choose my words more wisely, instead of rambling on as I would do in a face-to-face group discussion.
The discussion board was very difficult to stay up to date with. Al though it seemed like two simple posts that we had to share, I found this writing to be challenging. Given the 200 words we had to write, it was hard for me to go to 200 words and not keep things too surface, but to go deeper took a lot for me to not go over 200 words too much. This assignment challenged me to pick my words well and stick with the point…no room for nonsense! As we went through the essay assignments I improved on my knowledge of MLA (didn’t think it would be as hard as it was) and explored a few different ways of going about an assignment as structured as an essay. Compared to the blog it has a more strict tone and way about it which caused me to work on my more serious, good writing. I would love to never talk about the research paper again but it must be done. This essay of six to seven pages has definitely kicked my butt. It was harder than I thought...not only to find sources, but to fill the pages with well though-out, well-written, and no nonsense paragraphs. The PDR’s were also challenging…but in a fun way. I imagined myself as the person reading the feedback I was giving and went about my criticism in a way that would be constructive. It also called for some critical reading, which is more than I would do if I had read these essays just for fun.

Overall the writing in this class has helped me to focus on different tones and ways of expressing myself and it is something that will stay with me until the day I stop communicating.

Venting!

Well, since this is my opportunity to vent (this was actually the assignment) let me start by saying that this semester has consisted, so far, of three different research papers...all more than seven pages. What is going on?
The day I looked at the prompt for this research paper, I felt a bit overwhelmed...reading another novel would take so much time! So I decided to go for option #2 where I get to pick a topic from a list, that has something to do with Iran. These included education, women's rights, nuclear programs and more...and I decided to go with nuclear programs in Iran. As of right now, I have completed five pages. I did all my research and mostly found things on Ebscohost, which is a bitter-sweet victory because of the one hand, Ebscohost is legitimate, while on the other hand some of the articles are written at doctorate level. This means I will spend at least two hours trying to figure out what the article is saying and whether or not it would be beneficial for me.
Well I got through the research part, and as part of the assignment I have to come up with an argument thesis. I decided to argue that Iran deserves to keep their nuclear programs active. This argument rises many contradicting points (which I have considered) and allows me to extensively discuss my argument and the counter arguments it presents.
I figured I was doing pretty well, until my sister proof read it. Her feed back was that the best argumentative paper is one that fully exposes the counter argument. The idea is to write the paper while anticipating what the reader may argue or ask. In this way, the reader will finish reading the paper convinced. This was some great constructive criticism and I am now in the process of editing what I have written so far in order to assure a great argument.
While this is going well, I am struggling with the in-text citations. Al though I follow the MLA style, I always feel like it is wrong, or I am missing something. It is very frustrating and mostly I just wonder why we have to waste our time on this, and why it counts so much. Maybe I am missing something, but I don't think the point of a paper is to cite perfectly, but instead to read and write about the topic at hand, which allows you to further your education. Citing correctly doesn't do that for me.
Anyway, it is what it is and I am excited to get this paper done! I am sure my classmates share this excitement and I hope you are all doing great!
Good luck!

E-mail!

E-mail is a phenomenon believed by many to be the revenge of pen and paper on the technology that I changing our world. Today e-mails are used in every setting, whether it be between family members who are many miles apart, bosses instructing their employees sitting two offices away, or businesses informing the general public of their deals and sales for the next month. Robert Kuttner, author of The Other Side of E-mail, states that “like all new media, e-mail has a dark side”. He argues that e-mail is a thief of time because now, on top of everything else we have to do, we also feel the overwhelming necessity of checking our e-mails and replying to every single one. The other big issue that Kuttner shares with many others about e-mail is the fact that it is affecting our communicative abilities. In her essay “Virtually Trustworthy”, Judith Donath explains that “we carry out social interactions with a large number of communicative behaviors that indicate our intensions, state of mind, communicative competency, and so on.” These nonverbal behaviors are completely eliminated when trying to communicate over e-mail. The reader has no chance to look at the writer’s facial expression, listen to their tone of voice, experience their body language, or make eye contact with them. These are all nonverbal cues that, as discussed in an earlier blog, are essential for us to have a successful communicative experience.
With nonverbal communication is that people do not realize how dependant they are on it. We take it for granted until one day, it does not match up with the verbal communication. In other words, if a person is telling you how happy they are about something, but their tone of voice is feeble and their arms are crossed with a frown on their face, we can easily interpret this as a sign that maybe they are trying to hide their true feelings. The issue with e-mail is that this ability, to look at them and see something different from what we hear, is taken away and we are now completely dependent on only words (not even verbal communication since we also cannot hear their tone or volume of their voice). Kuttner describes an instance in which he had a quarrel with a friend, merely because they were miscommunicating over e-mail. He states that “when talking to someone, you pay attention to tonality. And when you write a letter, you read it over a few times before sending it. But e-mail is tone-deaf and all too instant.”
The fact that e-mails forces this type of communication is problematic in that it will cause generations to change the way they communicate face-to-face. The convenience of typing a quick e-mail with no need to listen or stick around for the conversation that would normally follow what you send in an e-mail, will cause people to start walking away from face-to-face conversations without fully finishing the conversation. E-mails are also causing people to try and communicate without the essential tools of nonverbal and verbal communication. There is no way of substituting these tools for something else, and therefore, a future generation will not find an alternate way to still communicate effectively, but instead suffer and deal with many problems stemming from miscommunicating.

Creative Sting

Political cartoons are usually the first thing we see when we open the newspapers. They portray different opinions and ideas, and are so significant because of the immediate impact they make. Although they are images of someones bias view, or an idea that is currently being debated in our society, they can sometimes portray something that has more truth to it than we would like to admit. The cartoon above does exactly this.
Here, we see the caption "How to increase voter turnout" followed by an image that communicates the following:
1. Our younger people are uneducated when it comes to politics.
2. Our younger people are distracted and consumed by other things. Here specifically, it concentrates on American Idol which is a reality talent show.

These two points are not things that Americans should be proud of. Our younger generation is completely consumed by a materialistic world in which video games, media, reality TV, and music distract them completely from becoming well-informed citizens or more generally, responsible grown-ups. The cartoon above takes a stab at this issue by suggesting the idea that, if we included something of interest to these young people, like voting for their favorite idol instead of the president, they would actually care enough to show up and vote. The sting here is that, of course, that would be of no use to the government, meaning that our younger generation is useless to our society and the processes that make it better. What kind of future will this country have if this generation becomes the leader?

This cartoon, among many, portrays so many ideas of what our people are like and what is happening currently in our society. Of course, this is just someones opinion, but I find it hard to disagree with it, given the obvious truth. Political cartoons hold a power that no other news form does. It is able to convey many different ideas and definitely lives up to the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words".

Meaningful Advertisements

In researching some material for my blog this week, I stumbled across a news story on Fox News, reporting on a controversial ad in which a mother is painting her little boy’s toenails pink, with the caption “lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink.” This ad is supposed to be advertising the clothing both mom and son are wearing. According to the Fox News, however, this ad is “blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children”.

During my reading on language and the media, “The Language of Media”, an essay written by Charles A. O’Neil, outlined the different factors that are involved in writing and making an advertisement. One of the factors, titled “Edited and Purposeful”, describes advertisements as “engineered messages” that “exist in the context of our society”. According to Fox, this is more than just a clothing advertisement; in fact it is propaganda for the homosexual community that has become so prevalent in society today. According to O’Neil, this advertisement was brilliantly written and produced to pertain to this community and all the controversy that comes with it. Another factor, “Demanding Attention”, also allows for some reasoning behind the choice of this advertisement. “Advertisers use many techniques to attract and hold the attention of the consumer audience” and the most common is sexuality. Not only is our society today a very sexually aggressive one, but there are many audiences who are at the defense for acceptance of their sexual orientation, and for this reason holds on to and exposes anything to do with it. This ad, if indeed it does support transgender or other sexuality, is an example of the response from our society to these people, a response of acceptance. This is the problem that Fox News has with it.

Another reason, stated under “Involving”, as to why Fox News and others might have such an issue with this advertisement, is that ads “exploit parts of our society, the young, insecure, or clueless.” They are about “the systematic, deliberate identification of our needs and wants, followed by the delivery of a carefully constructed promise that the product will satisfy them.” So if this is the case, then this fashion ad does no harm right? It is simply a mother and her son, well dressed, enjoying themselves. The problem is that “as soon as we see or hear an advertisement, our imagination is set in motion, and our individual fears and aspirations, quirks, and insecurities come out to play.” So for all of society that has issues with their sexuality, who does not feel accepted or who feels left out or lonely, they can all look at this ad and feel a sense of hope, a sense of joy that this mother and son feels, and a sense of acceptance that this mother has for her son who likes feminine things (which to many is the indication that he is gay).

Although some people may think that Fox News is completely overreacting, it is clear that advertisers have an ability to make us feel a certain way, and that they know exactly what is going on in society and how to use it to their benefit, and finally how to get people to make a fuss out of their product. In this case, there is so much controversy over this advertisement that it is almost impossible to think that what they were actually selling did not benefit.

Media Influence

It was around five pm and I was walking out of the school grounds, excited to go home. Today was an extra rough day, in terms of playing of course. You see, I was eleven years old and spent my afternoons at the afterschool program where I did homework and played for hours, until my dad picked me up on his way home from work. The concept at this young age of “overseas” was hard to grasp. More specifically, the image of America was one of great respect, of wonder and admiration at the power that this one place held across the world. I could not always understand everything related to this place, but I did know that this was the place where everyone wanted to go, and that my family would, at some point, go there too. I remember walking toward the car, confused as to why my dad wasn’t leaning against the car, ready to take my backpack and open the door as usual. Instead, he was sitting inside the car, his hand covering his mouth, looking at the dashboard. What is going on? I got in the car, expecting to start babbling about my day, but was silenced by the blaring radio. I couldn’t understand what it was saying, and decided it would be best to wait as my dad gestured a “hold on one minute” sign. I looked at the radio and remember the date displayed, 11 September 2001. The drive home did not commence for another half hour…within which the fear built in my heart as tears ran down my dad’s face. Why is he crying? What is happening? It took a few days to fully grasp why my dad was so upset. It was all over the TV, the radio, even at school. I cannot imagine how it was in America, but for us, in South Africa, it was like the world was ending. The strongest, most powerful country in the world, attacked.

Today, as I sit in a coffee shop in America, writing about this experience, it dawns on me how significant a role media plays in the entire world. Learning about the events on this tragic day, seeing the images and reaction of a broken nation, would have been impossible without the influence of media. People are dependent on many forms of media today in order to know what is happening, not only in their society, but in the rest of the world. It has become second nature for most of us to turn on the television or pick up a newspaper in order to get up to date with worldly events. Living in a society where these things are so conveniently available makes me wonder if there is ever a sense of question. It is clear that every news source has their position on issues, and we are educated enough to understand that news sources choose what they want to say and how they say it. Yes, this can become a problem, and it can lead to a wrongly informed society, a formation of bias views, or even action that is not in the best interest of people.
Since we are such a media-dependent world, it is important to be critical toward news sources. Know what their position is, know who provides the information and what their motivation is, and finally don’t limit yourself to one source, read and research many in order to stay well-rounded in what is going on. Knowing these things has helped me to be informed on issues and the different perspectives around them. Media is an influence that will grow in society as technology improves and it is a blessing to live in a time like this, when I can be in a different country and still be informed and experience a sense of what is happening somewhere else. I am grateful for this but with that I am cautious, always making the effort to look at different sources to get the facts right.

Prejudice Language

The media today is one of the most powerful tools used to reach people all over the world. Whether it is television, radio, internet, or movies, people are influenced in some way by the industries behind the scenes of media. This powerful tool is used to portray many different subjects, including racial differences, class distinctions, and gender roles through language that filters through the young minds of today’s generation.

An example of how different races are portrayed in today’s movies is the use of language between these groups. Any gangster related movie will, without a doubt, have the words “nigga” or “bro” or even “bitch” in it. These are among many words used to label each person and what their role in the movie is. Language is used as an organizing tool for characters and watching these movies, relating to them as young people, makes us believe that we are those labels, that we should play those roles assigned to us. Another tool in which this exact type of language is used is music. It is obvious when listening to rap, exactly how the audience will react, but even country music has its specific language. Yes, this language is used to relate to a specific type of people, a kid from the hood, a country girl, a homosexual, etc. the problem is that with the language comes a specific type of person, that the listener will feel the need to copy.

Recently we read a chapter on English and how it is being transformed and changed throughout the world. It is becoming a new global language and slang is being accepted, dialects are forming, and technology is helping this process along. A child who watches a movie, a cartoon, or even listens to a song, will absorb everything it offers like a sponge, including the language. For this reason, all language, specifically prejudice language has been more prevalent in every-day speech. Way back when television, radio, and media were not present in society, language was simply taught in school and spoken a certain way locally. Prejudice language was still present but was controlled, by family and school, church, and even close communities. Racism has always been present, but media has become a tool to further expand racism by setting an example of gender roles, racial stereotypes, and classes. These set examples have fueled the actions of racism today, one of which is language, others including hate crimes.

It is important, given the role that media has in our lives today, that we pay attention to the language use that influence our image of gender, race, and class. We must critically analyze this influence among our friends and family and make the right changes necessary to keep the evil influence that fuels our natural prejudice against those who do not look or sound like us. It is key to be educated on the forms in which prejudice language comes forth and make the right decision in censoring ourselves and others to this media.

Happines vs. Self - Respect.

When asked the question "What is more important - happiness or self-respect?" my initial thought was "Self-respect".

This response is directly related to the fact that I am taking a Personal And Social Adjustment Psych class this semester as well, and at the moment we are reviewing the theories that state that one must love and accept yourself before you can love and accept others, which in turn allows you to form relationships and find happiness. I completely agree with this and would probably keep to my answer, but then I analyzed this question based on the book "Reading Lolita In Tehran". It was put into a different context as follows:

...these characters depend to such a high degree on their own sense of integrity that for them, victory has nothing to do with happiness. It has more to do with a settling within oneself, a movement inward that makes them whole. Their reward is not happiness...but self-respect.

As I read this I realized that maybe my answer cannot be as simple and as straight forward as I thought. "Loving and accepting oneself" sure sounds a lot like it could be "a movement inward that makes [oneself] whole". So what is the correct answer? Does it depend solely on the context in which one reads it? And then, is this context based on a culture that is different from mine? A person that believes in a different god or who went through different experiences in life? Could it be the extent to which a person places dependency on something? In the novel it states that they "depend to such a high degree on" it.

Obviously, these questions will produce different answers for everyone, but for me, although I do consider the fact that people come from different backgrounds and cultures that view happiness and self-respect differently, the one can never replace or suffice for the other. Yes, these characters in the book put more emphasis on self-respect, but that does not mean they do not yearn for happiness. You can not respect yourself if you are not truly happy. I could never live a sad and lonely life (which to me means being unhappy), yet still wake up in the morning thinking "I am such a strong, respectful person. This is how I should live." You can not be truly happy if you do not respect yourself, as stated by the theories above. People need self-love to be happy, but also self-respect to be accepting of oneself.

What comes to mind is the example of the Japanese warriors who do not know what failure and defeat means, who, if they are not victorious, will literally kill themselves. To these warriors, fighting for their country is the most respectful thing one can do, and that is why victory is a much. Are these warriors truly happy? OR do they, just like they cannot fathom failure, not grasp the concept of happiness without being victorious. Obviously not, because if they lost, they would not kill themselves but instead retreat to their life and what makes them happy. This case makes me wonder once again, can you have only happiness or only self-respect?

Many more of these examples exist and it is impossible to come to a "right" answer. One can only look at the context, focus on the individual case, and understand that people are so different, in their culture and in their point of view.

Boys and Girls

I work at Starbucks and my shifts consist mostly of working in drive-thru where I take orders or make drinks. One thing that I have gained from this has been the ability to pick up and interpret the nonverbal communication received from customers who are ordering. There have been few times in which I wasn’t sure if I should say “Thank you Sir” or Thank you Miss”, few times when I wasn’t sure if the customer was furious or happy, confused by what they just tasted or excited to drink something delicious. The point is, without seeing their faces, I know what gender they are, what mood they are in, and what to expect when they drive up to the window….all thanks to the different nonverbal cues that men and women use.

In my previous blog I discussed the fact that we are dependent on nonverbal communication more than we realize and that it is a constant balance between language and nonverbal cues. Given this fact, it is also important to acknowledge that gender plays a big role in this balance because, even though we don’t think about it, we analyze and interpret communication and cues based on what is expected from each gender. A few of the cues that are very gender-based include tone of voice, pitch, volume, facial expression, and touch. Some people may disagree with this, but when a man says something and his voice is as high pitched as a baby’s scream, I am a bit taken aback. Why? Because the norm in our society, based greatly on biological and anatomical facts, is that a man will have a deep voice, while a woman will be soft spoken with a higher pitched voice. The norm does not just include these anatomical differences, but also influence our idea of the different genders in that a man should have an angrier facial expression, speak louder, and be rough and not as willing to take part in any physical touch with other people. A woman must have a kind expression, a soft volume and smooth tone, and should be willing to hug and show affection toward others. Because if these norms it is sometimes difficult to analyze a person who does not follow it, and we often jump to conclusions about the individual if they are not “normal”.

As if communication between two women and two men is not hard enough already, opposite genders must try and figure each other out, considering everything we know and learn from society on how a man is or how a woman thinks. Unfortunately, there are many unsuccessful attempts. I am asked whether or not I believe that men and women indeed speak different languages…

Yes, I believe they do. I also believe that it is not impossible to understand each other. In my relationships with the opposite gender, it has become clear that I must be the one to sit him down, state my confusion as to what he meant by a certain cue, and then patiently wait while he explains. I have also found that being the one to explain what I meant (since men are just as confused by what we women sometimes cue) is truly a miscommunication preventer. It is a fact, just by looking at how men and women behave, carry themselves, and express their emotions, that we communicate differently, and since we have this knowledge we also have the power to make use of this in communicating better and making an effort in understanding each other.

"I get what you are saying...but what are you doing?"

Nonverbal behavior is a communication device that most people do not give credit to. Imagine having a conversation with someone whose voice stays on one tone throughout the conversation, or trying to discuss something with someone who looks at everything and everyone but cannot hold eye contact for more than a second. These are behaviors that do not cross our minds until we are struggling to stay awake, or wondering if there is something on our face that the person is trying to avoid.
In my experience, I have found that, like many others, I do not pay attention to this, until someone strays from the norm and once this happens I find it very difficult to contain my frustration or hide my confusion. What we do not realize is that, although language use is very important in communicating well, it is a constant balance between this language and nonverbal behavior that we consider, without even realizing it. Think about it this way…if a person is busy telling you how excited they are that they just got engaged, but their voice is cracking, their arms are folded, and they are looking at the ground, would you truly believe their excitement? If a person is smiling while telling you that their grandfather just passed away, would you feel confused? Of course! These examples are coming from both sides of the balance and are proof that language is dependent on nonverbal behavior and vice versa, in order to fully convey the message and emotion of what is being said.
Once you think about it, there are many signs and signals that you need to see or that you feed off of when having a conversation with someone. If I am discussing something very serious, I need the other person to be paying attention. I can be reassured that they are doing so if they are turned towards me, holding eye contact, maybe even nodding their head in agreement. People have always told me that I am funny because I really get into a story when someone is telling it. I nod my head, raise my eyebrows, change my facial expression, etc. and that is how I express that I am there and listening. As soon as I don’t do this, they ask me if I am listening or if something is wrong!
Body language is another form of nonverbal communication and I think it is the broadest form of its kind. We live in a society where body language is something we use to categorize someone. A guy walking down the street with a limp and sagging pants, is immediately a gangster in our minds, or a girl standing a certain way with her hand on her hip has an attitude or is being bitchy. You could say that the way we carry ourselves is almost more revealing than the words that come out of our mouths. To show confidence you must stand up straight with your nose in the air, you must make eye contact with everyone and walk as if you own the world. When you feel uncomfortable you cross your arms, look away, twirl your hair, or hunch your back.
Nonverbal behavior comes in many forms and one of the many things that influence this is gender. I am a lady in my parent’s eyes and that is why I always sit with my back straight and my legs crossed. We girls always feel so special when a guy stands or walks in front of us with his head high and his chest out, because his nonverbal behavior is communicating the message that he is proud and protective over us. Don’t we automatically think that, when we see two guys holding hands, they are homosexual? These are all gender-based nonverbal behavior that goes against our norm.
Nonverbal behavior is a powerful tool that is as necessary as language, and if either one is used in a way that does not balance them, miscommunication is inevitable.

A New English Language.

It is true that, as soon as you enter the international world, there is only one safety that you can rely on for familiarity. This safety is the English language. English has become the planet’s language and is used globally in technology, commerce, and power. Its globalization has allowed people from different cultures and backgrounds to communicate, form relationships, and become educated at a level that was not possible before. Although these are all good things, the question must be asked, “How does this globalization affect English itself?” The English we use today might seem as strange to future generations as Shakespeare’s English is to us!

In her essay, Not The Queen’s English, Carla Power states that “new English-speakers aren’t just passively absorbing the language – they’re shaping it.” She continues by listing some of the “new Englishes” that have been formed in different regions of the world, including Spanglish, Japlish, Englog, and Hinglish, that are all threatening the traditional English standard as we know it. The idea is that people are forming a language that allows them to communicate and form new identities with each other, and because English is well-known across the world, these new languages can easily be based off of English. So should they even be considered as English then? To a native English speaker, it would be difficult to understand a foreigner who learned English in their own country, because there is no enforcement or real need for this foreigner to learn the “right” English. They can get by on what they have learned.

The evolution of English is definitely something that is affected by its globalization. It seems that native speakers of English have the most to lose as they are stuck with the “old” version of this language, while new versions, among which includes an international Standard English (different from the English we speak), are spreading. Is it really such a horrible thing though? Would it be a disaster if English was revolutionized into something completely different? One theory explains the idea of a “Tri-English world”, where a person would speak local English which consists mainly of dialect, a national English that would be used in schools and work, and an international Standard English that would be used for international business. Now it seems that, with all the enthusiasm for learning the language and making it usable for all, this theory wouldn’t be impossible.

It is clear that English is changing under the circumstances of globalization, and because of this we must ask ourselves if we are willing to conform. English is global because it is the language of power and technology and if we as Americans sit back and ignore the idea that the English we know might not be the international English required to compete and succeed globally, we could fall off the wagon that leads the way in revolutionizing our world. There is much opportunity in embracing whatever comes of this globalization. The market for English teaching has become so large that most countries spend more than $1 billion on it yearly. English is the common linguistic denominator between culture groups and nations and only time will tell whether or not globalization will swallow the English we know so well and produce a new global language that only hints to the familiarity we find comfort in.

I was never the kid in class who, as soon as the teacher announces an upcoming essay, would fall down on the floor, wailing as if death is upon them and continuing this wailing as they are carried out of the class on a gurney. Essays don't scare me. Writing doesn't intimidate me. Of course, this doesn't mean I am the best at it...far from it. I guess it is just easier for me to sit down and start a paper, and I feel that doing this is something that many people struggle with. However, when I read "Writing For an Audience", by Linda Flower, it dawned on me that I have never really considered my audience. Flower discusses three main ideas in her essay that will "create a momentary common ground between the reader and writer", which should allow the reader to see things the way the writer sees them. I read this and thought, "Well, why does this matter? I have never considered this and have done quite well." Flower replies to my question by explaining that a good piece of writing "closes the gap" between me and my audience, and this will make what I write more effective. The three ideas pointed out in this essay include the knowledge that the reader has about the topic, their attitude about this topic, and finally their needs.

The first, knowledge, is specifically chosen by Flower because if the reader has no clue about the topic of the paper, then there is no chance for success. When I read this, it reminded me of a recent speech I read in our group activity titled "The Semantics of Murder", by Amir Taheri, which had such an effective message and it was because Taheri explained and defined every single term or idea he used in his persuasion. Without this I would have been lost, but I was able to use the descriptions and explanations he gave to better my understanding of the issue and finally what his point of view on it was. Taheri used this technique because he knew that his audience would not be as familiar with the subject as he, a professional, is.

The second idea, attitude, is explained by Flower to come from a "cluster of associations" put together differently by each individual. She uses the example of a lake. Her attitude and image of a lake consists of rainy days and damp, wet nights, while her friend's attitude and image includes swimming, sailing, sun and happiness. If a suggestion is made about visiting a lake, it is obvious that each of these individuals would react quite differently to the suggestion, strictly because of the cluster of associations they have made with a lake. This makes sense. Why would anyone, having different life experiences, memories, and even gene make-up, have the same associations of something as I do? Flower perfectly puts into words what I realized about my writing after reading this example; "many people accept uncritically any statement that fits in with their own attitudes - and rejects, just as uncritically, anything that does not."

Finally, once one is able to identify the difference in attitude and knowledge of the readers, it is important to supply the needs of these readers based on this information. Flower makes a key point that these are the readers needs and that the writer must adapt to the reader. When I read this section, it seemed to me that one thing I could always ask myself, in order to identify the needs of the reader, is "why did I choose this audience?". An example of this is the speech that I mentioned earlier by Taheri. He wrote this speech to an American audience, because they had the need of knowing more about and understanding this issue in their fight against terrorism. By asking the question "why did I choose his audience?" Taheri could conclude that it is because their circumstances (attacks on 9/11) call for a greater understanding of these terrorist organizations, which in turn allows him to get a greater understanding of the knowledge his audience has on the subject and what their attitudes are. This is kind of a backward approach to what Flower was saying, but it definitely benefited me in having a greater understanding of how to analyze my audience, and also the importance in doing so.

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor:

I write to you today with utter excitement. I have just returned from my trip to Ohio, where I attended a women’s rights convention, and could barely wait to tell you of this incredible experience! During the convention, a woman by the name of Sojourner Truth gave a speech about women’s rights, except she is a Negro and so her speech concerns not only women but Negro women. Now I do not know where you stand concerning this issue but I do think it is worth your time to read what I will tell you here today.

This Truth, she is six feet tall and has a clear, deep voice that, as soon as she started speaking, embraced the room and brought it to complete silence. I have never seen a crowd so excited and fueled up by what a Negro has to say, much less a lady Negro, but I find myself as excited as the rest of the crowd.

 A colleague of mine, Frances Gage, recorded most of what Truth said and I can give you an address to write to Frances if you are interested in reading the entire speech. Let me tell you what I heard that day.

Truth starts out complaining (a lady Negro complaining!) that, although one of the men had stated that women should be helped into carriages and helped over ditches, she has never been offered this help. Why not? She is indeed a woman! She then uncovered her arm to reveal an extremity resembling that of a strong male…twice as large as yours I’m sure! She goes on to say that she has worked very hard, many years, and that no man could head her. You should have heard the crowd roaring Sir. Her voice was so powerful I wanted to jump up and roar with them! But let me tell you, this woman is smart. She is smart because she uses her labor to show that she is worth just as much as a man who does that same labor, only she could do it better…yet she is a woman! Then she goes on to talk about her children, sold into slavery as she cries a mother’s grief…do you know the love that a mother has for her child? No, how could you? You are a man. Do you understand what Ms. Truth has done here? She has allowed those old men who think that women should be helped, because they are weak, because they are worth less, to see the strength that a woman acquires from being a laboring woman, from being a mother! They could not understand this strength because they can never go through what we as women have gone through, what Truth as a Negro lady has gone through.

Do you think she ends here? O no, she is not done. She embarrasses one of the ministers by pointing out that this “intellect” that he argues is had by men alone, is rubbish as it only means that men are mean. This might be confusing but I am sure you will read every speech given by the white men at the conference on tomorrow’s front page!

Finally, she ridicules another speaker who argued that women should have fewer rights than men because God was a man and not a woman. Excuse me Sir if I need to take a moment…but this argument, even when I heard it spoken by that man, made me want to give up completely. Not Ms. Truth though…she asks this man where his Christ came from, because her Christ came from a woman and God. Can you imagine the crowd, louder than ever! I did in fact jump up to join the cheering at this point.

Sir, I find it difficult to express to you in a mere letter what this Sojourner Truth did on that day. I can merely try to make you understand the intensity, the truth, and the rawness of what she said.

I ask you today to take the time to read her speech, maybe even write to her, because she is an incredible leader that should be known and heard by everyone. Use your sources to make this happen, I beg of you.

Ms. Sojourner Truth, in this speech, allowed equality to be a reality, even for a mere fifteen minutes. All the women who have worked as hard as the men next to them, but have been paid less, who have raised the children alone while working, who have suffered under the hand and words of a man, stronger than them, who have been silenced because they are women, all of these women were given a voice when Truth went to the podium that day.

I ask you, as a woman, and as a friend, to consider what I have tried to convey in this letter. Change is coming, women will be equal. Know this and see the opportunity you have in publishing this information.

My regards,

Ellen Radcliffe.

The Bilingual Curse.

I became bilingual at the age of fourteen, when I learned to speak English. At this time I also moved to the US where I was forced to use my English (still broken at the time) to adjust to a new culture. I remember entering Freshman year six months late and spending the rest of the school year completely silent. Many kids tried to talk to me, but I couldn't raise my voice to the level of normalcy and lost many potential friends to this silent struggle. I was astonished at how unbearably loud Americans are and fully noticed this in my Freshman English class, when we played "Popcorn". Every person would read just fine and when my name was called, I would make such an effort to read loudly, only to have the teacher interrupt and tell me to speak up. This did not only happen during class, but going to dinner with my family, speaking on the phone with an American, or ordering food through the drive through all ended with the same response...speak up! I am reminded of this frustrating time as I read the essay "The Language of Silence", by Maxine Hong Kingston. I can completely relate to her struggle as fear would sweep away her voice completely. I spent my days in silence as well, until I became more accustomed to the culture. I found my voice during my second year in the US but it came only after the damage had been done. Till this day I am uncomfortable speaking out or being listened to by many people. The discomfort that came with having to speak English during that first year will probably be with me forever.
Being bilingual has also caused me many frustrating moments. Over the years I have noticed how this has affected my speech and communication with people who speak only one language. My dad always says "in the US we are stupid, while in South Africa we are smart." Let me explain. Once I finally found my voice, I noticed that, when trying to develop a conversation, I found myself often searching for the right word to express myself. This would usually result in a word that does not quite make sense, followed by frustration boiling inside of me. I realized that, to Americans (or anyone who does not understand what it is like to have two languages mixed up in your head), I look pretty stupid when I search for the 'right' word or say something that made sense to me but not to them. The looks and gestures have become normal to me and the frustration only a mere sting in my heart. These experiences have made me wish sometimes that I spoke only English and could master it as I have my first language. Language is so vital in life and this has caused me to resent my roots at times. It has also made me aware of the importance of communication and how truly different each person and culture expresses themselves. Out of my journey with this has come a greater appreciation for those who struggle with language and communication, no matter the form it comes in.  

One Stubborn Lady.

Critical Thinking is probably one of the scariest concepts in English writing. Some may disagree with this but I make this statement confidently, as, in my experience with it, I have found that I am a stubborn girl who likes her comfort box. This is not only true in writing essays or analyzing a book for some class, but in other aspects of my life as well. I have found that, in order to think critically, one must let go of any preconceived notions, biases, opinions, and basically innate instincts in order to get started. This might seem extreme, but my fear of it is extreme. To be successful it seems one must be open-minded, rational, and disciplined. I do not only lack these things in writing, but also in everyday-life decisions and actions. Don't get me wrong, I am not an evil person that passes judgment or makes irrational decisions, I am just human, and with that comes the ability to look at a book, passage, or piece of literature without much thought. It is difficult for me to set aside any opinion or even my first thoughts that a specific passage says no more than what I got form it the first time through, and once I do make an effort to analyze it critically, I find myself influenced greatly by the biases that influence my thought process.
On the other hand, it seems what makes one unique in analyzing a piece of literature is the fact that every person comes from a different background that has shaped their thought process to produce ideas that are not like any other. For this reason, thinking critically feels like a balancing act between personal analysis and open-mindedness. I am not good at this balancing act. With previous work I find that I do not thoroughly remove my biases and opinions in order to analyze a piece and end up making my analysis too personal. I am very nationalistic and I am influenced by this in every aspect of my life. A few examples of this include the following: I feel that the education system in America lacks many things compared to the education system in the country I am from, the media is like poison to a society and I pay little attention to it, although America is a nation influenced mostly by the media and its portrayal of beauty and happiness, and finally I am reluctant to spend any time on politics because my own country as many political issues. These are examples of my nationalism that influences my ability to go from surface analysis of the things I have listed to critical analysis.
Taking a Critical Thinking and Research course is like signing my death certificate...at least that is what it feels like! I am however ready to be challenged and by taking this course I am convinced that the skills I will learn here will help me to balance the act of critical analysis and I will end the semester with the ability to critically analyze a piece of work without biases and opinions tainting my thought process, yet still use a writing style that reflects my individuality.
Stay tuned!