Zoe Marie Martinez Nunez
English 11000
Professor Jason Lobell
December 04, 2023
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I had no idea what to expect from this class at first. I assumed we would be reading and drafting essays like in a typical English class. However, I also worried that there would be new difficulties that were not like those in high school. I figured that since it was a first-year class, the challenge might not be too much. As I draft this essay, I see that it was not at all what I had anticipated. I will admit there were challenging aspects of the course, but guess what? It was interesting. It forced me to try new things and change the way I usually went about things.
Honestly, I have never thought of how linguistic standards affect other people, I was completely oblivious about that these existed. However, with this class, it has changed. For
For instance, it made me realize that I have fallen victim to these standards several times and it has happened to many people too, especially non-native speakers. From my experience, I could say that I have not been heavily impacted by it, but some people did. Linguistic standards may empower the ones who fit into them. It is like beauty standards. Most people who fit those standards are praised.
However, those who do not are judged, minimized, and oppressed. Not to mention, they are also pushed to fit those standards. This comparison highlights the power dynamics at work and demonstrates how language, attitudes, and interactions are all shaped by society’s expectations. It is
important that we promote inclusivity, question the current quo, and recognize and value the variety of voices and expressions as we negotiate these language conventions.
At the beginning of English 11000, we were introduced to the rhetorical situation, where we had to use it to analyze two readings and one video. Frankly, I struggled with the topic of
rhetorical situation. Although I had a worksheet to guide me on how to do it, I was not confident in my answers. Yet, over time, I got the hang of it… at least a little bit. Mentioning the readings again, we got to explore many situations throughout the readings and the video, but they all had a
common theme; unconventional English or “broken English.” Amy Tan, June Jordan, and Safwat Saleem all tackle the problem of the “standard way” to speak English either in individual experiences or someone else’s. For instance, Tan’s purpose was to educate people on how there is no specific way to speak English by putting her mom as an example, she explained that her mom knew what she wanted to say, but to other people was quite a challenge to understand her
sometimes and would not take her seriously because of her accent. Jordan’s purpose was to present the dominance of the standard white English in the US and how Black English is being ignored. Lastly, Saleem’s purpose was to educate people on why he still speaks up although he has been
mocked because he has an accent. This journey, though challenging, broadened my understanding of the rhetorical situation and diverse linguistic perspectives.
I genuinely like to read, but reading for school is a struggle for me. This is because when I am given a paper to read, I can see how much I must read and it is too much, which causes me to get lost. However, when I annotate in the margins of the readings, it helps me keep track of the
paragraph that I’ve read before and not have to read it all over again if I need to go back, I can just look at the margins and read the summary or the main idea of that paragraph. When it comes to drafting, I honestly struggle with that as I do not get to finish writing right away, I am very inconsistent when I write. Instead, I try to do it step by step, one day I will write the introduction, another couple of days the body paragraphs (depending on how many I am required to write), and another day, the conclusion. However, I tend to do this when I have plenty of time, but I have not been able to practice this way of drafting since I struggle with deadlines. For collaborating, I do not consider myself to be able to work in a team effectively. I appreciate that
when working in groups, the work may be easier since you do not feel all the burden when you work alone, nonetheless, I am not good at communicating my ideas through speaking. I would rather write them down. Despite this, sometimes I have been the one who speaks up and takes the lead, although I do not consider myself a leader, I am more like a follower, but sometimes you have to put yourself out there. I have not tried it yet, but I guess breaking the ice would be good for effective communication. For revising and editing, I would use a grammar checker to fix any common mistakes and read my essay aloud to see if there are some phrases or wording that could be improved.
I have practiced key rhetorical terms throughout the course. I got motivated to analyze texts methodically by this analytical approach, which made me think about the texts’ tone, purpose, and intended audience, among other key factors. Participating in rhetorical situation analysis improved my understanding of a variety of texts and developed my skills in deconstructing and evaluating
written material. Also, when writing the WLLN (Written Language Literacy Narrative) and the peer profile, I examined myself deeper and better understood my peer by creating these pieces. It was like writing a biography of myself or even taking on the viewpoint of a reporter writing a news story about someone. In addition to improving my writing, this approach gave me a new perspective on life that allowed me to better understand and express both my own and other people’s experiences.
For the research essay, I started with the idea of talking about how linguistic standards affect non-native English speakers. However, the online sources that I gathered did not match my thesis statement and I had to search for different ones, which delayed me. However, when I looked for a source in the CCNY’s library database, I found one that caught me and was excellent for my initial thesis statement. Nonetheless, I decided to change my topic and used other sources that were not from the database, but I am glad that I used the database to look for a source once. Even with the initial setback and subsequent topic shift, the experience made clear how crucial it is to adjust and consider a variety of approaches when conducting research.
In the end, my time in English 11000 was more interesting and helpful than I thought. Even though I found some parts hard, like understanding the rhetorical situation and exploring how language standards affect people, it taught me a lot. Even though reading for school is tough for me, and I struggle to write everything at once, I have learned some proficient writing tricks. Working with others was a bit tough, but it taught me the importance of talking and sharing ideas in a team. Using rhetorical terms in the Written Language Literacy Narrative and the peer profile made me
better at understanding and writing about different experiences. Even when my research essay came into some difficulties, it showed me the importance of being flexible and trying different things in research. Overall, this class has not only made me better at writing but also helped me
understand how important words and communication are in our lives. Best class.
