Compare and Contrast: Engkent

Compare and Contrast: Me Talk Pretty One Day

Analysis of the text: Me Talk Pretty One Day (David Sedaris)

In Sedaris's text, he compares the experience of learning english in New York to the french class. He explain the differences in this paragraph:

"Unlike the French class I had taken in New York, here there was no sense of competition. When teacher poked a shy Korean in the eyelid with a freshly sharpened pencil, we took no comfort in the fact that, unlike Hyeyoon Cho, we all knew the irregular past tense of the verb to defeat. In all fairness, the teacher hadn't meant to stab the girl, but neither did shed spend much time apologizing, saying only, "Well, you should have been vkkdyo more kdeynfulh."


With this example, Sedaris also contrast the behave of her teacher to, as we said, his classes in New York. And highlight theses events to explain the environment in his new class room.

Reading Quiz/Blog Post for September 21

Identify the obstacles that prevent Engkent's mother from learning to speak English. According to Engkent, what responsibility does he attribute to his mother for her inability to learn English? What responsibility would you attribute to Engkent's mother for her inability to learn English?

In my opinion the Engkent´s mother wanted to learn English, however, her husband represented the first obstacle. He forced her to be only in the kitchen and understand only the orders of the waitresses, "He puts me in the school and Mother in the kitchen" Says Engkent, to represent the thought of macho of her father and the way that some cultures see the women, even now days.

"Once the father died she was too old to learn the language. However, she also was responsible for learning English and rebel against the father. But perhaps he was afraid to lose their "Soul of China" and become a "Fan gwei." Maybe she also thinks that learn english is dishonor the memory of her husband. And she would like to be a good wife.

I think the temperament stubborn and selfish of the husband with a certain rejection by the mother of the new environment are the two main factors that represent the inability or reluctance of the mother to learn the language of the country that has been living for the past thirty years.

Reading quiz/Blog Post for September 19

Why does Richardson identify this narrative as an "ill literacy narrative"? Which events does she share to support the concept of "ill literacy"? 

 She defines her narrative as Ill literacy, because, as she says “based on social situatedness – one’s readings of the world, the meanings that one associates with various symbols can be different based on where you are coming from.” She talk about a event in particular, and how that event change the way that she understand words like “know”.

She also uses that event to explain three meanings of that word and finish with one, that she describe like archaic “to have carnal acquaintance or sexual intercourse with”.

In a society full of signs and meaning, the author use the semiotic to describe how a particular word or event can significant different things, always according to your role in this society.

1. What role does dialogue play in the way that Sedaris makes sense of the challenges associated with learning French? How does it support/not support the purposes of this essay?


The author begins the story by referring to his age and the paradoxical fact that the book was called "a true debutant" and how the fact that everyone else spoke perfect French made ​​him feel intimidated. The author describes how the dialogue almost onomatopoeic, and even says in the text that "I could barely understand half of what that woman (his teacher) was saying"


The author uses the humor and the irony to explain the challenge of learn a new language. He also uses the dialogs as a resource to explain to the reader the way he understood some words.

Questions about Graduation

How does Angelou define academic success and achievement in "Graduation"?

She defines it like a “Magic time of frills and gifts and congratulations and diplomas” she feels this time just like a ceremony.

What evidence from the text supports this interpretation?

She says in the text “We were maids and farmers (…) and anything higher that we aspired was farcical and presumptuous.” She defines that achievement like an important step for her family. But the society from this time doesn’t expected more.

How might you compare/contrast Angelou's depiction of academic success with your own?

I think there is a moment full of inspiration for me in the text, when Angelou talk about the poem “Invictus“ and she says highly “I am the master if my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” I feel responsible with my academic life. I feel that I could do it better. But her story is really emotive and make me reflexive about what is a real obstacle and what is a real success.

MY FIRST POST

Introducing my Self:

My name is Robert Alexander, and I born in a cold morning in the country of the eternal summer; Dominican Republic. My mom is a nurse and I was the third kid, so she was prepared when I started to request my entry to this world.

I'm studying Film in Western Michigan University, but previously, I was studying and working in theater for a while. I really enjoy write in a blog. I was posting things about theater since 2004 in my blog Cargamento de Sueños (Loading of dreams).

I'm really excited about writing only in english, I hope to do it well. Maybe I will receive many corrections and I will feel comfortable with this, I'm here (at western) to improve all my skills, and correct many mistakes as possible. This is my first post and with the help of my readers, Saint Google and Mother Wikipedia not the last.

ANALYSIS ABOUT A BLOG

The blog that I choose to make a analysis is "La Petite Claudine" www.lapetiteclaudine.com

Purpose: This is a informative blog.

Audience: Literature lovers, pop culture fans.

Stance: La Petite Claudine is written in informal way. And some post could be ironic.

Media & Design : It´s written in a electronic media, and sometimes she (the writer) uses images and youtube videos to explain her point of view or to talk broadly about a specific topic.

Context: This blog talk about the copyleft´s fight in a period of censorship. And how the new technology can remplace old ways of thinking. It´s written in a political context, but in a political context that argues about the freedom of expression in a world that seems to be everyday more communicated and controlled as well.