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.