The Explanation Of Language In Richard Rodriguez's Family Language

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Richard Rodriguez developed many claims within his rhetoric “Aria” one being that “it is not possible for a child…ever to use his family’s language in school.” His claim may throw oneself off with the belief that a child usually uses the same language at home as at school (unlike the case of Rodriguez) but in reality his claim makes perfect sense based off of his developed evidence from his childhood. To start, one must know the difference in the language Rodriguez discusses in his piece. In his childhood (Rodriguez) he spoke Spanish at home for the most part and English in his social life outside of the house. The difference between his school language and his home language wasn’t actually the different languages themselves, but instead the …show more content…

At home the language he used, the words he used, spoke a language of their own. They made him feel special, unique, and even different than everyone else. He felt needed and loved. English on the other hand wasn’t about the personal relationship, but instead the more social language that had the purpose of simple communication in the “real world.” It wasn’t the difference of Spanish and English, it was the difference in feeling and the way words flowed with feeling. Within Rodriguez’s claim also comes to the point that one’s family language can not be used in school, with different reasoning, the reasoning of disadvantage and personal identity. “Supporters of bilingual education today imply that students like me miss a great deal by not being taught in their family’s language. What they seem not to recognize is that, as a socially disadvantaged child, I considered Spanish to be a private language. What I needed to learn in school was that I had the right-and the obligation-to speak the public language…” Rodriguez had felt (stated throughout his rhetoric) that he was socially disadvantaged when he could not speak the language of “los gringos” or English. He also thought that publicly, he had gained …show more content…

By this point he proves his claim that in society, or school at his age, he could not speak his family language in any way, or else he would have continued to be the disadvantaged child that he once was. Richard Rodriguez developed many claims within his rhetoric “Aria” one being that “it is not possible for a child…ever to use his family’s language in school.” His claim may throw oneself off with the belief that a child usually uses the same language at home as at school (unlike the case of Rodriguez) but in reality his claim makes perfect sense based off of his developed evidence from his childhood. To start, one must know the difference in the language Rodriguez discusses in his piece. In his childhood, he spoke Spanish at home and English in his social life outside of the house. The difference between his school language and his home language was not actually the different languages themselves, but instead the way he felt and spoke between the two. Rodriguez states “…the twirling roar of the Spanish “r.” Family language: my family’s sounds… Their voices insisting. You belong here. We are

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