In our modern world, diversity is not just a concept, but a living reality. Zadie Smith's enlightening lecture, "Speaking in Tongues," encourages us to be proud of who we are and where we come from, including our unique languages and backgrounds. She shares stories that we can relate to and uses persuasive techniques like personal anecdotes, making comparisons, and using allusion and analogy to showcase the power of embracing different linguistic identities. Also, her change in tone while speaking helped influence us. Smith wants us to understand that when we accept and celebrate our differences, we can bring people closer together and create a world where everyone feels respected and included. In Zadie Smith's lecture "Speaking in Tongues," …show more content…
This metaphor encourages listeners to appreciate and celebrate the diversity of languages and identities. Secondly, Smith utilizes analogy and a reference to explain how Professor Higgins' experiment with Eliza Doolittle results in her becoming "an awkward, in-between thing, neither flower girl nor lady, with one voice lost and another gained, at the steep price of everything she was and everything she knows" (Smith 1). This analogy shows the parallelism between Eliza's experience and the real-life struggles faced by individuals who are pressured to conform to societal expectations regarding language and identity. Smith's use of analogy helps the audience relate to the idea of losing one's true self and cultural heritage when forced to adopt a singular language or identity. In conclusion, Zadie Smith's lecture "Speaking in Tongues" delivers a powerful message about the importance of embracing linguistic diversity and resisting societal pressures to conform to singular language and identity
...Teaching acceptance and diversity of different ethnicity is one of the key components that can be taught in our school systems today. Here in America we have many different ethnic groups and races, we are one big melting pot. During school these differences should be embraced in a positive manner and a proper learning experience. Diversity is often mistaken for the word division, and sometimes people teach that diversity is division. Diversity should be taught in a way that brings people together, not divide people into groups. Like Konig said, “I hadn’t really given much thought to the ethnic and national backgrounds of Sarah’s classmates. I can guarantee that Sarah, being two and a half gave the subject absolutely no thought.” (51) We can take a few lessons from Konigs daughter and learn to not give the subject any thought, and just accept people for who they are.
Every individual in society and in a community is unique in their own ways, and their diversity shows up in many ways. Some of these ways include: religion, race, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and so on. Everyone’s backgrounds are different, and this is what creates diversity in people. Even though everyone might not be the same, only by uniting everyone can we create the big picture. It’s like a puzzle—even though people are different, we can come together to create a big picture that couldn’t be created by puzzle pieces of the same shape. To me, diversity symbolizes the unique backgrounds that we come from. Every individual in their communities and in their society are influenced by their background—and this can come from various reasons. If someone comes from a different socioeconomic background, or lifestyle, their thought processes and their view of life might be much more different than mine. Their reaction to a certain situation can be much more different than mine, and it is important for me to see all these viewpoints in order to be a more informed member of my community. Everyone is diverse in their expression, style, and
...I feel it is my duty to encourage my students to see the beauty in such differences as opportunities for possibilities. I feel it is important to recognize one’s own heritage and race and values, but I also feel at times it is equally important to detach one’s self from such in order to allow for one to be exposed to new perspectives and alternative ways of life.
Cultural diversity is an important element. Often times we acknowledge cultural diversity but we don’t quite understand it simply because we do not live it. With this novel, readers can understand cultural
As stated in my Week 3 Journal Entry, at one point I was helping in a classroom with a child who speaks Spanish. Instead of trying to force the child to speak English, I tried to use some basic Spanish when I worked with them in order to make the child feel more comfortable. I believe by making this small effort to speak the child’s native language that the child was more willing to participate in class and try to learn English. An additional example of making a relation from the text to a personal experience is when I was in elementary through high school. I did not realize until reading Spring’s book how little cultural diversity was taught in my elementary, middle, and high school. I went to school in a very Scandinavian county, and we did not have a lot of diversity. There were several students in the district who came from Hispanic, Asian, or African decent—but they were very few. I cannot recall a day when a teacher spent time to discuss a one of these student’s cultures, which is utterly ridiculous. With the amount of time spent in school and the amount of diversity in the world, it seems illogical to barely speak of ethnic and cultural diversity. Even though there were only a handful of students in the district from different cultures, it would have been beneficial to learn more about the rest of the world because when high school is done we all go out into that diverse world. I know I will take the time and make the effort to teach my future students about the beauty of diversity and
Families, language, ancestry/birthright, and multicultural identity of self all connect to one’s heritage and identification process by giving the opportunity to self-expression. A writer who goes through the experience of self-expression and realization of identity is Emiene Shija Wright. Wright, the writer of “Say Something in African,” speaks about discrimination and prejudice, but most importantly, her culture and how it helps shape her identity. In her writing, Wright exemplifies the way a culture is linked through traditions and/or traits. She argues that being a part of more than one culture can prepare an individual for interactions that may be either negative or positive in his/her life.
Language is a skill that, if used properly, can open up a variety of opportunities in life. Throughout the readings of “Homemade Education” by Malcolm X and “Living with Dyslexia” by Gareth Cook, we see many difficulties and challenges that people overcome when they are put in the face of language. Like many things, there are many different aspects that shape the way we understand the art of language. Throughout culture, perspective, and language we see all the components that make language so powerful. It is made very clear, that language has the power to promote the shaping of one’s identity.
...is our present reality. However, the discussion raised by Jordan and her students is one that every modern classroom should engage in. With the illumination of these relevant issues that both cross and exist within racial lines, the new generation of students can carry on the ultimate goals of Willie Jordan and his classmates: to hold on to language, as it is akin the possession of power in a time where there is a lack thereof.
In such a multicultural world, being knowledgeable and understanding of not only your cultural background, but that of others is essential. Building my awareness on cultures different from my own, and how it shapes an individual’s identity, will foster my personal and professional development. Subsequently, I conducted a cultural interview with an individual whose cultural background differed from my own. Several similarities and differences between our cultures were apparent in the interview, specifically in the areas of race, ethnicity, language, values, and worldview.
Language is like a blooming flower in adversity – they are the most rare and beautiful of them all as it struggles to express itself. It blooms and flourishes in strength, awe, and passion as the riches of thought is imbibed from the seed and into a finished beauty. For others, a non-native person speaking in a language that they are not familiar with sprouts out like a weed – the way its thorns can puncture sympathy and comprehensibility. Amy Tan, however, addresses the nature of talk as being unique under its own conditions. In Tan's “Mother Tongue”, she discusses how her mother's incoherent language is “broken” and “limited” as compared to other native English speakers. When focusing on Amy Tan, she grows noticeably embarrassed with her mother's lack of acuteness in the language, which then influences Tan to “prove her mastery over the English language.” However, she soon learns from herself and -- most importantly -- her mother that a language's purpose is to capture a person's “intent, passion, imagery, and rhythm of speech and nature of thought.” With such an enticing elegance...
Musser, Amber J. Other Tongues: Mixed-race Women Speak out. Ed. Adebe DeRango-Adem and Andrea Thompson. Toronto: Inanna Publications and Education, 2010. Print. 63.
Sowell, Thomas. Cultural Diversity: A World View. Francis Boyer Lecture AEI Annual Dinner. 5 December 1990. Accessed 31 March 2014. Internet.
Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students to gain a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably from a judgmental and prejudiced view. Diversity has a broad range of spectrums. Students from all across the continent; students from political refugees, indigenous Americans, and immigrants bring their cultural and linguistic skills to American classrooms. Students not only bring their cultural and linguistic skills, but they bring their ethnicity, talents, and skills.
Language plays an important part in our lives, for children this is a critical time for them to learn how they can use language to communicate effectively from the moment they learn through school and into adulthood. While a child goes through school they are exposed to Standard English, but there are diversities that appear in the classroom, for example culture plays a part in language development. Gee and Hayes (2011) stated that there are many things that language can be including; a set of rules, a cognitive experience, a social tool or an object, but overall language is something that changes based on culture and social context. Acknowledging and accepting diversity in the classroom in relation to language and language learning is important to ensure children can communicate effectively with others.
Living in a diverse world should be something a person should be proud of. Getting to know a person’s culture and their beliefs should be a wonderful ability. Respecting one another is important, even though a lot of people still disregard that, which should discontinue. We should all start to learn how to make this world a better place,