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Almost like his own language is losing its touch

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Avatar of Kaylyn Stewart
Kaylyn Stewart 33m
3. I don't believe that the family members HAD to treat him like he was different; it was just the fact that he was. They saw his use of English as somewhat breaking a bond between family. In his essay, Rodriguez relates the Spanish language to closeness. They didn't see language as the only definition of family, but they saw it as a special bond that only members of the Spanish-speaking family had.
Avatar of Endya Vanhook
Endya Vanhook 32m
Response to your second comment: I agree with this analysis of the transition from sounds to words because it did seem as though he lost his touch and lost that outlook on English when he really started to understand the language. I think this is when knowing English became a "real" thing for him and he realized that he was becoming bilingual.
Avatar of Victoria Asuncion
Victoria Asuncion 26m
Question 2: I feel that many but not all bilingual children like Rodriguez face the same problem as the author and his family. By being surrounded and exposed to a whole different culture, the child will begin to act and speak like those around them. Eventually, the culture the child previously had will diminish, forgetting the language that once was intimate between family; the author experiences such instances when he forgets how to speak Spanish around his family.
Avatar of Imani Warren
Imani Warren 15m
1. Even though his parents didn't speak fluent English, they encouraged Rodriguez to learn how to speak it because his teacher wanted him to get better with speaking it in school, therefore, they wanted him, along with his other siblings, to practice at home. I don't think that they knew that the divide between them would increase because I don't think that they expected him to know how to speak English well--they probably expected him to learn just enough to do well at school. Also, considering how close their bond was before, they probably couldn't see such a drastic change coming.
Avatar of Tyra Downing
Tyra Downing 14m
2.) His parents most likely were'nt following the same train of thought as Rodriguez in terms of this "divide". They probably were just trying to do what they thought was best for Rodriguez. Also, considering the fact that both of his parents were Mexican immigrants and were constantly being told to have their child speak English, they probably thought that that would be the best way to keep their son safe and give him a comfortable, American life.
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# data[].attributes.headline
Marisa Miles
Ms. Philips
AP Language and Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.subject
Marisa Miles
Ms. Philips
AP Language and Composition
4 March 2019

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1. What are your current views on bilingual education?
2. Do you believe that immersion education(speaking only english) is a form of cultural assimilation.
3. Why do you think the parents were so quick to make spanish the official language in the house.
4. I believe that the bilingual childhood allowed Rodriguez to see the world through a very unique lens. A lens of diluted Mexican and American culture.
5. Why do you think Rodriguez family is so hard about him speaking spanish.

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Tyra Downing
Ms.Philips
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

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Tyra Downing
Ms.Philips
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

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1.) The general argument made by Rodriguez in "Aria" is that by being a bilingual child, he used languages he spoke to help identify himself. More specifically, Rodriguez argues that he does not support the idea of bilingual education based on his personal experience as a bilingual child. What might the first couple steps in changing the bilingual education system entail?

2.) Many of the essays we've read in this class have had themes regarding identity; "Aria" is no different. Why does identity always seem to take center stage in these essays/stories on language, family, education ,etc?

3.) Since ESL students do not usually have the same kind of scholarly opportunities as those that know English well, what are some ways these students would still manage to prevail and succeed in school and beyond (getting good jobs, getting good education, becoming executives/climbing the hierarchical ladder, etc)?

4.) Rodriguez states that he became more "distant from his family the more he spoke English. I wonder, how did, or would he, go about rekindling that feeling of safety and intimacy he once had? What other things can typically cause a child to become distant from their family and why?

5.) Besides identity, public vs private language, and family, what other themes does this essay cover or address? How might those additional themes apply to your own life or the lives of those around you?

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Kennedi  Mooney
Ms.Phillips 1B.
Ap Lang and Comp
4 March 2019

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Kennedi  Mooney
Ms.Phillips 1B.
Ap Lang and Comp
4 March 2019

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Questions:
1.  Did Richard Rodriguez's siblings feel the same way  as he did growing up??
2. Do you think the discrimination Richard faced influences his claim??
3. What made his grandmother stand up for him when his family would make fun of him??
4. Did his siblings also forget how to speak Spanish??
5. Does Richard speak more Spanish now??
Comments:
1. I wonder how his father felt about his children becoming Americanized. Richard's family spoke spanish and some even still lived in Mexico. In the text when Richard's father friend came to visit and would press his thumbs in Richard's arms to get him to speak Spanish. I'm sure his father was embarrassed his son could not speak Spanish.
2. I think he is basing all his claims on only his childhood and how it made him feel. The bilingual education/ESOL can benefit some students. Rodriguez did not have any statistic in his memoir to support his claim.
3. I think his family calling him a pocho and picking on him negatively affected his view point in life. In parenthesis in the text it states "(A Spanish dictionary defines that word as an adjective meaning "colorless" or "bland". But I heard it as a noun, naming the Mexican-American who, in becoming an American, forgets his native society)". His family calling this name could hurt his self-esteem or feelings.
4. I wonder if Richard would have never learned ENglish where would he be in life. He was getting bad grades in the beginning of the memoir because he never participated. So if he kept going down this road where would he be
5. Now that Rodriguez wrote this memoir and stated his claims what's next. Is he going to take his claims somewhere or are they going to stay on paper?

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Niyah Lucas 
Mrs. Phillips 
Ap Language and Composition
4 March 2019

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Niyah Lucas 
Mrs. Phillips 
Ap Language and Composition
4 March 2019

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1. How did the tone of the last paragraph change the tone of the entire memoir?
2. Who did Rodriguez create this memoir for? Who was the intended audience?
3. how do you think Rodriguez felt about his situation?
4. After reading this, has your viewpoint changed on the bilingual students in our school?
5. Reading this memoir reminded me of the students that are in the ESOL program due to the fact that they know English as a second language.

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Phillips 1B
AP Language and Composition
4 March 2019

QUESTIONS
1. In paragraph 13, specifically the line, "The very first chance... boyish exuberance," Rodriguez writes about running away from his father's grasp in an urgent manner. Why does he do this? How come the paragraph that follows this is about the love he has for Spanish while this line seems to show the exact opposite?
2. What would be a simpler way of explaining his position? Although he mentions it several times, his point of view makes it seem complex and hard to grasp.
3. Do you agree with his position, that bilingual education is not as "helpful" as it claims to be; that it is important to learn the public language for acceptance and belonging; that if bilingual education were to be pushed, it should be pushed upon the english-speakers to learn the foreign language, so that they all can be accepted as public languages?
4. How come his heritage seems to slip away as he begins to speak english more? Why can't his family still speak spanish at home and english in public once they've already grown comfortable to english?
5. Do you agree with Richard's shift of position in the last paragraph of page 34? He goes from treasuring his mother tongue as the language of intimacy to looking down upon it and those who strive to hold on to it. In this paragraph, he seems to take pride in his new sense of public belonging. Do you think this is the pride speaking, or he has genuinely had a shift in thought?

COMMENTS
1. In the first half of the memoir, I notice that Rodriguez often used italics to symbolize the meaning he had attached to the spanish he would hear at home. This use of italics lessens and eventually completely disappears by the end of the story, almost as if it symbolizes the loss of attachment to the spanish language itself, or maybe the loss of opportunity to feel this way since his family adjusted to english. Maybe it shows that Rodriguez feels homely and comfortable everywhere now, not just at home.
2. Rodriguez experiences self-conflict nearing the middle of the memoir, where he begins to learn English. For him, it is a melancholy feeling. He fears that speaking english will somehow take away part of his spanish identity, or take away the intimacy of spanish for his family. I believe that this is because of how he grew up to think due to the treatment he received for not being fluent in English.
3. I really relate to Rodriguez in his family's transition to being fully filipino-speaking, to partly, to completely english-speaking. It has really taken a toll on me as it feels as though I am disconnected with where I came from. I relate very much to where Rodriguez felt ashamed around his spanish-speaking family who looked down on him for not speaking spanish anymore. My family would call me "americanized" if I could not find the right words to reply in our dialect. If I could change this, I would, because I do miss being fluently trilingual.
4. The use of the term "black english" on page 38 confuses me. Is this not just slang or accented words? I believe that the reason why we go to school is to be able to articulate ourselves properly so that we can reach out to anybody. Incorporating any type of slang and recognizing it as a proper language just doesn't seem like it will properly prepare us for further real-world networking.
5. I agree that intimacy is between the people, but I equally agree that it is important to hold on to your heritage, and your mother tongue is an essential part of this. It is so important for me for parents who still speak their ethnic language to teach this to their kids, for the sake of keeping the culture alive.

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Ms.Phillips 1B.
Ap Lang & Comp
4 March 2019

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Jalen Williams
Ms.Phillips
AP Lang
3/4/19

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Jalen Williams
Ms.Phillips
AP Lang
3/4/19

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1)."As Rodriguez's public language becomes more fluent, he forgets how to speak Spanish." Did he really forget or is this just a metaphor?
2).What was the age difference between Rodriguez and his other siblings? Did they have similar experiences to him in school?
3).It says in the essay that Rodriguez's family were lower class and didn't speak good english, so what did they do for work?
4)."As Rodriguez's public language becomes more fluent, he forgets how to speak Spanish." If he really did forget how to speak spanish, how did he interact with his family at home?
5).Rodriguez’s boyhood sense of guilt; he felt he had betrayed his family by learning English, but wasn't that why he went to public school in the first place?

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Cedric Pierre-Louis                                                                    Pierre-Louis 1

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Cedric Pierre-Louis                                                                    Pierre-Louis 1

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Ms. Phillips 1B
Ap Lang. & Comp.
4 March 2019

1. I think that it's a shame for Richard to have lost his fluency in Spanish.
2. What do you think were the reasons behind Richard and his family moving to America?
3. What do you think was learning English like for Richard's siblings?
4. Do you think that RIchard and his siblings will ever get there Spanish back?
5. Even though Richard's teacher's method was effective, do you think that Richard's parents could have found a way to keep Spanish in their home and incorporate English at the same time?

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Mrs.Phillips 1B
Ap Lang & Comp
4 March 2019

1.Should participating in bilingual education be optional?
2.On page 26 paragraph 4 he says he learned his first words of english by over hearing his parents speak to strangers, Because he learned his english by hearing the fragmented english from his parents did this have a positive or negative effect on his learning?
3.on page 29 paragraph 2 he says "it was a ghetto language..strengthened my feeling of public separateness" This demonstrates just how immigrants undergo te pressure and feeling of the need to learn the public language
4.As he learned more english and exchanged fewer words with his parents ( page 32) , how did this affect his thought on language and the intimacy he once had with spanish ?
5.Does he learn better through music as mentioned on page 41 paragraph 1 ?because the words in music have a sound and intimacy which is of more remembrance and value to rodriguez?

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Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Language and Composition
4, March 2019

1.  How do you think the author's experiences plays a role in the way he feels towards bilingual education?
2.  Do you feel that the author's opinion on bilingual education would have been different if he were not a child of non-american parents?
3. What role does language have to do with self identification and a person's view on things?
4. How does the use of non-English words in the author's essay affect how the text was portrayed?
5. As a parent in a place that speaks a language foreign to your own, which would you consider to be more important: Having your child know the language of the land, or the your native language? What does valuing one over the other mean about someone.

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Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Language  and Comp
04 March 2019

1) Do you think his argument against bilingual education is bias? Why?
2) Should immigrant parents encourage the use of English in their home?
3) Did the close bond between the family change for the better?
4) How crucial do you think it is to learn the public language to be a part of society?
5) What are your thoughts on bilingual education and how they believe the equal use of home language along with English in school allows students to find their own individuality?

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Ms. Phillips, 1B
AP Lang and Comp
4 March 19
Questions on text:
1. How is the value of language shown throughout the memoir?
2. Did the author describe any major disadvantages as a bilingual child?
3. How often do bilingual children battle with family in public?
4. How does race influence individuals in America at all ages?
5. How is memoir relatable today?

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Ms.Phillips/1B
AP Lang and Composition
04,March 2019

1. I feel as if Rodriguez parents could've been more understanding of their son learning english.
2. How do you think Rodriguez felt as his family started distancing themselves from him towards the end of the text ?
3. What is the overall tone used ?
4. How does the attitude of the text change from beginning to end ?
5. Do you believe Rodriguez initially meant to distance away from his original language ?

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Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Lang

1. Do you think that all different types of immigrant families have to deal with the same problems that Rodriguez faced when he was young?
2. Do you think that children,especially immigrant families, should learn other languages?
3. What is the overall message that Rodriquez is trying to say?
4. If you are a parent, would you be strict about the language that is spoken at home?
5. Was English the only reason why Rodriguez became so distant with his family?

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Ms.Phillips 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

5 Questions/Comments:

1) Do you believe Richard should have taken his family language away from his family. Forcing them to speak English?
2) I wonder if Richard's family began to envy him for taking away their family traditions and customs by forcing them to speak English.
3) Can you find a tone shift in the text?
4) Have you ever been looked down upon for your lack of ability to do something?
5) Do you believe "Aria" was an efficient tittle for the text?

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Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Language and Composition
4 March 2019

Questions/Comments:
- Should the kids had taught their parents english?
- Should the kids had use both english and spanish at home?
- How did Rodriguez and his grandmother's relationship affect the essay?
- I thought it was sad how the family's communication went downhill after the kids started to learn english.
- I can connect to Rodriguez losing his language because my older brother lost his ability to speak tagalog but he can still understand it.

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Mrs. Phillips 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

1)What is the main focus of "Aria:A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood?"
2)What is the authors four main point discussed throughout the essay?
3)What is Rodriguez's connection between language & intimacy?
4)What rhetorical devices does Rodriguez use?
5)Who is he speaking to?

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Ms. Phillips 1b
Ap Language and Composition
4 March 2019

1.  Why did the English language tear the family apart?
2. What made the father go mute? Did he not feel comfortable in his own home anymore?
3. Why did the parents allow the kids to become distant from the family?
4. I was surprised to see the parents encouraging the kids to speak English, but as soon as they became more fluent and comfortable the family started to break apart.
5. Rodriguez emphasizes that languages have sounds. In the text he speaks on how hearing his family's voice created a sense of safety and happiness. I can relate because when I hear my family's voice I also feel safer and comfortable knowing that they are around me.

# data[].attributes.headline
Tyra Downing
Ms.Philips 
 AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.subject
Tyra Downing
Ms.Philips 
 AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.body
1.) The general argument made by Rodriguez in "Aria" is that by being a bilingual child, he used languages he spoke to help identify himself. More specifically, Rodriguez argues that he does not support the idea of bilingual education based on his personal experience as a bilingual child. What might the first couple steps in changing the bilingual education system entail?
2.) Many of the essays we've read in this class have had themes regarding identity; "Aria" is no different. Why does identity always seem to take center stage in these essays/stories on language, family, education ,etc?
3.) Since ESL students do not usually have the same kind of scholarly opportunities as those that know English well, what are some ways these students would still manage to prevail and succeed in school and beyond (getting good jobs, getting good education, becoming executives/climbing the hierarchal ladder, etc)?
4.) Rodriguez states that he became more "distant from his family the more he spoke English. I wonder, how did, or would he, go about rekindiling that feeling of safety and intimacy he once had? What other things can typically cause a child to become distant from their family and why?
5.) Besides identity, public vs private language, and family, what other things

# data[].attributes.headline
Victoria Asuncion
Mrs. Phillips (1B)
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.subject
Victoria Asuncion
Mrs. Phillips (1B)
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.body
1. Do you agree with the author's claim that bilingual education should not be promoted in schools? Why?
2. What are some underlying themes in the memoir?
3. Based on the events that Rodriguez went through, would you consider Rodriguez expanding his English a good thing or a bad thing?
4. If Rodriguez did not expand his English, do you think that he and his family would still end up distant?
5. Do you think there could have been something done to prevent Rodriguez and his family from being distant from one another? If so, why?

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Ms. Philips 1B
Ap Lang
04 March 2019

Questions
-What are some rhetorical strategies the author uses?
-What is the overall tone of the memoir?
-What are some similarities and differences of "Mother Tongue" and "Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood"?
-How does the author feel about Bilingual education?

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Ms.Philips 1B
Ap Language and composition
3/4/19
Questions
1. Do you think that Rodriguez parents should make an effort, like he is, to learn english to better communicate with him?
2. How do you feel about Rodriguez sacrificing his relationship with his parents to learn english and fit in with society. Is it worth it?
3.   If you were Rodriguez, what would you have done in this situation.Would you have pursue english or your family relations?
4. Do you think there should be an option for students of different languages to use their primary language in the classroom instead of being force to learn english?
5. How has you view on the impact of language changed after reading this essay?

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1. Do you think that all immigrant children have to go through the same adaptation that Rodriguez went through?
2. Do you have the same relationship with your family where it´s mixed feelings, like when Rodriguez described his relationship with his?
3. There are similarities when it comes to Amy Tan and Richard Rodriguez´s perception of their parent/parents but then find their love for them at the same time.
4. Rodriguez breaks down language into particular sounds, why do you think he does this?
5. Do you feel as if your perspective on language is different now because of the past two essays we read?

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AP Language and Composition
Mrs. Phillips 1B
03-04-19

~I wonder how it's like for foreigners to adjust to American schools.
~Do average immigrant families look at their native language as their "language of intimacy"?
~Don't foreign students get put in ESAL classes to teach them how to speak English instead of getting put in regular English classes?
~Does the word "gringo" have any figurative meaning in the text?
~Rodriguez sees language in a way others do not.
~The memoir changes tone when it says "Again and again in the days following,...'Speak to us en ingles.'"(page 31).
~"With so many English speaking people around me, I no longer heard American accents"
~"all these I felt were unsuitable terms of address for my parents", this marks the point where Richard sees his parents as strangers.
~"As I became fluent in English, I could no longer speak Spanish with confidence". Rodriguez is having a conflict with himself.
~When Rodriguez says, "Intimacy is not created by a particular language; it is created by intimates", what was his purpose for added italics and making it bold?

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Ms.Phillips 1B
AP language & Composition
4 March 2019

Questions
1.do you think you could have handled the same situation Richard Rodriguez was in as a child coming to America
2. If you could ask Richard Rodriguez one thing what would it be
3. How would you have dealt being teased in your own family
4.Was learning English more beneficial to Richard or his family
5. Do you feel different about language after reading this

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Endya Van Hook
AP Language and English Composition
Mrs. Phillips 1B
4 March 2019

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Endya Van Hook
AP Language and English Composition
Mrs. Phillips 1B
4 March 2019

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1. Do you think bilingual education benefits bilingual children? Why or why not?
2. Why did Rodriguez feel like he was "socially disadvantaged"?
3. How do you react when you hear a language you are unfamiliar with? How would you react if you were put into the authors position?
4. Why does Rodriguez believe bilingual education is not the answer?
5. What is the tone of the first 4 paragraphs?

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Imani Warren
Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.subject
Imani Warren
Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

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1. When referring to English sounds, why does Rodriguez use descriptions such as "birdlike sounds" and "falsetto notes"?
2. How was Rodriguez able to go from speaking fluent Spanish, to barely being able to speak it fluently after he became fluent in English?
3. What does he mean when he says "intimacy passes through words"?
4. What is his overall view on being bilingual? Do you agree or disagree with his view?
5. How does his view on intimacy and language change throughout the text

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Charity Blakeney
Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.subject
Charity Blakeney
Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

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Socratic Seminar Questions

1. While reading, could you relate in any way to how Rodriguez felt when he couldn't speak English like the rest of his classmates?

2. In our society, how do you think we can be more accepting and integrative of people with different cultures/races while making sure their cultural identity stays intact?

3. Do you ever find yourself feeling like you've betrayed one of your deeply rooted core values like Rodriguez did when he began using Spanish less and less?

4. How do you think his parents felt about the "loss of intimacy" that took place between their family when the children spoke less Spanish?

5. What are some things that you feel more comfortable with doing in private and not so comfortable with doing in public?

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Alexia Anderson
Mrs. Phillips, 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.subject
Alexia Anderson
Mrs. Phillips, 1B
AP Language & Composition
4 March 2019

# data[].attributes.body
Questions:
- what do you think the overall message of Richard's essay is?
-do you think this essay effected bilingual children that have read it?
-do you think the way he structured the essay made a different impact on the reader than if it was in an different order.
-What do you think are the main rhetorical devices are?
-who do you think is the targeted audience?

# data[].attributes.body
Ms. Phillips 1B
AP Lang/Comp
4 March 2019

1. Why did Richard Rodriguez end his essay the way he did, with a topic somewhat unrelated to the main points made by his essay?
2. The ending of the author's essay seemed off topic; it made my head go somewhere else,instead of focusing on the actual objective of his essay. The mentioning of the funeral seemed a lot like it was unnecessary.
3. What conclusion can a reader make about Rodriguez's opinion on bilingual supporters of bilingual education, based  on his own experience?
4. I liked Rodriguez's use of italics in his essay, and what they represented. They represented the meaning of the sounds made by his family members speaking to him in spanish: "I recognize you as someone special, close, like no one outside." (Rodriguez, Page 28)
5. How do you think Richard would be today if the three nuns hadn't shown up to his house and encouraged his parents to use English? How would his thoughts on his use of language change?

# data[].attributes.body
AP Language and Composition
Mrs. Phillips
4 March 2019

Questions
1. Rodriguez and his parents start o grow distant and rarely speak to each other while he is attending school. If the parents didn't understand English very well, while did they still encourage Rodriguez to only speak english. Did they not know the divide would only increase?

2. Do bilingual children such as Rodriguez face the same problems. Can they relate to Rodriguez and his family. (like when they would call him "Pocho" page 36)

3.) Why did some of Rodriguez's family members have to treat like he was different, of like he did not belong. Did they see language as the only definition of what family is?

Comments
1.) I like how Rodriguez defines meanings and language. Meaning does does not come from the word itself but the way it is said.

2.) It is very interesting how Rodriguez can hear the sound of language. Unfortunately it gets to a point where he can't hear sounds, and only words. Almost like his own language is losing its touch