Please read Gloria Anzaldua’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” on Perusall, post three (3) comments or questions, and respond to at least three (3) of your classmates’ comments. Also answer the questions below by posting responses in the comment section below.
1) Why were Anzaldua and other Chicano students required to take two speech classes at their university?
2) How does Anzaldua describe Chicano Spanish?
3) What are three of the languages Anzaldua lists as spoken by Chicanos today?
4) Use your own words and in 2 to 3 sentences, describe Pachuco.
5) According to Anzaldua, what are some of the differences between Chicano Spanish and Standard Spanish?
6) According to Anzaldua, how do Chicanos and Chicanas who grew up speaking the language feel about it?
7) What does Anzaldua say is the way to “really hurt” her?
8) What does Anzaldua mean when she says, “Chicanos straddle the borderlands”?
1) Why were Anzaldua and other Chicano students required to take two speech classes at their university?
-The university purpose of doing this to get rid of their own accents.
2) How does Anzaldua describe Chicano Spanish?
-For Anzaldua, Chicano Spanish is a secret language they use identify themselves as a distinct people. It is a border tongue that developed naturally, and considered as incorrect but is a living language for people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country which Spanish is the first language.
3) What are three of the languages Anzaldua lists as spoken by Chicanos today?
4) Use your own words and in 2 to 3 sentences, describe Pachuco.
-For me Pachuco is a language of rebellion that is used against Standard English and Standard Spanish. It’s a secret language that Mexican or American Mexican used to communicate with each other using the slang language they picked up from the streets.
5) According to Anzaldua, what are some of the differences between Chicano Spanish and Standard Spanish?
-Some of the differences between Chicano Spanish and Standard Spanish stated by Anzaldua is the shift of stress in certain words, pronunciation of words, vocabulary, and leaving out syllables or vowels.
6) According to Anzaldua, how do Chicanos and Chicanas who grew up speaking the language feel about it?
-They often have mixed feelings about their language, because they feel ashamed and looked down due to the repeated attacks toward the language they speak.
7) What does Anzaldua say is the way to “really hurt” her?
-The only way to really hurt her, is to talk badly about her language. As her ethnic identity is a twin skin to her linguistic identity.
8) What does Anzaldua mean when she says, “Chicanos straddle the borderlands”?
-Anzaldua expresses here the struggle of the Chicanos in terms of cultures, identity, and language that the Chicanos/Chicanas have to navigate. As they live in the intersection of Americans and Mexican where they have to blend in and negotiate.
Assignment posts, Course Activities, Student Work
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1) Why were Anzaldua and other Chicano students required to take two speech classes at their university?
To get rid of their accents.
2) How does Anzaldua describe Chicano Spanish?
She describes Chicano Spanish as a different combination of dialects and slangs between English and Spanish. She describes it as a valid language and not a bastard language as it is believed.
3) What are three of the languages Anzaldua lists as spoken by Chicanos today?
-Working class and slang English
-Standard Mexican Spanish
-Tex-Mex
4) Use your own words and in 2 to 3 sentences, describe Pachuco.
It is formed of slang from Spanish and English. Is a language of rebellion that is unknow to adults and outsiders, which is in an opposition to Standard Spanish and English.
5) According to Anzaldua, what are some of the differences between Chicano Spanish and Standard Spanish?
Anzaldua highlight that the differences between Chicano and Standard Spanish are the pronunciation, the blend between English and Spanish, and the use of slangs.
6) According to Anzaldua, how do Chicanos and Chicanas who grew up speaking the language feel about it?
They feel it is part of their identity, but most of the time they feel ashamed of their language.
7) What does Anzaldua say is the way to “really hurt” her?
She says that insulting her language is a way to really hurt her.
8) What does Anzaldua mean when she says, “Chicanos straddle the borderlands”?
She is referring to living in two cultures, Mexican and American.
1) Why were Anzaldua and other Chicano students required to take two speech classes at their university?
Because they wanted to get rid of the accent they have.
2) How does Anzaldua describe Chicano Spanish?
Anzaldúa describes Chicano Spanish as the mix of English and Spanish and calls it an “orphan language” because it has been separated from other Spanish dialects.
3) What are three of the languages Anzaldua lists as spoken by Chicanos today?
4) Use your own words and in 2 to 3 sentences, describe Pachuco.
For me, Pachuco is a language used in the streets that not many people understand. Only people who learn it as children understand the meaning of the words. It is also known as a language of rebellion.
5) According to Anzaldua, what are some of the differences between Chicano Spanish and Standard Spanish?
One of the differences is Chicano use Archaisms words that are no longer in the Standard Spanish. Other differences are the pronunciation.
6) According to Anzaldua, how do Chicanos and Chicanas who grew up speaking the language feel about it?
Chicanos and Chicanas sometimes feel ashamed of the language they speak because of this, many people think that Spanish is a poor or illegitimate language, but at the same time they feel identified with their language because they grew up speaking it as children.
7) What does Anzaldua say is the way to “really hurt” her?
The way to really hurt her is by insulting her language.
8) What does Anzaldua mean when she says, “Chicanos straddle the borderlands
She means that the Chicano people are caught between two worlds, the Mexican and the American.
1) Why were Anzaldua and other Chicano students required to take two speech classes at their university?
Anzaldua and the other Chicanos were required to take two speech classes to improve their accent in English, by sounding less Chicano.
2) How does Anzaldua describe Chicano Spanish?
Anzaldua describes the Chicano Spanish as combination of dialects in Spanish and English, but a dialect that just Chicano understands. And that is considered a mutilation of Spanish.
3) What are three of the languages Anzaldua lists as spoken by Chicanos today?
Anzaldua listed more than three languages spoken by Chicano’s today, the first three are: Standard English, Working class and salami English and standard Spanish.
4) Use your own words and in 2 to 3 sentences, describe Pachuco.
Pachuco is a “language” spoken by chicanos only, and it is a way that they can communicate in “secrete”, no nobody else except for them can’t understand.
5) According to Anzaldua, what are some of the differences between Chicano Spanish and Standard Spanish?
In the Chicano Spanish are words that are not in the dictionary, are just invented words, with Chicano accent. Standard Spanish is the correct Spanish.
6) According to Anzaldua, how do Chicanos and Chicanas who grew up speaking the language feel about it?
They feel ashamed by their accent and language, and most of the time scared to be judges. They had mixed feelings because there were judged by “standard Spanish” speakers, and English speakers.
7) What does Anzaldua say is the way to “really hurt” her?
Anzaldua say that speak badly about her language was the way to “really hurt” her.
8) What does Anzaldua mean when she says, “Chicanos straddle the borderlands”?
When Anzaldua say “Chicanos straddle the borderlands”, she means that the Chicanos live between two cultures-Mexican and American.