In preparation for the first essay you will eventually write, the Education Narrative, we have two writers, Jamila Lyiscott (video) and Amy Tan (essay), who explore their personal relationship with the English language and the various ways they use language at school, with family, and with friends.

First, watch this video by Lyiscott. As you watch, consider why the performance poet claims again and again, that she is “articulate.” What do you think this means? Who is telling her or sending her clues that they question her ability to articulate her ideas?  As you listen, take notes and consider whether or not you change your language use with different groups in your life and why. With whom are you most articulate? What information or signals have you gotten regarding the language you use? You can draw on your experience with either speaking or writing.

Lyiscott, Jamila. “3 Ways to Speak English.” 10 Nov 2009.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn_mqVD_7XQ&feature=youtu.be

The second essay, “Mother Tongue,” by the fiction writer and essayist Amy Tan. Here. Tan focuses on the way her mother used English and how language shaped their relationship. As you read this essay, note what your experience with language is at home. What part or parts  of Tan’s essay relates to your own experience? How is your story different? Why is the language we develop at home, what Tan calls our “Mother Tongue” so formative?

Read the essay here:

Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” http://theessayexperiencefall2013.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2013/09/Mother-Tongue-by-Amy-Tan.pdf