Self-Assessment
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English has always been one of my strongest subjects. From delving into timeless literature to crafting my narratives, English has been a canvas for expressing my thoughts, emotions, and complex ideas. This strength has shaped my academic journey and has become a powerful tool for self-expression and communication. Throughout this semester, my journey in the realm of English has been a dynamic exploration, encompassing not only the mastery of language conventions but also the critical examination of the societal impact of linguistic standards.
At the start of this semester, language politics was the focal point of the course, setting the stage for a deep understanding of the different versions of the English language. The professor asked the class to define “standard English” and we defined it as English that has proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary norms, and is spoken properly and professionally. However, the given readings, Theme For English B by Langston Hughes, Nobody Mean More To Me Than You And the Future Life of Willie Jordan by June Jordan, and Mother Tongue by Amy Tan share a view that there’s more to language than just following the usual rules, and they highlight the richness of speaking differently. These readings reflect on the challenges of conforming to academic language norms, delve into personal and cultural identity, and recount their journey navigating societal biases against non-standard English. But they also emphasize the empowerment that comes from embracing their diverse linguistic expressions, trying to get rid of the strong negative stigma that surrounds their use of “improper English.”
The authors have accomplished their purpose by using many different rhetorical strategies, teaching me how important it is to use these strategies to get my message across. For example, in Theme For English B, the author uses irony as the speaker, an African-American student, finds it tricky to write about himself for an English assignment. The irony comes from the fact that the task seems simple, but it becomes complex when dealing with the layers of the student’s identity related to race. Moreover, in Mother Tongue, the author skillfully uses anecdotes, drawing on personal experiences to illustrate the challenge of growing up with “broken English” that’s different from the one used in mainstream society, “standard English.” The author’s choice of using rhetorical devices enhances their writing by adding persuasive or stylistic elements. They help convey ideas effectively, evoke emotions, and engage readers. Devices like metaphors, similes, and personification create vivid imagery, making their writing more memorable. Meanwhile, repetition and parallelism can emphasize key points. Furthermore, this taught me how to use rhetorical devices in my writing and how to identify them better.
Using rhetorical devices in my writing was quite easy for me, but being able to identify them? It was quite a challenge. However, writing a Rhetorical Worksheet for Tan, Saleem, and Jordan helped me break down the authors’ writing, allowing me to be able to identify the author’s purpose of their writing and how they use it to appeal to their audience. Also, writing a rhetorical analysis of my partner’s written LL narrative helped me see how others used rhetorical devices to get their story across. Seeing how my partner used strong rhetorical strategies in his writing helped me look back on my writing, asking myself about how I can improve my writing and how can I use a specific rhetorical device further. The use of vivid descriptions in my partner’s writing helped highlight the transformative power of language in his musical theatre odyssey, taking my partner’s writing as a great example of what I aimed to do in my writing with different rhetorical strategies. Another helpful exercise was using the rhetorical precis form. It helped me organize the author’s main idea, the purpose of the text, and the relationship with the audience.
With that being said, I always struggled with organizing my writing and making sure that I transitioned from one topic to another coherently. However, being able to talk to my peers about how we can improve our drafts was also helpful. I always preferred to receive feedback from the professor because he knew more about what he wanted to see in every assignment and was able to pick out anything that was possibly missing. But after constant exercises of exchanging papers with my peers, I’ve learned to appreciate their feedback and see any flaws in my writing. Compared to high school, I have received so much great feedback now about what else I can add to my writing, what I’m missing, or what I need to remove.
Other resources like using the CCNY library helped me with my research paper, and being able to maneuver what I wanted to write about. During the Spoken LL Narrative, using a multimodal aid supported my Written LL Narrative since it connected to my writing, allowing me to talk more about my cultural background. I could tell a story that I was told as a kid, explaining that the only knowledge I knew about my Aztec heritage was the story about Popocateptl and Iztaccihuatl. Although, I do wish I could’ve added a picture to the rest of my other essays, especially my research paper because I feel like at least adding a chart would’ve strengthened my reason as to why I did my research on the decline of American education.
Overall, this semester has greatly improved my writing skills and encouraged me to make me think about my Aztec heritage more deeply, motivating me to continue learning Nahuatl. It has been quite challenging for me to consistently keep up with the drafts, especially since we’re nearing the end of the semester. A lot of these new strategies and useful resources that I have learned throughout this semester have allowed me to improve, organize, and plan my writing.
