Anzaldua Assignment 1

Kaylene Diaz

30 August 2015

Prof. Young

English 1100

                                              Reading Response Questions to “How to Tame A Wild Tongue”

1.        Anzaldua’s opening anecdote of her being in the dentist chair is a representation of the struggle she faces with speaking the American and correct Mexican-Spanish languages. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, represents that struggle as well, and so she incorporated a story which could be used figuratively to explain the actual issue at hand.

2.       The Spanish that Anzaldua uses throughout her writing was to show how difficult it was for her to adapt to the English language and to depict to us how it felt when she was trying to read foreign words. I personally understood everything that was said, being that I am a native Spanish speaker.

3.        Academic English can be defined as Standard English and Chicano English can be defined as nonstandard, reason being that Chicano English is English with a twist of Spanish. It could most definitely be a slang derivative of the formal language.

4.       Speaking and writing in academic English is a necessity because it is required in this country to learn, get a job, and understand what is going on around you. Also, when knowing academic one is identified differently to of those who do not know academic English.

5.       Anzualdua explains the difference types of Spanish identities and it made me thing of all the different English identities there are amongst the language. For example, there is proper English, which is used in formal situations. There is also various derivatives of slangs depending what ethnic background you are from. There is also a way of speaking that has changed over the different types of social groups you are part of.

6.       Unlike in the text, when Anzualdua speaks of “Pachuco” a different way of communication with her friends. I do not use a secret language amongst my peers.

7.        Chicano Spanish can be compared to non-standard English. I speak nonstandard English with my mother, since I am bilingual, I speak what you may call “Spanglish” which is half Spanish, and half English. With my friends I speak in slang English which is heavily influenced by music, society, and media. To my professor I attempt to speak my best formal (Standard) English. I think that the reason for which I do this is because I have a different relationship with each person, which means that I have a different kind of identity to each individual.

8.       Anzualdua does a lot of reference to the fact that her language defines who she is. “I am my Language”, she states, this says to me that who you are is impacted greatly on your cultural background; depending on what language you speak you are altered differently from another who’s cultural background differs.

9.       In the introduction Anzaldua speaks upon how wild tongues cannot be tamed but only cut out, and that relates to the conclusion, because there she explains that despite everything wild tongue’s will remain and that her cultural social group will eventually prosper.

10.   The language you speak can be definitely part of your identity because it defines your cultural background. Whom you can communicate with, which could impact your way of thinking and your social groups.

11.  Identity is severely important to me, because I myself am a native Spanish speaker, and I can strongly agree that language differs me from those who do not speak the language. Anzaldua believes it is very important to have identity, you are showed that when she states “ I will have my voice: Indian, Spanish, White. I will have my serpent’s tongue- my woman’s voice, my sexual voice, my poet’s voice. I will overcome the tradition silence”, she is declaring her identity through these words. Allowing us to see how important it is for to claim herself.