Daniel Ponce
Rasheda Young
ENGW 1110
February 7, 2016

ENGL 1100, Writing Skills Workshop

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

 

Directions:  After reading “How to Tame a Wild,” answer the questions in complete sentences.  Your responses must be typed.  All typed assignments must have a heading: your full name, the current full date, my name, class name and section, and assignment title.  The heading goes in the top left hand corner of your paper.

 

1.        Discuss how the opening scene of Anzaldua in the dentist’s chair connects to the overall point/message of the essay and title.

It connects to the overall message of the essay by the girl being strong and prideful of the way she speaks Spanish.

 

2.        Discuss Anzaldua’s use of the Spanish throughout her writing.  Did it make sense?  What was her purpose?

Yes it made sense. No one should tell you which the correct Spanish way to speak is.

 

3.       Can Academic English be defined as Spanish (Standard) and can Chicano Spanish be described as  nonstandard?  Why? What inferences, conclusions, can be made from referring to one identity (language) as standard versus nonstandard?

Spanish (Standard) is a more educated way to speak while Chicano Spanish is found to be a slang/rude Spanish.

 

4.        Discuss the necessity of speaking and/writing in Academic English as an indentity.  Is it necessary?

Yes it’s necessary as the girl mom states how they only hired people who spoke proper English.

5.       Anzaldua describes different types of Spanish, identities.  Discuss the various types of English, identities, you know.

Some English I know are street talk English, Latin English, and well educated English.

 

6.       Pachuco.  Do you use a secret language, secret identity, to communicate to your friends?  If so, what?

Sort off. Our English is different than how adult would speak English as we use more slang and curses.

 

7.       Chicano Spanish can be compared to non-standard English.  What form of English (standard or nonstandard) do you speak with your friends (audience)?  What form of English do you speak when you talk to your mother (audience), professor (audience)?  Why?

I speak a nonstandard English with my friends because I don’t care what they think, but I can’t speak to professor or parent like that because I have respect for them.  Also I find it disrespectful to talk to somebody the same way you speak to your friends.

8.       “I am my language.”  What does this mean?  How does this statement connect to a person’s identity?

She means that she speak the way she wants too and is prideful of the way she speaks.

 

9.       Talk specifically about how the introduction and conclusion connect.

They connect because both part of the story resist being tame from speaking the way she wants too.

10.   Can the language you speak be a part of your identity?  Why?

Yes, because it’s the way you are as a person. It part of the way you feel, act, and think.

 

11.   How important is identity to you?  Does Anzaldua believe it’s important to have identity?  Use some examples from “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” to support your answer.

Identity is important to me because it tells you the way you are as person. “I will no longer be made to be feel ashamed of existing.”(Anzaldua) Exactly you can’t let no one dictate your life and tell you what speak or think.