Genesis Duran

When it comes to your experiences with language (speaking and listening) and literacy (reading and writing), what specific moments in your life can you recall that are particularly vivid or that emerge as being significant to you? Yes, it could be an example from your earliest memories of learning to speak, read, and write (in school or elsewhere), but it doesn’t have to be. It could be a memorable encounter—a moment of tension, confusion, or triumph. It could be about experiences developing additional dialects/languages and advanced literacies (i.e., learning to speak/write in different peer groups, at school, at work, with family, online, in different locations across the nation or world, etc. Please select 3 moments to describe. Then, explain why each is interesting or significant.

1.A specific moment that comes to mind when first learning how to speak english was when i was about 10 years old and I remember being made fun of because i wasn’t pronouncing words correctly or because i simply couldn’t form a sentence at first.

2.A moment that comes to mind when learning the English language was when I first heard an English song.I liked how the instruments were playing and the feeling of just being in my own space. Even though I couldn’t understand what the words meant,it felt like I did. It felt like I understood every word and the feelings they had behind them.

3.the last moment i remember was being i was first told by my grandmother to translate a document for her that was in english. Even though I felt happy at the moment to do so,  I soon realized that I have been taught more English in my life than I have been though spanish. i found myself not knowing how to say some spanish words because i was placed in a english class since the first day of school.

What specific materials or artifacts (i.e., objects, writing, learning materials, pictures, video recordings, etc.) from your past can you locate/recall and that in some way represent a meaningful moment in your reading/writing development? This can be something like a journal or book, but also anything at all (e.g., a toy, piece of furniture, cereal box, art supplies, etc.) What memories and feelings can you extract from these examples you’ve gathered/recalled? Explain.

The first book I have ever enjoyed reading was “INNOCENCE” by Lee Savino. It was my freshman year of highschool and I was required to read at least 4 books that quarter. I felt upset because I’ve never really liked to read. I spoke to my teacher and told her that if I do read a book it would have to be romantic and thrilling. she handed me the first book i’ve ever  loved.This awake my love for reading and made me confident that if i don’t like something is because i haven’t tried a different approach.

For better or worse, who and what impacted how, when, and why you developed your languages and literacies? Who in your family, at school, among your peer group, or in your community played a part? How did your particular situation or experience shape your literacy? That is, what sorts of issues, experiences, organizations, or life circumstances played a part? What kinds of languages and literacies did you gain from those people and your particular situation? How? Why? Explain.

The people who impacted why i developed mu language and literacies where my family. My family is the reason because many of then do not speak english so the responsibility felt ontop me and my cousins. even thought it was difficult at first, i am now grateful because ive learned a language many people use to communicate with.

In what ways do you see your language, reading, and writing capabilities as having social consequences or impacting your life circumstances—that is, what advantages did/do you have and what disadvantages did/do you face as a result of your language and literacy learning? 

An advantage that I have acquired from learning how to read and write in english is being able to communicate my thoughts with others without having to be in a verbal conversation with them. For example, writing and sharing my poetry helped me communicate my feelings and past with my family and friends without me having to have an uncomfortable conversation with them.A disadvantage to learning my whole life about how to write and read English is not learning how to write and speak Spanish properly. since i dedicated a lot of my life to the language of english i wasn’t taught spanish as much and only learned it from listening to others speak in my family.

How might your experience with language and literacy connect to larger social realities (e.g., of your life, family, generation, gender, race, culture, nation, geographic location, historical moment, etc.)? 

My experience with language and literacy connects to larger social realities like generation, culture and race because when a child in the family starts learning a language the house throughs many resppnsibilies onto them without them even knowing. these actions can make the child feel overwhelmed because ontop of family responsibilities he or she has there education.