"En Los Dos Idiomas: Literacy Practices Among Chicago Mexicans"

From reading En Los Dos Idiomas: Literacy Practices Among Chicago Mexicans by author Marcia Farr, I was very interested in the data and study she has made with Spanish families. Farr's study introduced many domains and perspectives of how literacy: reading, writing, and speaking English has impacted certain individuals and family members. With going about her study to how literacy comes to exist for these individuals, she has collected reasonable information through interviews and has worked sided by sided with Spanish children and adults. In her article, I thought it was helpful of her to categorized specific topics as to what she has made an understanding to. In her study she separates many families as to where they come from: Chicago and Mexico and how these individuals have learned to read, write, and speak.

The Politics of Teaching Literate Discourse

From reading The Politics of Teaching Literate Discourse by author Lisa Delpit, I thought it was truly interesting as she talked and discussed some of the problematic from another article Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics by James Paul Gee. As Gee introduces in his article of the "identity kit" a "discourse is sort of identity kit which comes complete with the appropriate costume and instructions on how to act, talk, and often write, so as to take on a particular role that others will recognize" (pg. 526), he also introduces the concept of what makes up primary discourse, secondary discourse, and the differences between dominate discourses and non-dominate discourses which Delpit can relate to.

As Delpit agree with Gee in the most parts, she argues, "people who have not been born into dominate discourses will find it exceedingly difficult to acquire a discourse" and "that an individual who is born into one discourse with one set of values may experience major conflicts when attempting to acquire another discourse with another set of values," (pg. 546-547).

Deplit finds Gee's concerns "discomfort" as she believes there are many individuals who have had problems overcome the discourse. She also believes many individuals who may have struggle within a poor discourse can become excellent writers and readers due to teachers. She uses Mike Rose as an example that many teachers and or educators do care enough outside of the dominate discourse to help poor individuals like Rose himself to become the writer he is.

"The Ethnography of Literacy"

What is literacy and what does it really mean? After reading "The Ethnography of Literacy" by author John F. Szwen, I found it interesting that Szwen believes there is no specific meaning to what literacy is nor what it means. He gives many details and understanding in his article that each person inherits literary in their own different cultural and social ways. Meaning as we learn to read and write there are many ways we inherit literacy skills. He states, "A boy, otherwise labeled as retarded and unable to read assigned texts, may have considerable skills at reading and interpreting baseball record books" (pg. 423). I thought this quote was interesting since it bought up a kind of perspective I never really thought of before. As I would think of the word literacy, I would think of reading and writing at higher education/college level . As the term may be define: the ability to read and write, there is actual no right or wrong answer as to how we interpret the meaning.

Inventing the University

After reading David Bartholomae's Inventing the University, I thought the essays he used were all great examples towards his ideal point of "academic discourse". I found some of his clarifications of each specific essay somewhat confusing at a first to a certain point, overall I did understand the "appropriate" language or message he was getting to. After reading it for the second time, I saw things differently and understood it better. Evaluating these essays gave his perspective as a reader and writer what is considered academic and what needs more improvements. As writers, a comment he made about the creativity of the Clay Model,

"trying on the discourse even though he doesn't have the knowledge that makes the discourse more than a routine, set rituals and gestures. And he does this, I think, even though he knows he doesn't have the knowledge that makes he discourse more than a routine". (512),

we should think and write as scholars or "member of the academy". Impressing the readers and or audience also of our thoughts and ideas that makes it come through us rather than from us, can also create the creativity we own.

The Kind Word for Bullshit

After reading On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt and The Kind Word for Bullshit by Phillip Eubanks and John D. Schaeffer, I thought this topic was overall a really interesting topic to think about. As these authors established bullshit in many student papers, it made me realized how writing has become somewhat bullshit. As a bilingual student majoring in Education, honestly, writing has always been one of my least favorite subject. Growing up I have struggled with writing for many years, and for the most part I know bullshit has taken up most part in my writings since I have found it difficult to learned the language properly a challenge. I have many times worked hard towards making good enough for a decent grade. For the majority, I believe the effort I put in it is truly what matters most.

I realized from The Kind Word for Bullshit, authors Eubanks and Schaeffer pointed out an interesting quote from Dave Barry:

Suppose you are studying Moby-Dick. Anybody with any common sense would say that Moby-Dick is a big white whale, since the characters in the book refer to it as a big white whale roughly eleven thousand times. So in your paper you say Moby-Dick is actually the Republic of Ireland....If you can regularly come up with lunatic interpretations of simple stories, you should major in English. (page 373)

From this quote, we are taught academically to also use big vocabulary words and be perspective in our state of mind towards writing. Sometimes a paper that sounds too academic to a certain level can be become nothing more but bullshit.