I have read Understanding Rhetoric: A Graphic Guide to Writing, “When Your Grades Are Based on Labor”, and the Labor Log in two hours. The takeaway I got from the text understanding rhetoric is the influence outside factors play on writing. Such as, questioning what audience the author wants to target and the message it is portraying. The takeaway I got from the second text is next time I take risks in my writing or in other words try something new to help improve my writing.
My question after reading the article “Bad Ideas about writing and digital technology” is how texting ruins a student’s grammar skills if students are just texting informally to others. Why does grammar matter when texting? Nowadays, people often use abbreviations and made up words to better express their feelings while socializing with other people.
Life is the journey of learning. We are learning every single day that you are alive the same as me. We always need to face issues on the way of learning, sometimes they can be solved in a minute, sometimes you need to spend a day, a week, a month to finally figure out the solution for the issues or problems. But I pretty enjoy the time spent trying to find the answer for the issue and how this answer really works for this specific issue. The most interesting thing that I learn in my life is computer hardware. When I was a middle school student in my home country, I started to be in touch with the most successful human invention product ever, Computer. The thing that contains a world that is ten times, hundred times, thousand times bigger than our real world. This new world not only shocks me about the intelligence of the human, but also makes me have a huge interest in how this computer is created and how they put thousands, millions of electric currents in the small litter metal box. Because of the passion of hunting for the answer for how the computer can understand the orders that humans give and how the computer completes the orders, I began the learning trip about studying computer languages and computer hardwares.
At the beginning, I learned most of my knowledge about computers from the internet via videos and websites. I took my first computer class at my high school. I still remember I learn C++ language in this class and that was the first time I learned about C++. My teacher is very patient, he always clearly explains how every single command and function loop works in the program. I still remember spending a bunch of time understanding the logic in the programming language and learning the way to think for solving the questions. I always read the question first and break down the question in many steps. By solving all the single steps and combining them together into the big step to reach out the final intention.
He always lets us play with these commands and functions to create the thing that we want to do. Because of this class I started to know that only learning one computer language is not enough to be a computer engineer and let me recognize that I have a lot of things needed to learn to be a professional computer engineer. One more thing that very interests me is the way that they build the computer hardwares especially the CPU (Central Processing Unit). One of my passions is creating the new powerful and effective CPU. It can advance not only for the computer system but also can approve all the fields that rely on the capacity of computers’ solving and calculation ability like finance, entertainment, environmental protection and medical etc….
While writing this paper, I began to tailor it with the audience by explaining in detail how I got into literature. That’s why I had explained what happened to me in 9th grade with learning new things about literature like foreshadowing. Which later on affected me into watching more stories in media like Black Mirror, Attack on Titan, Death Note and more shows. I then begin to explain one of those shows that is Black Mirror to show how much detail was placed into it. This should hopefully show the viewer on why I like this aspect of literature and an example of that being used in a show. What I noticed when I wrote this was that I was able to write a lot more than I thought because in some other papers I would have a harder time to write more things in it to meet the quota on how much should be written. Here not so much due to the subject being something I enjoy to see and explaining it was pretty nice and relaxing. Another insight was my writing seems basic where I have simple English, I don’t say any complicated words just using simple words. I have seen it in my other works too where I don’t use more complex words or sentences I think anyways. Concepts that have impacted my piece as well as the author since it seems the creators for at least Black mirror have made sure to explain more things of the episode they made and how they placed a lot of detail in it. Whether one was having music that represented the characters personalities or how they took inspiration from things that had happened in real life.
Stories have interested me in the past but those were mainly from what I remember shows from tv like Spider man or Spongebob. Books I had mainly seen when I needed to but I would usually choose magic treehouse series of books because I did like the stories and adventures the characters get me. They were all interesting but I haven’t known them much other than being fun until 9th grade. 9th grade I had an English class which was okay during the beginning, however when we reach I think the middle and end of the year. We began to learn about literary devices, they are an aspect of writing that can be identified and help it out. Only one that has stuck with me to this day was foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is when a hint to something that happens in the story in the future. This had me interested a lot when I heard about it and the reading I think we had and analyzed was the Veldt. In there it had some analyzing we had to do and one I remembered while writing this was the lions. In the end of the story the lions had eaten some people, this was possibly foreshadowed with how in the beginning it talked about lions eating and it heading to drink water, exactly what it had done at the end of the story. This was a spark of interest with things later on in the future furthering my interest, an example was a show they revealed in that class being Black Mirror. It led to me searching the show with how interesting the concept was and how much detail is placed into each episode which has its own story in them. They had introduced a new literary device that was symbolism. Symbolism is things that tend to represent other things. An example could be using pink to represent love or red to represent something dangerous. These two literary devices had me look into more shows and enjoy stories even more with them. Some of these shows or stories were Attack on Titan, Death Note, Xenoblade and possibly more that I can’t think of off the top of my head.
Black Mirror is a show about technology and how people are seen using the technology. It’s a dark show at times showing how technology can affect people in the future, whether it’s by a rate system people can do to others that determine their status in the world or making digital clones of people. All the episodes have their own stories making it an anthology series that can have some references to previous episodes. They also contain some details whether it’s symbolism or foreshadowing.
An example of symbolism was in the episode “15 million merits” with the main character receiving a hand crafted penguin statue, representing it being much more real and heartwarming. Then at the end he receives a penguin statue that’s made from a factory, this is to show at the start he was willing to fight the system they had lived on. This was a system where to get a better life you needed some celebrity like America’s Got Talent. However, when he vented his frustration he then gained his own show about saying he will fight the system and tell everyone to not give up. That is all an act for a show, revealing he traded his will to fight for a good cause to get a better lifestyle which could be debated is still not real. Another instance with symbolism and also foreshadowing was “Black Christmas”, in a scene there are two people about to have alone time. There is a wall with three Xs that glow red which indicate the situation they are in on both that part but also the violence that will soon happen. There was another shot with the girl leaving only to then be followed up by a scene with a character sharpening his knife. There are more scenes and episodes that show something like, I recommend checking it out at least the first few seasons.
When discovering literature it can be nice to see the little details that soon become prevalent later on makes me see how much care was placed into writing the stories. Showing how everything is connected made me even want to try writing stories myself. Due to how great it can be to see a story come together, the lessons shown, small bits to show something grander later on. It has made me watch more stories mainly in anime, games and sometimes some books. The stories have also impacted me like Black Mirror with the technology being shown in the series becoming more and more real which scares me.
I just found out that in an interview the creators for that episode had actually inspired the robot dogs from the dog from the left, regardless the advances that had been done as of now is impressive and scary to think of at least for me.
Like the dogs from metalhead or the app that lets people review others on how they act from the episode nosedive. I hope to soon learn more about stories and what they offer to the readers.
Language and literacy are used in everyone’s life, and it is around the globe. This allows us humans communicate with each other, learn more about ourselves and the world around us, and helps our character development.
Growing up PBS Kids and other kids’ channels such as Noggin/Nick Jr played a role in learning English. I was born in the US, but both my parents are from Haiti. At home they would barely speak English with us since that isn’t their primary language making Haitian Creole the first language I spoke. It wasn’t until I was around 4 years old when I started speaking clear English so that other people could understand me. These channels gave me the ability to communicate with people other than my family and start making friends as a child.
Some shows that helped me learn how to speak are nothing but classics everyone should know. Mickey Mouse, Electric Company, Cyberchase, etc. But I also watched a lot of movies with my dad such as Boyz in da hood, Coming to America and listened to music a lot. Focusing on a lot of words being used in entertainment industry allowed me to speak better and learn better. I believe that if English is not your first language, watching films, shows, and listening to music is an amazing way to learn a language and their culture. It played a key role in my development and communicating with others.
A language does not define an individual; it separates them from their cultural community. As childhood emerged, my extended Dominican family made me proud of my heritage and culture. Yet, language was something that made me feel like an outcast within my community. As a Spanish speaker, a lack of knowledge of my native language kept me from deeper connections and building a close relationships with my family and Spanish kids my age. As a result of these judgments, I began to doubt my ethnicity.
An article showing Hispanics questioning themselves due to their lack of native language:
In New York City, I live in a Hispanic-populated community. As a result, I deal with the disadvantages of my Spanish-speaking every day. For example, when I have to translate for my mom, I get anxious because I’m not giving the proper translation from both ends, which leads to confusion and mix-ups. In Washington Heights, a stranger can come to me asking for directions in Spanish. I don’t dare to help them.
Based on my resume, it can be troubling because I can’t consider myself bilingual due to my issue and past occasions. Therefore, I don’t put it in my skills section. While looking for a job, I question whether a manager can rely on me, so I don’t try to apply for jobs for bilinguals, which have more options and pay.
The Dominican Republic was the destination for a month-long visit of my family last year. Since I hadn’t been there in years, I was excited to return to my home country. As we landed, nervousness set in. It was overwhelming to experience such a different environment, climate, and language. We got to our temporary apartment and went to a mall in the city. As a first-time restaurant customer in the country, I ordered several times because the worker was confused. My embarrassment took over after that because I tried to mask myself as a native but failed miserably.
During our trip, we slept over at the family’s house. I found communicating with them challenging, but they were extremely friendly and tried their best to make me feel at home. At the local park, my aunt and I went for a walk. Our conversation focused on my plans for college and my future career. Despite my broken Spanish, I remember being able to converse comfortably. Also, I learned more about the country. The grocery store is called Colmado, Soda is called Refresco, and my favorite fast food to buy is Pica Pollo, which is fried chicken with a side. My Spanish improved and somehow made me feel I belonged here. My family’s connections and the learning opportunities I encountered during the trip did not get deterred by the language barrier.
My Spanish does make me any less Hispanic. During those memorable experiences, I realized I still belonged no matter what. I own my truth and continue to learn and love my heritage.
To me, my language brings back many interesting and significant memories. I only recognized its significance later on and how it made me different from my American peers in the classroom. A specific moment that comes to me would be one of the earliest moments I can recall, in my early years of schooling. While I was learning to interact in two completely different languages. Which were English and Sinhala, and constantly facing confusion while learning them. Although becoming bilingual now seems easy I see how difficult it truly was for my past self. While other kids growing up only had to figure out one language. Whereas I, just like many other first-generation ethnic kids, had to figure out but also become fluent in their second language. To be honest I at one point was jealous of that but now I see how the struggles of growing with two languages are such a blessing. When it comes to growing up bilingual, it is a blessing in disguise, with both positive and negative effects.
A specific moment that comes to me vividly when thinking about languages would be when I was about four or five. Whereat home my mother would talk in a mix of English and Sinhala to teach me both languages. Then when it came to outside of the house such as school, I would hear and interact with English alone. Which as a little kid would create a lot of confusion. Later my parents told me that I would not speak at all no matter if it was at home or school. Then resulted in me was a speech and language therapist from five to seven years old. During this experience I remember feeling not only confusion but embarrassment. It made me embarrassed of culture and who I was. Languages for me made me ashamed of who I was, it created unneeded confusion and grit. This was a significant memory to me because later I recognized how different I was from my white American peers in the classroom. It further clarified to me how if I were like the kids, I envied I would not have these struggles at all.
It might seem easy to grow up bilingual, but it is difficult as a kid. Something many first generation or immigrant kids understand far too well. I cannot speak for all but at least for me in my early years I had a lot of confusion. I recall frequently as a kid reading and while doing so, I would translate a sentence in my head slowing down the pace I was reading at. So, where it would take other kids five minutes to read a paragraph it would take me 10 minutes. Something I was constantly annoyed by and later fixed. This was another significant memory for me because I would wonder why the other kids were not reading like I was, then I realized going to schools with little to no diversity was why the other kids had less confusion. The confusion I think stems from growing up as American but then also connecting to another part of you as well. As a kid, I would say I was embarrassed of my own ethnic background, but now I see it as something to be proud of. What I mean by this is that for me language is not just a way to communicate but it can be a part of one’s identity.
Language now can only be seen as an advantage for me. It connects people to their culture and heritage, which is something important to people of any minority growing up in this country. Language helps people of any minority connect with the food, smells, and traditions in their culture. Language helps eliminate the difference you feel about yourself in this country. Language not only gives you a deeper understanding of your culture and heritage but also one of yourself and your identity. Now I see how language is such a crucial aspect in anyone’s life, especially those of minority people. My development in languages would be because of my mother as a child she not only made it her responsibility to make sure I understand English, but also the Sinhalese language. She made sure to teach me to read, write, and speak English outside of school while also on the side teaching me all about pronunciation and writing of Sinhala. She was able to teach me all of this from an early age and did so because she knew it would be easier to become fluent in another language if you started early on. She understood that although I was American-born, I was still different from what people consider as an American. It helped my present self be in touch with my ethnic background while also still being American.
The ways I see my capabilities in language, reading, and writing impacting my life would all be positive. My two languages allow me to be in touch with both cultures I grew up with, American and Sri Lankan. I get to have the advantage of connecting with people through either language. My experience truly gives me the ability to connect with my race and family, I get to communicate with other people of my culture and learn more about my history. Being fluent in two languages now I only can be seen as a positive impact and allows for a particularly important understanding of oneself. Language not only gives me a way to communicate but a way to identify with myself.
Language and literacy are things that people use throughout everyday life. I learned my second language through immigration.
I immigrated to the United States during my early years in elementary school. Before I immigrated to the United States, I didn’t know a single English word. I didn’t enjoy reading at all since I had a hard time understanding the content of the book due to my lack of vocabulary at the time. Even though my English improved over the years, thanks to my teachers’ reading activities, I still couldn’t find reading interesting for me. It was until 5th grade that sparked my interest in reading books. My 5th grade teacher assigned a research project on ancient civilizations and we need to read textbooks about civilization and eventually create a booklet based on the ancient civilization. At first, I was frustrated because I don’t understand why I need to read books about things that were from thousands of years ago and have nothing to do with me.
“I came, I saw, I conquered”
– Julius Caesar
However, I soon changed my mind about this research project and I became interested in a topic that I thought I would never be interested in before. As I started reading about my assigned ancient civilization, Rome, I found myself lost track of time and continuously reading until the bell rang. The description and images of the Roman civilization from the textbook attracted my interest into learning more about Roman culture. This is the first time that I read nonstop without getting distracted by external factors. While I created the booklet for the project, I found myself actually enjoying the process because I am doing something that I like. After the project, I started to read books about other civilizations and led me to play games based on ancient civilization backgrounds. From the game, I met people from different parts of the world with the same interest and we would roleplay as ancient civilization groups and play against other groups.
Picture of the game
From this research project, I gained more than just a new interest that carried on throughout my life but the willingness to try things that I didn’t like from my first impression. This experience impacted me significantly because it inspired me to try new things that seem challenging such as badminton and coding, which now became my favorite sport and major.
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