Here is a passage from a classmate's assignment (due Feb 18).
READ IT and COMMENT:
While the author
retells a few stories in these chapters, the story that most resonates with me
is about his first English words. It reminded me of an earlier memory when I
was a child. In this specific day, my dad and I went to order takeout to bring
back home for dinner. As I was waiting for the food, I noticed one of the
workers was struggling to say a specific word in English while he picked up the
incoming orders via the phone. After he hung up, I tried correcting him and
told him the proper pronunciation of the word. The older man stood behind the
counter with a face of pure embarrassment. I didn’t really think about how
embarrassing it could be for a middle aged man to be corrected by a middle
schooler but reflecting back on the incident, I could have been nicer.
COMMENT:
1) Objectively, do you think you could have described the same situation, both in terms of narration and the psychological aspects, with the same clarity? (Don't be shy, if it's a yes, say yes.)
2) SEPARATE PARAGRAPH. Which of the two perspective do you identify with more closely: the worker's or the teen age girl? (This requires that you go back in your mind and reconstruct the dominant emotion you experienced when you finished reading the passage.)
I don't think I would have been able to recall said situation with the same clarity simply because I don't think my younger self, or any version of myself for that matter, would have spoken up in that specific scenario. I've always been shy, reserved, and the "mind-your-own-business" type so, that being said, I wouldn't have spoken up. Looking back, I'm sure the gentleman appreciates what the student did. The student admits they could have gone about it in a more polite manner, but the student also could have further embarrassed the man, which they didn't and for that they are commendable.
ReplyDeleteWith all that being said, I definitely identify more with the worker because I know I wouldn't have said anything to the man if I were in that very same situation. The man has plausible reasons to feel embarrassed, but I think the age in which the student was at the time also plays a role in their decision to speak up. When we are young, we tend not to think about how our actions may effect the rest of the world. We are much more concerned with ourselves because we haven't experienced enough in this world to have empathy for others just yet.
Not quite sure if a reply is necessary but i believe you’re right, that kids don’t have a concept of there actions and there effect on the world. I know when i was a kid i would perk up about anything i knew that someone else was discussing because i just wanted everyone else to know and understand exactly how and what i understood.
DeleteIf I were to try and reconstruct the details and try to send a message that would try to retell the story with the same emotions and feelings, I wouldn't be able to constrain my thoughts in a way that could would be portrayed through my classmates comment. I wouldn't be able to clarify the way they did.
ReplyDeleteThinking back to reading the passage I felt like I would've identified with the girl. I felt like she had very good intents in trying to help someone but the way she made it seem like she was trying to demoralize someone. I did something similar where I was just trying to help someone and improve on their math homework, but I pushed too hard that they felt like I was forcing them to do their math homework a certain way when they believe they are right.
I do not believe I would have been able to recall the situation so clearly. When talking about describing the situation, I probably would have done just as good of a job describing the situation, maybe I would have dressed it up more due to my own creativity. On a psychological level, I feel that I would have described it better just because how much that moment would have stuck with me, the moment would have impacted me because I never wish to embarrase people.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I relate more to the worker compared to the little girl. When I was younger I never had an issue or a learning curve but it did take me longer to learn things in general. I feel that I was not conscious enough to retain all the information I was being given at that age but, I would relate with the worker because people would always correct me and usually in a playful or teasing way which never felt good.
now that i think of it, if i heard of such a thing at that age it probably wouldve just slipped my mind but now growing up i realize how important it is.
DeleteI believe my classmate was able to narrate her experience simply, and effectively. When I think about my ability to narrate a situation, I believe I tend to embellish quite a bit. I am aware of my writing abilities, and often find myself struggling to shorten/simplify my message. I applaud my fellow peer on her ability to tell a story with such clarity and ease.
ReplyDeleteReflecting back to the passage, I would identify more with the worker. Although the young girl intended to help the older man, and correct his pronunciation, it may have come across as rude. Justifiably so, the man must have felt uncomfortable having a stranger, better yet a young child, correct his pronunciation at his place of work. I personally, would have wanted a coworker or familiar customer to confront me, because sometimes anything coming from a stranger can be misconstrued. At least, for me, I would have felt more comfortable if it was someone I knew who corrected me. That being said, I do not blame the young girl for wanting to assist someone in need. Her intentions were clear, even if she was misunderstood.
I feel like I don't remember much of my younger self and I don't know why that is but I was always talkative and friendly with people. I also have a habit of not thinking before I speak sometimes so I try to work on that a bit.
ReplyDeleteI think I can relate more to the girl in this case, probably because I've been in a situation similar where I brought up something I shouldn't have and it was too late because I already said it. I do catch myself doing that but it's extremely unintentional.
From reading the comment above it is apparent that the situation has engraved itself into her memory since she’s able to recall it with such clarity after so many years. If I was in that situation and it affected me as much as it does for her I think I’d be able to clearly describe it both in terms or narration and the psychological aspects. I might not remember insignificant details like what time it was or what the weather was like but the embarrassment the workers face showed and how I felt would have been burnt into my mind and I’d be able to voice those feelings.
ReplyDeleteIn that situation I’d identify with the perspective of the teenage girl. I identify closer with her perspective because I can recall moments during my childhood where I’d have to help my mother and grandmother with understanding and speaking English, for example during parent teacher conferences so I felt empathetic while reading the comment. I don’t think I would have corrected the worker after he hung up maybe if he was still on the phone and looked at me as if to ask help, but either way I believe her actions weren’t a result of bad intentions but just wanting to help.
ReplyDeleteI couldn’t be able to describe the same situation, because I grew up in a society which taught me to respect elders despite their social status. And also, from my family at a young ages I learned that before judging someone at first to take a look from different perspectives.
For me the worker's perspective is more close than a teenage girl because English is my second language. When I lived in my native country Ukraine I thought that I had good English language skills. When I came to the USA I realized that knowing the English language and speaking in English language are two different things it is like when you received a driver licence but you never drive. Also, I realized that even though I know the right pronunciation of the words, at the same time I can’t pronounce them in the right way because my tongue is used to articulating in a certain way and it is hard to change this. So, I think that she could ask if he needs help in a polite way and my personal opinion that he was embarrassed not because she is younger, but because the way she corrected him.
Jessica Fracasse
ReplyDeleteI believe I would have recalled this story as well as this student had. However mine would have come from a place of anxiety. Anxiety from remembering how I made someone uncomfortable and how that then made me uncomfortable.
For me I would be from the students perspective. I tend to correct people when I think they are incorrect. However, in my time at school and becoming a speech pathologist I have learned that an accent is not an “incorrect” way of speech, but it is only a difference in speech that I have from someone else.
I don't think I could have described the situation as accurately because my memory is awful and I often overthink. This could lead to me putting extra details in the details or assuming thoughts of others, which would make the story less accurate.
ReplyDeleteI resonate with the man more because I am typically shy so I think that I wouldn't say anything in fear of making the man feel bad. The intentions are good to help someone out but it's not always easy for someone to read another's intentions. The man might have thought they were making fun of him.
I am agree with you because some people can't accept or feel fine when people try to correct them, especially from a stranger. But to me, I'm an open-minded person so I'm cool if my teachers, my classmates, or my customers,... correct me with my pronunciation.
DeleteI don't think I could have described the situation from my side because I don't remember vague moments like that. It would have to be something major and crazy that happened for me to be able to recall that memory. My story would probably end up further from the truth if I make something up.
ReplyDeleteI associate with the middle aged man more because I am not one to be assertive and correct someone. I am more timid and lay back and allow others to speak before me. I also mess up with my words sometimes depending who I'm talking to and what the subject is about or if I am upset and not focused.
Yes, I do believe I could have described a moment like this but, only if it had a deep impact on my understanding of things. As you grow up there are times when you do things that you will soon regret and keep in mind as a lesson learned, especially if someone corrects you at that exact moment but, in her case she was able to read the mans expression and understand that she might have embarrassed him so she remmbered this interaction.
ReplyDeleteI identify with her my native language is English and somewhere along the lines I've developed the urge to want to correct people's pronunciation when I hear something mispronounced but, most of the time I stop myself because I consciously think about how that person might respond to me correcting them so I don't unless asked to or if they are stuttering trying to get a word to come out the right way I help them out but I feel as long as I understand what they are trying to say its okay. I don't really feel it's my job to correct someone every time they pronounce something wrong. If that was the case then when having a conversation with a foreigner who is new to the English language it wouldn't be a conversation at all but an English lesson on pronunciation.
I don’t think that I could have described this situation because I was never really the type to correct people on their English. I have always empathized with people whose first language was not English. Additionally, I would have been too shy to talk to a stranger much less correct them. However, I could've described the situation in terms of me feeling embarrassed for the worker. I don’t know if it would have been as concise and clear as this person because my memory is bad and my thoughts tend to be scattered.
ReplyDeleteThe perspective that I could relate to more is the worker’s. I am not as bold as the young girl and I have quite fond memories of the emotion of embarrassment. I remember working at my first job and customers being rude to me because I was new. It was not pertaining to a language barrier but it was still embarrassing. I also relate to the language barrier aspect because I am currently learning Spanish and every time I speak it is beyond pitiful. This is why I continue to give credit to those who speak multiple languages fluently.
Yes i do, however I usually can never recall situations like these until something influential jogs my memory of experiences.
ReplyDeleteFrom that start of our relationships as friends, me and ‘the boys’ always made fun of, and scrutinized each other for our verbal grammatical/ pronunciation errors. It was the way we decided to insult each other while at the same time help one another with our speech.
Honestly, i wouldn’t have been able to recall the situation because knowing my younger self, I was a shy individual so I doubt I would have spoken up. As another classmate said, I too was a “Mind your own business “ person who just noticed what’s going on but doesn’t put a input on the situation. Reading on the situation from the book, im sure the guy does appreciate what the student did for him. The student does mention how he could have been more polite about the situation and he he could also have embarrassed him which he didnt. Based on the characters in the book, I seem to identify the most with the worker and I say this because i wouldn’t have said anything to the man if i was him
ReplyDeleteI believe it wouldn’t be hard to describe the situation through a narrative perspective and through a psychological one. To be clear shouldn’t be a difficult task, through a narrative perspective I would simply tell the story of what perspired between and the person , where it took place and the details in between so people could see both point of views and still be able to come up with a view of their own. And through a psychological point of view I would think about what the person would be feeling , why they would be feeling that , and how dialect barrier has to do with that for both parties.
ReplyDeleteI resonate with the girls point of view I grew up here in America learning English as my primary language. So I do tend to correct people’s grammar.But as well with the mans because my family is from Puerto Rico and with all of them being fluent in Spanish I tend to get corrected or get picked on because I don’t speak it Fluent. It makes you want to not speak or to be a little more mindful of who you speak around and you’re more reluctant to speak less when the language barrier is different.
Dea Mila
ReplyDeleteI personally do believe that I can retain such information for the most part of when I was younger. I remember specific events that occurred in my life as young as my 4th birthday party. Sometimes I do question the details of certain events that I remember only because I can still see dreams and randomly dream about these events. When I do talk to my parents about some of the events, the details I remember are almost always confirmed by them.
I personally resonate more with the worker because I grew up with my parents barely knowing English and my dad would always tell me to not correct him even though he knows his English was off. My whole life I had teachers that weren’t fluent in speaking English and I took ESL classes when I was younger, so I was itching to teach other people what I was learning in ELS. With the mindset that I have from growing up, correcting adults or talking back was always a big no so that’s why I resonate with the worker more.
I think I have the ability to recall a story like that clearly because I have a very good memory (especially small and silly things.) If I were that girl, I would not be ashamed to retell this story. The girl didn't deliberately embarrass the waiter so there was nothing to be ashamed to tell the story.
ReplyDeleteI think that I relate more to the girl because she corrects the worker pronunciation for good purpose. I used to be an intern at a restaurant and when I took orders for customers and I pronounced the English words wrong, the customers corrected my pronunciation so I could pronounce it correctly. And I am very grateful for that. But not everyone feels the same way.
I think I have the ability to recall a story like that clearly because I have a very good memory (especially small and silly things.) If I were that girl, I would not be ashamed to retell this story. The girl didn't deliberately embarrass the waiter so there was nothing to be ashamed to tell the story.
ReplyDeleteI think that I relate more to the girl because she corrects the worker pronunciation for good purpose. I used to be an intern at a restaurant and when I took orders for customers and I pronounced the English words wrong, the customers corrected my pronunciation so I could pronounce it correctly. And I am very grateful for that. But not everyone feels the same way.
I'm not entirely sure I would be able to recall a situation like this with the same clarity, only because I, and especially as a child, tend to keep to myself. However, I do tend to correct other peoples pronunciation or grammar, but it is usually with people that I know personally.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that I would identify with the girls perspective, but only because of my habit of correcting people. Personally, I don't find it to be a big deal to correct people, or have people correct me if I am in the wrong. I believe that if people are out there, including myself, mispronouncing words or using improper grammar, they are almost presenting an uneducated image of themselves to the world and a way they can rectify that is by speaking properly. I am aware that my own pronunciation of certain words or grammar isn't always used as well as it could be, but i am always welcome to assistance.
I do not believe I would have been able to remember a situation like this as well and if I did, I don't think I would have been able to word it as well. As an adult, I would never correct someone unless they asked me to but I understand the situation since the author said they were in middle school. When an adult or someone who is aware of the stigma immigrants face when it comes to speaking English corrects someone it is probably with a malicious intent. When a child corrects someone they are probably trying to be genuinely helpful and friendly.
ReplyDeleteI resonate with both the worker and the middle schooler. I relate to the middle schooler due to the fact that I am a first generation American. My mom and grandparents will ask me at times to help translate or say words correctly both in private and in social settings. I relate to the worker slightly due to the fact that my pronunciation of certain words is constantly being corrected by people, friends and strangers, due to the fact that I have a Brooklyn accent. Although it is very different from the scenario described, it is incredibly annoying and makes me self conscious to talk.
I do not bleieve that I would have been able to portray the emotions of this story with the same elequance as the author did. I feel that given my own individual biography, I do not have the same life experiences that would make me capable of interacting with the waiter in the same way. When I was a younger child I think there is almost no way that I would have even spoke up in this situation.
ReplyDeleteI think that I would relate more to the worker then the little girl. I think this is true because I have also had trouble learning growing up. In middle school I was given extra time to take my tests and I went to grammar and speech therapy classes. So I fully understand the struggle of having a hard time grasping new information and can relate closely to the waiter.
I will be honest, I don’t think it would have remembered that interaction ever happening due the younger me not considering the situation as important or worth remembering. Even keeping account that I am a child of an immigrant, i still wouldn’t see as serious because people from the carribeans speak english. And for me, i wouldn’t understand the difficulty of learning a language and I can’t rely on mom in that aspect, because she knows english. In the end, i would have brushed off and would just consider it a pointless interaction.
ReplyDeleteI can identify with both, but mostly the worker because I personally don’t like when people help me sometimes because I feel embarrassed for not knowing the information. I overthink a lot as well especially when i’m about to go to sleep, so the feeling the worker felt would be the feeling i feel everytime i would go to bed and think about it, until i get over it.
1) As a child I was very talkative, but not with everyone. I probably would’ve never been able to say anything to anyone I didn’t know. It would’ve took 5 minutes to get comfortable but if someone didn’t talk first I wouldn’t say anything. The only people I ever corrected were my own parents. Maybe my classmate was trying to be nice but as a kid we don’t really think before we talk, our innocence kicks in.
ReplyDeleteI cant really relate with either much. As I go back down memory lane I do remember I myself grew up with immigrant parents. My parents both did know English but it wasn’t “american” English it was more immigrant English. There was many times my father mispronounced words and I corrected him that time not realizing it was a whole new world for them. Now that im older im more careful while correcting anyone including my parents