Inquiry into Language, Literacy, and Identity

8/13/2019 Inquiry into Language, Literacy, and Identity.

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Kirsten Bush

Ms. Hoffman

English 1101

21 September 2013

Literacy Memoir My Journey

We learn to walk despite the many falls we endure. But, as we grow up we

gain a greater consciousness of who picked up us up and pushed us despite the

bruises on our knees.

When I was a kid, I was involved in absolutely everything.

I played soccer, basketball, golf, competed in gymnastics, cheerleading, dance and

took care of a barn full of twelve horses. I remember that little girl looking into the

stands or the audience hoping to see that special person who loved her and was

proud of her, and it always was my cousin Kelly. I come from a close-knit

Pennsylvania family and the big sister roll she played in her brief life provided me

with maturity and compassion, I am proud to embrace.

In elementary school I was naturally gifted in reading, and writing classes,

which was an important foundation in the development of my literacy. For

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homework I was asked to read a short book to my mom every night, practice

vocabulary, and learn to spell long lists of words. I enjoyed this work because I was

never very good with numbers, money, or math. I liked the idea of being able to

write my own stories in journals and the freedom that came with it.

However, my speech was not always great. Up until the 3rdgrade, I spoke

with a slight lisp and had to go to speech class. I struggled with S and Z sounds,

because I often spoke entirely too fast. Gradually my lisp went away, and my parents

encouraged me to speak a lot slower and get my point across with out slurring my

words.

Going into middle school my family made a big move to Charlotte, North

Carolina from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I moved around plenty of times prior to my

home in Pennsylvania, but all my roots led back there. I was nervous for my first day

of school because of the culture shock I faced when coming down south. I was

always taught yall was improper to say, and people could pick up on my accent.

Unfortunately, Kelly was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer last September after a

tumor was removed from her ovary. She lived in Cleveland and I lived in Cornelius,

so it was difficult to grasp the obstacles she was facing in the fight for her life. While

I am aware that everybody climbs hills and faces obstacles in their lives, I also

believe that the defining moment of those battles may well be based on the

foundation upon which one walks - how firm and supportive it is. As I look back, I


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realize that the challenges Kelly faced have enabled me to find a strong footing

within a situation, due to her endless support in all Id done.

When Kellys cancer spread to her spine, the harsh reality of cancer set in. She was

my role model. I admired the way she carried herself and spoke politely to everyone

she met. I would consider myself her mini me. She was never a scholar or excelled in

school, which was different for me. I was naturally gifted with writing and history,

and felt a sense of compassion toward my education. I was raised to speak standard

English, always being corrected and reminded to sound sophisticated. Growing up

in the north, I was taught to not use slang or Ebonics.

Through out my high school career, I excelled in English, Spanish, & Literature. I

then grew a passion for journalism, becoming an editor in chief of my schools

yearbook. I loved creating memories, and being a part of something that people

would cherish. My family pushed me to be the best I could be and has given me the

most out of life. I speak with a Pittsburghesewestern Pennsylvaniantongue, which

is best described as the traditional dialect ofAmerican English spoken by many

draw, with some southern dialect mixed in. Ive realized I code switch for residents

of myWestern PA. This means that words such as house, down, found, or sauerkraut

are sometimes pronounced with an "ah" sound. I guess I can link my heritage of

Irish, Polish, and German for influencing my speech.

family up north, due to being picked on for saying things like yall and bless your

heart. My biggest inspiration comes from my cousinsbattle with cancer, because of

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as editor in chief my senior year. I was never the most enthusiastic student when he

made us read William Faulkner, Nathaniel Hawthorne, or Franz Kafka, but I was

surprised to find Jane Austen, F Scott Fitzgerald, and Edgar Allen Poe peaked my

interest in the classics. I also grew in journalism and was awarded by UNC Chapel

Hill for honorable mention for one of the best yearbooks in the state of North

Carolina. It was an amazing feeling to see how important my yeara book could mean

to me, and allowed me to become more open minded about reading so many

different books through out high school. and put into perspective to me how much

time and effort goes in an authors work.

Another change I went through in school was learning to speak Spanish.I also

began to speak Spanish.It was never an extremely difficult class for me, but I know a

lot people struggle with it because of lack of exposure to it. Living up north all my

life, I lacked exposure to diversity. I came from a predominately white town, where

the most beneficial language to learn was Italian or Dutch. I decided to study

Spanish because of how heavily populated the Hispanic culture is. Though I cant

grasp the accent it took to widen my speech, After four years of studying Spanish,

and continuing it through college, I still wouldnt say I am anywhere close to being

fluent, but I can communicate mediocrely. I felt a sense happiness knowing I can

hold a simple conversation to someone in another language. I use to think very

ignorantly about having to learn a different language because I thought everyone in

America should just learn English being forced to speak a different language was

stupid, because I thought everyone should just learn English, b.ut after reading



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about all the different ways English is spoken, I understand why it is considered one

of the hardest languages in the world. One of the articles we read in class, Mothers

Tongue, really opened my eyes about how others feel about learning English. When

Tan writes about she is now becoming aware of all the Englishes she speaks, I

thought about how many I know too. I know the slang lingo to speak with my

friends, the standard American English to use around adults, and the simple

English I could use to speak with someone who isntfluent.

It became apparent to me that I understand the reason people dont learn

English, because of all the rules and judgments made about having cultural accents. I

could relate to the hardshipsstruggleforeigners faced with learning English when I

nannied for a Cambodian-American family who took in their cousin from Cambodia.

Sophie was a 25-year-old woman who spook with a heavy accent that made it hard

for me to grasp what she was trying to sayto me. I knew Sophie struggled with the

language barrier because she works in the restaurant business and could only be a

server on slow nights so she wouldnt screw up orders when they were busy. Sophie

had a tough life, but she never complained about it. She became an American citizen

and wanted to go to school to become a nurse. Unfortunately, for Sophieshe spoke

such broken English and code switched too often for her to function normally in a

college classroom. She is extremely smart,The girl was brilliant, but her speech

became a barrier to her success, just like many other millions of American whose

native language is not English. I could agree with Tan when she said, English almost

had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life as well. Sociologists and linguists



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probably will tell you that a person's developing language skills are more influenced

by peers. But I do think that the language spoken in the family, especially in

immigrant families which are more insular, plays a large role in shaping the

language of the child. (Amy Tan) I could see this problem with Sophie, and

understood what it was like for Tan to have to deal with her mothers broken

English. all the other people out there who struggle with Standard English.

Most importantly Ivenoticed the way I was raised and how my family

culture connects me to my speech. Were Im not always grammatically correct, or or

use aaperfect Harvard scholar vocabulary, but we do not use Ebonics. . Depending

on who you are you, or what region Im in, you can hear a northern or southern

accent. Sometimes I speak really fast and my words get all jumbled up, but thats

what makes me who I am.My parents Pittsburghese accents are much more

noticeable then mine, since they were born in Pennsylvania too. My father is the

director of marketing for United States Steel, while my mother is a labor and

delivery nurse. Both are very sophisticated and white collar.proper. I am the perfect

blend of them both. My father is determined and hard working while my mother is

nurturing and sweet. My parents work really hard to give us the best life they can

and I aspire to be just like them.

My dad speaks loud and clear, and means business 24/7. I am a spitting

image of him while I act exactly like my mom. My mom is very polite and sees the

best in everyone. I am very outgoing and love the arts to read and write while my

sisters excel in math.are math and science people. Both of my parentsparentsjobs



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influence the way they speak, and how theypushedmy sisters and I to act. I was

raised to be mature and persistent in everything I do, and be respectful when I am

talking to an adult.o. My parents are both very supportive people, and want my

sisters and I to follow our dreams. We all have different career paths, but they

always seem to be there for us in the end. At the beginning of college I came to

school to study Pre-Dentistry, but I thought I should switch to business because I

wasnt the best at science. I had a long talk with my dad about it and he told me to

trust my instinct and pursue a career that makes me happy, which being a doctor

would. I wanted a job where I could communicate with other people. I like helping

others and meeting new people.

I relate to people Wwhen people they say they switch penswith different

people, I relate because I do too. When I am around my mom I can be more open,

while around my dad I need to be more reserved. When talking to an adult, I talk

respectfully. My friends know I am loud and speak very spastically when I am

excited but I am consistently just your typical eighteen-year-old girl. My pen writes

in plain black ink that sometimes blends together, and gets erased. Family is a factor

to my identity, but I have learned to step back and look at things at different

perspectives and be open to others who change our lives along the way.

As you can see my literacy came from many different places and ideas and was

influenced by many different things. And all of those influences and events have made

me into the person I am today. My family is such an influential part of my life, and is the

main reason I speak and act the way I do. My literacy hasnt always come easy to me, but


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now English and Literature are a passion of mine. The most recent event in terms of my

literacy is my transition to college at UNC Charlotte. I have noticed a big change in

myself from coming here, because I feel like I have grown up a lot. I cant speak like Im

in high school anymore because I am an adult now and am pursuing an education that is

going to get me a degree to get a job. In four short years I will be applying to dental

school and will be on my way for becoming a doctor. It is time for me to buckle down

and mature as quickly as I can. I am building a reputation when I speak now, and want

my professors to view me as mature young women. I also thought the way people spoke

told a lot about a person and am hoping people view me in a good light with the way I

speak. This is who I am, and I am staking my claim at my identity.

My cousin became my determined drive for success. After her death, I'm now

emotionally and mentally ready for new grounds to walk on, and I hope my future

plans will bring an extra sense of compassion to those who need it. As for me, my

footwear is finally more supportive and sturdy, because I walk with an angel and

am about to climb to new heights in my future.

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Inquiry into Language, Literacy, and Identity