Richard Rodriguez, author of “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” grew up speaking Spanish at home for the beginning of his life, and having the great connection with family that most hope for during their lifetime. This all suddenly changed when he entered school. Starting at a young age, Richard was surrounded by all English-speaking people that he could not communicate well with. The only instances where English would be would have been during public outings, and interaction with others. At home, his parents also struggled to speak English making the situation even harder on Richard. Fortunately, Richard had encouraging teachers jumpstarted his English learning curriculum so he would be better equip to interact within his community. As he started becoming more and more fluent in English, his native Spanish language started to drift. Richard began to realize that the connection at home slowly dwindled away as he was increasing his English speaking at school. Richard began to sense a lack of safety in his own home. His involvement in public conversation; using his newly learned language, effected his life so much to the point where he had to choose between …show more content…
The benefit of sharing his deep, and very personal experiences is that in the story we get a better sense of who the writer actually is as a person. Through this we have a deeper connection with what he is attempting to portray through his story. Richard Rodriguez tells us that, “Each time I’d hear myself addressed in Spanish, I couldn 't respond with any success. I’d know the word I want to say but could say them.” (Rodriguez 458) Richard tells us that as his native language began to shift from Spanish to English he would not be able to communicate with his community of family, and friend’s due to his loss of his native Spanish
By referencing “the legal duties to educate…children,” the author establishes a sense of responsibility into the reader to help these kids, further promoting bilingual education (Carsen). This message calls out to everyone to make a difference in kids’ lives, and acting otherwise questions one’s morality. The author also includes a message of Baltazar speaking about her dream of graduating high school. This heartwarming bit of the article persuades readers to advocate for bilingual education. Further reading about other children’s struggle in academics due to language barriers underlines the need for that program.
For example tan had realized she had " language of intimacy meaning her mother’s English was " broken" .Tan and her mother had a very strong bond they both understood each other perfectly, but when they would go out in public that's when there was a problem. People disrespected her mother in restaurants, stores etc. people would always be rude and give her looks. A lot of young teens have to be bilingual and many of those times their bilingual because they learn and speak English outside of their home and when they arrive to their house they only speak Spanish or another language.
Language and cultural adjustments destroyed family relationships. In Document E, Richard Rodriguez says he “felt his throat twisted by unsounded grief” after his teachers instructed his parents to “have their children practice their English when they are home.” Speaking Spanish at home was a family element. As stated in Document E, the Rodriguez
A generation ago, a man left his young wife and flew over an ocean he could hardly pronounce, his dreams heavy in his thin trousers. His wife followed him two** years later, her father recently buried back home. Against everything he knew, the man turned from medicine to computer engineering; despite her language barrier, the woman pursued a career in law. He worked two jobs to support his wife through law school, and she took a waitressing job when she wasn’t studying, so that they might keep what little they had. At night, they taught each other English, their mouths silently forming sounds with the radio.
In the essay Aria: Memoir of A Bilingual Childhood written by Richard Rodriguez (). He talks about his parents talked broken English when in public but when at home around their family they spoke Spanish. The Mexican culture does not consider time as an important value. They do not worry about meeting deadlines.
Thus, statements like, “I have OCD,” or “I’m depressed” will not be used haphazardly in our speeches. Looking at Richards Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood, reading the memoir published in 1981 is a privilege that many may not have if they depend on print reading. The memoir provides various aspects of language using narration, description, comparison, and contrast while arguing against bilingual education. Through the experiences that Rodriguez went through as a child, readers are able to understand the confusion that bilingual education brings to children at a young age. Online reading is necessary for the people of this digital era because it provides them with information about the past, present, and future while ensuring that they stay abreast of the changes that take place in terms of language, science, and history, among other subjects.
This, consequently, qualified me for a spot in my elementary school’s ESL program, which was implemented into my class schedule. Only a seven year old at the time, I recall sitting amongst a small group of ten students, whose diverse ethnic backgrounds spanned three
On the other hand, in Richard Rodriguez “ Public and Private Language”, he talks about how people who are out in public they tend to speak in English and when they are at home they will speak in a language that makes them more comfortable. Both authors struggle in English but in different ways. Tan’s mother has hard time speaking English since it was not her first language.
He has also contrasting feelings; he was often always relieved to realize how silent his day in public had been. Richard means that, since he was feeling more comfortable with English, the words were more
Rodriguez’s English was not the best, and because of that he would either be silent or quietly mumble when asked to participate by one of the nuns (73). Since his lack of participation was noticeable and showed little progress, some of his teachers visited Rodriguez’s home to ask his parents to “encourage your children to practice their English when they are home?” (73). Rodriguez one day walks in on his parents speaking Spanish, but when they see him they switch to English, which offends and over the days that follows angers him enough to decide to seriously learn English. Rodriguez even willingly decides to participate in class (74).
Identity Crisis In “Se Habla Espanol” by Tanya Maria Barrientos, speaking multiple languages at the time of Barrientos being a child, was not perceived as a bonus on your job application. When she was just three years old she was moved to the states and her parents completely stopped using Spanish and taught their children English. They did this in order to provide a better education for their children in America. They knew that if they spoke Spanish, they would be perceived as poor individuals.
I really enjoyed "Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood" by Richard Rodriguez because it gave me a perspective on bilingual children and education I've never heard before. Rodriguez, the son of two Mexican immigrants, grew up in Sacramento, California and began attending an English-speaking school knowing very little English. The essay takes readers through both the struggles and delights he experienced while learning the English language. Despite the struggles he went through, Rodriguez firmly believes that bilingual education is bad for children. Although I’ve always thought that bilingual education was good, Rodriguez made a very convincing argument about why it is wrong; and changed my mind.
My Experience As a kid, I never thought I would end up learning to speak English nor go to a foreign country for college. During my first semester of college, I read Amy Tan’s essay “Mother Tongue” which I found to be such a compelling essay. I am not much of an avid reader, but this specific essay had a bond that specified what my life has been for the previous seven years. In her essay she writes about her experience with English as a second language
The pursuit of bilingualism in a child can be affected by phases that the child undergoes en route to discovering their unique cultural identity (which can be a unification of different cultures). This discovery is something parents should not interfere with or impose on, but left up to the child. The most parents can do for their children is to—at the first opportunity—teach their native languages and the culture it represents, at equal
Bilingualism is slowly becoming a popular “trend”. Those who are able to speak a second language at an advanced level and not only, are clearly considered by the society intellectually capable of great things. As a bilingual, the individual must not only know the grammar rules or achieve a high level in communication. He also has to study the cultural background of that specific language. Knowing a second language has a major impact on one’s life.