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Lesson 12

We will continue exploring different communities, this time reading an essay by Gloria E. Anzaldúa and determining the various ways in which she communicates essential elements of her community using various rhetorical and stylistic strategies.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I use a variety of strategies (e.g., context clues, word study, and vocabulary resources) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, phrases, and figurative expressions?

  • Can I express an accurate understanding of the central ideas of texts?

  • Can I recognize and interpret language and sentence structures to deepen my understanding of texts?

  • Can I evaluate the effects of literary devices and rhetoric in texts?

Texts

Core

  • Unit Reader
    • “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” excerpt from Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, Gloria E. Anzaldúa, Aunt Lute Books. Reproduced with permission from the estate of Gloria Anzaldúa., 1987
    • “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan, Threepenny Review, Reprinted by permission from Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency., 1990

Materials

Tools

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Write – Discuss

We will prepare to read Anzaldúa’s essay by considering how our styles of communication determine our identities.

Step 1

The words we use and the languages we employ to express ourselves have a profound effect on how we are perceived by others and how our message is interpreted. Consider the languages you speak.

In your Learning Log, list each language and include any variations of that language. For instance, if you speak English, but also speak a dialect that includes its own specific words and phrases, include that as a language as well. Reflect on the importance and relationship of these languages to your identity.

Step 2

With a partner, share your list, noting languages listed in common as well as those that are different. Ask for clarification if you have questions about your classmate’s list.

Step 3

In your Learning Log, respond to the following questions about the languages you have listed:

  1. What do you consider to be your primary language?

  2. In what ways does your language communicate your identity to others?

  3. Have you ever felt judged for the use of your language? How or why?

  4. How does your use of language continue to evolve?

Activity 2: Write – Discuss

We will continue preparing to read Anzaldúa’s “How To Tame A Wild Tongue” by examining the essay’s title and considering its similarity to the title of Tan’s essay.

We previously read Amy Tan’s "Mother Tongue." Considering the similarly of that essay’s title to Gloria Anzaldúa’s essay "How to Tame a Wild Tongue," respond to the following questions in your Learning Log:

  1. What predictions can you make about the main message and ideas that will be expressed in Anzaldúa’s essay?

  2. Using your knowledge of Tan’s essay, how might the concept of talking through one’s mother tongue be evoked in this writing?

  3. Why might multiple authors use this terminology when speaking about their communities?

Discuss your responses as a class and chart your similarities in thought.

Activity 3: Read – Write

We will read the introduction and opening section of “How To Tame A Wild Tongue.”

Step 1

Read the introduction to Anzaldúa’s essay, paying attention to the biographical information included and how that might determine the focus of her essay.

The editor notes that "Anzaldúa is arguing for the ways in which identity is intertwined with the way we speak and for the ways in which people can be made to feel ashamed of their own tongues." Consider the relationship between this idea and the conversation you had with your classmates about your use of language. Did you share similar thoughts in speaking about the languages you speak?

Step 2

Read the first section of Anzaldúa’s essay, beginning with her trip to the dentist and ending with the section heading "Overcoming the Tradition of Silence."

Use a copy of the Attending to Details Tool to respond to the following question:

  1. How does Anzaldúa establish a literal and figurative meaning of her title within this section?

Activity 4: Read – Write

We will complete our reading of Anzaldúa’s essay, annotating specific words and phrases throughout.

Complete the following tasks while reading Anzaldúa’s essay:

  1. Upon completion of each section ("Overcoming the Tradition of Silence,” "Chicano Spanish," and "Linguistic Terrorism") write a summary of the author’s main points. This can be a bulleted list and does not need to be written in complete sentences.

  2. Underline or highlight Anzaldúa’s usage of words that carry a violent connotation.

  3. Underline or highlight Anzaldúa’s use of juxtaposition and lines in which she directs her reader to see distinction or choices.

  4. Underline or highlight lines where Anzaldúa writes in another language.

Activity 5: Write

We will return to the predictions we made before reading the essay to reflect on our initial responses to and understandings of Anzaldúa’s essay.

Step 1

Review the predictions you made about Anzaldúa’s essay and respond to the following questions in your Learning Log:

  1. How did your reading of this essay confirm or challenge your predictions?

  2. How does Anzaldúa’s use of imagery about tongues differ from Tan’s?

  3. How does Anzaldúa’s diction (use of language) differ from Tan’s?

Step 2

Based on your analysis of Anzaldúa’s essay, write down any new notes in the “Writer’s Rhetorical Toolbox” section of your Learning Log.