Self Reflection

 

          During this course I felt as if I learned a lot more than what I already knew about language. I felt more connected amongst myself as a foreign language speaker, and more educated on different types of language in this course. Learning about language literacy in our class was a transformative experience that made me reflect on how language shapes who we are and how we connect with others. I never realized how much language plays a role in expressing identity until we started reading into the different ways people use words to share their stories and experiences. This class made me more aware of the gaps in my own literacy journey, but instead of feeling discouraged, I saw it as a chance to grow. 

           As an Asian American, this class made me realize I wasn’t different. Growing up, I always felt like I was stuck between two worlds. The one tied to my native language, and the one where I was trying to fit into American culture. At home, I’d hear my family speaking in our native tongue, but at school it was always English. That contrast used to make me feel like I was never “enough” of either identity. But learning about language literacy showed me that being bilingual or understanding multiple languages isn’t a weakness but a strength. It’s like having a double lens to see the world, even when it feels challenging. The best fitting way to describe it was a quote from one of the writers we read about. “Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her.” This quote from Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, really resonates with me and code switching in society. This piece of literature we read in this class resonated with me enough to read more and more about people with similar experiences as me, and caused a new found understanding in my mind that we are all the same, no matter what language you speak.

          A moment in this class where I felt struggle was definitely writing my literacy vignettes. It felt difficult for me to open up about certain topics but I felt after reading Mother Tongue, that I could bravely share what I felt like during my experiences. In this class I feel like I was able to refer back to analyzing and discussing the roles that race, ethnicity, class, gender, language, sexual orientation, belief, or other forms of social differentiation play in world cultures or societies. I feel like it played a huge role in the end result of my character in this class, and how I really portrayed myself through these assignments. I feel like I am engaged in the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes, I connect better to my own feelings about certain topics that resonate with me. Not only do they resonate with me but help me recognize and practice key rhetorical terms and strategies when engaged in writing situations. 

        Overall, this journey wasn’t just about learning how to communicate better but was about finding myself in the process. It changed how my attitude towards linguistic standards and different language users were. I feel like I’ve grown in my ability to navigate complex emotions tied to language, culture, and identity. I’ve become more empathetic toward other peoples experiences too, realizing that everyone has their own language struggles. For me, this class wasn’t just about books and essays; but rather producing well reasoned written or oral arguments using evidence to support conclusions. It was about understanding how language shapes our world and how I can use it to bridge the gaps in my identity and build a stronger me.