WEEK 8: Gains and Losses

#8 Discussion questions for “Gains and Losses” by Richard Rodriguez  (The Reader)

 Please answer each "a" "b" and "c" with several complete sentences, and clearly identify each one.  You may want to actually label them a, b, c, but you don't need to copy and paste the questions over, otherwise it will be more time consuming for your peers to find and comment on the ideas that are yours.

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1)       Rodriguez uses terms and phrases like “private language/ public language,” “mine to use,” and “pushed away/I belonged” with regard to language use and the difference between using Spanish and English. 

a.       Have you experienced similar experiences with a language or dialect spoken at home that is different from the one you are expected speak at school?  If not you, do you know anyone who has, or can you think of an example from a tv show or a music figure? Explain.

b.      How could you compare the experience of speaking one language at home and another at school over to the idea of having to learn the “language” you must become literate in to for your career field? 

c.       Will “belonging” with regard to language use be important for you in your career field? How so (think about ethos, respect, credibility?

2)      Rodriguez feels that by becoming literate in English, he “lost” something with his family at home.  He refers to “intimacy” several times. 

a.       Don’t families change anyway when kids grow up?  Is success ever attainable without a sacrifice?

b.      Can you have intimacy with language in academic disciplines and career fields that would be fulfilling? 

c.        Do you think Rodriguez feels like what was “lost” or sacrificed was worth it?