Update Aug. 27

In Class:

We have been reading an essay by Amy Tan entitled, "Mother Tongue." This essay has invited us to consider the various "Englishes" we all speak, according to who we are addressing and in what situations. We considered the various aspects of our language that change as we shift from one "English" to another, including such things as tone, assumptions about background knowledge, sentence length and complexity, vocabulary, use of slang or jargon, pacing, formality, degree and manner of emotional expression, and pronunciation. We noted, for example, the changes that occur between conversational language and the language of prayer.

We learned that every communication involves a fluid interaction of three elements: the purposes of the communicator, the intentions and understanding of the listener, and the message itself. As any one of these three elements changes, it also influences the other two. To illustrate this point, we examined the course description in our class syllabus and tried to identify the intended audience--was it written primarily for students, parents, other teachers, school administrators, or someone else?

These are our first steps taken in developing a rhetorical awareness (an awareness of the art of argument). We will finish discussing the essay by Amy Tan in class tomorrow.

Homework:
Read the remainder of the syllabus and complete the student information sheet at the end of the packet. Students may bring in a copy of their personal narrative from History class in place of this information sheet if they prefer.

Read and annotate the remainder of "Mother Tongue" in preparation for our discussion.

AP:
Students are writing a timed essay in response to an actual AP test prompt. This will establish a baseline for student's ability to argument. We will then examine sample essay responses with their corresponding AP exam score in order to understand some of the elements of effective argument.