Month: November 2024 (Page 1 of 3)

Excerpt from my final paper “Relationships with Indigenous Languages: How to Maintain Cultural and Self-Identity in an “English-Washed” World?” An excerpt from that is: 

“Learning the Grammar of Animacy by Kimmerer explains the tremendous struggle that an Indigenous person like herself has to deal with in efforts to preserve her ancestral language. Kimmerer feels a sense of responsibility in keeping the Potawatomi language alive, and through her desire to simply learn the language, she encounters a whole new understanding of why she felt so disconnected from her ancestor’s way of life. The power of context, cultural values, and beliefs that are expressed through language can be missed if the language in and of itself is not understood. The futile struggle of knowing that she has no one to practice speaking to in her everyday life could become too discouraging. However, her Potawatomi language teacher reassures her and “thanks us every time a word is spoken—thanks us for breathing life into the language, even if we only speak a single word”(Kimmerer, 53). Kimmerer’s intentions were good, hoping to do her part to learn the language of Potawatomi, which was virtually wiped out due to settler colonialism and leaves only nine people in the world today who speak it fluently. Nevertheless, an essential point is revealed, which can be picked up within the previous quote, is that the language is alive. She realized the disconnect between herself and learning the language because she was so in tune with the way English is conceptualized that she was missing the cultural and more profound meaning behind this Indigenous language. The “…grammar of animacy”, as she described, is her way of reconnecting on a much deeper level with her language. Furthermore, she expresses that it “… could lead us to whole new ways of living in the world, other species a sovereign people, a world with a democracy of species, not a tyranny of one”(Kimmerer, 57-8). Through one experience, we see just how isolated and disconnected an individual could feel from something that so many of us take for granted, language.” 

A slideshow of an my work from ENG 200 during my junior year that showcases the evolution of close reading from my first English course as a first year to a on-demand, in-class examination. I am very proud of my work in this exam and it illustrates how over two years of study in English I went from learning how to best employ skills of close reading over a semester to then becoming a routine and natural aspect of my own note-taking and preparation where close reading is an integral aspect of doing well in this exam.

Conduct research in literary and cultural studies

This idea of as an English major being able to utilize tools and methodologies within a scholarly discipline as a learning outcome I would assert is a big part of fostering discipline specific skills but also learning how to transfer that process to whatever might come next. While as an English major I have become well versed in what source material is used in scholarly writing versus creative, what style of citation to use, and recognize different organizational patterns are most effective for different forms of writing, I also now understand that each discipline has its own rules and norms. For example, looking forward to my next steps, I know that legal writing does not adhere to the same formal set of tools and methodologies but I feel comfortable in transferring my knowledge of research and standards of academic integrity to learning new approaches.

Evidence:

Communicate effectively

 In thinking about restating this learning outcome from a student perspective I would allege that to communicate effectively means you might have to reorient yourself as not coming to a final decision but employing a series of considerate and evidence based claims that when taken together showcase a depth of understanding. The process of communicating whether it is entering a debate on a piece of literature, showcasing comprehension of a text, or formulating a unique argument in a paper, it is essential to approach that as a process rather than finding a singular answer. 

Evidence:

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of literature in English

This learning outcome hits on the significance of literature as a practice across disciplines – in my diverse but interconnected medley of majors and minors (english, political science, writing, and gender, women, and sexuality studies) this outcome is incredibly important as it highlights how literature becomes a capsule of history, of social concerns of a given time, of cultural norms and practices, of power and agency, and of a shared human condition that throughout history wishes to meditate on the state of being and interacting with others. 

Evidence: