Language Learning and Identity

Chapter 3: Language and Identity At Home

1. What are the features of the forms of language that are spoken in a home environment that align with academic varieties of language?

Literary style language, repetition, parallelism, story structure, inversion of syntax, using nouns as subjects, and focus on causality are all features of the the forms of home language that are similar to academic varieties of language. 

2. What are the features of Leona's specialized form of language?

Leona's poetic form of language uses much parallelism and repetition. It also is marked by a clear structure in topics. It could also be interpreted to contain strong symbolism. 

3. Why is Leona's specialized form of language not accepted in school?

Leona's language isn't accepted because it is divergent from the type of language that is considered "standard" for academics. Most in academia expect discourse that is concise and to the point. Her teacher wasn't looking for the "flowery extras" that characterize Leona's language. Because of this she didn't celebrate the complexity and beauty of Leona's language, instead she only see what it lacked in comparison to standard accademic discourse. 

4. Explain the contradiction between the research conducted by Snow et al. (1998) and the recommendations made by Snow et al. (1998).

The research of Snow et al. suggested that poor minority students consistently do poorly in reading in the 4th grade. This occurs whether or not the students show a proficiency for reading in the younger grades. This shows that reading isn't just related to the foundational pieces, like phonics. There are other factors in play. However, Snow et al. suggests that students need more training in phonics and decoding. 

5. What other factors besides early skills training will make or break good readers?

One thing that greatly effects students attitudes towards reading is their attitude towards the type of language used in the school. Students need to feel like this language is part of their life outside of school for them to truly be engaged in mastering it. They also need to feel that learning this type of language won't mean giving up the unique language that they use at home. 

6. Why do some children fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "ways with words" taught in school?

They feel these ways towards academic language in part due to their exposure to these "ways with words" outside of school, especially in the home. If a child has seen that only people that are not part of their circle use academic language then they will be less likely to want to use this type of language. This is because they feel that learning and using the language will separating them from part of their identity. In contrast, if a student hears their parents using academic language regularly at home they are likely to see that this form of language is compatible with who they are.