tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33236231993221830432024-03-12T20:01:01.766-07:00Classroom Jargonlaurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-14580586927865446732011-05-08T20:53:00.000-07:002011-05-08T21:03:28.812-07:00Last Post<p>The end of my senior year is approaching and my thoughts have shifted away from high school towards college. I will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the fall, majoring in bioengineering. On paper it sounds odd to be writing a blog about language when I plan to study engineering and hopefully work with science and math for the rest of my life.<br /><br />Tomorrow night I’m attending the science awards night at school so that I can accept an award for doing well in AP chemistry. How does the science department get away with giving awards for good grades, but there are no regular rewards for getting an A in English class? Is it because language touches multiple aspects of life?<br /><br />Over the course of senior year, I’ve learned that language is not exclusive. It’s wrong of me to say that my journey with the English language is over because I’m going to study bioengineering. Besides the obvious “I speak English so I deal with it every day,” language is involved in almost every aspect of life, including science.<br /><br />Hopefully next year I’ll be able to:</p><br /><ul><br /><li>Learn the vocabulary used in bioengineering</li><br /><li>Read some books about engineering (duh, it's college)</li><br /><li>Analyze how we speak about engineering and science</li><br /><li>Improve my writing in lab reports and other bioengineering papers</li><br /><li>Work on my speaking skills (presentation and otherwise because engineering often become consultants and therefore need communication skills)</li><br /><li>And maybe even take a rhetoric class</li></ul><br /><p>Looking ahead, I need not worry about losing my knowledge from English class. Language and science work hand in hand. I'm nervous for next school year, but I'm also excited to learn new things and to work hands on with technology. I'll always keep in mind the power of words and how they shape the way we think, even the way we view engineering. </p>laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-28379590071023444772011-04-17T23:07:00.000-07:002011-05-10T06:12:58.497-07:00Failure to Understand Legal LanguageWhile looking for a <a href="http://www.ted.com/">TED Talk </a>about the environment to use in a research paper for English class, I stumbled across an interesting title in the sidebar. It read, “Alan Siegel: Let’s simplify legal jargon!” Seeing as my blog title contains the word jargon, I figured it would be treasonous if I didn’t click the<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/alan_siegel_let_s_simplify_legal_jargon.html"> link</a>. Here’s what TED has to say, “<a href="http://www.ted.com/speakers/alan_siegel.html">Alan Siegel </a>is a branding expert and one of the leading authorities on business communication, Alan Siegel wants to put plain English into legal documents for government and business.” Throughout this speech, Alan Siegel explains how he takes unintelligible legal documents and translates them into plain English so that consumers can better understand the content. His <a href="http://www.siegelgale.com/">company </a>tests the confusion level of documents and tries to simplify the language or provide examples of computations for paperwork like tax returns (Ironically, tax day is today). Siegel says that difficult language puts consumers at risk. I agree that helping the general population to understand legal documents is important; however, this method shows little faith in the people. Should we be changing the language or educating people before they approach legal paperwork (some of the simplification process does include teaching through example, as mentioned above)? In consumer education I learned to fill out very simple tax returns, but I don’t think I’m prepared to approach complex versions. Maybe schools should focus on strengthening the curriculum for classes like consumer education. I respect Alan Siegel’s work, but it seems like a short term solution. Siegel’s company is merely a band-aid for the larger issue at hand. Once again my computer is having formatting issues. I'll get this checked out. On a happier note, my favorite line from Siegel’s speech: I define simplicity as a means to achieving clarity, transparency and empathy, building humanity into communications.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-31343264893063672912011-04-11T20:43:00.000-07:002011-04-11T20:47:30.331-07:00'Like' it or notLooking at a blog post by a teenager (for instance those written by my classmates), you might never realize the age of the writer. Through writing teens are capable of disguising their youth. We have time to edit our thoughts into concise, meaningful sentences. Oral language is a different story. Ideas are racing through our minds faster than we can filter, so you might hear the occasional (or frequent) slip up. ‘Like’ is a very common language “mistake” for American teenagers. ‘Like’ is used as a filler to indicate a pause in order to think. To adults, teen conversations can seem very juvenile when fillers such as ‘like’ and ‘y’know’ are used. Believe it or not, filler words are not limited to American teens. Every language and age group has a set of filler words. It's more common for adults to use the fillers ‘um’ and ‘ah’. Often times adults think the use of ‘like’ is more incorrect than other fillers because ‘like’ is an actual word in the English language and has a correct use. ‘Like’ is a confusing filler because it is used to establish a pause, to indicate metaphor, to introduce gestures/reactions, to replace ‘says’ in dialogue, to show similarities, and to express delight. Wikipedia indicates that ‘like’ is a slang term in Finnish, French, Norwegian, and Portuguese. Obviously these languages use words that have the same meaning as ‘like’, not necessarily the exact word. To prove that fillers aren’t strictly American, the first link featured below has an entertaining video of teens from the UK speaking in slang and then translating into more universal English. See how much you understand! Finally, I find it interesting that certain filler words are common in occupations. For instance, the word ‘so’ has become typical for radio hosts and I guess anyone with a story to tell. Why is ‘so’ and introductory and transition filler? Any thoughts? BBC article about UK teenage slang: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/8551273.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/school_report/8551273.stm</a> BBC article about like: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11426737">http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11426737</a> Wikipedia page about filler words: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filler_(linguistics">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filler_(linguistics</a>) Freakonomics blog post about so: <a href="http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/04/04/so-what/">http://www.freakonomics.com/2011/04/04/so-what/</a> I apologize for the odd format of this post and lack of spacing between paragraphs. Neither of my home computers will allow me to add spacing to my blog post. I will attempt to fix this problem elsewhere.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-36096053845000062912011-03-14T22:10:00.000-07:002011-03-14T22:19:26.737-07:00Musicks EmpireFirst was the World as one great Cymbal made,<br />Where Jarring Windes to infant Nature plaid.<br />All Musick was a solitary sound,<br />To hollow Rocks and murm'ring Fountains bound.<br /><br />Jubal first made the wilder Notes agree;<br />And Jubal tun'd Musicks Jubilee:<br />He call'd the Ecchoes from their sullen Cell,<br />And built the Organs City where they dwell.<br /><br />Each sought a consort in that lovely place;<br />And Virgin Trebles wed the manly Base.<br />From whence the Progeny of numbers new<br />Into harmonious Colonies withdrew.<br /><br />Some to the Lute, some to the Viol went,<br />And others chose the Cornet eloquent.<br />These practising the Wind, and those the Wire,<br />To sing Mens Triumphs, or in Heavens quire.<br /><br />Then Musick, the Mosaique of the Air,<br />Did of all these a Solemn noise prepare:<br />With which She gain'd the Empire of the Ear,<br />Including all between the Earth and Sphear.<br /><br />Victorious Sounds. yet here your Homage do<br />Unto a gentler Conqueror then you;<br />Who though He flies the Musick of his praise,<br />Would with you Heavens Hallelujahs raise.<br /><br /> Andrew Marvell<br /><br />I’ve been inspired this week, inspired by great music, a beautiful atmosphere, and by a fellow blogger. The featured poem above is Musicks Empire by Andrew Marvell. This weekend I had the opportunity to sing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGLxzz3dTC8&feature=related">Musicks Empire</a>, a composition by Lloyd Pfautsch, at my school district’s annual Techny festival. Which brings me to my next inspiration, the <a href="http://www.technytowers.org/images/chapels.jpg">Techny Towers</a>. The achetecture is amazing and the acoustics are even better. Finally, my last inspiration comes from my friend and fellow blogger Melanie V, author of <a href="http://silverlinedstrata.blogspot.com/2011/03/hope-is-my-philosophy.html">Silver-Lined Strata</a>, who prompted me to write a blog about the songs featured at this weekend’s choral concert.<br /><br />I loved this piece because the poetry is striking on its own, but the addition of music fits the mood of the text which heightens the experience. The song starts out with an ominous chant like tone as if the tenors and bases are quietly revealing the creation story of music. The idea that the World was made by a cymbal triggers images of a crash, or spontaneous event. The empire created by music gradually expands into nature, and cities, and people.<br /><br />The song continues to build momentum as the solitary sounds eventually grow together into “harmonious colonies.” In my opinion the text is paired seamlessly with the music. For instance, the lyric “to sing men’s triumphs” is matched by a grand and full style and the words “victorious sounds” are accompanied by a lively melody. At the climactic end of the song you get the exaltation of Hallelujah, praising music and its effect on mankind.<br /><br />The pairing of words and music can be a very powerful experienc especially when the music conveys emotions that the text might not have if it was just read aloud. This song is one of those moments of greatness between words and music. I highly recommend listening to Musicks Empire.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-74310235438517720852011-03-07T15:43:00.000-08:002011-03-07T15:56:38.580-08:00New Historicism<em>Hamlet</em> is said to be a play that is universal; it’s understood by most and interpreted by many. Critics of <em>Hamlet</em> have even been applying “<a href="http://brainstorm-services.com/wcu-2002/critical-approaches.html">approaches to literature</a>” to the text. To give you an idea, these <a href="http://www.cla.purdue.edu/blackmon/engl360k/critical.html#newhist">critical approaches </a>include: anthropological, archetypal, biographical, formalist, marxist, mythological, narratological, new criticism, new historicism, post-structuralism, psychoanalytic, reader response, semiotics, social, and structuralism. The perspectives are vast, but I’m going to narrow this post down to new historicism.<br /><br />I initially thought that any historic approach to literature would involve crosschecking which parts of the book are historically correct. I was wrong. New historicism is not about looking up facts; it’s about what a text can reveal about the time it was set or the time in which it was written.<br /><br />For <em>Hamlet</em>, the <a href="http://www.shakespeareinamericanlife.org/education/everyone/historicism.cfm">new historic critical approach </a>reveals information about what it was like to be an actor, typical burial ceremonies, traditional royal succession, power structure, views of ghosts, and more. Culture is key.<br /><br />No "history" can be truly objective or comprehensive because history is constantly written and rewritten. The writing of history is based on interpretation, and all interpretations are valid. Any piece of literature is valuable. That’s what I like about the new historic approach to literature…it’s an equalizer for all texts.<br /><br />Similarly to my previous posts that say words should all be treated equally, for new historic critics, texts should be treated equally.<br /><br />Being able to compare how <em>Hamlet</em> was received in the Elizabethan era and how it is read now, readers can more easily notice their own biases. The way audiences and readers respond to <em>Hamlet</em> is constantly changing because literature is shaped by culture and culture can be shaped by literature. The same interconnection can be applied to individual words. Words and text go in and out of use, but their existence demonstrates their importance at some point in time.<br /><br /><br />Here is a helpful link that applies multiple approaches to <em>Hamlet.</em><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_approaches_to_Hamlet">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_approaches_to_Hamlet</a>laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-76712748927612422062011-02-28T07:14:00.000-08:002011-02-28T22:11:18.492-08:00Day of RageDay of Rage. This term has surfaced several times in the news over the past month due to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/28/mideast.africa.unrest/">protests in the Middle East and North Africa</a>. A day of rage refers to the climactic day of a protest. These heightened protests in the Middle East and North Africa have involved violence and even military intervention. But what does this phrasing "day of rage" accomplish?<br /><br /><p>Merriam Webster defines rage as a violent and uncontrollable anger, a fit of violent wrath, insanity, and passion. Protests have become chaotic and by naming these outbursts as "days of rage," journalists almost give protesters the right to run wild. The uncontrollable aspect of rage seems to imply danger to participants involved in protests. While passion would be a safer word choice, rage gives the cause urgency and magnitude. Passion could be applied to positive and negative events. Rage takes a strong position towards unrest and unhappiness. Not all protests have to be violent, but to get any point across rage is a more effective tool. </p><p>Rage is also a good word to associate with protests because of the way it sounds/flows. <a href="http://www1.assumption.edu/users/ady/HHGateway/ExpInt/soundsense.html">Phonetic intensives</a>, or sounds that connect and add to a words meaning, can be applied to the word rage. The R sound is refered to as "liquid" and "euphonious" while the harsher G at the end of the word implies cacophony. Cacophony is definitely characteristic of protests, but the R is also important to make the word catchy/roll of the tongue. This might be a stretch, but even the shift from smooth to fragmented exemplifies the process of protesting: you start calm and get more motivated.<br /></p><p>Now to tackle the day part. Day might seem only explanatory, especially since weeks of rage have even been proclaimed, but the brevity of the period of time is important to note. A day implies a short lived protest where people can be lawless and free to oppose the government. I emphasize the word short. A day of protest is a time when angry citizens can vent, but it is imperative that violence is promptly ended so that more time can be focused on reshaping governments etc instead of calming down enraged crowds.<br /></p><p>In my opinion, violence won't create any solutions for corrupt governments, but at least protesters are getting their opinions heard and changes are starting to be made. In countries where the average person's voice can't be heard by local government officials, days of rage may be the only option to call attention to shared concerns. </p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p>laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-60942507001189503602011-02-14T21:49:00.000-08:002011-02-14T21:57:56.781-08:00Approaching HamletWe just began reading William Shakespeare’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet"><em>Hamlet</em> </a>in my English class. It’s been over a year since I last read Shakespeare and the language seems kinda foreign. I find that because I spend so much time figuring out what the text means, I’m missing out on metaphors and symbolism etc. Is it ever possible for the “casual/inexperienced reader” to understand all the nuances of Hamlet? Probably not, but I’m hoping that my English class enlightens me a bit on the subject.<br /><br />Similar problems are bound to arise in literature translated from other languages. Editors can translate word for word even if the final product seems less poetic than the original, or editors can create the same mood of a piece while altering the original words. Altering words or meaning could conflict with the author’s intentions.<br /><br />Readers of translated texts might have no idea they’re missing out on interesting sentence structure or a cultural allusion. That seems like a pretty dangerous risk for readers.<br /><br />Ralph Waldo Emerson has some words of wisdom on language, especially language over the ages. In his famous essay <em><a href="http://www.emersoncentral.com/language.htm">Nature</a></em>, Emerson says, “As we go back in history, language becomes more picturesque, until its infancy, when it is all poetry; or all spiritual facts are represented by natural symbols.” I took this quote to mean that when languages first emerge, they seem foreign, new, exciting, and poetic. Looking back at languages, they can seem just as foreign (like my experience with Shakespeare).<br /><br />As for “language becomes more picturesque,” either language today has become more dry/boring and therefore less picturesque or today there is an urge to say that all language from the past is precious and poetic. Not all historic literature is as great as we make it out to be. Take the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_quarto">bad quarto </a>for instance; it’s basically a bad copy of <em>Hamlet</em> that is one of the original few transcriptions of the play. Should readers always give such high esteem to historic literature?<br /><br />The glimmer of hope from Emerson’s quote: natural symbols. I think the threads that ties history to the future are symbols and archetypes. Their meanings are timeless and are subconsciously embedded into our brains. Hopefully, while reading <em>Hamlet</em> I can draw upon these natural symbols to more easily connect my experiences to the text.<br /><br />This post is just my intro to a potentially long list of <em>Hamlet</em> posts.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-77536196886793939212011-02-07T20:40:00.000-08:002011-02-07T20:51:40.129-08:00Model United Nations: CyberlawThis past weekend I attended the <a href="http://munuc.uchicago.edu/">Model United Nations Program </a>hosted by the University of Chicago. I spent many loooong hours as a delegate of Venezuela in the Legal Committee. The Legal Committee’s goal was to form a consensus on cyberlaw (the alternate topic which we did not discuss was nongovernmental organizations or NGO’s). As a representative of Venezuela, I tried to stay true to the country’s policies, even when they conflicted with the majority’s perspective or my own views. Overall, it was a learning experience in cooperation and persuasion.<br /><br />Here are a few words and phrases that were central to our discussions and play key roles in the topic of cyberlaw.<br /><br />Cyberwarfare-Actions by a nation-state to penetrate another nation's computers or networks for the purposes of causing damage or disruption. What is a way to defend against a cyber war or a cyber-attack? Cyber Army! Estonia is the first country to have a volunteer cyber army. This NPR <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/01/04/132634099/in-estonia-volunteer-cyber-army-defends-nation">article</a> describes Estonia’s Cyber Army as a force of programmers, computer scientists and software engineers who make up a Cyber Defense League, a volunteer organization that in wartime would function under a unified military command.<br /><br />Jurisdiction-The geographic area over which authority extends; legal authority; the authority to hear and determine causes of action. This was probably one of the most controversial words in my committee. First of all, many delegates failed to use this word correctly. Secondly, cyberlaw is an issue that extends across several countries (or maybe over no actual land at all if you think about it). One possible solution to the question of jurisdiction is to declare cyberspace as a new global space or Common Heritage of Mankind. As a committee, we didn’t utilize this form of jurisdiction very often. Instead, most countries (including me and my partner as Venezuela) argued for national sovereignty. It became a very touchy subject. Even Wikipedia says that a cyber crime may involve the laws of several jurisdictions such as<br />1. the laws of the state/nation in which the user resides,<br />2. the laws of the state/nation that apply where the server hosting the transaction is located, and<br />3. the laws of the state/nation which apply to the person or business with whom the transaction takes place.<br /><br />Net Neutrality- The principle that ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) should treat all content equally, regardless of content type or origin, instead of prioritizing some content. ISP’s drive internet traffic to websites and the issues lies in the fact that ISP’s direct internet users to certain websites more often based on payments.<br /><br />The internet has become so vital in the world today; we even debated whether or not access to the internet is a human right! By reading this blog post you've even proved the widespread influence and importance of the internet today. A consensus on cyberlaw is, in my opinion, an important topic for the actual UN to address.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-58241961767139778022011-01-27T19:25:00.000-08:002011-02-14T21:58:44.296-08:002010 Word of the YearIt’s is well known, at least among my peers, that Sarah Palin’s ‘refudiate’ was voted the 2010 word of the year by Oxford Dictionary; however, I believe the more noteworthy word of the year comes from the American Dialect Society’s <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=132196381">vote</a>.<br /><br />‘<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software">App</a>’, or an abbreviated form of application, a software program for a computer or phone operating system, was the linguist’s selection of the year. In a <a href="http://www.americandialect.org/American-Dialect-Society-2010-Word-of-the-Year-PRESS-RELEASE.pdf">press release</a> the American Dialect Society explains, “Word of the Year is interpreted in its broader sense as “vocabulary item”—not just words but phrases. The words or phrases do not have to be brand-new, but they have to be newly prominent or notable in the past year, in the manner of <em>Time</em> magazine’s Person of the Year.” As a blogger about language this quote is very relevant because words like ‘refudiate’, or <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/12/20/132203336/austerity-is-merriam-websters-word-of-the-year">Merriam Webster’s choice</a> of ‘austerity’, might get media attention or are frequently searched online, but the American Dialect Society makes sure to pick pop-culture words that are sweeping the entire nation. For me, a true word of the year should be frequently used and therefore <em><strong>app</strong></em>licable to daily life.<br /><br />Even though President Obama didn’t directly mention ‘app’ in his <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/01/26/133224933/transcript-obamas-state-of-union-address?ps=cprs">State of the Union Address</a>, I believe his emphasis on innovation makes a strong argument for the word. Obama described the many forms of innovation, from the age of the internet and the ‘app’ that we now live in, to clean energy, creating new jobs, and reinventing old ones.<br /><br />Here is some proof that technology has been a rising area of interest in America, even in language. Previous American Dialect Society words of the year have included ‘e’ as in email (1998), ‘web’ (1990s), ‘information superhighway’ (1993), ‘tweet’ (2009), and ‘Google’ (word of the millennium). Those who voted in favor of ‘app’ say that the word has become omnipresent. I agree, and the same is true for many other technological terms.<br /><br />The internet is penetrating and even enriching our vocabulary. Technology is no doubt an integral part of the American society in 2011. All of this innovation should be embraced in order to “win the future” as President Obama might say.<br /><br />I just wanted endorse the point that vocabulary and language isn’t some mystical, foreign entity only changed by highly educated linguists. Everyday people and modern ideas shape language. Similarly, language reveals prominent trends of the people.<br /><a href="http://blog.brothersoft.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/apples-app-store-to-hit-10-billion-downloads.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 350px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 326px" alt="" src="http://blog.brothersoft.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/apples-app-store-to-hit-10-billion-downloads.jpg" border="0" /></a>laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-55338747633731004642011-01-03T23:08:00.000-08:002011-01-03T23:23:55.653-08:00Book Review: The Translator<a href="http://www.audiobooksonline.com/media/The-Translator-A-Tribesmans-Memoir-of-Darfur-Daoud-Hari-Random-House-Audiobooks.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 367px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://www.audiobooksonline.com/media/The-Translator-A-Tribesmans-Memoir-of-Darfur-Daoud-Hari-Random-House-Audiobooks.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div>Over the winter holidays I had some free time so I picked up a book I’ve been meaning to read for a while. As an active member of my high school’s <a href="http://www.standnow.org/">STAND</a> chapter (Students Taking Action Now Darfur) I thought it wise to read <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/thetranslator/translator-book.html"><em>The Translator a Tribesman’s Memoir of Darfur</em> </a>by Daoud Hari. This memoir traces the genocidal conflicts encountered by Daoud Hari, a Zaghawa tribesman from Sudan and translator to the BBC, NGO’s, the New York Time, and National Geographic. Hari explains his many trips back and forth between Chad and the war-torn Darfur. In 2006 Daoud Hari and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/sns-paul-salopek-jpg,0,1476496.photo">Paul Salopek </a>were captured, detained, and beaten by the government of Sudan; they were accused of being spies. <em>The Translator</em> vividly describes the harsh conditions of the Sudanese prison as well as the strong support of US diplomats and military in order to free Hari and Salopek from jail.<br /><br />I was very impressed with Daoud Hari’s ability to remain calm in dangerous situations and he had the utmost praise towards those whose aid he received. I was quite surprised by Hari’s reaction to American and European reporters and diplomats. In previous posts I have mentioned <a href="http://laurenclassroomjargon.blogspot.com/2010/10/otherize.html">otherizing</a> and American <a href="http://laurenclassroomjargon.blogspot.com/2010/10/exceptional.html">exceptionalism</a>, which negatively portray America to the rest of the world. Hearing many critiques of reporters and America in general, it was refreshing to see how much compassion Hari feels towards his western companions.<br /><br /><em>The Translator</em> reaffirms the idea that conflicts are not two sided. There are many more perspectives. In the case of the Darfurian genocide there is the Sudanese government, many sometimes conflicting rebel groups, Chadians, refugees, and internally displaced people (IDP’s). Hari kept returning to the issue that even though the rebel groups were all against the Sudanese government, often the rebels would fight each other. They were hurting their cause and killing their own kind.<br /><br />Since this blog usually focuses on words I’m going to talk a bit about Hari’s writing style and respect for the reader. First of all, Daoud Hari’s writing can be very graphic at times so interested readers beware. Secondly, I really commend Hari for his simplistic sense of writing because even complicated situations were written in clearly and concisely. Finally, Daoud Hari is very aware of his audience (which is always good from the reader’s perspective). He takes the time to translate words and he even included two appendices in the back of the book, one explaining more about the genocide in Darfur and another about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Overall, I would recommend <em>The Translator</em> as a quick yet informative read with several heart wrenching and heart-warming scenes. </div><div></div><div>To learn more about the book visit <u><span style="color:#0066cc;"><a href="http://www.thetranslator-book.com/">http://www.thetranslator-book.com/</a></span></u></div>laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-27792098435761433622010-12-14T22:17:00.000-08:002011-01-02T20:35:13.035-08:00Otherize Part 2: Some Thoughts on AmericaSo a while back I wrote a <a href="http://laurenclassroomjargon.blogspot.com/2010/10/otherize.html">blog post </a>about the word otherize. This post is an extension of the first and sort of an informal mind dump about the topic. When talking about the word otherize, I generally associate the “other” as someone from a different culture/nationality. What happens when the other is just someone who goes against the norms of their country? What if the social norms of a society don’t reflect the majority (ie America is seen as a male nation but the majority of the population is women. Or, Americans are typically associated with businessmen but the majority of employees are not businessmen)?<br /><br />Today<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._Kenny"> James C. Kenny</a>, the former US Ambassador to Ireland, visited my history class. In his opening comments Kenny, having read part of a political science textbook used at my school, said that the book had important knowledge about how to be an American. Maybe he said something about being a good American. Readers, what qualities do you think define any/all American or makes a “good” American?<br /><br />After Kenny’s comment I began to think about all the people in America who don’t know political science and all of their constitutional freedoms. They can be good Americans too, and that portion of the population probably makes up the majority. Maybe Americans should begin to reshape their norms, and maybe Americans could be better represented as not knowing their own history (sorry if that was offensive). Ambassador Kenny said that his job was to serve represent America. I understand what he meant politically, but most Americans don’t have the same knowledge of U.S. laws and history.<br /><br />Take a look at this survey conducted by the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut. The elite college history survey says, “ACTA commissioned the Roper organization — The Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University of Connecticut — to survey college seniors from the nation’s best colleges and universities as identified by the U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings. The top 55 liberal arts colleges and research universities were sampled during<br />December 1999. (For a list, see Appendix A.)<br /><br />How did seniors from our nation’s top colleges and universities do? They flunked. Four<br />out of five — 81% — of seniors from the top 55 colleges and universities in the United States<br />received a grade of D or F. They could not identify Valley Forge, or words from the Gettysburg<br />Address, or even the basic principles of the U.S. Constitution.<br />• Scarcely more than half knew general information about American democracy and the<br />Constitution.<br />• Only 34% of the students surveyed could identify George Washington as an American<br />general at the battle of Yorktown, the culminating battle of the American Revolution.<br />• Only 42% were able to identify George Washington as “First in war, first in peace, first in the<br />hearts of his countrymen.”<br />• Less than one quarter (23%) correctly identified James Madison as the “father of the<br />Constitution.”<br />• Even fewer — 22% of the college seniors — were able to identify “Government of the<br />people, by the people, for the people” as a line from the Gettysburg Address — arguably one<br />of the three most important documents underlying the American system of government.<br />• Over one-third were unable to identify the U.S. Constitution as establishing the division of<br />power in American government.<br />• Little more than half (52%) knew George Washington’s Farewell Address warned against<br />permanent alliances with foreign governments.<br />What do they know? They get an A+ in contemporary popular culture.<br />• 99% know who the cartoon characters Beavis and Butthead are.<br />• 98% can identify the rap singer Snoop Doggy Dogg.” (<a href="https://www.goacta.org/publications/downloads/LosingAmerica">Full Article</a>)<br /><br /><br />Are most American’s unaware that we value freedom and education but don’t seem to understand the core teachings of United States history? Understanding political science is an ideal for the “good” American, but is this ideal attainable. Maybe be the other, more pop culture oriented American, is a more applicable contemporary representation of most Americans. I would say this is a major blow to United States legitimacy.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-66255675150539347192010-12-07T20:39:00.000-08:002011-01-02T20:34:33.873-08:00The Veil and Associated LingoSo to connect the book <em><a href="http://azarnafisi.com/books/reading-lolita-in-tehran/">Reading Lolita in Tehran</a></em>, the book I'm reading in my senior english class, to current events like burqa bans in France, I decided to post about the veil. There are several options of veils including the hijab, niqab, burqa, and chador.<br /><br />Here is a BBC link depicting the numerous varieties of veils: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/europe_muslim_veils/html/1.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/europe_muslim_veils/html/1.stm</a><br /><br />Below are links to blog posts and a video that feature interviews with muslim women about their views on veiling:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/divercity/2010/11/16/four-hip-hijabis-talk-about-their-relationship-headscarf-and-fashion">http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/divercity/2010/11/16/four-hip-hijabis-talk-about-their-relationship-headscarf-and-fashion</a><br /><br /><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/In-cosmopolitan-Karachi-women-prefer-hijab-to-burqa-/articleshow/6941010.cms">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/In-cosmopolitan-Karachi-women-prefer-hijab-to-burqa-/articleshow/6941010.cms</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53593">http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53593</a><br /><br />(I give credit to Muslimah Media watch for finding such great links about the hijab. Check out this blog/site at <a href="http://muslimahmediawatch.org/">http://muslimahmediawatch.org/</a>)<br /><br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eXzUuKdfnRE?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eXzUuKdfnRE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Finally, here are some quotes about the veil from Azar Nafisi's book <em>Reading Lolita in Tehran</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"</em>She wore the scarf even before the revolution, and in her class diary, she wrote about the lonely mornings when she went to a fashionalbe girl's college, where she felt neglected and ignored- ironically, because of her then-conspicuous attire" (13).<br /><br />"It was meant to make the girls ordinary and invisible. Instead, it brought them into focus and turned them into objects of curiosity" (30).<br /><br />"No ma'am, you have to have a head cover- new orders. That's my problem, I said, not yours. but he wouldn't let it rest. I am authorized to stop any woman who- at this point I interrupted him. I am not any woman! I said with all the authority I could muster" (161).<br /><br />So I went through these sources and tried to find some commonly used terms and ideas. Here's the list:<br /><strong>modesty</strong> (outward expression)<br />beauty as inward (in the home)<br />honorable<br />please my creator<br />too conservative<br />spiritual <strong>choice</strong><br />requirement<br />fashionable<br />variety<br />allows strangers to know your <strong>personality</strong> and contribution to society instead of just looks<br />normal<br />treated as less of an object<br />independence (women have their own opinions and own choice)<br /><br />Some reactions non-Muslims had to veils:<br />cautious<br />fear<br /><strong>curious</strong><br />happy/friendly<br />take the women more seriously<br /><br />I would like to take special note of one interview question in the Vancouver observation link. A few hijab wearing girls where asked why they wear the hijab. The responses included personal choice and it's the norm/a lot of people in my community wear them. In my opinion, the most interesting response was given by a woman named Naima who said, "I’ve always wanted to try it, but just didn’t know how." It never occured to me that some Muslim women don't have access to information about veiling. For a practice that some view as forced, not having access seems out of the ordinary.<br /><br />Just as wearing a veil is sometimes viewed as a personal choice, readers, before making personal judgments on the veil, take into consideration all of these perspectives.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-44119621130665180982010-11-29T21:20:00.000-08:002011-01-02T20:34:09.794-08:00SolipsismSo today in English class we held a discussion about the book <em><a href="http://azarnafisi.com/books/reading-lolita-in-tehran/">Reading Lolita in Tehran</a></em>. The book, written by Azar Nafisi, alludes to <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita">Lolita</a></em>, a novel written by Vladimir Nabokov. In both <em>Reading Lolita in Tehran</em> and <em>Lolita</em> there are situations of oppressor and victim. In <em>Reading Lolita</em> Nafisi describes the brutal and sometimes arbitrary rule of the Islamic Republic of Iran. One harsh law includes forcing women to wear the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/europe_muslim_veils/img/4.jpg">chador</a> (veil) in public. The government even confiscated many satellite dishes (that seems to be one of the stranger regulations, especially to people like me… of western culture). One big idea came to mind: censorship. Limiting what people can do, hear, see, or know. In <em>Lolita</em>, Humbert Humbert is the oppressor and Lolita the victim. It is important to note that Humbert is the narrator of the Lolita; therefore, we only see Lolita through the perspective of Humbert. He limits what the reader can know about Lolita. Humbert is another censor. Wow, that was a lot of background info.<br /><br />So through the course of our discussion of both books, I noticed that the terms we were using to describe censorship and restrictive laws weren’t very precise (I’m guilty too). I paged through <em>Reading Lolita</em> and found this gem of a word, solipsization (Nafisi 37). Now solipsization may not be a dictionary acceptable word (see my previous post about dictionaries!), but solipsism is. Merriam Webster defines solipsism as a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing. Another definition was extreme egocentrism.<br /><br />Here is an exemplary quote from <em>Reading Lolita in Tehran</em>. Nafisi writes, “They had tried to shape others according to their own dreams and desires, but Nabokov, through his portrayal of Humber, had exposed all solipsists who take over other people’s lives” (Nafisi 33).<br /><br />I really liked this quote because it proved that solipsism is very self-serving and pejorative because you are forcing your ideals on others and your ideas are the only ideas that exist (that seems extreme). Another topic that comes to mind is Descartes’ I think therefore I am. If many people claim that they “think” what does that mean for a community. What if every person is a radical solipsist? There would be a lot of opposing viewpoints on who is right (I just realized that these questions are coming from a perspective that solipsism is invalid and unfounded). The world would be made up of a lot of angry individuals who would definitely not be able to inflict their power/ideas onto others.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-25207273691607734032010-11-15T22:14:00.000-08:002011-01-02T20:28:47.227-08:00The Dictionary<p>So I’ve decided it’s time to analyze where I’m getting my information about the words I’ve been posting. One main source is dictionaries. Very controversial right? Well actually, yes. I must admit that when I think of dictionaries I usually picture a giant brick of a book that I would rather not approach. Since this blogging experience began, I have realized that online dictionaries come in all shapes and sizes. You have the OED, very traditional, and sites like Urban Dictionary that are more contemporary and offer information on modern slang. For people who share my same stigma towards “The Dictionary” and its inapproachability, sites like Urban Dictionary can be helpful. It’s really great to know that reputable literary blogs like Beyond Words recognize the need for the inclusion of modern words in the dictionary. Take this <a href="http://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/2010/11/08/define-this-dictionaries-in-the-news/">post</a> for example; words like retweet and zumba are even being included in the dictionary, even though my spell check on word still puts that nasty ret line under them.<br /><br />In my bit of dictionary research I found a wonderful TED Talks video by Erin McKean, a lexicographer for the online dictionary Wordnik. I recommend watching the <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/erin_mckean_redefines_the_dictionary.html">video</a> for those extremely interested in the topic of this blog. Here’s a short summary:<br /><br />· The dictionary comes across as very old and stagnant<br /><br />· Although the internet seems to have helped, the internet merely speeds up the search process. Online dictionaries still have a Victorian era form. The internet improves search-ability but the con to that is the decrease in serendipity. You are less likely to stumble upon new words because the search process is now extremely direct and easy.<br /><br />· There is a stigma that words not in the dictionary are “bad words” (McKean thinks that all words that are used should be good word) If a word isn’t in the dictionary, then it’s probably a bad dictionary without a broad enough scope.<br /><br />· How do you know what a “real” word is… love and usage make words real<br /><br />· Words are like archeological artifacts, without a source and origin they just become “pretty things to look at.” This shows the importance of links, especially with internet capability.<br /><br />To wrap up this post… I know the words I select may not be the rarest. I think the words we use in everyday language demand more attention and analyzing so that speakers are aware of the implications behind their word choice. </p>laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-3327095973475085272010-11-04T22:26:00.000-07:002011-01-02T20:29:57.980-08:00NommoFor this blog post I’m going to deviate from my usual pick one word and analyze it format. The title of this blog post is the Congolese word for name. A defining part of any person, place, or thing is its name; so, a blog about names is equally important as a blog about a verb or adjective.<br /><br />Recently my English class finished the book The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (I’ve made several connections to the book in previous post, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Poisonwood_Bible">here</a> is a summary one last time). The book spans some history of the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially the troublesome post-colonial era. For a little bit of background knowledge… in 1965 a man by the name of Mobutu became president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 1971, through his authoritarian regime, Mobutu tried to rid the Congo of the remnants of colonial rule. He <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authenticit%C3%A9_(Zaire)">changed the name </a>of the Congo to Zaire to reflect a more pro-African culture. Mobutu also changed the names of many cities and street names to more indigenous names. The main characters in The Poisonwood Bible have trouble adapting to the change because they’ve only experienced the Congo with colonial names.<br /><br />When a name has been used for so long, and people begin to associate with that name, can a change like Congo to Zaire make the population more authentically African? I think that the actions or events that happen to a person/country define them more than a name. To me names are just used for designation but can acquire meaning over time. Mobutu’s radical shift wasn’t widely supported by the population of the DRC. His attempt at representing African culture was forced and to me the new names seem inauthentic. Colonialism was a defining moment in the Congo’s history and the Congolese didn’t relate to the indigenous names; therefore, the colonial names like Leopoldville did represent the Democratic Republic of Congo more. In cases like the DRC/Zaire, Mobutu acted dictatorially and didn’t take into consideration the population’s reaction. As a ending-side note, I do think that a name change can have a positive effect on a person, especially if they choose the name.<br /><br />Questions for consideration: What are the reasons for changing a name? How long does it take for a name to “stick”? Can society function without names? What are the implications of parents choosing names for their children instead of kids picking their own names?laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-69860471215416800062010-10-25T20:57:00.000-07:002011-01-02T20:31:17.518-08:00OtherizeNow readers, you might be thinking that otherize isn’t a “real” word according to Merriam Webster’s or the Oxford English Dictionary, but otherize is a very valid word when dealing with conflicts.<br /><br />In history class we got a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1288230.stm">recap</a> of the genocide in Rwanda to prepare for a guest speaker (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Wilkens">Carl Wilkens</a>, the only American witness of the genocide, for those curious people out there). The discussion mainly focused on the conflict between Hutu and Tutsi, two ethnic/racial groups in Rwanda. We got to talking about Belgians preferencing the Tutsi during the Rwandan colonial period. The Belgians provided education and jobs for the Tutsi while largely ignoring the needs of the Hutu, who actually made up the majority of the population. By placing the Tutsi in power, the Belgians divided a naturally integrated ethnic community. Long story short, Rwanda gained its independence in 1962 and the Hutu’s, making up the majority of the population, win the elections. The Hutus then worked to eliminate the Tutsi from Rwanda.<br /><br />The word otherize first came up in the lecture when the Tutsi were given power from the Belgians. The Hutu were resentful of the Tutsi who had once been their equal. The Hutu claimed the Tutsi were not Rwandan but more Nilotic (from the Nile River Basin) and therefore didn’t deserve to rule. Otherize was a word that my teacher used to describe the attempt at alienating the Tutsi. The Hutu created an “us and them” situation.<br /><br />Being a little hesitant since otherize isn’t in the dictionary, I was wondering what other words could be used to replace otherize but keep the same meaning. I was immediately drawn to words like segregation, classification, and distinguish. While these words share the same negative connotation as otherize, they don’t encompass a meaning of taking something familiar and making it foreign or turning something into an enemy. These three words embody division, but not the process of alienation. For me, the best synonym from “otherize” is dissociate. The only issue with dissociate is that it doesn’t imply one group is estranging another group.<br /><br />Some questions to think about: Is otherization present in all genocides? Can otherize ever have a positive connotation? How does the media use the word otherize (see this <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/opinion/21kristof.html">article</a> about otherizing Obama based on religion and race during the 2008 election)?laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-34656279926036493322010-10-12T19:16:00.000-07:002011-01-02T20:32:05.575-08:00FatherAs an activity in English last week the class elected important words from the book <a href="http://www.kingsolver.com/books/the-poisonwood-bible.html">The Poisonwood Bible</a>. We spent the latter half of class narrowing down the list to the ten most pertinent words to the book. Father was the first word selected. There was much debate over which word was more encompassing: Father or Fatherly. In the end we chose Father. It was argued that the word Father is more exemplary of the themes in the Poisonwood Bible. Father alludes to religion in the book because the main characters are on an Evangelical Baptist mission trip to the Congo. Father also evokes a notion of patriarchy which is very central to The Poisonwood Bible because a main character Nathan is very strict and sometimes cruel towards his wife, daughters, and even the Congolese.<br /><br />With all this talk about fathers, I began to think about how a father affects the upbringing of his children. What can a father teach? What happens when a father isn’t around or doesn’t invest time in his children’s lives. In Poisonwood Bible, Nathan is so focused on converting the Congolese to Christianity that he often ignores his daughters.<br /><br />Come Sunday, I got a different perspective on the role of fathers and parents. I went to a local seminar type event to see a few Lost Boys of Sudan talk. If you are unfamiliar with the history of the Lost Boys, click <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/03/01/60II/main502594.shtml">here</a>. Anyways, one of the speakers, Kuek Garang, told the story of his relocation to Chicago. Until recently, he hadn’t seen his parents in 22 years. The resolution to Garang’s story was his trip back to the Sudan to visit with his parents. First Garang reunited with his mother. Garang’s experiences fleeing Sudan forced him to grow up rather quickly. He mentioned feeling like a kid again for the first time since the civil war in Sudan.<br /><br />For me, the most compelling part of the story was Garang’s view of his father. He said that he could not become a full child again until he reconnected with his Father. Garang said that most people take for granted how lucky they are to live with both of their parents in safety. He really valued the life lessons that his parents taught him. Garang’s final statement was that in the absence of parents, education is the most important “role model” for a child. He was so thankful for his opportunities to go to school in the U.S..<br /><br />Although I realized that parents have a huge influence on their kids, I never thought about the alternatives to parents. Kuek Garang’s story opened my mind to the importance of parents and how children, like the daughters in Poisonwood Bible can be severely damaged by dismissive parents or a lack of parents.<br /><br />If you are interested in Garang’s story, he has produced a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1500103/">documentary</a> of his trip home entitle “22 Years from Home.” The Lost Boys of Sudan that I saw were a part of <a href="http://www.lostboyschicago.com/CALBOS.htm">CALBOS</a> the Chicago Association for the Lost Boys of Sudan, a group of Sudanese refugees that were resettled in the Chicago land area.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-15356479612782804952010-10-04T22:12:00.000-07:002011-01-02T20:33:19.067-08:00ExceptionalRecently I’ve stumbled upon the word exceptional several times in literature and in current events. From my former knowledge I defined exceptional as superior, better than average. However, according to Merriam Webster, exceptional can alternatively mean having above or below average intelligence. Even more interesting, it can mean physically disabled. Oddly enough, physical disability and exceptionalism relate very closely a book I’m reading in my senior English class: The Poisonwood Bible written by Barbara Kingsolver. The story follows a family of Americans from Georgia on a missionary trip in the Congo (for a complete summary visit <a href="http://www.kingsolver.com/books/the-poisonwood-bible.html">here</a>). Briefly in class we discussed the American view of white supremacy over the Congolese or even the “white man’s burden” to bring salvation and Christianity to Africa (keep in mind the story takes place in 1959). It turns out the Congolese didn’t even want to adopt Christianity.<br /><br />Although cultural superiority is a worthwhile discussion, I wanted to focus on the less prevalent definition of exceptionalism. The Poisonwood Bible is written as series of “books” separated into sections narrated by four daughters and the mother in the story. Adah, one of the daughters and more importantly a twin, suffers from hemiplegia. She is exceptional in the fact that she is disabled. She doesn’t talk but she is a very eloquent, quirky writer. Adah narrates a scene about her mother’s view of education as she explains,<br /><br />“She is especially beset by Leah’s and my status as exceptional children. When we entered the first grade, we were examined by the spinster principal of Bethlehem Elementary, Miss Leep, who announced that we were gifted: Leah, on account of her nonchalant dazzling scores on reading comprehension tests, and myself by association, as I am presumed to have the same brain insofar as the intact parts go” (Kingsolver 56).<br /><br />After finding the different definitions of exceptional I began to think that maybe the twins are different in more ways than what’s written on the page. Adah seems to view herself as exceptional in the negative, handicapped sense. Even though Adah is physically disabled, it has changed her view of the world. Of all the siblings I feel that she is most skeptical of missionary work and she is very perceptive in sensory ways. Adah learned from her handicap and ended up becoming a very insightful and independent young adult, whose opinions aren’t only those of her parents (like Leah who will believe anything their father says). Adah’s physical exception allows her to become more exceptional in school and she now has a clearer perspective of the Congo.<br /><br />So readers, be forewarned when using the term exceptional. Even supposedly righteous causes like missionary work can be exceptional in a negative way from the perspective of the people being forced to convert. Don’t be too discouraged, sometimes we come across truly exceptional people like Adah who defy norms and overcome their physical ailments.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exceptional?show=0&t=1286247159">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exceptional?show=0&t=1286247159</a>laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3323623199322183043.post-71181316740896604662010-09-23T20:54:00.000-07:002011-01-02T20:33:47.510-08:00Greetings!Hello Blogosphere. I’m Lauren, a high school senior with a mind focused on organization, logic, math, and science. I’ve always considered literature and language to be my weakness in school. I struggle with word choice for essays, comma usage, and even verb conjugation for Spanish class. For AP Spanish Language class this year I began to confront my fear of vocabulary and language. I had to learn thousands of seemingly pointless words like suckling pig and stoplight (cochinillo and semáforo. I did my homework). The initial onslaught of words was too intimidating to handle, especially over the summer; so I procrastinated. I eventually approached the 18 vocab lists with surprising ease. To this date I’ll even admit that I actually liked learning wacky Spanish words. Now I want to take a more prolonged look into language.<br /><br />Facing my fear of language is becoming increasingly important. College application deadlines are approaching. Succinct writing is key. To capture your personality in a 250 word essay is daunting. It requires the elimination of all extraneous words.<br /><br />This blog could really help condense my writing through practice. Plus, I can explain my wild journey learning new words and emphasizing significant words already in my vocabulary. For this blog I’ll be selecting important conversational and educational words from my teachers, peers, reading assignments, and current events. I’ll investigate the effectiveness of a particular word. Is there a more concise replacement for that phrase? Does that word help the speaker get his/her point across? Are there connotations with certain words that clash with the point trying to be made? From a student’s perspective I want to analyze whether or not the language kids experience is at an appropriate level for their existing knowledge. My goal: enjoy scholarly vocabulary more and examine the use of language in the high school classroom.laurenmsophacademyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15216124704680385305noreply@blogger.com1