Page 163 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd
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g les
s w
ei
tin
ts p
es
ugg
gh
t up
on
Mr
ynh s
u
. H
The belt-and-suspenders approach. Mr. Huynh suggests putting less weight upon 4
ut
your parents’ approval: “It might sound aggressive
Pursue your dreams, but prepare a backup plan — your parents’ approval: “It might sound aggressive
to say one shouldn’t ask for permission, but it’s
a double major for example (one major for your to say one shouldn’t ask for permission, but it’s CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING chapter 4
kinder not to expect a blessing from people who
parents, one for yourself). This is also good prepa- kinder not to expect a blessing from people who
It might be worth checking to see if your
ration generally for a creative life. That’s what I did have no experience and only anxieties about your It might be worth checking to see if your
have no experience and only anxieties about your
students understand the meaning of
students understand the meaning of
moonshot dreams.”
by pursuing academia for my day job, in the hope moonshot dreams.” “belt-and-suspenders appr oach” (par . 13).
“belt-and-suspenders approach” (par. 13).
that one day I could call myself a writer.
You could ask them to look at the method
• • • Other Voices / Viet Thanh Nguyen Y ou could ask them to look at the method
and then think about how it connects to the
Be patient. Now that I am a parent myself, I like to think I and then think about how it connects to the
Be patient.
Now that I am a parent myself, I like to think I
ou could also have them look up a
label. Y
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
While young people often want immediate
While young people often want immediate would allow my son to be anything he wants, label. You could also have them look up a
would allow my son to be anything he wants,
definition of the approach.
answers, the road to acceptance from parents
answers, the road to acceptance from parents such as a writer, artist or musician. definition of the appr oach.
such as a writer, artist or musician.
might be a long one. We may have to gradually “What about professional video game
might be a long one. We may have to gradually
“What about professional video game
wear down our parents, as Matty Huynh did. player?” my wife asked.
wear down our parents, as Matty Huynh did.
player?” my wife asked.
“Instead of declaring I was going to be an artist,
“Instead of declaring I was going to be an artist, Reader — I hesitated. I still do. CLOSE READING
Reader—I hesitated. I still do.
I made art,” he said. By the time he left law
I made art,” he said. By the time he left law But I know I will have to let him go and trust 20
But I know I will have to let him go and trust
Key Passage. The highlighted text is a
school, his parents had gotten used to climbing
school, his parents had gotten used to climbing that he will make the right choices for himself, if Key Passage.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
that he will make the right choices for himself, if
eading.
rich passage suited for close r
around frames and boxes of books in their we have properly prepared him. rich passage suited for close reading.
around frames and boxes of books in their
we have properly prepared him.
Students can annotate this key passage
garage. “Continuing to make art had become
garage. “Continuing to make art had become My parents, too, accepted me, and I hope Students can annotate this key passage
My parents, too, accepted me, and I hope
s digital platform, or you
in the book’
mundane, an inconvenience,” he said, but that they would have accepted me even if I had in the book’s digital platform, or you
mundane, an inconvenience,” he said, but
that they would have accepted me even if I had
can print it to be annotated by hand.
eventually it became an “inevitability.” failed in the pursuit of my dreams. After all, they can print it to be annotated by hand.
eventually it became an “inevitability.”
failed in the pursuit of my dreams. After all, they
themselves had taken huge risks, as refugees—
themselves had taken huge risks, as refugees —
Assert your independence, respectfully. leaving families behind, becoming their own
Assert your independence, respectfully.
leaving families behind, becoming their own
Parents, especially immigrant parents, have 15 bosses instead of accepting the jobs they were DIFFERENTIA TION
Parents, especially immigrant parents, have
DIFFERENTIATION
bosses instead of accepting the jobs they were
often worked incredibly hard to create oppor-
often worked incredibly hard to create oppor- expected to take. This country benefited from
expected to take. This country benefited from
Collaborative Learning
tunities for their children. Still, some parents their work and sacrifice. Collaborative Learning
tunities for their children. Still, some parents
their work and sacrifice.
have to learn that their children’s lives are not
have to learn that their children’s lives are not Doctors, lawyers and engineers make great Y ou might have students discuss Nguyen’ s
You might have students discuss Nguyen’s
Doctors, lawyers and engineers make great
theirs, no matter what they sacrificed. Respect
theirs, no matter what they sacrificed. Respect societal contributions, too. Still, we will always reaction to his wife’s comment about their
s comment about their
r
eaction to his wife’
societal contributions, too. Still, we will always
is the key, says Kavita Das, a writer: “It comes
is the key, says Kavita Das, a writer: “It comes need our poets and artists, our teachers and son becoming a “professional video game
son becoming a “professional video game
need our poets and artists, our teachers and
down to helping them understand that we are storytellers, our misfits and dreamers, contrari- player” (par. 18): why might that cause him
down to helping them understand that we are
player” (par. 18): why might that cause him
storytellers, our misfits and dreamers, contrari-
not throwing away all their hard work but ans and risk-takers. to hesitate? How would students react if
not throwing away all their hard work but
to hesitate? How would students react if
ans and risk-takers.
honoring their hard work, because it allowed 2021 they had a younger sibling who had the
honoring their hard work, because it allowed
they had a younger sibling who had the
us to pursue our dreams.” same desire? Is that the kind of passion
us to pursue our dreams.”
same desire? Is that the kind of passion
choice that has been the subject of Nguy-
choice that has been the subject of Nguy-
en’s essay, or not? Students might have a
en’s essay, or not? Students might have a
quick conversation about what they might
quick conversation about what they might
Understanding and Interpreting see as the line between a viable pursuit
see as the line between a viable pursuit
and an unviable one. (You might also, at
and an unviable one. (You might also, at
1. Rhetorical Situation. What can Viet Thanh Nguyen’s readers infer about his parents based this moment in the essay, ask about the
this moment in the essay, ask about the
on the information he shares in the second paragraph? function of the direct address to the reader,
function of the direct address to the reader,
2. Rhetorical Situation / Reasoning and Organization. Why does Nguyen frame his novel in paragraph 19.)
in paragraph 19.)
as a “surprise” for his parents? How does this surprise relate to the ideas of happiness and
failure Nguyen explores throughout this essay?
DIFFERENTIATION
TION
DIFFERENTIA
Viet Thanh Nguyen, “Advice for Artists Whose Parents Want Them to Be Engineers,” The New York Times, July 8, 2021. Copyright © 2021 by The New York
Times. All rights reserved. Used under license. https://nytimes.com/
Speaking and Listening
Speaking and Listening
269
At the end of the essay
efocus
, you might r
At the end of the essay, you might refocus
your students on its title and have a discus-
your students on its title and have a discus-
sion about its function. What is the value of
sion about its function. What is the value of
naming “artists” and “engineers” specifi-
05_sheatlc4e_40925_ch04_170_315.indd 269 12/10/22 2:37 PM cally, when they are used as synecdoches
TRM Suggested Responses for larger, more amorphous careers? The
Suggested responses to the questions for last paragraph lists examples of both. Why
this reading can be found in the Teacher’s do “teachers” fall into the “artists” cate-
Resource Materials. gory? Maybe you as a teacher have some-
thing to say to, or to share with, your
students about that.
Other Voices / Viet Thanh Nguyen 269
05_sheatlcte4e_46921_ch04_170a_315_2pp.indd 269 1/20/23 7:51 PM
