Page 71 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

appointment, to find out about a benign brain This was understandable. Math is precise; 4
tumor a CAT scan had revealed a month ago. there is only one correct answer. Whereas, for
She said she had spoken very good English, her me at least, the answers on English tests were chapter 4
best English, no mistakes. Still, she said, the hos- always a judgment call, a matter of opinion
pital did not apologize when they said they had and personal experience. Those tests were
lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing. constructed around items like fill-in-the-blank Central Essay / Amy Tan
She said they did not seem to have any sympa- sentence completion, such as “Even though
thy when she told them she was anxious to know Tom was , Mary thought he was
the exact diagnosis, since her husband and son .” And the correct answer always
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
had both died of brain tumors. She said they seemed to be the most bland combinations of
would not give her any more information until thoughts, for example, “Even though Tom was
the next time and she would have to make shy, Mary thought he was charming,” with the
another appointment for that. So she said she grammatical structure “even though” limiting
would not leave until the doctor called her the correct answer to some sort of semantic
daughter. She wouldn’t budge. And when the opposites, so you wouldn’t get answers like,
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
doctor finally called her daughter, me, who “Even though Tom was foolish, Mary thought
spoke in perfect English — lo and behold — we he was ridiculous.” Well, according to my
had assurances the CAT scan would be found, mother, there were very few limitations as to
promises that a conference call on Monday what Tom could have been and what Mary
would be held, and apologies for any suffering might have thought of him. So I never did well
my mother had gone through for a most regret- on tests like that.
table mistake. The same was true with word analogies, pairs
I think my mother’s English almost had an 15 of words in which you were supposed to find
effect on limiting my possibilities in life as some sort of logical, semantic relationship — for
well. Sociologists and linguists probably will example, “Sunset is to nightfall as
tell you that a person’s developing language is to .” And here you would be pre-
skills are more influenced by peers. But I do sented with a list of four possible pairs, one of
think that the language spoken in the family, which showed the same kind of relationship: red
especially in immigrant families which are is to stoplight, bus is to arrival, chills is to fever, DIFFERENTIA TION
DIFFERENTIATION
more insular, plays a large role in shaping the yawn is to boring. Well, I could never think that
Connections to Self
language of the child. And I believe that it way. I knew what the tests were asking, but I Connections to Self
affected my results on achievement tests, could not block out of my mind the images In paragraph 15, Tan remarks that her own
In paragraph 15, T
emarks that her own
an r
IQ tests, and the SAT. While my English skills already created by the first pair, “sunset is to English might have been negatively
English might have been negatively
were never judged as poor, compared to math, nightfall” — and I would see a burst of colors af fected by the English spoken by her
affected by the English spoken by her
English could not be considered my strong against a darkening sky, the moon rising, the “insular” immigrant family . In general, the
“insular” immigrant family. In general, the
suit. In grade school I did moderately well, lowering of a curtain of stars. And all the other word insular refers to an island; why might
d
wor
getting perhaps B’s, sometimes B-pluses, in pairs of words — red, bus, stoplight, boring — T an have applied that wor d to her family?
Tan have applied that word to her family?
English and scoring perhaps in the sixtieth or just threw up a mass of confusing images, mak- You might ask students to consider this
ou might ask students to consider this
Y
seventieth percentile on achievement tests. ing it impossible for me to sort out something as wor d choice, questioning them as to their
word choice, questioning them as to their
But those scores were not good enough to logical as saying: “A sunset precedes nightfall” is perceptions of the effect of family language
fect of family language
ceptions of the ef
per
override the opinion that my true abilities lay the same as “a chill precedes a fever.” The only on their own facility with English. How
on their own facility with English. How
in math and science, because in those areas way I would have gotten that answer right would many students ar e bilingual? Do they
many students are bilingual? Do they
I achieved A’s and scored in the ninetieth have been to imagine an associative situation, believe that being bilingual is an asset or a
believe that being bilingual is an asset or a
percentile or higher. for example, my being disobedient and staying liability? You might also ask students about
ou might also ask students about
liability? Y
being monolingual. Do they believe that
177 being monolingual. Do they believe that
being monolingual limits their future
being monolingual limits their futur
e
prospects?
pr
ospects?
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DIFFERENTIATION
Connections to Self
You might ask students to respond to
paragraphs 16–17. Students might conduct
an impromptu survey to explore their own
perceptions about their abilities in math and
science versus their abilities in language.
What percentage of students believe that their
abilities are stronger in math and science, as
opposed to those who believe their abilities are
stronger in language? Do they believe these
perceived skills to form a part of their identity?
How do students feel about standardized
testing? Do they believe family background
has any effect on results of these standardized
tests? You might then ask students to
compare their own ideas with Tan’s.
Central Essay / Amy Tan 177
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