Double Journal Entry #10

 

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?

Announcing the beginning, middle, and end of the story and providing a brief summary. Adopting a frame that mimics story books. Offering a title and using syntacic structure that is typical of literary books. Using literary sorts of repition and parallelism. Using specific figurative device that is common in "high literature".

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

 Leona uses forms of poetry as her specialized language. Her lines are parallel to one another and contains matching content. She uses repetition within here lines and stanzas. You could organize her story into different episodes. Her story involves complicated syntatics and an evaluation that connects the begining of the story to the end.
 

 

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

 

Leona's specialized form of language is not accepted in school becuase "The teacher heard her as rambling. In fact, the teacher often thought Leona was going to start off on another story when she got to what we have called her "evaluative" section" (Gee, 2004).

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

 

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

 

Other factors that will make or break a good reader is his/her sense of belonging. Students must feel valued and accepted in their social groups.

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

Students fail to identify with, or find alienating, the "way with words" taught in school because of three reasons. One is the child is living in a home where the adults find "ways with words" alienating. Another reason is because the teachers make these varieties seem irrelevent. Lastly, students live in a society filled with technology. Thus, making students more interested in it's language rather than the normal language instruction.