Ashford ENG317 Week 2 Discussion (dq1+dq2)

Ashford ENG317 Week 2 Discussion  

Dq1

Language, Perception, and Artistic Creation. 1st Post Due by Day 3. In “How Language Shapes Thought,” Lera Boroditsky discusses the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which contends that language powerfully shapes our everyday experiences and perceptions of the world. The language(s) we speak, the theory suggests, may influence our everyday experiences in ways we are often unaware of. Similarly, Amy Tan’s personal essay “Mother Tongue” addresses specific ways in which language has powerfully shaped her individual’s life, as well as society more largely.

To what extent does language affect (or not affect) our world views and experiences of ourselves and the world? How is a discussion of language and perception relevant to our class’s focus on artistic creation across cultures? To explore your ideas and to support your views, discuss at least two of this week’s readings. You are also welcome, and encouraged, to reflect on your own life experience. When sharing your own experience, be sure to connect it clearly to the readings you have chosen. Also, be sure to make connections and comparisons between the two texts. Organize your ideas with a thesis sentence that is supported with examples and details from the

primary texts and your personal experience throughout your post.

Dq2

The Meanings of Words. 1st Post Due by Day 3. The readings from this week reflect complex relationships between individuals’ senses of self and the language(s) they speak, hear, and read. Many of the authors from the weekly readings repeatedly suggest that language is closely connected to culture and to history. Sometimes, when cultures and languages intersect, this intersection may present conflicts between an individual’s sense of self and his or her relationship to language.

Choose at least one reading from this week and reflect on the ambivalent connections to language, which may prove on one hand a source of power and on the other hand a cause of inner conflict. Explain, from your analysis of the assigned readings, why this relationship to language is so complex, and what this ambivalence means for the given author(s) in their everyday life. You may also wish to consider the fact that, while some of this week’s writers express discomfort with formal and academic English, they may also use that language to expresses themselves. Reflect on the extent to which you can or cannot relate to the author’s/authors’ thoughts and feelings about the English language and how your views of language may be related to your personal experiences.

Support your discussion with details from the text and close analysis of those details. Organize the discussion around a thesis statement about the significance of language and/or names to individuals and/or culture.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.