Reading Response Questions to "How to Tame a Wild Tongue"

Rafaella Morais 
English 1100
5 September, 2016
Prof. Young

1. The opening scene of Anzaldua at the dentist creates the overall mood of the essay. In this section she is strategically exposing her situation speaking a different language and feeling left out of society. She shows that it will be hard to "tame her tongue."

2. Anzaldua's use of Spanish throughout the writing helps her express her culture and in a way makes her stand up for herself saying she won't change for anyone. Every time she speaks in Spanish the words are italicized to grab the readers attention.

3. Yes Academic English can be defined as Spanish (standard) and Chicano Spanish can be described as nonstandard. This is true because every language has a different "standard" depending on where they are from. For example, folks from Texas may thing their southern accent is standard compared to those who are not from the south and vice versa. 

4. Speaking and writing in academic English is not necessary for an identity because an identity is how you want to be looked at. Just because someone doesn't speak the best English doesn't mean they don't have the identity they want. 

5. Different types of English identities are southern accents and New Yorker accents.

6. I do not use a secret language to speak to my friends but sometimes if were put in a situation where people surrounding us can't know what were saying we use code words.

7. When I'm with my friends we use "slang," which is nonstandard. We tend to shorten words or use made up words to make up for a proper word. Now with my mother and professor I speak standard English. The variation of English is switched up depending on the audience because with someone of higher power than yourself you speak respectfully and with knowledge. Now with your friends it doesn't matter because it's the norm. 

8. Saying "I am my language" connects to a person's identity because in other words they are expressing that they are their culture, their background, their roots. This person stays true to themselves and their origins. 

9. The introduction of the essay and the conclusion connect because in the intro she spoke about the difficulty of taming her tongue and in the conclusion she says her kind will remain. Further exemplifying that she stays true to her core and no one can change her identity.

10. The language you speak can be a part of your identity because the language comes with background and that background is your ethnicity.

11. To me identity is very important because it's who you are and how others look at you. Without an identity you're basically non existent. Anzaldua believes that without an identity there's no self pride. In the essay she states, "So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity- I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself" (Anzaldua 6-7). Furthermore, in this quote she shows her passion towards her identity, especially her linguistic identity.