Linguistic Autobiographies: Linguistic Repertoires Thursday, February 19th

Do Now:

Style-Shifting: intra- vs. inter- speaker variation ● Audience Design: we change our style of speech based on who our audience is ● Style-shifting: alternation between styles of speech within our linguistic repertoires ● Code-switching: alternating between two or more languages or language varieties within a single conversation

Gloria Anzaldúa: La Frontera Gloria Anzaldúa was a Chicana feminist author who wrote about & experiences in the United States.

Gloria Anzaldúa: La Frontera “Chicano Spanish sprang out of Chicanos’ need to identify ourselves as a distinct people. We needed a language with which we could communicate with ourselves. For some of us, language is a homeland closer than the Southwest. And because we are a complex, heterogenous people, we speak many languages.”

Gloria Anzaldúa: La Frontera “Some of the languages we speak are: 1.Standard English 2.Working class and slang English 3.Standard Spanish 4.Standard Mexican Spanish 5.North Mexican Spanish dialects 6.Chicano Spanish (TX, NM, CA have regional varieties) 7.Tex-Mex 8.Pachuco (called caló)”

Gloria Anzaldúa: La Frontera ● Do you agree with Anzaldua’s idea about why Chicano Spanish originated? ● Why do you think its important for ethnoracial communities to have a way to “communicate with [them]selves”? ● Are you familiar with the varieties she mentions? ● Do you claim any of them for yourself?

Linguistic Autobiographies Linguistic autobiographies are a project for us to reflect on the role that language has played in our lives. It will include written reflections about different periods of your lives, as well as a visual component. To be presented in class next Thursday. Your first major grade in this class.

Brainstorm Answer the following questions in the space provided on your brainstorming sheet: ● What language varieties are in your linguistic repertoire? ● Who do you use them with? In what settings? ● Why (with those people and not others)?

Part 1: Childhood → Middle School ● Who did you talk to most when you were a kid? ● What language did you learn first? ● What topics did you talk about when you were a kid? ● Did the way you spoke or languages you spoke change? ● Was there a life changing event that changed the way you spoke? ● Did you pick up other languages? intentionally or unintentionally? ● Did you where you grew up influence how you spoke? ● How did you speak when you visited distant relatives? ● What kinds of friends did you have? did language influence your friend choices? ● Did you use language to try to fit into a culture (you might not have been a part of)? ● Did you use language to try to stand out?

Model 1 Middle school - hip hop/rap was really popular went to mostly white school, was one of the few minority students listened to that style of music to try to fit in even though that wasn’t really my style english that i spoke was Mexican English, casual other students had phrases that were unfamiliar and specific to them sounded white to me because i’d never heard them before