Language Access: The Key to Literacy

The connection between language, literacy and education is undoubtedly acknowledged. Reading and writing are essential to surviving in our society, and without the development of these skills at a young age, many obstacles tend to arise in educational settings. As discussed in my child development class, at California State University Northridge, stimulation of the brain is crucial at a young age, to help aid in cognitive development. Many young children, such as myself, received this stimulation in the form of bedtime stories and frequent conversation, thus gaining constant exposure to language. However, many deaf children are deprived of continual communication at a young age, therefore a language delay develops, ultimately hindering their chances to improve their literacy at the same rate as their hearing classmates. For the past two years, I volunteered at Venado Middle School and Taft Elementary’s Deaf Summer School Programs, and was given the opportunity to work with children and aid them with their reading comprehension, improvement of grammar usage and key concepts of the English language. My experience working within the deaf community has caused me to appreciate my literacy and is the reason that I chose to pursue a career in the field of Deaf Education.

As a teacher’s assistant, working with the children at Venado Middle School in Irvine changed my life and the way I view literacy and education. Rather than just helping pass out, collect and file papers, I was able to help teach and really interact with the students.  the program, every year the students were assigned a novel to read and in Ms. Asia’s class, the classroom I was assigned to. In her course, the focus was reading and writing comprehensions and I was excited to know that the year I volunteered the novel was the classic Holes by Louis Sachar. The students had little notebooks were they were required to copy down the chapter summary for the day and many times when asked questions immediately after in regards to the text, they were unable to answer correctly. A couple chapters into the reading, Ms. Asia and Ms. Kim, the English teacher, called a meeting because a handful of the students were continually failing the comprehension quizzes, which were mandatory at the end of the week. Ms. Kim suggested that rather than allowing the students to complete the test independently, to sign the question, as well as the answer choices, directly to the students, to see if it caused an improvement on their test scores. I then was asked to take the handful of students and try out this new method with them. It was nerve-racking to think that this theory they were testing depended on my ability to properly sign the questions and possible answer choices. To my surprise, the test scores of the students improved drastically just as Ms. Kim hypothesized. How shocking it was to me to see how merely changing the method of communication had such an impact on their understanding. At the same time this gave evidence to a more serious issue. These children were incapable of reading independently and struggled to grasp the connection between language and literacy. It was just as Helen Keller discussed in her narrative, she “ did not know she was spelling a word or even that words existed; [she] was simply making [her] fingers go in monkey-like imitation” (Keller). When I was in middle school, I remember having to analyze themes and use critical thinking skills and it baffled me how these student who were suppose to be entering and graduating from middle school lacked basic comprehension skills.

Prior to working with the deaf and hard of hearing, I took my reading and writing comprehension for granted. When learning to read and write, my parents were a huge part of my literacy journey. My mother was a teacher before she decided to become a stay-at-home mom and I recall constant hours of summertime workbooks to prepare for the upcoming school year. We would do homework as a family, when I was younger, and Mother would read the directions and my responses aloud with me to make sure that I fully understood my assignments and their purpose. Compared to the deaf students I worked with, they struggled because of language barriers and lack of guidance. The students when given a handout and asked to read the directions and complete independently, failed. However, if the directions were explained to them in sign language, they could compete it perfectly with minor errors. I formulated the question then, how can this constant issue be justified? I spoke with Ms. Kim then about why these issues of literacy were common among deaf students. She told me that it was because these children were essentially being required to learn two languages at once. I was informed that the average deaf adult has a fourth grade reading comprehension level, and unfortunately this is because they did not receive proper education. I began to feel a sense of frustration that the education I received growing up was considered a privilege compared to the education that many of these children were deprived of. I can remember being apart of the AR reading program in my elementary classroom and how through this program, students were to focus on improving their reading comprehension. I had cultivated a love for reading at a young age and was fascinated with the complexity of stories and their underlining messages. I took pride in my 8^th grade reading level as a 5^th grade student and to think that someone else was not given the proper assistance and attention needed to learn to read as I did, deeply saddened me.

Over the years, I developed an interest in linguistics, which pushed me to become curious about how language shapes our education and its effect on our literacy. Pronunciation and comprehension of language are two different concepts and many times people use these terms interchangeably. Helen Keller’s experience serves as a clear example of how language is irrelevant without understanding. In her narrative, she was able to spell the word “doll” paralleling pronunciation but the word held no meaning until she was able to make the connection that words are symbolic to objects in the world. This led me to reflect back to 2 years ago when I volunteered in the 2^nd grade deaf elementary classroom. Our focus back then was to expose these children to as much language vocabulary as possible. I remember having fifty flashcards of just commonly used words and having the student sign the word on the flashcard or find the flashcard as I signed the word. Through this activity we were shaping the connection between the words and the language ultimately striving to connect the language and literacy.

Since American Sign Language is not English and does not have a written from, these children were being told to write and understand a second language simultaneously. Many of the students were very well spoken in sign language, when talking to them; however, they could not comprehend many grammar concepts at a seventh grade level. A student that I became close friends with shared that she was the only deaf person in her family. As expected in this common situation, her family members did not take the time to learn sign language and they only knew the basics of Deaf Culture. It made her very happy to see me, a hearing person, taking a moment to step into her shoes and spend time with her and to help guide her education; Just as Ann Sullivan did for Helen Keller. It broke my heart to know that some of these children did not have anyone at home to talk to and how the majority of them just wanted to be encouraged and supported. I felt as though I had been given insight into her world and it made me take a step back and reflect on how people perceive language and literacy. It is just as Amy Tan discussed in her narrative how many people “believed that [her mother’s] English, reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect” (Tan). Many times I have witnessed not only with the deaf but other groups of people such as African Americans that their intelligence is determined by their literacy, however literacy is not the definition of intelligence. John Corcoran, a man who was a relator and teacher for seventeen years, was illiterate and hid it over the course of his life. He said that it wasn’t until he joined the Adult literacy program and “had a one on one relationship with somebody who thought and believed they could teach [him] how to read” (Corcoran). Many deaf children struggle with literacy and I also believed that it is because they need one on one experiences and relationships, which is something that school systems cannot necessarily provide. I wanted to be that one teacher, for these students, that has an impact on their lives.

            When looking back at my experiences, I came to realize how much of an effect that communication and language has on developing a strong literacy. My overall experiences with literacy also caused me to reflect on the meaning of language, the concept of words and writing and its importance. Without language literacy is impossible and without communication language is irrelevant.  I appreciate my literacy, and when working with these children, I was able to see the desire they had to be successful and the love they had towards learning and receiving an education. I was able to build relationships with these students, thus inspiring me to use my abilities and talents to help those around me. Everyday the desire to learn was evident even though the connection between language and reading comprehension was difficult to understand. They ignited a passion in me, which inspired me to do all that I can to help promote and improve deaf education and deaf literacy.

Corcoran, John. "John Corcoran Illiterate Life Story." YouTube. YouTube, 3 Sept. 2008. Web. 20 Nov. 2014<https://www.youtube.com/watchv=NaGuMqs9E4M>.

Keller, Helen. "The Story of My Life." Helen Keller. American Foundation for the Blind, Web. 17 Nov. 2014. 

Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” Literacy Narrative, Essay. PDF file

My Portfolio Works

Greetings,

In my portfolio, you will find a personal, private and unspoken part of me. Everything represents who I am, and I treasure every piece I chose to include.

Living on campus made it difficult for me to access papers and essays that I have previously written in the past. However, to attest to my pass works, I wrote down the names of the teachers who have impacted me and pushed me the most when it comes to my development and views of reading and writing. Mr. Brock was my English teacher my freshman year and then again my senior year which is not a common occurrence. It was interesting to have the opportunity for someone who has seen my previous work, to document the growth of my writing skills. He really pushed me to analyze work to such an extent that you felt that your analysis was insane and that you were literally crazy for any thoughts you had come up with. At times, it drove me insane but in the end, I am so grateful. Because of him, I really learned how to read between the lines and come up with original thoughts of my own. I learned how to explore messages and themes more in depth whenever analyzing work or literature. Mrs. Golwaski, my honors English teacher really pushed me grammatically. She was known on campus as the meanest, toughest, English teacher but in reality, she was just super sarcastic, and didn't take people's crap, when it came to writing. I always knew that I could trust her feedback, no matter how harsh because she really wanted me to succeed. Her and I became close and I loved discussing my writings with her. Mr. Hoang is my favorite teacher ever. She was night AP US history teacher and in his class we did a lot of writing and reading. He taught me how to analyze and understand the perspectives of the reader in the writer. He has a saying, " history is his story" thus illustrating how the perspective of the historical event will always have more than one side. In his class we really explored historical events through a different lens. I love this because it was so fascinating to read articles about the unspoken viewpoints about well-known historical events. All three of these teachers are so precious to me and I am so grateful to have them in my life.

Next, I chose to include the memoir, Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. This is literature work is by far one of my favorites because it is so deep and all literary aspects. Robinson incorporates so many themes and thought-provoking statements, causing my friend and I to discuss her book for moments on end. I love the biblical references and approach to solitude and transience and everything written was beautiful. I wanted to include my essay I wrote about the memoir, but unfortunately it is at home in Irvine.

One may question why I chose to include piano sheet music in my portfolio, but this is because sight reading and playing music and writing music is a form of literacy. I can recall countless times when I was stressed with school work or in the middle of writing an essay and would turn to my piano to relieve tension and to get my thoughts flowing. This piece in particular was the song I preformed for my last piano recital before I stopped taking lessons and going into my senior year. I was overwhelmed with schoolwork, practicing and sports and couldn’t manage the level of effort needed to continue. However, piano has never left me and is still my safe-haven when I am stressed, confused or stuck when doing homework or writing a paper. Writing, reading and listening music allows me to be creative and they feel this creativity flows over into my writing style. Sometimes when writing, I will take risks in my word choice or sentence structure but that's what creativity is. It's being willing to take risks into expose who you are. Just like books, sheet music must be analyzed. You have to see where the composer wants the piece to go and flow and understand the music to appreciate it. Just like any essay or book, it takes time, energy and effort to perfect your work, understand what you read and and create your piece.

Some of the more personal artifacts are the letters and poems that my boyfriend and I have exchanged overtime. Both he and I are very expressive in our words and express feelings through writing. I adore poetry and love to write poems, and in our relationship, it has become a special way to get our thoughts across to one another: good and bad. Words are very special and meaningful, so when someone really important to me writes personal note or letter it's always something I will cherish.

Lastly, I chose to include my Bible scripture sheet that was given to me by my lead pastor. Christianity has always been a huge part of me and reading my Bible is a daily routine in my lifestyle. It has and it will always be a huge factor in my life.

I write to organize my brain and need to jot down thoughts to understand and analyze situations and after writing this letter, it has caused me to look back and reflect on the role and impact that literature has had and plays in my life. I really do have a fond appreciation for writing and reading and I hope that in the future I can again look back and see the growth and development in my writing capabilities and acknowledge the work that I have done up to this point in my life.

Sincerely,

                   Jasmine V. Ruffin

Identity Crisis in the Space of Conformism

        In this world, we are always occupying a space. As discussed in the textbook Convergences, whether it is a public, private, or transient space, every space has an atmosphere that people are well aware of. Once de-familiarized with an area, one discovers that everywhere we go, there is an outward appearance that is considered to be socially acceptable; and individuals will either choose to conform to the societal norm, or deny it at the cost of disapproving looks. In every space, these appearances and behaviors challenge one’s self-identity and have an effect on our consumerist nature. Stefano Passini analyzes this concept in his scholarly article, A Binge-Consuming culture: The effect of Consumerism on Social Interactions in Western Societies, and addresses how people sacrifice their identity to be comfortable and thus conform to the expectations of others. This common occurrence is very pronounced in particular areas such as Los Angeles, and is noted in the anthology, Another City, edited by David L. Ulin. As seen through my fieldwork and other literature works, the desire for acceptance in all spaces alters our behavior and identity leading to conformism and consumerism.

        The way people behave in specific spaces that we occupy changes because of our desire for acceptance. In the short essay, Interesting Times by Judith Lewis, she recounts her day in Los Angeles stating, “I jog, eat granola for breakfast, guzzle Chardonnay, practice yoga, and attend premieres. I am a walking cliché. On the other hand, I am not always sure this character is me” (Lewis 6). Once living in Los Angeles, she changed her lifestyle to mirror those of the people surrounding her. Moving from Minnesota, the cultures of these two areas are vastly different and because of this, Lewis may have felt uncomfortable sticking to her normal Minnesota routine. The idea of “playing a character in life” to portray a façade is an issue that the majority of individuals struggle with. In specific spaces, people’s behaviors shift and many feel as though they must change their attitude or appearance to be accepted or to feel comfortable. In the case of Brent Staples, in his personal essay, Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders his Power to Alter Public Spaces, he recounts living in Manhattan and how his appearance had a high influence on those around him. In his situation, many people perceived him as a threat because he was a six foot, two inches, tall, brute black man. Staples altered his appearance and behavior to ease those around him by “exchang[ing] business clothes for jeans…[and] whistl[ing] melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi”(Staples 333). These characteristics are not necessarily true to his normal behavior or appearance, but because of the spaces that he occupies, he must either deny the comfortableness of others as well as his own, or change who he is.

     The concept of diversity and individualism is highly praised in many public spaces however, in reality, conformity is still an issue in the majority of all spaces, because of the need to escape the judgment of others. In the short essay, This Year in Los Angeles, David L. Ulin writes about how his family ceased to partake in Jewish traditions and cultural customs to escape persecution. In attempt to conform to societies views, he remembers "when [he] was five, [his] parents traded [their] menorah for a Christmas tree, and from then on, [he] was not taught to respect [his] traditions, not even to know them, but to shed them like old skin, after which [he] might walk bravely, nakedly, encumbered into a better world"(Ulin 260). In many public spaces sometimes our race, ethnicity, or religious background, hinders us from being comfortable. From his parent’s perspective, conforming was the only way to succeed and feel comfortable in the space they lived to escape persecution. In some circumstances, people conform to such an extent that when placed back into their private spaces they cannot escape their own conformity. When Ulin was trying to integrate Jewish traditions, such as the Seder meal, back into to his family he felt as though, "this process of re-conciliation is a tricky one, and even now, I don't know what to think. I'm not the only one; from their places at the table, my parents look be bewildered, while my brother and his wife seem more than a little uncomfortable, as if they're not sure why they're here" (Ulin 260). This is very depressing, given the understanding that Ulin and his family moved from Manhattan, a city also known for diversity, to escape persecution. They conformed to society so devoutly that their own traditions became the place of discomfort, rather than the society that they initially were conforming to. At the OC Night Market, the purpose of the event was to “bring the night markets and festivals of Asia home” in hope of to reuniting many Asian Americans with their culture. To my dismay, the event was very Americanized and the concepts that were presented to represent Asia, such as pandas, boba tea and Pokémon, are all adopted concepts that many people are already hugely familiar with. The purpose became more to find aspects of Asian culture that Americans could connect with, rather than exposure to their own culture. This is also a type of conformity because it caused cultural aspects to be substantially subdued to setup an atmosphere that is relatively more comfortable for the majority of the people.

   In our society, people are constantly compromising their identity in attempt to conform to societal norms, ultimately leading to consumerism. In the article by Stefano Passini, he addresses the psychological aspect that is involved, pertaining to people’s everyday decisions. Constantly, “people interact ‘with and what’ people expect from the world around them,” (Passini 370) meaning; people will purchase clothing and items and behave a certain way primarily because they feel as though it is expected of them. These mannerisms we see of people in specific spaces may not necessarily be true to their identity, but it is the image they choose to portray in that particular space. Passini assesses how our identity holds significant meaning and “the consumer culture encourages us not only to buy more, but to seek our identity and fulfillment through what we buy, to express our individuality through our ‘choices’ of products”(Passini 375). Based upon this concept, many times people will act on consumption impulses to receive approval from others when traveling through spaces. For example, if an individual found themselves in a space consisting of a wealthier population, that person is likely to buy products that hold connection to upper class lifestyles to portray an image that would make them more comfortable in that space. Ultimately, everything traces back to one’s own perception and the weight that they place on the opinions of others surrounding them. As mentioned by Passini, our identity is connected to space and “identity is strongly a relational concept. We cannot realize ourselves if we do not recognize others, and we cannot respect others if we do not know ourselves” (Passini 380). People have become so conscious of the others’ thoughts that individuals are willing to alter their appearances and behavior to feel in a position of status or a place of belonging. In spaces, people are constantly in contact with one another and are subconsciously making judgments and comparisons. Because of this, people regardless of the space, feel a need to make known their identity for the purpose of internal fulfillment. However, if people were more conscious of the individuality present in spaces rather than attempting to conform, it would create a better-rounded society because we would be able to be more respectful of others.  

   In any space we find ourselves in, we are aware of our presence and the presence of others. Undoubtedly, the connections that are made within spaces correlate with the attitudes of the people residing in that space. Ones behavior and respectfulness toward others shift when that individual feels as though their own comfortableness in a space may be jeopardized because of race or ethnicity, thus hurting the atmosphere entirely. Psychologically, individuals let the mentality of meeting societal standards be the determining factor when choosing how to portray their identity within a particular space. This viewpoint can be seen when observing how people interact in spaces, whether it be witnessing our consumerist nature, or noticing shifts in behavior and mannerisms. Los Angeles is a city that holds many preconceived perceptions when it comes to attitudes, identities and concept of space. Because of this, it is difficult to reshape and define how our own perceptions have been altered due to our familiarity within this space. Society has created standards that they themselves cannot meet continually, therefore hindering the majority’s self-identity in public spaces. However, if everyone came to the understanding that comfortableness in all spaces begins within themselves, the way that we interact within spaces would change drastically.