Final Post - The End of a Class and Reflections

I will take home many things in a sense. I mean the class had many thought provoking and insightful things of discussion. Some of the readings were that way as well. The main thing I will take home though is the concept of language, what its true meanings and usages are, and how different languages and different ways of speaking the same language have so many diverse meanings as well. I mean a perfect example was before when I went to Japan I never realized that it's not only a different language but in Japan or here in America we not only speak a different language than everyone else, but we think in a different way as well. We use words to describe and put meanings on things, and in a different language like Japanese they do the same thing, they describe and think in a certain way that is different than us. I mean I know we both have different languages but I liked the concept of thinking in a different way or thinking in your languages way of thinking. This class opened my eyes to that idea much more, and now I have a broader concept on something so huge.
When it comes to the final project I will try and hone in on how Japanese exchange students think, when it comes to using English and being in America. I want to see where they are coming from and try to put that down on paper. I would like to ask questions about slang, language in the classroom versus language in the real world and others similar to those.
Yes I will apply many of the concepts like sometimes you need to try and see how things are below the surface instead of just seeing them how you think they are. Like see what the language is really saying not just what you see.
Yes, at first I didn't want to take this course but after looking back I like how it was set up, the discussions were awesome, the assignments and readings really made us think, and yes like others in the class I didn't show up. When I did, however, I tried to take as much from the presentations and talks as possible with me after I left class and went into the real world.

Thanks for the great semester and I wish the best of you luck,

JHill

ending

Well, I really don't know what to say.
there are many things that I have learned from this class that I would not have known if I had not taken it.
I have noticed that when I talk to people that I start picking apart their language, trying to find the norms for them.
I also tell other people about things I have learned in class, it's really interesting when I go to work and talk about things I have learned in class because they are things that most of the people I work with don't know, but that's understandable as to why they don't know, most of them are still in high school.
I think the most fasinating thing that I have talked to my co-workers about is the "N" word and the lecture that I went to, most of them don't really understand but that is what makes it so interesting to explain.
this class has openned my eyes about many, many things and I know that I am the better for it.
in closing: I have mixed emotions about the class ending, I am happy for school to end, but sad because I am going to miss everyone.
I have learned so much, this has been one of the best classes I have ever taken.

Short and final thoughts

I had compiled a rather large response to this blog, but then, somehow, decided against posting it.

I have failed to have been convinced of many of the conclusions to which I have been compelled in this class. I'm still a Prescriptivist and still believe in having a national language.

The class overall has been undoubtedly fascinating. I am hoping that a majority of students will be capable of re-examining their own speech in relation to its context in a thoroughly racist, imperial, and patriarchal world.

I would engender to understand how a vastly different society organizes its mechanisms of authority.

After this class I would want to speak to those who had a passion for what was discussed.

Goodnight.

what was it all about?

I have learned a lot from this course about language that I had never thought of or noticed before. For me, the most interesting idea that we learned about was how language helps define a person's identity. I notice it so much more now, that the way people speak and the words they use really do have a huge influence on how they are percieved. Just by having a short conversation with someone, you can find out so much about them by studying their language, like where they are from, or whether they are a prescriptivist or are more laid back. I hope that by completing this final project, it will give another opportunity to see how much language can influence a situation in the real world (rather than just talking about it in class). I think that by taking this class I have learned to better understand what people are saying, not only because I pay closer attention to their words, but also because I notice how and why they say things, so I can sort of read between the lines a little better than before.

Post 9

In this course, I found that language and its uses are very powerful. Now I keep catching myself trying to analyze there speech and speech environment. Before this course I never put much though into language, or how our language roots came from. I found it very interesting on how some people will use certain language to control another group of people. I definitely know a lot more about how language is used through out the world now at the end of the semester than I did before this class started. The things I learned in this class will be a great help in finishing my final project. In my final project I am going to the senior center with my grandma and playing bingo with all the other senior citizens.

Greater Awareness

I have learned so much in this course about the tremendous influence language has on our society. It is amazing to think back on this semester. We have gone over so much information in many different areas such as history, politics, race, gender, power struggles, etc. The biggest thing I have come out of this class with is increased awareness. I have become much more aware of how people use language to identify themselves. I have noticed that this class has caused me to listen to the way others interact with each other. I like observing the way all the little subcultures in our city use language. I caught myself listening to two gamers the other day. At first I didn't notice I had been listening to them and analyzing the way they were using language. When I finally realized I had been observing their language practices, it dawned on me that I have been making observations like that since after our first paper. I believe the ability to break down and analyze language is a very valuable skill that I will be able to use throughout my life.

Post 9

From this class, I will probably remember, mostly, that I became more informed about the variety of races and different perspectives the world has on them. There were a few words that I learned in this class that I have never heard before and I may or may not remember them in the future. One new word that I learned was ‘the C-word.’ From the things I learned in this class, I will be able to apply them and use them in my final paper. I know more what is expected now than I did at the beginning of the semester. In my final project I will discuss the language use of loan officers in a bank while they converse with different dealers. I will probably use what I learned in this class in my everyday life as I converse with people especially those who are not my same race.