I am A Reader and Writer

Savanah Nguyen

September 6, 2017

English 1030

Mr. Curtis-Cummins

I Am a Reader and Writer

I would reference myself as a person who could speak multiple types of English. Whether it is talking to my family, friends, teachers, grandparents, strangers, it is all English but it is different. I speak differently to everyone and wonder how that is come to be.I grew up in a family where the people who were constantly taking care of me spoke broken English. But, I was also fortunate enough to grow up in a neighborhood with a great education.

My grandparents often took care of my sisters and I while my parents worked. With being Vietnamese it wasn’t too long ago that both my grandparents and parents came over to the United States. They all spoke broken English. Growing up listening to my parents talk to me I understood. I was constantly surrounded by family speaking broken English. I technically grew up learning broken English since I was constantly surrounded by it.

Later on leading in to school I’ve realized that people speak differently. As years passed I was able to not only communicate decently with my peers and teachers, but also with my parents. I learned how to rearrange my words in a way to speak differently to everyone. Amy Tan is the author of Mother Tongue. In her piece she explained how, “all the forms of standard English that I had learned in school and through books, the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother” (Tan 1). She questioned herself on why she talked differently to her mother than she does to other people. Then, I started to also question myself. The amounts of different English’s I know.

As a reader and writer I would say I am both. I would not say I am the most experienced but, more like in learning. Being able to skillfully play with words with people being able to understand is hard. That what makes a writer a good writer. The author is able to take words and make you open your mind to bigger ideas. This skill either comes naturally or people have to practice it.  

In conclusion I believe that the skill or being able to read and write is a privilege and a power. It is quite amazing how a single speech or reading can change someone's entire opinion about a topic. Using reading and writing in college will help prepare me for the real world. In the real world, in order to be successful you have to be the change of something. This will at one point require you to do a speech or write why the purpose of your work is so important. By acquiring this skill it can help you gain supporters. Amy Tan’s work has taught me, “ that was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world” (Tan 1). By using the different types of English I know, I can reach out to various people to help make a difference in something.