"Era un infierno": On Faymonville and Language
“We write so that a reader can understand. In order to understand each other, it is assumed, we have to speak the same language. But is that really so? … Why do we automatically categorize a non-native writer’s manifestation of difference as an error rather than an experiment in making meaning? Why do we not give the non-native writer the benefit of the doubt that he or she might be trying to convey meanings that cannot be expressed through native, standard usage? …These Sturm-und-Drang questions are meant to provoke readers to question whether a non-native error can actually be an indication of a writer’s confidence in a reader’s ability to follow and understand him or her beyond correctness or to be motivated to understand experience of misunderstanding” (Faymonville 135).
I found this passage particularly insightful as I currently have one non-native speaker in my English 104 course. When working through their primary research (duo-ethnography) on mental health as it relates to immigration and the resources available to adolescents whose parents are no longer in this country, this non-native speaker chose to converse with their cousins.
For this assignment, students were required to collect field notes (description and observational comments, personal notes, and theoretical notes followed by an analysis reflection on patterns) and compose an essay that highlighted the most significant components, including quotations from their participants as they saw fit.
Due to the sensitive nature of their topic, this student decided it would be best to conduct their hour-long conversation in their native language (Spanish). Upon submission of their assignment, I noticed some of their notes, particularly quotations from their participants, were in Spanish, though they made a deliberate effort to translate these powerful quotations into English for their reflective essay and final submission.
Though I am assuming this student thought it would be best to make this translation for my understanding (I’m the one giving the grade, dictating the room no matter how much I try to displace my power), I quickly sent them an email discussing options for these passages.
In channeling my past experiences with Salman Rushdie, I remember his strategic use of language, especially in his historical fiction novel, Midnight’s Children. Rushdie would frequently code-switch between Indian and English, sometimes offering an “equivalent” translation, but most times not. He included a glossary in the back of his text (I’m assuming) to encourage non-native [English] readers to depart from their laziness and go in search of the meaning. I always found this to be a powerful move.
I gave my student this same choice. Ultimately, yes, I will be the only one reading this student’s final submission (with the exception of their public blog post)…but I think this ties back into Faymonville’s reading when she cites Thomas O’Donnell on rhetorical device, choice, and standardization:
Readers must read carefully and report honestly about what the stylistic device does to them, how it makes them think or feel. Alternate grammars can supply students with ways of making more meanings and different meanings while also providing opportunities for discussing choices and asking important questions about why a certain ‘correct’ usage is regarded as correct in the first place (136)
Essentially, I told this student the choice was theirs, but that they may consider making me work for that meaning a little bit harder; that they should have confidence in themselves and in their writing as they should have confidence in their reader (me) to understand their writing even if they are working from a place of initial confusion (as Faymonville writes above).
As it now stands, this student has decided to leave “Era un infierno” in their essay (their notes on the conversation: "He lives in Georgia and has his parents in Mexico. Had to escape due to violence. 'Era un infierno'").
I hope that discussing this choice with this student stays with them for a bit... I know it was a powerful moment for me.
That sounds like a great conversation to have had with a student.
ReplyDeleteAs a poet, it feels weird to think about these choices in this way. Poets mix languages all the time without including references or definitions, and there's poets like John Berryman who are known for playing with syntax. They make those choices because it makes the poem feel right, whereas, in our classrooms and situation, everything is framed in terms of comprehension, argument, and understanding.
I do like your reference to Rushdie. Did you refer to him when talking with your student? I think bringing examples like that into the classroom for students to see how languages can be used within the same piece of writing would be really useful. Rushdie specifically raises a lot of questions about language, as the English he writes in is not necessarily the English our students are familiar with (Indian English having its own nuances and itself derived from British English, not American English), and India is a polyglot country. I imagine the non-English he uses is Hindi, but that raises some interesting questions of class.
Thanks for giving me so many thinks to think about!
Kelli,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy reading poetry that utilizes code-switching between languages. However, I typically like to read Spanish to English code switching because I can understand it. In the writing classroom, I don't know how many genres this form would transfer over to smoothly. In the essay you described, the personal nature of it allowed the code-switching to be written well. I wonder what other genres would this work well in? Would there be a genre that it could not be used in?
Best,
McKenzie
Hi Kelli,
ReplyDeleteThe readings for this week were very insightful, specially the one by Faymonville. Bilingualism and multilingualism are two aspects that I had never seen addressed from the point of view of a composition class from both, teacher, and students’ sides. I said that this topic is particularly appealing to me since I am a non-native speaker of English instructor and I also have foreign students in my classes. Curiously, the two foreign students I have in my class and I share the L1, Spanish. Sometimes, one of them asked me if they could ask a question or give an answer in Spanish. Although they are very proficient in English, they preferred to explain some things in their native language. I would say yes to their request, however, I would also translate (with their permission) what they said for the other students to understand what we were discussing. For one of my projects, which required them to conduct an interview to make a podcast, one of the Spanish L1 speakers asked me if they could conduct the interview in their native language because the interviewee was also a foreigner and was not fluent in English. It was a complex question to me at that moment because I had not foreseen this situation and I wanted all of my students to work under the same conditions. Although I could have told them to change the interviewee, one of the objectives of that project was to promote freedom of choice, then, I told them to conduct the interview in Spanish, but make their podcast in English since the podcast was the last step in the project and did not necessarily require any audio from the interview. I actually thought of giving them the choice to make the podcast in Spanish, but I felt that it would go against the building abilities to create material in English and to respond to assignments in this language. It was an interesting experience to me that made me think of my own journey here as an international student and teacher. Would I have preferred to work in my L1 if it were me in their case? Would it have been unfair to them if I had not allowed them to make that choice? Certainly, it feels a little bit weird to have to be evaluated equally in your writing when your classmates are all native speakers, but you have to be “at their level” to comply with the standards of the class or the assignment. Yet, this is a challenge that I assume with much courage knowing that one of the objectives for coming to this country was to improve my English skills to be a proficient teacher. Nevertheless, how do our foreign students assume this situation?