How to Tame Your Wild Tongue

Lexi Vogel

2/7/16

Professor Young

ENGW 1100

Reading Response Questions to “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”

1.      Discuss how the opening scene of Anzaldua in the dentist’s chair connects to the overall point/message of the essay and title.

-          The opening scene of Anzaldua in the dentist’s chair connects to the overall message because the actual point of the short story was about a woman who is looking for her language identity. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” relates to the woman’s wild tongue speaking a native language because her tongue is running wild. The story in the beginning is a metaphor about a dentist chair and a patient who can’t keep his/her tongue contained.

2.      Discuss Anzaldua’s use of the Spanish throughout her writing.  Did it make sense?  What was her purpose?

-          The use of Spanish throughout the writing is to add a stronger effect to show the “Wild Tongue” that she had. It definitely made sense for the writer to randomly use Spanish because the random Spanish shows the wild tongue in the words of the short story.

3.      Can Academic English be defined as Spanish (Standard) and can Chicano Spanish be described as nonstandard?  Why? What inferences, conclusions, can be made from referring to one identity (language) as standard versus nonstandard?

-          I don’t think that Academic English can be defined as Standard Spanish in anyway, they are both two completely separate languages. Although Chicano Spanish is described as nonstandard and people would not normally use that form of Spanish when speaking that does not make Standard Spanish defined as Academic English.

4.      Discuss the necessity of speaking and/writing in Academic English as an identity.  Is it necessary?

-          Being able to speak and write in Academic English is a necessity because like the short story discussed, all languages have a formal and non-formal way of speaking it.

5.      Anzaldua describes different types of Spanish, identities.  Discuss the various types of English, identities, you know.

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6.      Pachuco.  Do you use a secret language, secret identity, to communicate to your friends?  If so, what?

-          When I talk to my friends we don’t necessarily use a secret language to communicate but because we are so close we can tell what the other person is thinking by just looking at each other.

7.     Chicano Spanish can be compared to non-standard English.  What form of English (standard or nonstandard) do you speak with your friends (audience)?  What form of English do you speak when you talk to your mother (audience), professor (audience)?  Why?

-           Standard English is usually spoken when you are speaking to someone older or more formally like a professor or a parent. When I talk to my friends, I speak using a nonstandard English. However, when I’m talking to someone of higher authority I use Standard English.

8.      “I am my language.”  What does this mean?  How does this statement connect to a person’s identity?

-          Someone’s way of speaking makes up a lot of their personality. A person’s first impression and judgments are made based on the way they speak and portray themselves through their voice.

9.      Talk specifically about how the introduction and conclusion connect.

-          The beginning is a complete metaphor of what the actual story is about. The metaphor is about a person at a dentist and they can’t control their tongue. However, at the end of the short story it talks more about identity and chosing a language that fits your brand because the moral of the story is to “Tame your Wild Tongue.”

10.   Can the language you speak be a part of your identity?  Why?

-           Yes. Someone’s way of speaking makes up a lot of their personality and identity. A person’s first impression and judgments are made based on the way they speak and portray themselves through their voice.

11.  How important is identity to you?  Does Anzaldua believe it’s important to have identity?  Use some examples from “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” to support your answer.

-          Identity is extremely important for someone. Everyone has to find their inner self.

Anzaldua believes it’s important because she was looking to tame her wild tongue and find a specific language of Spanish and English that fits her identity.