CUNY Academic Commons

Written Language & Literacy NarrativeOpeotan Agunbiade  Prof. Jason Lobell Eng 110 Narrative essay Being that I was never really born in my home country Africa which is where my parents were born, I may not have the same story as everyone, being that English primarily is my first language. But for me Yoruba was a very essential language to learn while growing up. For my parents being that they wanted to train us up in the way they were brought up which could have been the start of a lot of issues while growing up in my household. I learned most of my culture/language from my parents being that they were born in Nigeria where they spoke Yoruba which is one of the most populated languages to speak in west Africa. But they ended up moving here to the US in their late 20s. When I think of the word language barrier I think of a multifaceted challenge that arises when individuals, often from diverse linguistic backgrounds, struggle to understand or express ideas due to linguistic differences. It extends beyond linguistic distinctions to include cultural nuances, idiomatic expressions, and nonverbal communication. Overcoming the language barrier necessitates patience, effective communication strategies, and a mutual willingness to bridge understanding gaps in order to foster a more inclusive and interconnected global community. Sometimes I would even argue with my mother that what she would say is wrong because I felt like I knew it all. Even with my parents having a strong language that would make it harder for people to understand I feel like even though we should all be seen as one.  My elementary school was the start of when I thought I wouldn’t really have to go through a lot especially with being that I was born here in the US. Going to my elementary school wasn’t like a regular one. There will be a lot of kids because I went to a charter school where some were from different diasporas and some were full on black African American. This first incident or situation that really stuck with me from my 5th grade year throughout the rest of my life really changed me  to be the person I am today. There was one time where I was in school and it was time for all the 5th graders to go get lunch so I decided to go on the lunch line to go get food and they had different choices so I decided to go with the pizza and the salad. Eventually when it was my turn to say what I wanted I told the lunch lady that I would like pizza and a SA-LAuD. As soon as I said that, my school mates started laughing at me, even the lunch lady, which made me feel very embarrassed. This is when I started becoming more conscious of my language and the way I spoke. Being that I got made fun of for the way I spoke, my lunch lady slightly felt bad for me and corrected me and told me that it was called SA-LID even though it seemed weird and embarrassing. This situation even got dragged on till the end of my school day. From this day on I started looking for ways to improve my language and the way I would pronounce my words so it wouldn’t get humiliated like that ever again.  I started taking different language classes and reading different things so I would work on myself even if teachers were willing to help me because they knew that the journey would not be easy especially if I really wanted to embark on it. So some teachers decided to help me by putting me in a language class where there were other kids who went through the same things. I finally became comfortable with the environment I was in because me and those kids in that room could have related on different levels being that we have similar stories. This even boosted my confidence and made me want to learn even more. So from here I started getting the hang of it and I even started to learn lingos which are slangs some people use from different areas in the world to communicate to one another. Once I started incorporating all these things in my daily life I began to feel among which I wanted.  Now, my mom even sometimes has an issue with the way I speak because she believes that I want to be so Americanized and I don’t want to learn my language. Like, Yes sometimes I feel like I drift away from the culture which I dislike but it’s also something I value very much and can never forget.  This is a solid reminder to me and anyone who struggles with dealing with different languages in their household. Language is a thing that matters strongly in everyone’s life even though you may not think so but it is what gets us through a lot in the society we are in now. All you have to do is be confident, always make sure to loom into different resources, and believe in yourself. My language is part of my identity and is something that I am very proud of. Peer profile + Cover Letter Opeotan Agunbiade Jason Lobell  English 110               COVER LETTER Writing the profile, I realized that language is not just a little thing or even a barrier. The connection that people have with language is something many people do not even think of it as. Many people find that language is just a way of communication but the deeper meaning is that language lies in its ability to convey thoughts, emotions, and complex ideas, fostering communication, understanding, and the shared construction of meaning among individuals and societies. In many countries, you must know your Native language, and if you don’t that community will have an issue with it and people might even make you a laughing stock. Personally I have never looked at language to have a deeper meaning which has made me come to certain realizations.  Some rhetorical strategies I employed included narrating and appealing to emotions. I feel like as a reader the author wants me to put myself in their shoes. We want to connect to the message he or she is trying to send to us and connect to it.  My intended audience for this narrative is fellow immigrants who may be undergoing similar experiences of adapting to new languages and cultures. I want those who are facing these challenges to learn from Gaels experience. This narrative is meant to provide reassurance to people who may be feeling anxious, or uncertain about their journey. For those who need to remember that every trip is unique, it’s worth taking the time to adapt to new situations. This peer profile is meant to encourage others on a similar path and to reassure them that they are not alone in their struggles. Opeotan Agunbiade  Peer profile  Experiencing one’s cultural heritage and background can be filled with a lot of trials and obstacles, as it is evident in Gaels narrative. He went through a lot just to get to where he is today. Right from when Gael was young he had to learn English and different cultures or at least adapt to it. His experience speaks of how language changed his identity. He grew up in a household where they barely spoke English and mostly spoke their native language which was Spanish. For me it was kinda the same only that I was born here and my parents mostly spoke their native language which made me and my siblings pick up fast on it being that English wasn’t really the first language that they taught us. Because of this it put me in a weird situation.  Trying to get used to adapting to two languages at the same time was not pretty easy, especially for us who came from multiple language speaking families.  Gael emphasizes. Even when he speaks of losing the ability to connect back to his home land language. In my case that would be my language Yoruba. Sometimes I tend to get frustrated when I am not able to connect back to my country’s language and just have to relate a little.  For most foreigners when they come here and start school most of the time they will get put back a grade because the school wants to make sure they know what they are doing before they move them into the correct grade. But in the language aspects these kids may feel very uncomfortable due to them not being from this type of environment and setting, especially being that almost everyone around that individual mostly speaks English. Whereas in this case it makes them feel very isolated and self bound and makes them not want to communicate with others due to that language barrier. So he was then placed into a speech class for students who struggled to speak properly. Which provided a place to feel supported. He even made friends which is good because he did not have to be alone in this process. What actually really stood out to me was when he made a connection to curious George, a character he had interest in from when he was younger. The language clues as to how he saw that Curious George stories were designed to engage children, support language development, which Gael related to very much. Especially being that he struggled with language barriers. This experience shows how language can affect someone deeply especially if they do not know how much weight it holds. Being scared of what the outside world might think of us can be very traumatic sometimes especially if we are not used to certain norms. Gaels experience is seen as a learning experience for many and a way for them to gain courage.  Final research paper Opeotan Agunbiade     Should college and university be free like elementary, middle and high school?  Access to education highlights societal progress. While elementary, middle, and high schools are universally free in many countries, the same cannot be said for higher education in other areas of the diaspora. This essay argues that college and university education should be free, reflecting the model of basic education, as it can have profound benefits for individuals and society at large. Providing free education ensures that everyone, despite the person’s background, has access to an equal opportunity to pursue their preferred studies. There are other places in the world that do not make it easy for people who are wishing to further their education because of issues within their school fees, or certain complications regarding families. Due to those countries having low incomes it risks a higher chance of those countries to face poverty which will make it difficult for people who want to learn to have a better education. Education is a great tool when it gives full access to everyone, even the less fortunate. If we are able to stretch the opportunity of a free education without any financial restrictions, we are able to give more hope to the less fortunate to destroy those chains of poverty. Education becomes the way to a successful future, offering different types of skills, knowledge, and the confidence/ motivation needed to overcome life’s challenges ahead of that person. It also provides direction, experience, and even can help develop a person’s communication skills The rise of tuition has increased the rates significantly in student debt. Free education takes this burden off parents and students, allowing them to graduate and go into their different job fields without any financial issues. The rising cost of tuition has created a barrier for people who want to further their education. The fact that some people even with the high tuition leave them no choice but to take out loans which  often leave these graduates with high debt that can take years or even a lifetime to pay off “Many people thought they were doing the right thing when they took on enormous debt to pursue a college degree – only to be left with a student loan balance they struggle to repay”(Biden) source 4. The burden of this debt can stop some individuals from pursuing their career goals or even having something of their own like a house or even a car. Having a free education provides a solution to this problem by removing financial debt. It also provides an opportunity for students to take on their preferred careers. This is why free education will be a great benefit for all. While the above shows the benefits of free education are evident, critics argue that it could strain government budgets and lead to systemic abuse. Thus implementing such a policy may lead to financial burdens on the government, risking public finances “But governments have a history of underfunding programs, raising the question of whether federal or state funds would keep pace with enrollment increases and related expenses. If not, the entire academic enterprise could suffer” (says Mark J. Drozdowski). However, some worry that free education might be taken advantage of by individuals who may not genuinely need the assistance, which can lead to a waste. They claim that a more sustainable solution would be financial aid and scholarships overall. People who support this  financial aid hope that it provides a more effective way to ensure access to a higher education for those facing financial difficulties. The debate over whether to adopt a comprehensive free education system or a targeted financial aid approach highlights the problem of balancing accessibility with financial responsibility in higher education policies.  In conclusion, the discussion on whether college and university education should be free is varied. While recognizing the potential and economic challenges, the overall societal benefits of equal opportunity and  economic growth makes a thrilling case for making a free higher education accessible to all, similar to elementary, middle, and high school and also shows the level as to where most schools here and in the diaspora stand as per this topic. Sources: Self Assessment Opeotan Agunbiade  Professor Lobell Final self assessment  I feel like when I was in school I loved English class and I loved the thought of writing. This was the only course I understood very well in elementary to High School. Writing is the process of expressing thoughts, ideas, or information through the use of written symbols, such as letters and words. It is a form of communication that allows individuals to convey their thoughts, stories, or messages to others. During this course I had a hard time adapting to the way we had to write papers. Being that, it’s not what I’m used to, which is normal for me being a freshman. This semester gave me a different feel of what writing truly was and in some cases it helped me very much. In my journey throughout this class, some assignments were challenging and informative. Even though yes I was not really able to get a lot of things done in time due to me having bigger issues which cost me a lot outside of school but even though when I was able to do it it made me think deeper. And made me look at things very differently in writing.  Throughout these periods of this class, I was determined to develop strategies for reading, drafting, collaborating, revising, and editing. The research paper required a good approach to drafting and revising to ensure clarity and coherence in presenting my argument. Communication during the peer review process helped me value constructive feedback and how to incorporate different perspectives into my writing which even took me back to my Highschool years where we would write argumentative arguments which I enjoyed even tho I never really liked debating but writing always made it seem more interesting, so thank you professor for letting us revisit that aspect of writing.  Rhetorical essays were something I never really enjoyed even in High School. I don’t really even know what it was but it was never an attractive subject or topic to talk about or even revisit.  Overall this course was very good to experience especially with this being my first semester in college, I actually got to get the idea of what college really is. I got to learn different strategies while writing and on how to write which I will be taking into the future with me. From all the work I did in this course I can say that I did very well and took my time on it to properly understand . So thank you very much professor.  Reflection Phase 3 This essay was very interesting to write especially because we got to pick a topic that we wanted to write about ourselves. I even liked the fact that we did an argumentative essay which I loved and we even had to research. I write about if college should be free as elementary, middle, and high school. I choose this topic especially because it’s something I and my other fellow college mates experience with the funding for college which we feel like it should be a free opportunity. It’s even reminded me of when I went to my country and I seen how the schooling was which made me speak about it and shed more light on college education. This research paper gave me a lot of information I probably really didn’t know before. Revision process When revising my work I have to focus on if I think it is clear enough for the reader to read and if it aligns with what I am writing about. I also have to check for grammar and any punctuation errors that might affect my writing. I can also gain different types of feedback from my peers to give space for criticism. Reflection 2 Phase 2 kinda wasn’t a great phase for me due to the fact that my partner didn’t really have any of his work done. So I didn’t really get to interview no one due to that fact but I enjoyed getting feedback on my work. Whats the point of writing? Writing is necessary because it is a powerful tool for communication and expression. It helps people to express themselves, convey ideas, and share information in a structured and coherent manner. Writing not only improves communication but also develops critical thinking by allowing people to clarify and organize their thoughts. Writing also improves creativity by allowing people to explore and communicate their unique perspectives. Without writing, we become unable to communicate with people that don’t speak the same language.  Which is why writing is essential. English 110 Reflection Being that this is one of my first college classes in CCNY I enjoyed it and I was able to experience a lot. I was also able to experience the true meaning of peer work for this class which I enjoyed because I got criticized which I thought I would never enjoy, but this class made me realize that it’s okay for criticism. It’s only to make your work better and gives your work an opportunity to be read from a different point of view. One of my favorite assignments was the research paper which I enjoyed very much being that I got to pick a topic in my own which I thought was very interesting because I can also spe […] “Written Language & Literacy Narrative”