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The Story of English Abstracts

Spanish in New Mexico
Diversity of a Conquering Language

Sheri A. Armijo

This curriculum unit is designed for the student who is learning Spanish as a second language. This is a curriculum unit based on how the geographic location of a settlement can affect the language of its members. A short study of the history of English and Spanish show how a language can remain the same or change depending on where the settlers are located. This is to provide students with the knowledge that time and space affects the way a group of people talks.

            The students are taken on a journey through the lessons where they are shown the diversity that exists in English and Spanish. This diversity includes the current standardization of English and Spanish in New Mexico schools.

            The lessons are sequential and begin with a comparing and contrasting of Elizabethan English from the 1500’s. This is to show the students whose first language is English that English has gone through some major changes over time. Writing activities will give students opportunities to see the importance of the standardization of English and Spanish.    The lessons end with an introduction to the Spanish alphabet for the students who are learning Spanish as a second language.

            The curriculum is intended as a positive promotion of learning Spanish. It is anticipated that the students will see that learning Spanish is something that they can see as beneficial in their cognitive development and that will increase their job opportunities.

  Ancient Riddles and Grendel’s Killer:
Old English as Springboard to Better Modern Learners

Lionel Betsch

This unit aims for primarily advanced high school seniors to increase their understanding of modern English through the study of selections of the Old English language and Anglo-Saxon history. Class projects and discussion will reveal similarities and differences between Old English speakers and ourselves in numerous ways, including culture, grammar, vocabulary, narrative design, narrative themes, and societal values. Activities include small group and class translation of Old English excerpts, small-group presentations, and a brief paper. English language excerpts are taken from the riddles of The Exeter Book and especially from the epic Beowulf, while Anglo-Saxon history examines the story of “the mother tongue” from the Celts through the Scandinavians. Students will also compare translations of an excerpt from Beowulf to better appreciate how tone and ‘personality’ of language are affected by translation.

Envisioned as the initial unit of the senior year, a prominent objective is to convey a sense of the “baseline” of the English language. Students will hopefully emerge from the unit with a better grasp of the nature, history, personality, and structure of the language, and will therefore become more conscious of their own use of English. If “language observers are better language learners,” then this foray into Old English has the potential to set the tone for a year of distinct inquiry and achievement across the board.

The Languages of Southeast Asia:
How On Earth Do They Mean What They Mean When They Say What They Say

Susan Carley

This unit is designed for a world humanities or world history high school class and explores the nature of languages and dialects in Southeast Asia, a region of the world that has more spoken dialects that anywhere else: A virtual Region of Babel. It is also a region of incredible human mass migration. This makes it an ideal place to stop and examine the effects of geography and social history on the development and change in language. This is the perfect place to stop and ask the question, “How did the coconut get to Gilligan’s Island?” or rather, “How did all these people get to Southeast Asia and why don’t they all call a coconut a coconut?” Students will be challenged to answer the question, “How did all these people get to Southeast Asia and why do they speak so many forms of the same language?”

The two-week unit plan asks students to focus on the impact of history and geography on language use and change. Groups will research the history and geography of the countries of Southeast Asia and speculate about the languages and dialects that might be found in those countries. Students will research and present information on the languages and dialects found in each country presenting their findings to the class. Throughout the project students will have the opportunity to explore the rich and diverse cultures of Southeast Asia and finally focus in on the language. The background section of the unit includes a wealth of information on the history of each country as well as sections with information about the languages of each country. Also included is a list of reasons that causes change in languages to occur, which students may use to analyze the individual countries.

            The process of looking at history and geography to analyze the effects on a language can be repeated again when studying the Germanic languages and the rise of Europe, which leads to our use of modern English today, and also when looking at the various dialects within the United States today.

New Respect for Non-Standard English and its Speakers

Robin Gibson

As teachers, we are called upon to teach a certain, standardized curriculum, and it is expected that students will master certain skills before moving on to the next grade. A student who does not meet these performance benchmarks will be retained. A large number of these standards deal with written and spoken English; however, I take exception to the idea that what is considered “Standard English” is the only acceptable form of the language. This paper questions the value of such a rigid, exclusionary approach to teaching reading and writing to elementary school students.

            Students’ writing reflects the way they and the people around them talk, and it is not always Standard English—especially if they live in poorer or non-white neighborhoods. It goes against everything I believe in as a teacher to tell them that even though people talk that way, it’s not okay to write that way. When children enter my classroom, most of them have never written a word in their lives, and I encourage them to write whatever they want. As they gain confidence in their own skills, they feel free to experiment with the language and try new techniques, which is crucial in the development of a budding author. But when we get bogged down with “conventions” (spelling, punctuation, grammar), I find myself feeling frustrated because these kids are writing good stories, using their own experiences and novel ideas, and I never want to discourage creative expression.

Whatever my personal philosophy of education, the fact remains that students are rewarded for using Standard English and punished for variation. As students progress through school, more and more constraints are placed on their writing, and it often seems that we would do them a disservice if we did not begin to teach them the accepted conventions of academic English. In this paper I will examine how the current form of the language came to be considered “standard” and how it acquired social prestige. I offer lesson plans that are adaptable for first through fifth grades, focusing on developing students’ reading and writing skills and confidence, so they will be able to meet the demands of middle and high school.

  Dialects and Idioms as Related to the Regions of the United States

Sue B. Johnson

The English language has an interesting history and studying it gives a person an appreciation for the variation in our language. Every culture has a language or languages and every language has dialects. A dialect is a way a language is spoken in a particular place or by a particular group of people. Language constantly changes, some words become obsolete while new words are added. Idioms are commonly used expressions that often mean something different from what they appear to mean. Idioms are used in conversation as well as written form.

            Since there is variation in language, it is important to be somewhat knowledgeable of dialects. This gives the learner an opportunity to develop an appreciation for the variation in language. Our English language is highly idiomatic, so it is also important for students to have some exposure to idioms.

            The lessons in this unit are designed to give students exposure to dialects and idioms. They also give students a variety of activities to practice and experience dialects and idioms for themselves. Studying dialects and idioms serves to increase reading comprehension and vocabulary.

                                                          In Search of a Word

                                                              David Mraz

As a Title I Reading Teacher with the Albuquerque Public Schools, my main concern is the improvement of the literacy skills of the students in my classes. Title I is a federally-funded program to address the literacy needs of children whose reading levels are two or more grade-levels below their grade placement. It is my hope that through the investigation into the history of the English language, which was the focus of my ATI seminar this summer at the University of New Mexico, I will be better able to affect such improvements.

It is my belief that the development of a child’s understanding (through the lessons and activities that I have developed) that language is not a static and immutable object, but rather a living, growing and evolving organic entity will lead to a more adhesive and comprehensive grasp of those literacy skills needed in order for the child to succeed in his academic career—which will broaden his horizons and lead to the possibilities for a fuller and more enhanced life for him—both academically and, later, economically—in the future.

Cursing and the English Language

Stephanie Salazar

Throughout its history English can be seen as "evolving," and nowhere is this evolution more prevalent or influential than in the use of profane language or "cursing," and slang. In the schoolyard, as well as in the rest of society, children and adults should be entitled to live and study in an environment in which they will feel safe and secure, and are not subjected to any kind of physical, emotional, or verbal assault. This unit examines the various influences of the history of English and develops a curriculum for special education students in third grade in a culturally diverse setting that will enable them to recognize that some words are inappropriate and should not be used in everyday conversations. The teaching of Standard English will be promoted.

A Study of Voice in Language

Victor Carl Sanchez

The topic chosen for this curriculum unit came from my interest in the careless use of language found in my students speech and writing which can lead to misunderstanding and conflict. During my research I found myself shifting my focus onto a field of linguistics called discourse analysis. Discourse analysis is the study of how conversation is used and interpreted in everyday life. Using discourse analysis, this unit’s first focus is on how students use language to communicate with one another. I specifically concentrate on what happens in discussion that leads to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. It focuses on how, either consciously or unconsciously, we use language to send hidden messages and how our audience interprets these messages. The unit then shifts from spoken usage to the use of written language. We go from studying the “voice” in conversation to studying the “voice” an author uses in writing. This part of the unit focuses on how authors communicate with us as readers and how we interpret that as readers. The discussion of voice then leads into one on grammar – mainly the differences between prescriptive and descriptive grammar. The students will see how prescriptive grammar doesn’t truly reflect what is said in everyday speech. If we have talked about a writer’s voice, why does grammar sometimes choke that voice off in order to fit it into the “correct style?” This unit is intended for a midschool (grades 6-8) language arts and literature class. Through this unit, students will be better able to see how their use of language could lead to unintentional misinterpretations of their intended message. Students should be able to reflect on their word choices and how this affects the voice they give their writing and speech. They will also see how authors and other media use language to give their work “voice” and how that influences them. Finally, students will be able to see how some of the rules of grammar work and how grammar should not be seen as a constraint but rather a tool they can use for specific purposes.

Hell’s Language:
An Historical, Social, and Linguistic Look at Cussing

Glenda Thompson

You taught me language; and my profit on’t is, I know how to curse.

-Caliban, The Tempest
                                                               William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare understood quite well the power, and importance, of cussing. He understood that it is an element of language that has always existed and always will. Authors throughout history have understood this. As teachers of literature, we are confronted with the “problem” of cussing in great literature. Mark Twain, J.D.Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, and John Steinbeck are but a few authors whose works have been banned from public schools at some time in their history. They are also some of the greatest, most powerful authors whose works have great moral value.

I teach at Freedom High School in Albuquerque. Freedom is an alternative public school for kids who (for as many reasons as there are students) have not succeeded in their “regular” schools. Freedom is comprised primarily of juniors and seniors, ranging in age from an average of seventeen to twenty. Due to the nature of our program, and to the older student population, we are allowed liberties which teachers in the “regular” schools may not have. I have no problems teaching any of the aforementioned authors, or in discussing with my students the reasons behind their controversial status.

The purpose of this unit is to directly address the subject of cussing in literature and in our lives. We will explore literature which has been banned, cussing in everyday life, why we cuss, when and where we cuss, the etymology of certain cuss words, the history of cussing in written literature, and the Supreme Court’s opinions regarding cussing and cussing in literature. We will read a great deal of literature which includes cussing, literature about cussing, and Supreme and Federal Court case law. The final project for this unit will be a presentation including statistics regarding cussing, data and information from class readings and research, and a hypothetical Supreme Court ruling (written by the student in formal language) regarding the constitutionality of a middle school’s “cussing code.” Each student’s ruling must include justification of their ruling based on precedent and statistics. The subject of cussing will not be approached in a moralistic manner, but in as objective a manner as possible. My goal is for students to develop an understanding of appropriate and effective language use.

A Study of American English Grammar
Using the Novel Huckleberry Finn

Cheryl Tijerina

This unit is intended for use in an eighth grade language arts program. The intention of the unit is to introduce students to certain concepts of grammar (pragmatics, semantics, and syntax) using Huckleberry Finn as a vehicle to study various types of language. As there has been much research to support the use of reading and writing to instruct students in language conventions, this unit attempts to deviate from traditional methods of grammar instruction and implement a more dynamic approach. The novel includes examples of earlier dialects, and uses language to indicate different social spheres of the characters, and therefore provides a good opportunity for teachers to address the complexities of language usage. The unit gives background on history of prescriptive grammar, research into effective methods of grammar instruction, and provides some linguistic analysis of some of the characters in Huckleberry Finn. Ten lesson plan ideas are also provided.