I Am My Language by Norma Gonzalez

I Am My Language by Norma Gonzalez

“I am my language,” says the poet Gloria Anzaldua, because language is at the heart of who we are. But what happens when a person has more than one language? Is there an overlay of language on identity, and do we shift identities as we shift languages? More important, what identities do children construct for themselves when they use different languages in particular ways? In this book, Norma Gonzalez uses language as a window on the multiple levels of identity construction in children as well as on the complexities of life in the borderlands to explore language practices and discourse patterns of Mexican-origin mothers and the language socialization of their children. She shows how the unique discourses that result from the interplay of two cultures shape perceptions of self and community, and how they influence the ways in which children learn and families engage with their children's schools. Gonzalez demonstrates that the physical presence of the border profoundly affects the practices and ideologies of Mexican-origin women and children. She then argues that language and cultural background should be used as a basis for building academic competencies, and she demonstrates why the evocative/emotive dimension of language should play a major part in studies of discourse, language socialization, and language ideology. Drawing on women's own narratives of their experiences as both mothers and borderland residents, I Am My Language is firmly rooted in the words of common people in their everyday lives. It combines personal odyssey with cutting-edge ethnographic research, allowing us to hear voices that have been muted in the academic and public policy discussions of “what it means to be Latina/o” and showing us new ways to connect language to complex issues of education, political economy, and social identity.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9780816525492
ISBN 10	0816525498
Titel	I Am My Language
Autor	Norma Gonzalez
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Paperback
Verlag	University of Arizona Press
Erscheinungsjahr	2006-01-30
Seitenanzahl	220
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.
Hinweis	Nicht verfügbar