Language, communication & cultural identity

Goals today 
The power of language as a theme in our extract 
Literary and stylistic choices in the extract 'oxtail' 
Choosing and using effective quotations 
Extract comparative using concepts

1 / 24
next
Slide 1: Slide
EngelsFurther Education (Key Stage 5)

This lesson contains 24 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

Items in this lesson

Goals today 
The power of language as a theme in our extract 
Literary and stylistic choices in the extract 'oxtail' 
Choosing and using effective quotations 
Extract comparative using concepts

Slide 1 - Slide

Rikard
Coen
Elsje
Anna
Kate
Zoë

 
Andrea
Emilia 
Aamu 
 
Hugo 
Erik
Shamatmika
Ella 
Lena 
Mia 
Cleo 
Neysa 
Megan 
Dheeshitha
Alastrina 
Damien 
Robin
Kim 
DOOR
WINDOW
BOARD

Slide 2 - Slide

The 'oxtail' incident 
"No object is in a constant relationship with pleasure, wrote Barthes. For the writer, however, it is the mother tongue. But what if the mother tongue is stunted? What if that tongue is not only the symbol of a void, but is itself a void, what if the tongue is cut out? Can one take pleasure in loss without losing oneself entirely? The Vietnamese I own is the one you gave me, the one whose diction and syntax reach only the second-grade level. 

1. Research a little who Roland Barthes was and the focus of his work. 

timer
2:50

Slide 3 - Slide

What do you know about the power of languge? 
How can language shape our identity and experiences? 

Consider: 
language barriers, misunderstandings or moments when you have struggled to communicate. What did you think and feel? How did it affect your understanding of your identity? 
Discuss

Slide 4 - Slide

The author makes a number of literary and stylistic choices to help convey the concepts of language, communication and cultural identity. For the technique given to your group, discuss and write down your thoughts on these aspects: 
1. How does your assigned literary or stylistic technique contribute to the overall meaning of the extract? (which concept does it help convey and what aspect(s) of that concept does it explore?)
2. Which specific quotations from the extract support your analysis.?
timer
1:00
You will share your findings with the class. 

Slide 5 - Slide

Goals today 
The power of language as a theme in our extract 
Literary and stylistic choices in the extract 'oxtail' 
Choosing and using effective quotations 
Extract comparative using concepts

Slide 6 - Slide

Slide 7 - Slide

Having heard your peers' ideas, write, in your exercise book, your response to these questions:

1. What role does language play in this extract? 
2. How does Vuong use imagery and symbolism to convey the emotional experience of the characters? 
3. Why does the repetion of the phrase “Đẹp quá” matter in the context of this story? 
timer
1:00

Slide 8 - Slide

Imagery and Symbolism
"hummingbird whirring over the creamy orchid", "glass orb filled with a clear sweet nectar"
Tactile, gustatory, visual, auditory imagery. Sensorial rich imagery. 

These descriptions evoke a sense of beauty and fragility which symbolise the delicate nature of communication between the narrator and his mother. Beauty exists but is hard to grasp or name. 
The humming bird is a symbol for the fleeting moments of communication, connection and understanding between the narrator and his mother. 

Slide 9 - Slide

Repetition
“Đẹp quá”, meaning "it's beautiful" repeated several throughout the extract. This highlights the simplicity and limitations of the mother's vocabulary both in Vietnamese and in English. It also illustrates that even though communication is limited the emotional appreciation and innerworld of the mother is still complex. There is a sense of longing and a search for connection in a world where words are "wrong everywhere". 
“'Đẹp quá,'" you said after a while, barely audible." each repetition contains a different meaning although the words are the same. 

Slide 10 - Slide

Tone and Mood 
"You were drowning, it seemed, in air." metaphor - helplessness and suffocation 
"Your face wet, pleading." visual imagery illustrates a mood of desperation, shame and frustration. 
"Our words suddenly wrong everywhere, even in our mouths" mood of alienation
The initial mood of nostalgia when describing the hummingbird feeder becomes humiliation, overwhelm and embarrassment. The narrator feels shame and powerlessness. 

Slide 11 - Slide

Characterisation 
The mother is characterised as both resourceful and determined; however, she is also vulnerable in a society where she cannot express herself. The narrator is both a participant and observer in his mother's struggles to communicate. This translates into the conflict between love and frustration. This is a struggle that is seen throughout the novel. 
"I shook my head, shame welling inside me." 
"You placed your index finger at the small of your back, turned slightly[...] then wiggled your finger while making mooing sounds." 

Slide 12 - Slide

Indirect characterisation - STEAL

Slide 13 - Slide

Diction and Cultural Identity 
The use of the Vietnamese language raises the question as to whether it is possible to find beauty and meaning when one's language - and by extension, identity - is incomplete. 
"You wanted to buy oxtail, to make Bún bò huế for the cold winter week ahead of us." inclusive personal pronoun emphasises the connection felt between grandmother, mother and son who share aspects of cultural identity. The Vietnamese represents the culture that they share. 

Slide 14 - Slide

Extract analysis - the whole extract
When you write a response to an extract remember that the whole extract must be considered relevant. 
This extract has a number of parts, for example: 
- Appreciation of beauty without language 
- Lack of language to communicate resulting in humiliation 
- Impact on cultural identity 
- Other forms of communication 
- Intellectual consideration of the impact on identity of a 'stunted' mother tongue. 

Slide 15 - Slide

Mood rings 
  • Mood rings gained popularity in the 1970s due to their supposed ability to reflect the wearer's emotions through color changes.
  • The color changes in mood rings are caused by body temperature fluctuations, rather than any accurate reflection of mood.
  • While they may not accurately portray emotions, mood rings remain a fun and nostalgic fashion accessory for some people.
Adapted: Howstuffworks.com
How does the addition of this scene help to explore one of the topics: language, communication or cultural identity? 

Slide 16 - Slide

Choosing and using quotations effectively in literary analysis
Good quotations are specific, relevant and demostrate the point you are making. 

Within a literary analysis, your purpose is to develop an argument about what the author of the text is doing—how the text “works.” (intended effect on the reader) You use quotations to support this argument. This involves selecting, presenting, and discussing material from the text in order to “prove” your point—to make your case—in much the same way a lawyer brings evidence before a jury.
Quoting for any other purpose is counterproductive. Do not quote to “tell the story” or otherwise convey basic information about the text; you can assume your reader knows the text. Do not quote just for the sake of quoting or to fill up space.

adapted writing.wisc.edu

Slide 17 - Slide

Choose one quotation from the extract that you find the most powerful or meaningful. 

Write your quotation down and add two to three sentences explaining how it relates to one, two or three of the concepts  - language, communication and cultural identity - that we identified. 
You will post your quotation on the next slide. 

Slide 18 - Slide

Post your powerful quotation
You do not need to post your explanation

Slide 19 - Open question

Write a single paragraph analysis on how Vuong uses one of the literary or stylistic techniques discussed in class to develop a specific theme in this extract. Use at least three quotations to support your claims. 

You will need to articulate the concept as a theme. This means that you express what the author's message is about language, communication or cultural identity. 

Slide 20 - Slide

Goals today 
A comparative response to two extracts
Close analysis of a longer passage
Investigation of the structuring of the events in chapter 3 
 

Slide 21 - Slide

Comparative
  1. Read the extract from If this is a Man. 
  2. It can be argued that this memoir also considers the concepts of language, communication and cultural identity. 
  3. Formulate the theme (message) that Levi wishes to convey about one of these concepts. 
  4. How does his message differ or have similarities with that of Vuong?

Slide 22 - Slide

What is your global issue?

Slide 23 - Open question

Comparative
Write a response comparing and contrasting these two extracts. Consider how the literary and/or stylistic choices are similar or different to convey the author's theme. Write two paragraphs. 
Your response can be as long as you feel is necessary to convey your ideas. 
Remember to use quotations that are specific, relevant and demostrate the point you are making. 

Slide 24 - Slide