E-Portfolio

1 Because the Form of Words Matter Page 3 2 Language Awareness Page 4 5 Audience Page 5 6 Varieties of English Page 6
 * Contents **

** Overview ** First and foremost, I really enjoyed this activity. The one thing that may have been challenging was the poem activity. It caused me to think a little bit more than all the other activities. I really enjoyed the Humpty Dumpty one because I got to get in some funny family stories. I found that the last activity, varieties of English, got me thinking of how different something can be read in literacy. Some books are written so that they relate more natural for some people, and some books are written way more formally. All of these activities were enjoyable, and they really got me thinking about language, literature, and language arts in general.

** Because the Form of Words Matter ** A A lighter is used for lighting candles. It can also be used to light campfires or barbeque grills. When you light a lighter, a flame comes out the top. This flame is very hot, and you should not touch it because you will burn yourself. Lighters can be short or long. The short ones are used more for lighting candles, and the long ones are used for campfire and barbeque lighting. When you use a lighter, you can even guide yourself through the dark. B //One Hot Lighter// O lighter, thou art hot! The dark cannot fight What power you hold In such incredible light

You come long or short To light such things As my candles and fires And you cook my chicken wings. C I didn’t intentionally place any words, except for my rhymes. In Blake’s poem, every two lines rhymed, so I intentionally did that. I attempted to match the syllables, in each line, but I found no pattern to Blake’s poem. I attempted to add everything from my prose version in my poem. I think I hit the nail on the head with matching everything. Honestly, the prose version explains the description a lot better, because it tells you about the barbeque aspect, where the poem just says “And you cook my chicken wings.” I think the most effective piece in explaining is the prose version. But I like the poem better for the most interesting. I like my chicken wing rhyme.

** Language Awareness ** If language is a web, I would be a spider. Although I might not be the strongest spider, language does not intimidate me. When I read books, if I come across a word I’m unsure of I look it up if I cannot gain knowledge through context. I like trying to use different language when I speak, but it doesn’t always come out that way. I like to type, even though half the time I’m not sure what to say. I like to listen to other people talk as well; it’s interesting to hear what they say sometimes. At least once a week, my grandmother and I do some jumbles together from the newspaper, and we use the dictionary a lot when we do. I love, love, love accents! I liked to try and copy other’s accents. I’ve always liked language, and seeing how it’s used all over the world.

** Audience ** ‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less.’

In my opinion, he can be right given context. In my situation, I have family from both the south and the north. Now that I’ve lived in East Tennessee for six years, my southern accent and language have picked up a lot; it doesn’t help my boyfriend is more country than me and it rubs off. When I go visit my family in New York and I say “ya’ll,” it becomes something to laugh and pick on me about. If I stay in New York for at least a week with my family, I start to pick up on their accent and language. When I come back home, I’ll turn to my best friend and say something like, “Did you just hear that woman talking?” Except, it sounds like, “did you just hear that woman tawlikn’?” Now to people from the south, that is hilarious. So, depending on context is how you would compare if a word is right or not. If Humpty Dumpty had said a word that he uses with friends to his boss, obviously that context would not go very well. It works the other way around too. It all depends on who you’re with, and what words you can get away with saying. You clearly would NOT want to use a “cuss word” in front of a classroom full of 5-year-olds, but that might be acceptable to you at home. You have to be cautious of what you say, and when you say it.

** Varieties of English ** ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’ (Exodus 20:14 KJV)

Standard English- You shall not commit adultery. Text Message- U wont cheat on ur wife or husband.

I think the meaning changes a lot from each version to the other. For instance, looking at the King James Version, it feels more formal and authoritative. The Standard English version is a little bit more relatable, but still has hold power. The text message version is what you would say to your friend who’s asking you about it through a text; it’s less formal and really doesn’t hold a lot of authority or seriousness with it. The meanings of each will change from audience to audience. A church that reads from the King James Version of the bible might find it offensive to say it through a text message the way it is above. Also, a young teenager might find either the King James Version or the Standard English version too authoritative, but take it more seriously. I can personally identify with all the versions above. I’ve personally texted verses of the bible to friends who needed encouragement, and I didn’t type it word for word. My church reads from the New King James Version, so I understand the authority of the more formal versions. I have a friend who gets more out of reading his bible by reading the English Standard version, so I can understand that translation as well.