When I conducted a literal reading of the article Me Talk Pretty One Day, my original interpretation was to portray the challenges of learning something new, even though you get exposed to it and face criticism, ridicule, and embarrassment throughout the process (Sedaris, 2010). During my analysis of the text, I also realized when I conducted a literal reading I should have interpreted the author's goal as being funny and entertaining. After the assessment, what was evident was the author’s objective to inform the audience of the difficulty in mastering a foreign language even after exposure. The author does not make the point apparent because he uses an informal and comedic tone. However, the interpretation changes when I focused on the end of the article when the author describes how he suddenly understood French. He further explains how understanding the language is an initial step in becoming fluent.
My key points have been consistent even after conducting an active reading of the article. It is because the author's goals have remained similar even after thorough evaluation but in some instances became more specific. Nonetheless, there are key points that I can identify that the author uses to achieve his goal in the article. For example, the author in the second paragraph describes how he is already intimidated showing up to his class because the other students are younger, better dressed, and attractive. It matters because of the particular country, France, and the language he is attempting to learn, which is French.
The author's intended audience for the article were students and individuals who have faced challenges while learning a new language, as well as those who enjoy satire. The audience who will read the essay are students experiencing difficulties in learning a foreign language. My argument will be in support of the author's claim. Several challenges will support my case specifically on this demography. The first challenge is that some people will have teachers who never belittled them in class, and in the learning the process. Another aspect to this challenge are students who learned a new language through an online or computer software platform. Additionally, a potential problem is also students who are bilingual or do not have difficulty learning a new language.
The result of my analysis was to highlight the author’s objective and give a reaction based on it in addition to reasons justifying the stance. Ultimately, there is an agreement with the author. Based on that, I would want to substantiate the reasons for the claim further. The author asserts that it is difficult to acquire a working, minimum fluency in a foreign language even after exposure (Sedaris, 2010). By analyzing the aspects of the writing that show how it was difficult for the author, I can further validate the claim. My initial reaction to the author's aim was that I was in consensus with this opinion. There have been instances when I was in a foreign country and attempting to learn and use their language. Based on my experience, I can share my story and what I encountered that relate to the authors narrative.
The most effective way to apply the evidence to support my argument would be the incorporation of statistics and facts. Because I agree with the author's point, I would prove my point. Some areas where I believe that the evidence would be most useful are concerning learning new languages. By providing statistics on how long it takes to learn a language and how many people understand it before speaking, I can defend my choice. Another area where the evidence would be compelling is in researching teaching styles that are either in support or contradiction of the author’s perspective and practical experiences.
Your writing can improve in multiple ways by receiving feedback from an external source. The entity can provide feedback related to spelling and grammatical issues in your script. Feedback can highlight areas of your text that need clarification more so if it is from the audience. If you are receiving a response from an instructor or teacher, that feedback can provide you with a better understanding of whether or not you are covering the required aspects of your essay. The response can get integrated into the final project by correcting errors. If someone offers their original idea to you during criticism and you decide to incorporate them into your essay, it would be crucial to avoid plagiarism through citation
A revision strategy that would be the most effective in informing you while writing the article would be peer evaluation. Having a classmate assess the essay and give an opinion would be beneficial. My constant struggles in writing are related to organizational flow and articulation. Specifically, my text will have syntax and clarity issues, and run on sentences. Since I struggle with identifying the errors, a peer reading my essay would be effective than other conventional approaches.
Reference
Sedaris, D. (2010). Me talk pretty one day. Hachette UK.
