Essay Topic:
-Write an informal essay based on one of the essay you've read in class (I chose "English as Second Language, English as First Love" by Stephen Baker from Thinking Through the Essay Second Edition). Agree or disagree with Authors Point Of View and supporting arguments, refer to specific example from the essay. Draw upon personal experience, always referring back to the essay. One and a half pages double spaced (I have around two pages )
-Is there any way to say my thesis statement in another more interesting way? My thesis statement is very typical and i did not find it very interesting
-Also what do you suggest I cut short to meet the one and a half page requirement?
-Do you think my reference to the Christian crusaders will offend?
In the middle ages, Christian crusaders thought Christianity is the religion for all European as they waged the holy war. During the Early Modern period, doctors thought they knew what is good for their patients as they applied leeches to virtually every disease. It seems there were, are, and always will be people who think they know what is best for others even though they do not. Today, one such person is Stephen Baker. In his Essay "English as Second Language, English as First Love", Stephen expresses that English should be the first language of all North Americans. While he makes a powerful argument in his essay, I feel that the people, not him, know best about which language to speak as first language. We should not all speak English as first language because no one has the right to chose the first language for another, because we all have different suitable first languages, and also because a language is about more than just a way of speech.
No one has the right to declare English or any other language as the most suitable first language for North Americans. As of 2006, three hundred and eleven distinct languages are spoken in North America. Ziad Fazah, the world's greatest linguistic mastered a little under sixty languages in his lifetime. No individual in history has yet comes close to knowing all of North America's languages let alone makes comparison all of these languages. Hence, no one has the right to describe English as "nothing even comes close to it in sound, eloquence and just plain common sense" , or pronounce it as "among the easiest languages to learn" .
Everyone is unique in that they have different needs, learning obstacles, and linguistic tastes. Take the large selection of English vocabulary for example, while one person might see it as "the reason for my love affair with the English language" ; another might find such a vast vocabulary pointless and bothersome. A language that one person describes as "grammatically it makes sense" might not make sense to someone else. Languages one person mocks as being "languages that take pleasure in wallowing in adjectives and adverbs" might be languages that others appreciate. Each person has a different suitable first language, which makes it impossible to assign a single language to be the most suitable first language for North Americans.
For many people, a language is not just a way to communicate; it is also a part of their culture. To me, the Chinese language signifies the history of my ancestors. If I was to "nurture my memories from the old country" in the sharing of Chinese traditions, I would never use English because a certain air of charm is lost when the story is translated. Similarly, Aboriginal tales are always told in indigenous tongue because the aboriginal language carries an air of solemnity that is a part of their way of life. People of Spain love their language because it is the voice of passion. French people pride themselves that their language is that of eloquence and sophistication. To these individuals who feel such way about their language, using any other language would be betraying their traditions.
North Americans should have the right to speak any language as their first language. While I feel happy that the author has fostered such a deep love for English, he should be more considerate of the love others have for their respective language. To make English the first language of all North American would be to take a step backward towards the time of indifference. In our ever moving society, it is our continuing acceptance of diversity, not of conformity, that will help us strive towards a better society.
As to the length, do you think your instructor will count you off if you go over the limit? If not, leave it as it is. If so, read back through and look for redundancies that can be removed. In regards to the opening, I do not think it offensive because that is, in effect, the thought pattern that led to the Crusades. On the more theoretical side, it does not matter if your words offend someone, because someone will find everything offensive, and everyone will find something offensive in life, especially in writing. The main thing is that you take ownership and responsibility for your words and can support the positions that you write down. When you start making wild claims without supporting facts and details is when problems will start. Find your voice and say what you mean.
