PRESENTATION OUTLINE
“My English” by Julia Alvarez
Literature Grade 9
Critical Thinking Book p. 120
1. Respond: After reading her account of her early life, what question would you like to ask Julia Alvarez? Explain.
1. Possible response: How did you become a successful writer?
2. (a) When Alvarez was young, at what times did her parents speak English at home?
2. (a) Alvarez’s parents used English when they were having discussions that were inappropriate for children to hear.
(b) Infer: Why do you think Alvarez says that English was the “sound of being left out”?
(b) English kept her out of converstion.
3. (a) What method does Sister Maria Generosa use to teach Alvarez English?
3. (a) Sister Generosa had students add colorful details to students and write creative stories.
(b) Compare and Contrast: How does this method differ from the way she was taught at the Carol Morgan School?
(b) The teacher at the Carol Morgan School emphasized vocabulary and grammar.
(c) Assess: Which method does Alvarez prefer? Why?
(c) Alvarez preferred Sister Generosa’s method because it applied to her creative side and inspired her.
4. Evaluate: How well do you think Alvarez succeds in portraying the growth of her relationship with the English Language? Use details from the text to support your answer.
She does an excellent job because she shows her relationship with English in different periods of her life. For Example, she shows how she becomes more comfortable the language when she moves to New York City and is surrounded by English speakers.
Can Truth Change?
How do Alvarez’s ideas about English change as she learns the language?
Possible response: As Alvarez learned English; she began to feel more like the language was accessible to her. The language was no longer a symbol of her status as a foreigner to believe that English made sense.
