an
expressivist teacher...
Quite contrary to the cognitivist approach, an expressivist
class will ask students to form a personal reaction the Amy Tan’s “Mother
Tongue.” A pre-reading activity may ask students to remember a time when they
struggled with knowing how to say something correctly or were trying to sound
more adult and “grown up” than they were. While reading, students will note
passages that remind them of their own experience. Before coming to class,
students will write a brief personal response to “Mother Tongue,” pulling out
quotes from Tan’s experience and relating the quotes to their own life events.
In class, every student will share a way that Tan’s essay spoke to them and all
responses will be given equal credence or weight.
As a follow-up writing assignment, student will write a 3
page personal narrative that describes a personal struggle with communication
or self-expression. They will quote “Mother Tongue” in the introduction to this
essay and conclude with a personal life lesson based on their experience.
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