Se Habla Espanol

Tanya Maria Barrientos gives her article a Spanish title. How does this prepare you for the subject of the article? What does this title lead you to believe about Barrientos’ feelings about Spanish? Is that impression supported by the rest of the article? Why or why not?
The title of the article leads me to believe that Tanya

Barrientos begins her essay with an anecdote about signing up for a Spanish class. What is the effect of beginning with this anecdote? Does it attract your interest? How does it prepare you for the rest of the essay?

Barrientos tell of learning to read and write in Spanish. One key feature of a literacy narrative is an indication of the narrative’s significance. For her, What is the significance of learning that language? Why is it so important to her?..

Barrientos peppers her essay with Spanish words and phrases, without offering any English translation. What does this tell you about her stance? Would her stance seem different if she’d translated the Spanish? Why or why not?

As Barrientos notes, language plays a big part in her identity. Think about the languages you speak. If you speak only English, think about what kind of accent you have. (If you think you don’t have one, consider how you might sound to someone from a different region.) Does the language you speak or accent you have change according to the situation? Does it change according to how you perceive yourself? Write an essay reflecting on the way you speak and how it affects (or is affected by) your identity.