Cantice & Gaiza, Threads of Similarity

 

February 18, 2015

Threads of Similarity

                In the reading from my Connections book English 1101, Your English My English by Cantice Green and Gaiza Lawson (2014) a narrative essay, the authors’ collectively discussed their experiences  of speaking in other dialogues, the similarities of the different cultures, and the different language that enhanced their lives.  The authors write of learning two distinct languages, Spanish and English,  and how the languages help them to communicate with others of their past and even today.  Cantice Green and Gaiza Lawson writes to show how they acquired their different languages in order to help others overcome the barrier between cultures.  They speak of the desire to learn another language other than  that of their native tongue.

Cantince Greene speaks on where she was raised in South Phoenix, an area mostly populated with Spanish speaking individuals, and where she first desired to study the Spanish language.  As the ambassador of the high school class, she emphasized the importance of linguistics.  Cantice Green goes on to inform us of how the different dialogues came to past from the bible.  She speaks on how different cultures she encountered in her life shared different but yet similar lifestyles.  Cantice found as teenagers being around other cultures, they all like to dance all night and listen to pop music and singing out loud to the music on the radio.

Gazia Lawson tell a story of coming from a small country call Togo in West Africa.  In Africa this is where each country has different tribes, and each tribe speaks a different language within their community.   He writes of how his continent has a colonial language which is French and English, this is where they all can understand each other across Africa. Gazia Lawson said that learning a different language for him was a difficult task, but with determination any one can succeed.  He expressed, by him learning the English language, it helped him communicate his emotions, his feelings and his thoughts.  English helped Gazia Lawson to express his views on religion, his tradition , and how the political environment works in Africa compared to the United States.  Learning the English language helped him to educate others on the lifestyles of his African people.

The two Authors believe that learning a new diverse language is a great benefit that would allow doors of opportunities to open by helping inform, educate and assist other cultures understand each other.