Language and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language and Identity - Essay Example Though all three writers express initial disgust for having to give up part of their heritage, Rodriguez makes it clear throughout his essay that there should be no shame in embracing one’s native tongue, nor should it be thought of as a sin to accept another. Richard Rodriguez’s â€Å"Aria: Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood† follows the writer’s journey from his discovery of the English language when he was a young boy, to being encouraged to learn it while attending Catholic school, and then to completely appreciating its uniqueness from his native Spanish. When he first heard English, Rodriguez remembers being intrigued by the sounds of the words, noting how different and less impersonal the seemed compared to Spanish. These profound differences prompted Rodriguez to regard English as a public and sociable language and Spanish as more intimate and familial based. As a result, Rodriguez felt that his inability to speak English separated him from those who could, and until he was forced to learn English, he was at ease with this distinction. Learning English had been tedious for Rodriguez, who claimed that the Spanish kept his family together and that a new language, one from the outside world, might cause a rift to form between them. As such, Rodriguez was reluctant to accept English as his choice language. He went through school in silence, not keen to open his mouth and speak the words of outsiders. He watched on in interest as his parents used minimal, disjointed English in the public, but pure Spanish within the home. The presence of the familiar Spanish kept Rodriguez from learning English until nuns from his school encouraged his parents to speak English at all times around their children. His parents obliged, and it was not long before Rodriguez fully grasped the English language and began speaking aloud in class. Rodriguez’s perspective of his native Spanish varied throughout his life, and the changes before and after he learned English were the most prominent. Spanish was a language that Rodriguez valued, especially since, according to him, the language kept his family close. He believed that Spanish was not only a secret code that English-speakers could not understand but felt that it was a cornerstone to him belonging to his family, a feeling that was reinforced primarily because his family spoke and shared with one another in Spanish. Everyone outside of the home spoke English, which meant that everyone understood each other; Rodriguez and his family, though, were in their own special circle of Spanish-speakers. Spanish was part of his heritage and a vital component to Rodriguez’s very being. When Rodriguez learned English, he did not necessarily lose his appreciation of Spanish and all that it offered his family but learned to accept the advantages that came with also knowing English. Harder than Rodriguez actually learning to speak English, though, was him speaking a language that di d not involve his parents. As previously mentioned, Spanish was a huge part of Rodriguez’s identity among his family members. When his parents began speaking English for the sake of their children, Rodriguez noticed that the intimacy between his family members had evaporated. They were still a close and loving family, but English caused them to have fewer words to say. When Rodriguez fully accepted English as his primary language, his parents were approving of the change, but other family members were not as open to him embracing a culture other than their own. Aunts and uncles, and even Spanish-speaking strangers on the street and in grocery stores would tease Rodriguez for abandoning his heritage (Rodriguez 321).     Ã‚  

Consumer Protection Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Consumer Protection - Research Proposal Example As a trainee solicitor with Wise and Wise solicitors, I am instructed by my supervisor, Margaret Andrews to interview the company's new client, Mr. Richard Williams and then report my findings back to her. Below is my report which contains two main sections. The first section deals with the items Mr. Williams purchased from Bobby's local garden center and his legal position. The second part, on the other hand, is likewise going to handle those items purchased by our client from Mr. Stanley Robinson. After interviewing our new client Mr. ... For him to carry out this task successfully, he needed some items he could only get from Bobby, his local garden center. At the garden center, he paid for the items by cheque. Among these items was a Venus de Milo Statue, which he decided to take home with him in his car. He arranged for the other items to be delivered later. Incidentally, it emerged later that the Venus de Milo Statue had been sold to another customer and Bobby needed ourBobby'st to take it better the store for a refund of the full price, on the other hand,y, this is not what our client had bargained for. The statue is one of the objects excluded from the laws of price fraud 2 because it does not have a standardized price (Howells & Wilhelmsson, 1997). An object lacking a standard price is referred to as an object of exclusion 3 (Boom & Loos, 2007). Thus to determine the right amount of refund involving an object of exclusion becomes a weighty obligation. But on the other hand, the law provides that society has an obligation to protect the consumer. There is a great assertion that the seller should not deceive the consumer either by concealing any imperfection or suppressing any relevant information about the item being sold (Sadeleer, 2006). In the case of Mr. Williams, there is no blemish in the item itself and thus virtually the consumer has no basis to claim that he has not received what he settled to purchase. Therefore it is my advice to our client that he stays put with the Statue as it is rightfully his (Howells & Wilhelmsson, 1997).