The Quest for Identity Essay Example for Free

The Quest for Identity Essay In some point of our lives, we all try to find our identities; try to find a place that we can fit in completely. Most people struggle, some does not. The question of identity is especially difficult for immigrants and their coming generations since they have different cultures and different views. In the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, the main character Gogol struggles with his cultural identity due to the ideological difference between him and his parents on the concept of name. According to Bengali naming traditions, everyone has two names, a pet name and a good name. The good name is for the public to use, the pet name is for family and friends to use in private places, it is also â€Å"a persistent remnant of childhood, a reminder that life is not always so serious, so formal, so complicated. They are a reminder, too, that one is not all things to all people† (26). Different traditions represent different cultures; In the United States, many people name their son after the father or the grandfather to honor the elders and also act as a symbol of heritage. On another hand in India, every name is sacred and cannot be inherited. Ashima and Ashoke decided to name their first child Gogol, this name doesn’t just represent the life of this child, it also represents the life of the father-Ashoke. However, this shapeless and weightless name has become a burden of Gogol’s life for a long long time. The first lesson that Gogol learns about his names is at the town’s public elementary school. At first, he does not want to go to kindergarten because his parents have told him that he will be call a new name-Nikhil at school which he does not want and does not understand. He is afraid to be Nikhil, someone he doesn’t know† (57). Of course, he is not the only one who doesn’t understand about the pet name and the good name. When Ashoke tries to explain to the principal Mrs. Lapidus about why they want her to call Gogol Nikhil, Mrs. Lapidus tries to understand, but ends up in confusion due to the cultural difference. â€Å"I’m not sure I follow you, Mr. Ganguli. Do you mean that Nikhil is a middle name? Or a nickname? Many of the children go by nicknames here† (58). She has never deal with this issue before, even with the other Indian students at school. And the big problem with this is that Gogol does not respond to the name Nikhil. Therefore, Mrs. Lapidus decides to ask Gogol about his own opinion towards this new name, Gogol shakes his head as his answer, so Mrs. Lapidus writes a note to Ashima and Ashoke telling them Gogol will be known as â€Å"Gogol† instead of â€Å"Nikhil† at school due to his preference. In here, Gogol is just a kid who doesn’t understand about his culture, but at the same time, the author is trying to hint us that even though Gogol is an Indian looking kid, he is Americanized; his thoughts are very different from his parents who are typical Indians. And in the United States, his parents’ thoughts are not so accepted which increases the gap between Gogol and his parents. As Gogol is getting older, he then realizes how unusual his name is. As an Indian-American, his name is neither Indian nor American, but Russian. He does not know about the story behind his name yet, all he knows is that he starts to hate his name. Before he goes to college, he decides to change his name to Nikhil officially. It seems like he believes that changing his name would make him who he wants to be. So he goes home and asks for his parents’ opinion and complaints about his name. â€Å"I don’t get it. Why did you have to give me a pet name in the first place? What’s the point? † â€Å"It’s our way, Gogol,† his mother maintained. â€Å"It’s what Bengalis do† (99). Until this point, Gogol still doesn’t accept this naming tradition because he feels inferior for his name. However, â€Å"The only person who didn’t take Gogol seriously, the only person who tormented him, the only person chronically aware of and afflicted by the embarrassment of his name, the only person who constantly questioned it and wished it were otherwise, was Gogol† (100). The conversation ends with a sentence by Ashoke, â€Å"In America anything is possible. Do as you wish† (100). This sentence sounds normal, but it is filled with helplessness and sadness. Ashima and Ashoke can’t change anything, they are just two Indians living in America, no one cares about them, not even their son. They have no choice but to give in† (60). Now, he is officially â€Å"Nikhil†, but â€Å"Gogol† is still like a splinter in his heart. He doesn’t want to touch it, doesn’t like to talk about it, but the dull pain inside his heart always reminds him that it’s there. After Ashoke’s death, he learns to seize the time with Ashima. But when he knows that Ashima is planning to move back to India, he suddenly realizes that â€Å"Without people in the world to call him Gogol, no matter how long he himself lives, Gogol Ganguli will, once and for all, vanish from the lips of loved ones, and so, cease to exist. Yet the thought of this eventual demise provides no sense of victory, no solace. It provides no solace at all (289). He finally realizes that as he gets mature, his love once are getting older too. His name will die just like the people. This shows that finally accepted himself as a whole, and this name is part of him. Maybe â€Å"Gogol† is not who he wants to be, but â€Å"Gogol† is who he really is. Ashima and Ashoke are the first generation immigrants, they consider themselves Indians, but learning to adjust their minds and live like Americans. Struggles are parts of their daily lives. Gogol, as an American born Indian, he has an Indian appearance, but growing up in America and getting American education make him a real American inside. â€Å"Living with a pet name and a good name, in a place where such distinctions do not exist-surely that was emblematic of the greatest confusion of all† (118). No wonder, the quest for identity is exhausting, but eventually, you will get to the destination. Open your mind, accepts who you really are, life is beautiful.

Dream or Scream - Original Writing :: Papers

Dream or Scream - Original Writing The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close a drowsy silence lay over the small houses in Forest Gate. Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their and lawns, deprived of their usual car washes. The inhabitants of forest gate lay in their houses in the shade, windows thrown wide open in the hope of getting a non-existent breeze. I awoke suddenly full of adrenaline, I rose in my bed so fast that I did not see the wall above me, my head hit the wall so hard that it was like I was hit with a hammer over the head. A few seconds later I got up with my face all screwed up in my hands, where I had hit my head on the wall hard. I slowly opened my eyes then walked over to the mirror, where I looked inside thinking of why I had woken so early, eager for that day to come; I had waited a whole century for this moment to come. I turned left and looked desperately out of my window. It was like the day was painted all over again, the grass in my backyard sun-bleached with brightness. Whilst I stood there gazing out of the window engaged in deep thought of why my enthusiasm grew within me. As I looked down to the laminated floorboards that were growing lighter as the sky outside grew paler it had just then hit me that I was going to India for the first time in my life. It was that second that I had reacted and straight away I began to floss my teeth, brush them, and then I jumped into the shower. Around ten minutes later I ran down eagerly to see if anyone was awake, all of a sudden I came to a halt as though being pushed back aggressively, at the sight of what I was seeing, in the room opposite the bottom of the stairs (leading from the third floor to the second), my insides burned with flaming fire.

Education in the Philippines Essay

Education in the Philippines is managed and regulated by the Department of Education, commonly referred to as the DepEd in the country. The Department of Education controls the Philippine education system, including the curriculum used in schools and the allocation of funds. It also regulates the construction of schools and other educational facilities and the recruitment of teachers and staff. Before Philippine independence in 1946, the country’s education system was patterned on the system of its colonial powers, Spainand the United States. However, after Philippine independence, its educational system changed radically. Until 2011, the basic education system was composed of six years of elementary education starting at the age of 6, and four years of high school education starting at the age of 12. Further education was provided by technical or vocational schools, or in higher education institutions such as universities. Although the 1987 Constitution stated that elementary education was compulsory, this was never enforced.[citation needed] In 2011, the country started to transition from its old 10-year basic educational system to a K-12 educational system, as mandated by the Department of Education.[3] The new 12-year system is now compulsory, along with the adoption of new curriculum for all schools (see 2010s and the K-12 program). The transition period will end with the 2017-2018 school year, which is the graduation date for the first group of students who entered the new educational system. All public schools in the Philippines must start classes on the date mandated by the Department of Education (usually the first Monday of June), and must end after each school completes the mandated 200-day school calendar organized by the Department of Education (usually around the third week of March to the second week of April). Private schools are not obliged to abide by a specific date, but must open classes no later than the last week of August. Tertiary schools in the Philippines has varied grading systems. Most universities [including institutes and colleges], particularly public institutions, follow the grade point system scale of 5.00 – 1.00, in which 1.00 is the highest grade and 5.00 is the lowest possible grade. Some universities may follow the 1.000 – 4.000 grading system. Patterned after American universities. This system uses the 4.0 grade point equivalence as  the highest grade, while 1.0 grade point equivalence is considered the lowest possible grade. 0.0 grade point equivalence is considered a failing mark. The General Weighted Average is a representation (often numerical) of the overall scholastic standing of students used for evaluation. GWA is based on the grades in all subjects taken at a particular level including subjects taken outside of the curriculum. Representation of the subjects taken only in a specific curriculum is called the Curriculum Weighted Average (CWA).[1][2] Education in the United States is provided by public schools and private schools. Public education is universally available, with control and funding coming from the state, local, and federal government.[4] Publicschool curricula, funding, teaching, employment, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards, who have jurisdiction over individual school districts. State governments set educational standards and mandate standardized tests for public school systems.[clarification needed] Private schools are generally free to determine their own curriculum and staffing policies, with voluntary accreditation available through independent regional accreditation authorities. 88% of school-age children attend public schools, 9% attend private schools, and nearly 3% are homeschooled.[5] Education is compulsory over an age range starting between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state.[6] This requirement can be satisfied in public schools, state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. In most schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school. Children are usually divided by age groups into grades, ranging from kindergarten and first grade for the youngest children, up to twelfth grade as the final year of high school. There are also a large number and wide variety of publicly and privately administered institutions of higher education throughout the country.

Definition and Examples of Dialect Prejudice

Dialect prejudice is discrimination based on a persons dialect or way of speaking.  Dialect prejudice is a type of linguicism. Also called dialect discrimination. In the article Applied Social Dialectology, Adger and Christian observe that dialect prejudice is  endemic in public life, widely tolerated, and institutionalized in social enterprises that affect almost everyone, such as education and the media. There is limited knowledge about and little regard for linguistic study showing that all varieties of a language display systematicity and that the  elevated  social position of standard varieties has no scientific linguistic basis (Sociolinguistics: An International Handbook of the Science of  Language and Society, 2006). Examples and Observations Some native-English speakers have had rich and/or school-like language experiences at home, and others have not. They bring dialect diversity to our classrooms. Dialects that vary from Standard English, such as Appalachian or  African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), are often stigmatized as improper or inferior English. However, professional linguists do not consider these varieties inferior because they conform to consistent rules, and speakers are fully able to express ideas using the dialect. Nevertheless, conscious or unconscious dialect prejudice is widespread, even among individuals who speak the variation.(Deborah G. Litt et al.,  Literacy Teacher Education: Principles and Effective Practices. Guilford, 2014)Responding to Dialect PrejudiceLanguage prejudices seem more resistant to change  than other kinds of prejudice. Members of the majority culture, the most powerful group, who would be quite willing to accept and champion equality in other social and educational d omains, may continue to reject the legitimacy of a dialect other than their own. . . . The high level of dialect prejudice found toward vernacular dialects by both mainstream and vernacular speakers is a fact that must be confronted honestly and openly by those involved in education about language and dialects.The key to attitudinal changes lies in developing a genuine respect for the integrity of the diverse varieties of English. Knowledge about dialects can reduce misconceptions about language in general and the accompanying negative attitudes about some dialects.(Carolyn Temple Adger, Walt Wolfram, and Donna Christian,  Dialects in Schools and Communities, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2007)Dialect Prejudice in British Schools- Language use is one of the last places where prejudice remains socially acceptable. It can even have official approval, as we see in attempts to suppress slang and dialects at school. . . .Banning words is not a sound educational strategy. As Michael Rosen points o ut, schools have been trying this for more than 100 years to no avail. Research shows that gradual transition towards standard English works better. But because dialect prejudice is so prevalent, this must be done in such a way that children understand there’s nothing inherently wrong with their natural expression. . . .There’s nowt wrong with regional dialects, nothing broke ass about slang. They’re part of our identities, connecting us to time, place, community, and self-image. They needn’t be displaced by formal English--we can have both.(Stan Carey, There’s Nowt Wrong With Dialects, Nothing Broke Ass About Slang. The Guardian [UK], May 3, 2016)- Sociolinguists have been fighting dialect prejudice since the 1960s, but negative and uninformed views about non-standard English are regaining currency in media and  educational  debates. Most recently, Carol Walker, headteacher of a Teesside primary school, wrote a letter to parents asking that th ey help tackle the problem posed by their childrens use of local dialect by correcting certain words, phrases and pronunciations associated with Teesside (including gizit ere and yous).Naturally, I support the schools aim of  teaching  pupils to use written standard English so that they can progress in future education and employment. However, focusing on speech will not improve their writing. . . .Ultimately, it is not the presence or absence of non-standard forms in  childrens  speech that raise educational issues; rather, picking on non-standard voices risks marginalising some children, and may make them less confident at school. Silencing pupils voices, even with the best intentions, is just not acceptable.(Julia Snell, Saying No to Gizit Is Plain Prejudice. The Independent, February 9, 2013)Variationist Sociolinguistics[William] Labov and [Peter] Trugdill were seminal figures in the emergence of a sub-field of sociolinguistics that has come to be known as variationist s ociolinguistics. Variationist sociolinguists focus on variation in dialects and examine how this variation is structured. They have shown that linguistic difference has regularity and can be explained. Scholars in this field have been central figures in the fight against dialect prejudice. Speaking from a position of scholarly and scientific detachment (Labov 1982: 166), variationist sociolinguists have been able to show that the grammar of non-standard dialects is not wrong, lazy or inferior; it is simply different to standard English and should therefore be respected. Some of these researchers have worked directly with teachers and teacher trainers and have designed curriculum materials on language variation for use in the classroom.(Julia Snell, Linguistic Ethnographic Perspectives on Working-Class Childrens Speech. Linguistic Ethnography: Interdisciplinary Explorations, ed. by Fiona Copland, Sara Shaw, and Julia Snell. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015)The Beginnings of Dialect Prejudice It is in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that we witness the  beginnings of dialect prejudice; an early instance can be traced in the writings of a chronicler named John Trevisa, who complained  that the Northumbrian dialect was so scharp, slitting [biting] and frottynge [grating] and unshape [unshapely] that southerners like himself were unable to understand it. In the early seventeenth century, Alexander Gill, writing in Latin,  labelled Occidentalium (or Western dialect) the greatest barbarity and claimed that the English spoken by a Somerset farmer could easily be mistaken for a foreign language.Despite such remarks, the social stigmatization of dialect was not fully articulated before the eighteenth century, when a provincial  accent  became a badge of social and intellectual inferiority. In his Tour Thro the Whole Island of Great Britain (1724-27), Daniel Defoe reported his encounter with the boorish country speech of Devon--known to the locals as jouring--whic h was barely comprehensible to outsiders.(Simon Horobin,  How English Became English. Oxford University Press, 2016)