Project One abstract: The effects of translingualism
Melissa DeFrank
For this project, I used Miranda's text as a lens to forward and counter Canagarajah.
I argue in my thesis that codemeshing and translingual practice are often helpful or even necessary in this globally connected time. However, I counter Canagarajah by claiming that mixing languages is not always beneficial because languages are sometimes at war with one another. I state that translingual practice can also help with language recovery. In my first paragraph, I define key terms from Canagarajah’s introduction, including “receptive multilingualism” and “codemeshing” (Canagarajah 5,1). I then use examples from Canagarajah’s text to come to terms his idea that codemeshing can be an efficient form of self-expression (Canagarajah 1-3). In the text paragraph, I forward this idea by claiming that codemeshing should be acceptable in the professional world. I use Miranda as an example of a successful professional who uses codemeshing in her writing. I define Canagarajah’s “new paradigm” and use Miranda as an example to counter his claim that languages are never at war with one another. I also use her story as an example of translingual practices helping recover lost languages. This helps me forward Canagarajah’s ideas on receptive multilingualism, as I claim that it can help people learn (as well as understand) languages. I then address a flaw in my point, stating that languages would not have to be recovered if not lost in the first place. I conclude by restating my main arguments.
Sources:
Canagarajah, Suresh. Translingual Practice. London: Taylor and Francis Group, 2013. Print.
Miranda, Deborah A. Bad Indians. Berkeley: Heyday, 2013. Print.
For this project, I used Miranda's text as a lens to forward and counter Canagarajah.
I argue in my thesis that codemeshing and translingual practice are often helpful or even necessary in this globally connected time. However, I counter Canagarajah by claiming that mixing languages is not always beneficial because languages are sometimes at war with one another. I state that translingual practice can also help with language recovery. In my first paragraph, I define key terms from Canagarajah’s introduction, including “receptive multilingualism” and “codemeshing” (Canagarajah 5,1). I then use examples from Canagarajah’s text to come to terms his idea that codemeshing can be an efficient form of self-expression (Canagarajah 1-3). In the text paragraph, I forward this idea by claiming that codemeshing should be acceptable in the professional world. I use Miranda as an example of a successful professional who uses codemeshing in her writing. I define Canagarajah’s “new paradigm” and use Miranda as an example to counter his claim that languages are never at war with one another. I also use her story as an example of translingual practices helping recover lost languages. This helps me forward Canagarajah’s ideas on receptive multilingualism, as I claim that it can help people learn (as well as understand) languages. I then address a flaw in my point, stating that languages would not have to be recovered if not lost in the first place. I conclude by restating my main arguments.
Sources:
Canagarajah, Suresh. Translingual Practice. London: Taylor and Francis Group, 2013. Print.
Miranda, Deborah A. Bad Indians. Berkeley: Heyday, 2013. Print.