Blog 1

Hi, I'm Emily. I live in Maryville with my husband, our dog Cappy, and our bird Laki. I love reading, swimming, Alabama football, and doing pretty much anything outdoors (especially reading in a hammock beside a campfire). I have been teaching high school English to students with hearing loss for six years. I earned a bachelor's degree from The University of Alabama (ROLL TIDE!) in Secondary Education Language Arts, a master's from UT in Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and am currently working toward an Education Specialist degree in Reading Education. I am taking this course as an elective because I am interested in learning more about what my language conveys to my students, what they might be telling me that I don't realize, and how to better foster positive communication in my classroom.

There is so much to love about Words and Minds from Mercer's inspiring quotes to the insight he provides about language and communication. Although I was aware that "the formal cultural acts of marrying, naming, inaugurating and condemning to death are achieved through the use of language," I had never given much thought to the role of language in these acts (p. 11). Without language, so much would be impossible. Mercer states "words can carry meanings beyond those consciously intended by speakers or writers because listeners or readers bring their own perspectives to the language they encounter" (p. 6). This is a such a thought-provoking statement. In the past I have told my students that I have one rule: Respect all persons all the time.They seem, however, to not fully grasp how that relates to communication. I believe this quote explains so many arguments that arise amongst my students (and people in general). Mercer explains that children must learn how language is used to get the desired effect in their home community. I believe it is also important for teachers to learn this. Sometimes kids are labeled as behavior problems when there is simply a cultural difference between the student and the teacher. Some kids learn to switch between home and school cultures easily, while others are unaware there is any difference. Another statement that struck me is "young children learn language, as well as much else that they need to know, through engaging in conversation with adults;" this makes me sad (p. 11). Children who do not share a means of communication with their parents are denied so much knowledge about language and so many other things, even though they desire it as much as any other child.

I love that Mercer talks about speeches in Chapter 4. I require my students to participate in a speech competition every year, and I learned a lot in this chapter that will benefit my students. I'm pretty stoked to teach them about three-part lists and contrasts. I've seen effective presenters use these strategies, but I never noticed that the lists were confined to three items and I've never thought much about contrast. In high school, I became fascinated with the seemingly effortless way that powerful people, such as politicians, convince us to agree with them, often against all logic. This issue tends to remind me of Bill Clinton's speech regarding the Monica Lewinsky controversy, mainly because it is the first time I realized that when we use the right words the right way, we can accomplish the seemingly impossible. I distinctly remember people around me being outraged that he would have the audacity to have an affair and they were convinced that he had, but after his televised speech, people in my community were no longer angry. If you asked them outright, they might still say he had the affair, but somehow they no longer felt it was relevant. It was such a strange thing to watch as a teenager. I couldn't understand how he managed it.

I was really fascinated with the way Mercer described creating contexts for working together. There is so much that we take for granted after we built work relationships or worked for a long time with only others who work in the same field. When a newcomer enters, I often forget to establish context and explain information that needs explaining.

I'm glad that Mercer discusses virtual communities because they seem to have their own sets of rules. It's weird to talk at the same time as another person and it be completely acceptable, but on instant messenger it is. Typing an e-mail is so similar to writing a letter, and yet, sometimes we send e-mails that are more like texts messages or instant messages when we are corresponding often about a specific topic or problem. Additionally, there are topics that are considered inappropriate when addressed via digital communication, yet it is perfectly acceptable to address it in person.

I found this book to be exceptionally thought-provoking. There is so much to process and consider, I feel I could read it again and notice information that didn't stand out to me this time. I don't know how people like Mercer and Peter Johnston are able to analyze dialogue and communication so thoroughly, but I'm glad I am able to benefit from their discoveries.