Personal Literacy Narrative

Francisco Reyes

11 February 2014

Professor Fleischer

English 1A

Personal Literacy Narrative

            I’m just a simple writer and speaker with skills that can’t be compared to a summer’s eve or an articulate author of high caliber literacy skills. My writing, speaking, and reading skills are possessed because of experiences, influential people, and other memorable influences. Of course some influences are more monumental to me than others. Without these experiences and influences my literacy composition wouldn’t be what it is today. The writing and speaking skills I possess can be attributed to the many years of soccer I played, the interaction with people online, and living in the same location since my existence.

            Soccer has been in my life for over 13 years. The many teams I have played on have brought new and different teammates. I had to form some type of relationship with every one of them but some were much closer friendships that lasted longer. The relationships were formed by communicating, speaking, and articulating amongst each other on similar levels. With that said, the way I spoke with my teammates varied dramatically from on and off the field. On the field we spoke with seriousness and a sense of professionalism because as athletes that completed at a competitive level throughout the country we felt we had job-like responsibilities. Off the field however we were at ease with each other and capable of being enthusiastic and comedic when we conversed. The tone and demeanor used when speaking on the field couldn’t be taken to heart because playing soccer was essentially our job so if one of us was slacking we had to let the other teammate know in an assertive yet respectful manner to pick up the quality of our performance. I thought we executed being assertive and respectful rather well because once we stepped off the field and entered a friendly state it was as if the on the field problems never existed but swiftly resumed once we went back to playing on the field.

            The soccer team I played for had many Hispanic players and most of which spoke both English and Spanish. I myself do not speak Spanish which made me hurdle and get around the language problem on the field. But thankfully off the field this problem didn’t occur. In time I learned what the other guys were saying in Spanish and I picked up the Spanish soccer terminology easily. Speaking in another language wasn’t a type of secret code to confuse the team but more of cultural norm Hispanic soccer players had. The players contributed and helped me learn the terms such as “pasala” meaning pass it or “cruzala” which translates to cross it; “It” being the soccer ball.

            Because my teammates and I were teenagers we tended to speak in what seemed normal to us but provocative to older people or adults. Sometimes the way we talked in public would come with consequences or learning experiences. For instance, once we traveled to southern California for a soccer tournament and we had to stay in a hotel because the tournament was multiple days. In between games we were in the lobby of the hotel and conversed amongst ourselves like we normally we would but only this time there was older women not affiliated with us that stayed at the hotel and were also in the lobby. The women filed a formal complaint to the hotel and the hotel reacted immediately and nearly kicked us out. Unfortunately our parents found out and never let us forget that instance at all the tournaments that followed so our freedom was limited because of the way we spoke. It was a good lesson to take with us and move forward from as far as a speaking stand point.

            Social media has a significant in my life from a writing aspect. Identifying and being able to use the English language in social media and for academic purposes has proposed a hefty problem that has made me a conscious writer. Analyzing my own writing (or typing) formality is often accomplished when looking at my computer or cell phone. Because the use of informal social media and formal academic writings occur both on my phone and computer knowing when to type in certain manners becomes an issue. For example, I use email to get and respond to social media notifications. With that same email I may also have to respond to an email received from a professor or interviewer from a job. If I utilize the same speech patterns to a professor as I would to a friend I surely would find that it wouldn’t be in my best interest to use the same writing style for different stages of formality. Separating informal and formal writing is a developing trait I have yet to master which in time I hope to be able to know write in the appropriate setting without having to consciously think about what I am writing.

            Lastly I feel that the location I have lived in all my life has played a major role on the way I speak or converse with others. Being a northern California native from Sacramento has embedded the way I speak. The way I speak to individuals my age has always seemed normal and so right because until recently everyone I communicated and affiliated with was from Sacramento also. Since I’ve attended Sacramento State University I’ve spoken with people from many different backgrounds and various regions in California. I’ve discovered that people from other places don’t necessarily admire or like my informal lingo and this too has made me a conscious speaker. Students that originate from Southern California greatly resent some terms I use in my speech. The most notable term that southern California students dislike is the slang term “hella”. I use informally use the term to express a vast amount of something. I’ve been trying to eliminate the term from my language but as of lately I feel that I should utilize any word I desire as long as it doesn’t conflict with formal writings.

            My writing and speaking skills derive from my everyday experiences and previous encounters I’ve learned from. These experiences have been lessons that I have learned from in order to progress or become comfortable with. While my articulation is not of a supreme quality it is distinct and unique to me.