Week One: Autobiography of Language Literature & Language Essay

For next week, I am asking you to read two very short pieces, one by Amy Tan and the other by Ocean Vong. While reading, I would like you to take notes or annotate the writing before writing in response to them. These writings belong in the genre of personal essay. They are autobiographical in nature.









Please read “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan and “Surrendering” by Ocean Vong. As you read, annotate the texts; in other words, as you go along, write comments, questions, and/or notes in the margins of the text.





After you have read each story, sit and write for 7-9 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind. Try not to think too much about this writing. Just write.



Once you have finished the reading:

Pick one of the stories and write one-page autobiography of yourself as a language user or writer. Try to put as many details as possible into your short, personal essay in order to make your experience come alive for your reader. Use dialogue and description rather than explanation.



When you have finished writing one-page autobiography, skip a few lines and write me a letter telling me tell all about how you read the stories and how you wrote your responses.

Submit your assignment in the Assignment section of this NYU Classes site..





Please know that all written assignments should be typed, obviously. Please follow standard academic format – 8 ½ x 11 paper, Times New Roman 11-12 pt font, standard 1 inch margins, 1.5-2 spacing, and indented paragraphs. All assignments should follow MLA format (include name, date, and an original title). Make sure all pages are numbered and adhere to other guidelines provided in the assignments.



All work must be proofread several times (because, even then, we make mistakes--you’ll see me make a few). Do not depend on spell check or grammar check as these seemingly helpful tools can lead you astray.