Annotation Blog Example (Print Source, Academic Journal, MLA)

Witherspoon, Gary. “Language and Culture and Culture and Languages.” International Journal of American Linguistics. 46.1 (1980): 1-13. Print.

In order to teach English to second language learners, one must fully understand the history of the language first. This article takes the approach of how the American culture has changed the essence of the English language and how Latin-based words and phrases have found a niche not only in American pop-culture, but politics as well. At one point Witherspoon discusses how border languages have, “changed the social context of the human conversation, and one must be open to dialogues that intermingle the culture of language in order to fully understand the conversation of impending globalization” (11).  This article supports my theory that English Only laws will only further drive a wedge between multilingual classrooms if all that is focused on is the American history of language, therefore cutting out everyone else that also has had, has, or will have a voice in the socialization of the American classroom. What needs to be further discussed at the theoretical level is how English Only laws not only affect the multilingual students, but also affect native English speaker attitudes toward these students. This is highly relevant considering problematic education legislation in Arizona and Texas that has eliminated Latino culture and language studies from the classroom and textbooks.