The Education Barriers
While most adolescents today find themselves discouraged from developing their language and literacy skills, many teenagers, like myself, often find that being able to speak in an articulate way is frowned upon in our society. To be comprehend things or be well-spoken in a manner that others do not understand can get you isolated from the clique you hangout with.
I agree with Frye when he states that “Yet, in spite of his limited verbal skills, he firmly believes that he can think, that he has ideas, and that if he is just given the opportunity to express them he will be all right.”(170) I thought that what I already knew is enough to get through an assignment or that what I have written down for an essay is impeccable in every way possible. My mind being restricted to that new material may have deprived me from getting a better grade which could of helped me in the long run. From passing my writing proficiencies and convincing myself that I wrote a pleasing essay on my SAT's, I felt that I achieved the learning requirement which made my mind close to any new material at the time. It also effected my grade in any class that dealt with expressing my ideas onto paper. I also concur when Northrop interprets that “A society like ours doesn't have very much interest in literacy.”(171) After thinking that I knew it all, it was difficult to regain the drive to increase my knowledge to better myself in understanding my ideas and to convey them into words. Being able to retain the knowledge would benefit me throughout my life. Having the ability to ready and write is important when moving on in education. It is important because you are required to read in write at a certain level or it will not be accepted by professors today. The way people choice their words today is changing very slowly. Depending on what type of friends you have, you may be well-spoken or having to shorten up your sentence to be banal in every way possible for your friends to understand what you are saying. Seeing kids get bullied or placed as an individual for the way they can speak is very common throughout elementary and middle school. After maturing a little, I found that those kids that get place as an individual are those who will become successful, one who stays out of trouble and who you should put yourself around with.
“It is compulsory to read and write because society must have docile and obedient citizens.”(171) Frye is certain that the way we are being taught is intentional because being uneducated makes us unlikely to question the norms of society. For example, reading the laws of society can easily confuse a person which would make them think the law is legitimate in a way that whoever made the law knows what they are talking about. I also notice that when the President has a speech, he would throw in words that most people cannot latch onto therefore thinking that the president is truthful to what he says and abides to what the citizens are asking for. In conclusion, the low level education we have now is intentional so the government can restrict us from understanding what they say and having the opportunity to stand up for what should be done for the society.
In general, I have noticed that teachers today alter their lessons in a way that every student can understand what is being taught so not one student can be left behind. Altering the lesson can effect each student differently because one student can grasp the concept of the lesson when another student has to get one on one attention. Northrop argues that our education system puts the obligation of pushing students to be more engaged in
