Brian Wu PD7
5/18/20
Sophomores 2020
Blogger #34
Aim: How does language construct and impact thoughts?
Do now: Writing Shakespearean insults
The class was provided a list of Shakespearean words organized into three columns. We were told to create insults using those words. The insult would start with “Thou,” and would be followed up with a word from the first column, then the second, and ending with a word from the third column. After creating these insults, our class was told to translate the insults that we had created into modern english insults. This part was the more difficult part of the task because translating Shakespearean english to modern english is not something we do everyday. This would lead to some insults that made no sense because the students just didn’t know the translation for it. After this task was completed, the class discussed together what the level of difficulty of what we did, and how our translations were affected by our limited knowledge of old english.
Discussion on 1984
After the do now, the whole class proceeded to discuss the first chapter of 1984 based on 3 questions.
- What is the setting of the story?
- What is Newspeak?
- How is the previous activity tied to Newspeak?
The story of 1984 takes place in the city Oceania, London, where freedoms are limited. This isn’t the typical London that we all know of. The London in this story is a totalitarian society where all freedom is limited. Newspeak is the language used in Oceania. Newspeak is a simple language with little meaning and is only there for communication. The language was made to be simple, so complex ideas could not exist. Afterwards, we watched a Ted Talk on how the use of language affects the way that people think and act. This was a good follow up about why Oceania used Newspeak as its language. It’s simplicity makes it perfect for a totalitarian society to stay in power.
Taboo-Twisted
After the discussion on 1984, the class was given the activity of Taboo-Twisted. This activity was split into two parts, a round 1 and a round 2. In round 1, students were given a word and told to write a list of three to five words that we felt had a correlation with the given word. In the second round, we were told to do the opposite. Instead of writing a list of words, we were given a list of five words and were told to write a single word that would sum up that list, a word that was a bigger picture.
What did I learn today?
In today’s lesson, we learned about language, and how it can be used by anybody to change the thoughts of others. Language plays a big part in our everyday life and it plays a part in shaping us, yet we aren’t really aware of it.
Why did I learn it?
The purpose of today’s lesson was to give us a further understanding of language and the effects it has on those around it. We can later tie this back to the society we see in1984 and how Newspeak, a very simple language, affects its society. Newspeak doesn’t allow much thought and it is Oceania’s way of keeping everything in check. If the citizens have limited thought, then there is going to be less of a chance that they think they need the freedoms that their totalitarian society has stripped from them. This allows the world of 1984 to stay totalitarian and it keeps Oceania and all of London in check.
How will I use what I learned?
What we learned can be used to help understand the setting of 1984 and will probably play a part in our overall understanding of the book and the meaning behind it. The things that we learned in this lesson can also be tied back to the real world. Unlike Oceania, we live in a country where we do have freedoms and we live in a world where language isn’t simple and a world where our language allows us to have complex thoughts. The lesson could be a life lesson if you think about it hard enough.
What is it like working from home?
Working from home is different, but it isn’t necessarily bad. When I’m at home, I don’t feel rushed to complete anything and I’m always in the comfort of my own home when I’m working. I also don’t need to follow the same rules that I do when I am in school. When I am working at home, I can take as many breaks as I need, even though some is too much sometimes, and I can play music as loud as I want with no one to tell me that it’s not allowed. I also enjoy working at home because I just like being able to eat whenever I feel like it.
What are your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now?
I feel calm in the middle of this pandemic for whatever reason. I would expect myself to be in panic because the world is in the middle of a pandemic. Otherwise, I’m not too worried about the situation. Humanity has survived many pandemics before and I doubt it’d be different this time around. I miss seeing people and going outside but I guess it’s worth the sacrifice if it means it lowers my risk of catching the virus. I just hope this whole situation ends as soon as possible so that I can see people again and eat outside food again.
What are the updates around the world/community regarding the virus?
As of right now, life has stabilized for many. The amount of infected are stabilized and there is more information out there on how to take care of patients with rona. I feel like the world is doing a good job at keeping things in checks during this crisis except for the people who have started to protest quarantine. There are some people in our country that don’t understand why quarantine and social distancing is in place and their protesting is not helping anyone in any way.
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