Before seeing the format of the synthesis essay I was lacking a proper introduction. I had no introduction. So, I made a new introduction. Also I include a work cited page at the end of this essay. At the same time I made some changes to make it better.

First Draft:

During the 2025 Fall semester, I wrote two essays in my English class (Freshman
Composition). One of them was about language, identity, and power. Writing that essay helped
me understand something big: how we talk is part of our story. How we talk is part of our story. I
learned that the fight over good English is really about who gets to be heard. This class taught
me to listen better and to value every voice. My own story (LLN) is proof of that.

My first lesson is that “Broken” English is not broken. We read a story by Amy Tan called
“Mother Tongue.” Amy Tan talks about her mother and especially about her mother’s broken
English. In that story, people did not listen to her mother because of how she talked. But Amy
Tan says her mother is very smart. She writes, “My mother’s English might be limited but her
thoughts are unlimited.” This changed a fact that I used to think. I used to think good grammar
meant smart and now I know smart ideas can come in kind of English. The way someone talks
does not tell how smart they are.

My second lesson is that “different” English is a language of survival. James Baldwin
and Gloria Anzaldua are two writers who helped me see why people speak differently through
their writings. Baldwin wrote about Black English. He said it is a real language that was made by
people who needed to talk to each other to survive. Anzaldua wrote about speaking Spanish.
She said, “I am my language” after describing how she was punished for speaking it. For

Anzaldua, her language is herself. These writers showed me that different English is not wrong.
It is strong and it shows how a group of people stayed together.

My third lesson is that the rule to use “standard” English is not fair. A writer named
Vershawn Ashanti Young says school forces a bad choice. He says, “The rule is: give up your
own language to succeed.” This means you have to hide a part of yourself to succeed. I
understand this very deeply because of my own life. I came to the USA from Bangladesh in May
2023. Bangla is the only language I could speak well. When I got here, I struggled so much with
English (I still do). I felt nervous and under-confident all the time. I was trying to learn a whole
new way of talking. Young gave me a name to this feeling. He showed me it is not my fault. The
rule itself is the problem.

The fourth lesson is that there is a better way and it takes support. Vershawn Ashanti
Young talks about “code meshing.” It means mixing the way you talk at home with the way you
talk at school. He says we should make space for everyone to speak and listen to everyone,
even if they sound different from us. My own story (LLN) shows how important support is for this
journey. In September 2024, I had to write my college essay. I was so confused. My high school
English teacher, Ms Wohland helped me a lot throughout the journey. We met many times. She
read my essay over and over. She showed me my mistakes. At first, there were so many. But
she never made me feel bad. She just helped me fix them. After many tries, she finally said,
“Congratulations, Faysal. You finally did it. I am proud of you.” I felt so relieved. That process
taught me that learning is about the journey, not just the final grade. Her support gave me the
determination to keep trying with my English. This semester, my professor, Micaela Macagnone,
has done the same thing. In this class, she created a space where I never felt embarrassed
about my language. Her feedback on my essays focused on my essays first, not just correcting
my grammar. She showed me that my voice, with my own accent and perspective, mattered in

academic writing. This is what “code-meshing” is really about. Teachers like Professor Micaela
Macagnone and Ms. Wohland created a space where someone like me can learn and grow
without to hide.

All of this matters to me because I live in two languages. I speak Bangla at home. I
speak English everywhere else. Writing that college essay was a huge step for me. I used to
think my accent and broken English was bad. But this semester while writing the essays
changed my mind. My accent is not a mistake. It is a sign of my life. It shows I am learning a
new language. It is a part of my story and I am proud of it. It reminds me of my family, my home,
and how far I have come. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day I will speak fluent English,
Insha’Allah.

Before this semester, I used to see language as just a tool for communication. Now I see
it as a the heart. It carries our feelings, our history, and our family. Amy Tan, James Baldwin,
Gloria Anzaldua, and Vershawn Ashanti Young taught me this through their writing. Professor
Micaela Macagnone and Ms. Wohland taught me this through their support. Judging someone’s
speech is a way of pushing them down. Lifting someone up is how real learning happens. The
biggest thing I learn is this: Everyone’s voice has value. We do not all need to sound the same.
We just need to listen and help each other along the way.

Fanal Draft:

Student Name: Faysal Ratul

Course: ENG110 (Freshman Composition)

Professor: Micaela Macagnone

Date: 12.07.2025

Word Count: 933

Looking Back: Progress and Perspective

 

During the 2025 Fall semester, I wrote two essays in my English class (Freshman Composition). One of them was about language, identity, and power. Writing that essay helped me understand something big: how we talk is part of our story. How we talk is part of our story. I learned that the fight over good English is really about who gets to be heard. This class taught me to listen better and to value every voice. My own story (LLN) is proof of that.

My first lesson is that “Broken” English is not broken. We read a story by Amy Tan called “Mother Tongue.” Amy Tan talks about her mother and especially about her mother’s broken English. In that story, people did not listen to her mother because of how she talked. But Amy Tan says her mother is very smart. She writes, “My mother’s English might be limited but her thoughts are unlimited.” This changed a fact that I used to think. I used to think good grammar meant smart and now I know smart ideas can come in kind of English. The way someone talks does not tell how smart they are.

My second lesson is that “different” English is a language of survival. James Baldwin and Gloria Anzaldua are two writers who I got to know while doing my synthesis essay and they helped me see why people speak differently through their writings. Baldwin wrote about Black English. He said it is a real language that was made by people who needed to talk to each other to survive. Anzaldua wrote about speaking Spanish. She said, “I am my language” after describing how she was punished for speaking it. For Anzaldua, her language is herself. These writers showed me that different English is not wrong. It is strong and it shows how a group of people stayed together. 

My third lesson is that the rule to use “standard” English is not fair. A writer named Vershawn Ashanti Young says school forces a bad choice. He says, “The rule is: give up your own language to succeed.” This means you have to hide a part of yourself to succeed. I understand this very deeply because of my own life. I came to the USA from Bangladesh in May 2023. Bangla is the only language I could speak well. When I got here, I struggled so much with English (I still do). I felt nervous and under-confident all the time. I was trying to learn a whole new way of talking. Young gave me a name to this feeling. He showed me it is not my fault. The rule itself is the problem.

The fourth lesson is that there is a better way and it takes support. Vershawn Ashanti Young talks about “code meshing.” It means mixing the way you talk at home with the way you talk at school. He says we should make space for everyone to speak and listen to everyone, even if they sound different from us. My own story (LLN) shows how important support is for this journey. In September 2024, I had to write my college essay. I was so confused. My high school English teacher, Ms Wohland helped me a lot throughout the journey. We met many times. She read my essay over and over. She showed me my mistakes. At first, there were so many. But she never made me feel bad. She just helped me fix them. After many tries, she finally said, “Congratulations, Faysal. You finally did it. I am proud of you.” I felt so relieved. That process taught me that learning is about the journey, not just the final grade. Her support gave me the determination to keep trying with my English. This semester, my professor, Micaela Macagnone, has done the same thing. In this class, she created a space where I never felt embarrassed about my language. Her feedback on my essays focused on my essays first, not just correcting my grammar. She showed me that my voice, with my own accent and perspective, mattered in academic writing. This is what “code-meshing” is really about. Teachers like Professor Micaela Macagnone and Ms. Wohland created a space where someone like me can learn and grow without hiding.

All of this matters to me because I live in two languages. I speak Bangla at home. I speak English everywhere else. Writing that college essay was a huge step for me. I used to think my accent and broken English was bad. But this semester while writing the essays changed my mind. My accent is not a mistake. It is a sign of my life. It shows I am learning a new language. It is a part of my story and I am proud of it. It reminds me of my family, my home, and how far I have come. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day I will speak fluent English, Insha’Allah.

Before this semester, I used to see language as just a tool for communication. Now I see it as a heart. It carries our feelings, our history, and our family. Amy Tan, James Baldwin, Gloria Anzaldua, and Vershawn Ashanti Young taught me this through their writing. Professor Micaela Macagnone and Ms. Wohland taught me this through their support. Judging someone’s speech is a way of pushing them down. Lifting someone up is how real learning happens. The biggest thing I learn is this: Everyone’s voice has value. We do not all need to sound the same. We just need to listen and help each other along the way.

 

Work Cited

Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” The Threepenny Review, no.7, 1990, pp. 5-7

 

Anzaldua, Gloria. “ How to Tame a Wild Tongue.” Borderlands/ La Frontera: The New Mestiza. Aunt Lute Books, 1987, pp. 75-86

 

Baldwin, James. “If Black English Isn’t a Language. Then Tell Me What Is?” The New York Times, 29 July 1979

 

Young, Vershawn Ashanti. “Should Writers Use They Own English?” Iowa Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 12, no. 1, 2010, pp. 110-117

 

“ Dr. Vershawn Young on Code Meshing.” PBS, Uploaded by KET, Feb 10, 2014.

https://www.pbs.org/video/connections-dr-vershawn-young/

 

Macagnone, Micaela. 1on1 meetings. November 2025

 

Ratul, Faysal. “Language and Narrative Essay.” English 110, CCNY, October 2025

 

Ratul, Faysal. “Synthesis Essay.” English 110, CCNY, November 2025