Response to Min-Zhan Lu's "From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle"

     Min-Zhan Lu’s treatment of language in “From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle” is interesting in that she describes a process during which acquiring language leads to a deepening silence. Lu depends heavily on code-switching to communicate alternately in her bourgeois home and in a school run by the state, Communist China; the language of each place prohibited in the other.  It’s interesting that as Lu folded association and meaning into her words she became less and less sure about the proper way to use them.  In addition, to her dismay, she discovers that she is conflating two incongruent ideologies in a way that makes communication even more difficult.

     Lu describes the process of reading and writing as progressively more conflicted, “My parents and home readings were the voices of an opposing group…these voices struggled to dominate the discussion , constantly incorporating, dismissing, or suppressing the arguments of each other…” (444) Lu internalizes this conflict and is drawn toward tendencies to suppress her ideas because she’s unable to craft a message she’s confident about for her dissimilar audiences.

     In a way, I think many students experience a similar experience.  Of course, the stakes aren’t quite as high -- in communist China there could be serious repercussions for espousing unpopular ideas – here, the students just lose the opportunity to complete post-secondary education (which is serious enough, I think.) Many students struggle to produce work in Standard American English—required by institutions—which is so different from their heritage languages. In addition, there is censure for being unwilling or unable to produce the required language in a form prescribed by institutions. This instills a sense that writing is a barrier rather than a means of communication and an extremely effective method of self-advocacy.  I think that basic writing teachers need to change the notion that writing is what holds students back and illustrate the ways in which it can advance education and communication.

     In all, I believe that basic writing and freshman composition teachers initially need to accept whatever language is used and work toward increasing output through positive response.  Students need low stakes opportunities to practice writing as expression rather than seeing it always as a chore. Min-Zhan Lu regained her voice after a struggle and our students need to do the same.