Here is a downloadable PDF of Jamila Lyiscott’s “3 Ways to Speak English” if you’d like to read the text or share it with your students.

Jamila Lyiscott’s spoken-word essay, “3 Ways to Speak English,” is a powerful reclamation of the word “articulate.” Phrases such as “you’re so articulate” are often experienced by people of color as a loaded microaggression, reinforcing the assumption that minorities are not inherently intelligent. In this spoken-word essay, Lyiscott gives a new meaning to “articulate” as she highlights the three different versions of English that she uses at home, at school, and with friends.

Lyiscott’s code switching has a deep connection to the work that we do with the First-Year Writing Learning Outcomes as we think about multiple discourses, how we engage with them, and how we move between them as we read and write. For example, when conducting rhetorical analysis, it’s important to consider not only what the author is saying, but also how and why they are saying it.

Discussion Questions

Here are some reflection/discussion questions that students can respond to:

• How does your own use of language shift in different areas of your life, such as school, work, family, and friendships? What identities or other factors influence the way you communicate in these spaces?
• Consider how Lyiscott draws upon historical and societal dynamics as she unpacks her three different versions of English. Why does she feel the need to shift her language in different areas of her life? What relationship do you see between power, authority, and language?

Additional Resources

A reading that pairs well with Lyiscott’s piece is Amy Tan’s essay “Mother Tongue.” You can download a PDF of this essay here. As Tan reflects on the “different Englishes” that have been part of her life, she sheds light on both the social and personal factors that have shaped her experience with language in unique ways.