Madison Castillo
Deanna Tenorio
English 1120
4, October 2025
Literacy Narrative
I first realized language has power in the 8th grade in my Navajo language class. At the time I had really thought I knew a decent amount of my language. That all changed when my Navajo instructor brought an elder to my class. We all sat around him and he spoke only in Navajo for most of the class period and I had no idea what he was saying. I had understood pieces of his story here and there but not enough to really grasp what he was telling us. It had sounded really important as he got emotional towards the end of his talk. I remember my instructor gave us a brief summary about what he had told us, he started with a traditional story, then his childhood and lastly about how learning the Navajo language was important. How native languages are dying generation after generation. After this class I realized I only knew a scratch of the language and still had a long journey ahead of me. Ever since this experience I’ve always felt guilty for all those years of Navajo classes I took, and I still don’t know my native language enough to communicate. I have not taken a class since my 10th grade year. I remember in high school I would try and speak my language around relatives and was made fun of for my mispronunciation and for not using the right words. Another thing I’ve noticed was that Navajo words are different in certain communities. My instructor grew up in Arizona and she was teaching us different words from my community. I’ve made more attempts at speaking again after this and I was embarrassed because I could not speak it. These experiences make me feel like an outsider because I can’t communicate in my native language like most of my relatives. I feel like the odd one out in my family because most of my cousins can speak Navajo and communicate with relatives just fine. For a while I had given up on making any attempts at trying for fear of being humiliated again.
I’m a little older now and I’ve noticed my grandparents are speaking more Navajo and less English. I worry more now that I won’t be able to communicate more with them because of the language barrier between us. I can understand some of what they say, so I try to fill in the blanks. But I can’t speak to them in Navajo. I realized how important/powerful language is, especially my native language, and I feel that it is a responsibility to learn and speak the language so I can communicate with my family. Because my grandparents lately have been going to the hospital more often, especially my grandpa, and he doesn’t really understand what the doctors/nurses are saying to him. My mom usually translates to my grandpa what is being said to him so he understands. I want to be able to speak with my grandparents as they get older and help them when they need a translator, as my mom doesn’t always have the time to be there for them.
Madison Castillo
Instructor Tenorio
ENGL 1120-007
Literacy Narrative Reflection
What did you discover about yourself as a reader, writer, or language user through writing your narrative?
I’ve discovered how important language is to me, something I’ve not really reflected on (in depth) as I did with this writing. This assignment has allowed me to dive deeper into thought on this subject and has helped me greatly in understanding the power of language. Especially when understanding the teachings of elders as there are some words that can’t be translated well in the English language. I know for a fact that my parents sometimes have a hard time explaining a Navajo word or sentence in English. I’m honestly having a hard time explaining what I mean with this as it’s something you just have to understand spiritually what is meant.
What strengths do you see in your writing? What’s one area you’d like to keep improving in future assignments?
The strengths I see in my writing are my storytelling skills. I believe I’m doing alright with trying to get my point straight forward. One area that I’d like to keep improving in is being able to discuss my topics more thoroughly. Whether it be a reflection or about a specific topic I’m arguing for. I want to be able to write more about the subject because I’ve always had a problem with extending my thoughts or information about the topic in my work. Most of the time the words aren’t coming out right when I’m writing.
How does your story connect to the bigger ideas we’ve been discussing (identity, culture, language, power)?
My story connects to the bigger ideas we’ve been discussing by my struggle with my cultural identity because of my lack of knowledge in my Navajo language. This experience with the story and my experiences with attempting to learn the language has shaped a negative view on my power with language. This experience has made me realize how much of an outsider I am to the language and how disconnected I am to much more of my culture and family.
How did you feel while writing and sharing your story, and what did you learn about yourself through that process?
When writing about my experience in this story I felt regretful for quitting on my journey with learning my native language. Especially for the amount of time since I had to take that class. I’ve reflected on this experience for some time and always had been upset with my family for not helping me with learning the language as a kid. As much as I’d want to blame them, it’s not entirely their fault, as I had somewhat given up during my time in high school. With this backslide in my journey, I’ve come to realize, I don’t want to continue this disconnection with my culture/language.