"TALK! TALK!" My coach's voice was faint from all his yelling. We had lost the last two games for the same stupid reason: lack of communication. The other team danced around us, warning each other of incoming threats and exploiting our lackluster defense. A flock of strikers and midfielders neared our goal, moving as a large unit spaced out in perfect formation. If the referee hadn't called off sides, that may have been it for us. We were down 1-0 at the end of the first half, making our way slowly to get drinks and have a talk with our coach.
He was pissed to say the least. "This is your last game of the season, you know what's at stake here! What's wrong with you boys? You're supposed to be a famil..." The whistle blew. We returned to the field as quickly as we had left it. My cleats sunk into the grass as my heart beat intensified. Another whistle pierced the silence and the first pass was made. "Man on!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. A quick switch got rid of the pressure. "Turn!" Brian yelled. "Through ball! One-Two! Blast it!" A plethora of terminologies. We scored one goal through the combined efforts of Alexi and Lasha. The second goal was Ben going solo. In that moment we made it to the championships. In that moment we became a team.
Both Sadia Kalam and I use language as a tool of communication in our stories. In, "Lusting for Literacy," Sadia depicts her relationship both with God and her best friends to show how she's grown as an individual. In contrast, I use language to show the moment in time when my team actually became a team. Likewise, in Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue," Amy illustrates the bond that she has with her mother through the way that they speak to each other. In all three stories, we learn the value of language as a tool, rather than just art.
No comments:
Post a Comment