Ainsley Gumbley

November 30th, 2014

Jennifer Vogt
Literacy Narrative Polished Draft
Getting the Words Out
Literacy impacts everyone in different ways each and every day of our lives. We face
literacy in ways we do not even acknowledge. It has become so secondhand for us to be able to
analyze and take in what someone is doing and saying that you do not realize that you are in fact
using your literacy skills to get through every day. When you really begin to think about what
literacy is, you take notice how often you interact with literacy. Culture has had an immense
impact on my literacy I believe that where my family originates from has allowed this.
Growing up with parents who have two different cultural backgrounds is what helped
create my literacy and the way I view it. While both my fathers British and my mothers
Hispanic heritage have influenced me I feel that my mothers is more prevalent to my everyday
literacy. When I speak Spanish there is always a different tone to take and another word to use to
give the person Im speaking to a clearer understanding of what Im trying to say. I find it
fascinating how when translating I can think in both languages and determine what wording
would work best to get the point across. I would consider this a type of literacy, bilingualism.
Hispanics value family highly and for this reason my moms side of the family visited our home
often when I saw a little girl. My grandma and grandpa, mi Abuela y mi Abuelo, spoke English
but better spoke Spanish so when they were over my mom would speak in Spanish to them. I
think just being around them and hearing them speak the language is what allowed me to begin

applying Spanish to my own literacy. Whether it be having the television on in the background
on Univision (Spanish Channel), or overhearing the conversations my mom was having it slowly
began to grow on me and as I grew I began to pick up on things. Learning Spanish was a
transition and it started with me first being able to understand the language before I could speak
it. This is what helped me to learn the language. By being able to hear and recognize the meaning
of words and I was able to progressively I was able to learn how to speak the language.
Being bilingual has helped me in society in many ways one way in particular is at my job.
I worked in a restaurant, Bad Daddys Burger Bar, and I was able to utilize my Spanish speaking
skills here more than once. Working as a hostess I was in charge of answering phone calls. On
one occasion the telephone rang and it was right before our typical dinner rush. I answered with
my usual spiel, Thank you for calling Bad Daddys Burger Bar Ballantyne this is Ainsley
speaking, how may I help you?, when I noticed that the caller was having difficulty explaining
to me what they were calling for. I went on a whim and assumed it was a Spanish speaker and
converted the conversation to Spanish. When they realized that I was speaking their native
tongue they were able to quickly explain to me their request. They had a party of four coming in
and wanted reservations. As I took down the reservation I hang up the phone and carried on with
the night. When the time came those customers came into the restaurant and I seated them. After
their waiter introduced himself to the table he took note that though they were nodding their
heads at him they were not understanding completely what he was saying. I had noticed the
struggle but did not think I could be of any help to the situation so I carried on about my
business. It was not until it was a big commotion that the customers were having a hard time
reading the menu and relaying their order to the server that I thought I should help. I think that
my lack of assisting came from the fact that I was not truly sure if I would be able to help. I

doubted my skills as a Spanish speaker because I do not typically speak Spanish in public. But I
knew that if I stepped in I would not only be helping out the server my fellow co-worker but also
the customer and thats what working in the service industry is all about. Therefore; I took action
and I used my skills. The shock on the face of the server as I began to speak in another language
made me feel proud. Proud that I was able to put my skills to good use and help out a customer
in a way I had not before. Not only was the one server surprised by me being able to speak
another language but all of the staff that night were taken by surprise to find out I could speak
Spanish. I did not put it on my resume when I applied for the job because I did not see the need
in putting it on my resume when I knew I would get the job without having put that I was
bilingual on it. I know for the future that no matter what level of entry the job I am applying for
it I should list all my skills and represent myself for who I am.
Another factor that contributes to my literacy is being from the South. Being raised in the
South has given me a certain dialect in my speaking. Using words that may be considered slang
or not technically real words which in todays society any word can become a word when
added to urban dictionary; however, the terms and words I tend to use are not traditional. A
typical conversation between my friends and I may go, Hey yall what are we gettin to eat
tonight?, and typically one will respond, Im craving Amelies lets totes go there!, our use of
slang is exemplified because we speak with both Southern terms and abbreviations.
Coming into a writing course at the University level has me curious to think how
everything that I have learned about literacy over the past 13+ years in school will allow me to
excel and continue to learn. What is great about learning is that your mind can constantly be
nourished with new and improved information and it is pretty amazing how even after 13+ years
of learning and discussing literacy we still find ourselves questioning what it is, what is most

amazing is unlike mathematics there is no absolute answer. Your opinion of literacy and my
opinion of literacy could be completely different but more than likely there is a common medium
in which we agree because that is how we have been taught; curriculum has given us that basis of
learning; however, the basis of literacy is not so basic. I learned that my skill of being bilingual is
highly appreciated and I should take advantage of it. This personal experience I had at work will
allow me to seek out opportunities where I can use my ability to speak two languages to my
advantage and to the advantage of others. Language and dialect are two literacies I find have a
huge role in my life; the roots of ones heritage and the way someone speaks all are elements of
literacy.