Anazaldua uses untranslated Spanish throughout the essay. Why might she have chosen to do this? Is
the choice effective? What risks does she run?
On page 39, Anzaldua talks about the ability to “switch codes.” What does she mean by that phrase?
Can you think of times in your life when you “switch codes”?
Anzaldua talks a lot about borders in this essay, especially in reference to the Chicano language and
culture. Why does she call Chicano a “border language”? What is significant about this idea of borders?
Anazaldua claims her language as part of her identity. To what degree do you agree or disagree with
Anzaldua about this? How do we (or should we) negotiate language’s role in identity and language’s role
in communication?
How would you describe the tone of this essay? How is the tone established? Is it effective in achieving
the author’s purpose? Why or why not?
On page 36, Anzaldua lists all the languages that she says she speaks. Do you agree that these are all
distinct languages? Why or why not? How you define a language?
What is the significance of this essay specifically to our discussion of education and learning? What
might Anzaldua say should be true of the relationship between language and education?