For the last two mornings on my drive to work, a faint clinking sound captured my attention as tiny balls of ice briefly and unexpectedly descended from the atmosphere. This unusual occurence compelled me to text my husband and ask, "Is it sleeting in Denton?" He confirmed the sporadic appearance of moisture, and the fleeting spark of curiosity faded quickly.
An hour later, while sitting in a classroom with a large picture window, the slight plinking noise returned and all heads swiveled towards the light. The abrupt disruption caused me pause, and I began to wonder about these minuscule pellets I'd mistakenly referred to as sleet. It turns out there's a very specific word used by meteorologist to describe the phenomenon we were all experiencing—graupel.
Nuanced language fascinates, delights, and gratifies. Granularity of word choice feels freeing and expansive. During the last few months, I've been working my way through Brené Brown new book, Atlas of the Heart. In surveys taken by 7,000 people over five years, Brown and her team found that on average people can identify only three emotions as they are actually feeling them: happiness, sadness and anger. She spends 336 pages unpacking 87 emotions, helping us distinguish the difference between terms like stress, overwhelm, and anxiety. Finding just the right word to explain complex emotions is tricky work, and similar to the differences between graupel and sleet, when we use less explicit language, meaning is inhibited.
Disciplinary literacy demands exacting language. The lingo of doctors and lawyers can feel intimidating and exclusive. Recently, I've been privileged to serve as my big brother's legal secretary during a nasty divorce which includes a custody battle. Every time his attorney emails a new court document, my head spins as I work to digest the unfamiliar content-specific vocabulary. When you unlock words, you gain access to whole new universe. Yet, through this process, I've begun to wonder if the powerful prefer our worlds remain small. If literacy liberates, why aren't all humans provided equitable access to the language of the dominant?
Because oral language is an unconstrained skill, today I choose to increase word consciousness by adding graupel to the ever-expanding bank of words tucked deep in the recesses of my brain. As I reflect on my writing process, I'm not exactly sure how I got from point A to point B in this blog. This leads me to realize not all text structure is predetermined. Sometimes you simply start writing and a structure emerges.
Language is fascinating. I wish we had more of a love of language rather than the rules of language in school. Kids freeze up trying to remember rather than leaning in and embracing the beauty of the shape, sound and meaning. Your post reminded me of this middle grade novel in verse. I think you might like it! Thank you for adding a word to my word bank - can't wait to use it!
ReplyDeleteClare, thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. I appreciated your ideas about prizing love over rules. I must hear more about this middle grade novel in verse.
DeleteI have long felt this way. The more nuanced our vocabulary, the higher our resolution for perceiving the world and processing ideas. I will add graupel to my vocabulary immediately.
ReplyDeleteUgh I love this so much, Tenille. It's a little in the vein of the emotions wheel, but really it speaks to the nuance and specificity we are actually PRIVILEGED in English to have! In Farsi, words are so much more polar and binary. I might write about this soon - or in my book- but you really got me thinking. And I know I said this before, but I really love the lenses for literacy you're using repeatedly throughout this learning and writing. I adore your dedication to ongoing growth (as a person and practitioner). I have so much faith in people who look at themselves and learn. XOXOXO
ReplyDelete