Ashley's Adventures in Applied Linguistics

What Do You Bring to the Table? or, A Cheesy Extended Metaphor (that, while cheesy, is still helping me to envision and articulate my goals) “What do you bring to the table?” is an idiomatic expression in English meaning “What do you provide that will be beneficial to this group?” It is often used in a business setting or an interview scenario to determine a newcomer’s potential role in the office. I don’t know its origins, but I like to think of the expression as coming from a potluck dinner party. What will you bring to the table? I’ll bring plates and napkins. I’ll bring a side dish. I’ll bring dessert. Maybe some people also show up with flowers or a bottle of wine. Ideally, every guest brings something that contributes to the overall enjoyment of the meal. This week, as my classmates and I have discussed the definition of applied linguistics and the concept of “funds of knowledge”, the phrase “bring to the table” keeps entering my head, and I’ve been exploring the ex...

When someone smiles at us, we generally smile back. When someone is hostile towards us, we tend to react with hostility. But what if we flip the script? Do the unexpected? Treat hostility with kindness? Assume the best in everyone?  Yesterday I listened to an Invisibilia podcast from last July – “Flip the Script” . I highly recommend giving the entire podcast a listen, but at the very least, read this transcript of the introductory segment (from http://www.npr.org/2016/07/15/485904654/read-the-transcript): ALIX SPIEGEL, HOST: This story starts in Washington, D.C., on a warm summer night. There were eight friends gathered around a backyard dinner table. They were toasting family and friendship. And everybody was having a good time. MICHAEL RABDOU: Kind of one of those great evenings - lots of awesome food and French wine. And it was like a magical night. SPIEGEL: That's Michael Rabdau. He was there with his wife and his 14-year-old daughter Khyber. And he says it...

My 2017 mantra for myself: There's always room for growth. Hi. My name is Ashley. I am a recovering perfectionist. I recently discovered the wisdom of Carol Dweck, a psychologist who has been researching  "growth mindset"  for over 30 years. Some of the big takeaways from her research: Students with a fixed mindset often perceive difficulties as catastrophic. They run from errors. Students with a growth mindset often perceive difficulties as a learning opportunity. They bounce back after setbacks. Telling children they are "smart" encourages a fixed mindset. Praising children for their effort and perseverance encourages a growth mindset. I have had a perfectionistic, fixed mindset for most of my life. I am working on changing that to a growth mindset. I went for a hike today in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Hiking is my me time, my meditation, my church. Last summer I got lost while hiking on an unmarked trail, and my 2-hour hike turned i...