Stories of Your Life and Others

Lived experience and the language we use to understand and explore it are inextricably linked. Many of Ted Chiang’s short stories in Stories of Your Life and Others grapple with this connection. What is the overall role of language in Chiang’s collection? Consider these points as you reflect on the text:

• How do our understandings of ourselves and the world change as language changes?
• What happens when language falls short of adequately articulating one’s experience?
• How can words be used to build and create but also to destroy?

Teaching Suggestion: Consider providing students with a list of story titles that most directly relate to the discussion question to help start the conversation. As the discussion builds, you may help direct students to other areas of the collection that have more nuanced connections to the prompt.

Differentiation Suggestion: For visual learners and students who may need support with organization, consider providing a graphic organizer with space to record thoughts, ideas, and questions prior to, during, and after the discussion. This will allow students to detect any changes in their thought patterns as they listen to and engage with other students’ perspectives.