power of language
08/10/13 The power of language Have you ever been in a foreign country, where you didn’t speak the native language? How were you treated? How did you communicate? What if this foreign country was right here in the United
States?
At what point do we as a country, America, accept all the languages spoken here as equally important? Then of course there is the discussion about the quality of English that is spoken. Do you ever find yourself speaking different English in different parts of the country? What about in the office at work, as opposed to at home with family and friends. How about when you visit Texas? Do you speak with a southern accent, and when you go to the East Coast do you use the local accents, “Palk da car in havad yad!” If so, why would you not speak proper English all the time, or everywhere? When reading,” Mother Tongue,” written by Amy Tan, I discovered how Amy’s mother’s broken English, created a duality of different styles of English. Amy would use different speech in her profession then she would with her family and loved ones. Whereas when I read,” Mute in an English-Only World” by Chang-Rae Lee. He would make fun, or mimic his father’s friends, his father, and his mother’s basic English. The reason this information is so important is, consciously, the power of language can heal human beings. Identifying the experiences of Amy Tan and Chang-Rae Lee gives us an insight to just that. As children growing up in America being Chinese (Amy Tan) and Korean (Chang-Rae Lee), their mothers both had trouble speaking English. Amy’s mother’s English was referred to as broken. Whereas, Chang-Rae’s mother’s English was basic. They both were put in the position of having to translate for their
States?
At what point do we as a country, America, accept all the languages spoken here as equally important? Then of course there is the discussion about the quality of English that is spoken. Do you ever find yourself speaking different English in different parts of the country? What about in the office at work, as opposed to at home with family and friends. How about when you visit Texas? Do you speak with a southern accent, and when you go to the East Coast do you use the local accents, “Palk da car in havad yad!” If so, why would you not speak proper English all the time, or everywhere? When reading,” Mother Tongue,” written by Amy Tan, I discovered how Amy’s mother’s broken English, created a duality of different styles of English. Amy would use different speech in her profession then she would with her family and loved ones. Whereas when I read,” Mute in an English-Only World” by Chang-Rae Lee. He would make fun, or mimic his father’s friends, his father, and his mother’s basic English. The reason this information is so important is, consciously, the power of language can heal human beings. Identifying the experiences of Amy Tan and Chang-Rae Lee gives us an insight to just that. As children growing up in America being Chinese (Amy Tan) and Korean (Chang-Rae Lee), their mothers both had trouble speaking English. Amy’s mother’s English was referred to as broken. Whereas, Chang-Rae’s mother’s English was basic. They both were put in the position of having to translate for their