In the story “Mother Tongue” Amy Tan tells the story of her mother and how her use of English within the family affected her early in life. She describes how that limited use of English had the potential to affect Tan’s choice of careers and her influence on literature. She begins by describing how she assumed the role of translator for her Asian born mother‚ who spoke with “broken English.” She describes situations where she assumed the role of translator for her mother. She was thrown into adult
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inspiring‚ and artfully crafted story of four mother-daughter relationships that endure not only a generation gap‚ but the more unbridgeable gap between Chinese and American cultures. Amy Tan represented herself as Jing-Mei Woo in the novel. Her parents are both Chinese immigrants who raised her as a American. In her early teens‚ she learned that her mother had been married before in China. Just like Suyuan‚ Amy’s mother fled China‚ leaving behind her daughters. Amy and her mother argued about her
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Amy Tan’s excerpt Mother Tongue focuses on her use of different Englishes when she was surrounded by different people. When surrounded by strangers‚ Tan spoke fluently in grammatically sophisticated English. However‚ Tan referred to the English she used with her mother as being a broken down‚ limited version of the English language. Despite this description‚ Tan didn’t entirely agree with what these chosen adjectives suggested about her mother’s English & intelligence. Tan’s description of the different
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An Argument for Using Native Language in the Classroom In the essay “Mother Tongue‚” Amy Tan describes the limited English skills of her mother‚ a Chinese immigrant‚ noting that “my mother had long realized the limitations of her English” **Tan citation here**. Tan goes on to describe how her mother had to compensate for these limitations throughout her life. This is the experience of many immigrants to the United States‚ who struggle to learn a new language while adapting to life in a new country
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Based on Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” it is evident that language has an affect on our lives. Language defines the type of person I am generally and it has had an affect on my choices as well as my lifestyle. Depending on my friends‚ family‚ and others I talk to my choice on language tends to vary. My decisions in life‚ sometimes‚ are influenced by the language I use and my surroundings. Language has become my way of seeing life in a different perspective. In Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” she discusses
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In the article‚ "Mother Tongue" by author Amy Tan‚ she uses its context to persuade readers not "Judge someone’s intelligence by their English" (Tan‚ 20) but instead treat others the way you would want to be treated‚ therefore acceptance is essential because it helps us respect other people who are different than we are‚ to avoid misconceptions about another person‚ and to accept others for who they are regardless different ethnical backgrounds. Acceptance is important‚ because it helps us to respect
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Amy Tan’s "Two Kinds" and "Best Quality" depict a struggling and often stressful relationship between a defiant daughter and an overbearing mother. June Mei and her mother Suyuan engage in a destructive battle between what is possible and what is realistic. June‚ although headstrong‚ seeks her mother’s approval and adoration. Suyuan‚ although patronizing‚ yearns for her daughter’s obedience and best qualities. The relationship between mother and daughter falls victim to tension inherent in any mother/daughter
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Jing Mei’s Journey Amy Tan’s "A Pair Of Tickets" is about Jing Mei‚ a daughter of a Chinese immigrant who is on a journey to find her identity and to understand her mother. This journey is about her relationship with her mother‚ and also a journey of self-awareness‚ uncovering the truth of where she comes from when she visits Shanghai‚ China. Jing Mei changes as a person throughout the story. Her thoughts as a kid growing up in San Francisco and that of when she is an adult are different‚ especially
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Many people speak different languages‚ but every person speaks their language in two forms. As in the story "Mother tongue" by Amy Tan. The children start to use this strategy to make others feel comfortable‚ and not be judged by others. This language comes naturally to those who use it. There are some appropriate moments to use each English‚ and there are moments that are not so appropriate. For example‚ if you speak to any adult in a not proper way‚ they might think you’re not as educated. Sometimes
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that we are around and others are in the area or even situation that we may be in. we rarely notice when we change from one form to another. In Amy Tan’s article “Mother tongue” she shows how her mother’s unique English led her to go through many trials and obstacles and was overlooked by many. In this essay‚ I will show how some of the issues that Amy Tan talks about in her article can be applied to my everyday life and is still very relevant. Peer pressure is a major factor in communication with
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