In the article "Mother Tongue" (1990) by Amy Tan she explains that language should not hinder people but instead be used as a tool or motivation for one's progress. Tan further supports this idea by telling us of the times she has noticed her own broken English. The author was showing how different kinds of English can be used in order to progress. The audience receives this message, especially through her third person view.
I really enjoyed this reading, I could relate to a lot to what the writer was talking about. The author brought up many good points and gave great examples which made me think about my own life and upbringing. My primary language is English but, my family talks a lot of what people may call “slang” even though I never felt embarrassed about the way they talked as Tan was about her mother. I thought at times that the way they expressed themselves was inappropriate in certain settings. I believe there is a time and place for everything and that people need to be conscious of their audience to communicate effectively. Also, people talk differently around different people which is often determined by the relationship you have with that individual. The more intimate the relationship the more relaxed and unfiltered the dialogue will be. I know me personally, I talk to my family a lot different from the way I may talk to a co-worker or a teacher or even a stranger. That’s why it is important to know your audience. So you can communicate effectively in different situations. Thinking about my families speech at times makes me more aware of who my audience is, and helps me to speak appropriate no matter what the setting may be.
The article "Mother Tongue", by Amy Tan emphasizes the idea that we sometimes speak unconsciously and that we are categorized by the way we speak. She does this by giving us a glimpse of her experience growing up in a home where English was not the first language; where her mother spoke in what she called "broken English", or "limited English". Through the text we learn that in a way she was ashamed that her mother spoke in such a way. She was ashamed because people in department stores, banks, and restaurants did not take her mother serious, did not give her mother good service, pretended not to understand her mother, or they might even pretend they didn't hear her mother. Another example, would be when she was fifteen her mother realized the limitations of her English, in which her mother would make her pretend it was her on the phone to get information, or even complain and yell at people who had been rude to her. Also, she give us another example of a situation where her mother goes to the hospital about her CAT scan results, but the doctors were being foolish and not wanting to help her due to her limited English, until she offer the idea of them speaking to her daughter in which they quickly give her information and apologize for their inconvenience. Tan then proceeds to say, "I think my mother's English almost had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life", " but I do think the language spoken in my family, especially immigrant families which is more insular, plays a large role in shaping the language of the child." However, in her conclusion she overcomes this thought because she ends with" Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me", which lead her to change her major to English, and her becoming a writer.
Works Cited
Tan,Amy. "Mother Tongue." Connections: Guide to First Year Writing @ Clayton State University. Ed. Mary Lamb. 6th Edition. South Lake: 2016. 203-213 print
No comments:
Post a Comment