The story helps readers understand one of Tan's points: her mother's English does have intent, passion, imagery, and rhythm, and it shows the complexity of her thoughts. "9 [5 And I believe that it affected my results on achievement tests, I.Q. And then I said in perfect English, "Yes, I'm getting rather concerned. from Oxford University Ph.D. from St. Andrews University, Amy Tan, like many children of immigrants, has more than one identity, and these identities are primarily defined by language. How does Tan avoid stereotyping Asian Americans in general and Chinese in particular in this essay? Her mother gave her praise that meant a great deal to Tan: I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: 'So easy to read.'. 2)? c. rout Life Span 4 . When they called her daughter, who had perfect English, they suddenly found her scan. Sociologists and linguists probably will tell you that a person's developing language skills are more influenced by peers. Tan wrote Mother Tongue in 1990, a year after her novel The Joy Luck Club was a runaway success. 3. Students' essays will probably address slang and jargon that they use, standard English that they use for most of their school experiences, and possibly formal English that they may use with relatives or in work situations. 62-67. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Where "mother tongue" usually refers euphemistically to someone's first language, here it refers. Tan acknowledges that, whilst she did well in maths and science, subjects with a single correct answer, she was less adept at English. << Tan uses it with this definition, but also utilizes it to refer to the language her mom spoke (Chinese). Be sure to consider the anecdotes regarding Tan giving a speech, the stockbroker, the CAT scan, and Tan's experience with the SATs. Remember this quote as you read through and relate the rest of the content to this idea. Tan talks about a few different types of English and in what situations she uses them, but each English form symbolizes something different to her. She reads the Forbes report, listens to Wall Street Week, converses daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley MacLaine's books with ease--all kinds of things I can't begin to understand. Language is a powerful tool, and our ability to use and understand it as humans is one of the main aspects that separate us from other species on Earth. b. Who is the intended audience for "Mother Tongue"? How does this story help you better understand the point Tan is making in her essay? Discuss how this is present in her writing of "Mother Tongue. Illustrate your observations with examples from Tan's essay, your own experience, or others you know. She majored in English at college and began writing as a freelancer. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Tan doesn't concern herself with the fundamentals of language, she explains that her job isn't to learn and explore language, but to apply it. In Amy Tan's essay "Mother Tongue", Tan reveals how she was sculpted into the successful writer she is from the struggles of language speaking her mother had to face. As a writer, she used the rigid, grammatical acrolect she had learned at school; as a daughter, she used the more forceful, vivid English spoken by her mother, for which she cannot even find a name, since she dislikes calling it "broken.". "And the correct answer always seemed to be the most bland combinations of thoughts, for example, "Even though Tom was shy, Mary thought he was charming:' with the grammatical structure "even though" limiting the correct answer to some sort of semantic opposites, so you wouldn't get answers like, "Even though Tom was foolish, Mary thought he was ridiculous:' Well, according to my mother, there were very few limitations as to what Tom could have been and what Mary might have thought of him. Amy Tan - Mother Tongue | Genius That was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world. Some visitors on a search for new healing substances (looks, look) at medicinal plants. 6 0 obj In both cases, the perception based on her mother's "limited" English gave people the idea that Amy's mother wasn't very bright, or worse, was not worth their time. Chapter 8 and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level C, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith. Multiple-choice 30 seconds 1 pt Who's the author of the story? 11th Review / Critical Thinking Questions. Why does she divide the essay into three parts? In directly quoting her mother, Tan is able to demonstrate her mother's speech patterns in text form. Tan was born in Oakland, California, two and a half years after her parents fled China's Communist revolution and settled in the United States. What strategies does she use to make this How did Tans teachers identify her when she was in high school? Consider the story "Mother Tongue." /Type /ExtGState But because she is rebellious and likes to challenge peoples assumptions about her, Tan bucked this trend. Chinese age I was nineteen. This was understandable. nNSm`NO8 SL6x 9 tG%rzo=>ca3`!VW19>:HmoM!>? _E nYKyrO [%eLm ii+;t9xt;md/C?dSh[`N:)$9HAJI%i2. Be sure to focus on specific language, punctuation, and imagery used to create the overall tone. She goes from being ashamed of her mothers speakingfeeling that other people will judge her familyto being proud of the rich culture behind her mothers English. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Tan wrote 'Mother Tongue' in 1990, a year after her novel The Joy Luck Club was a runaway success. endobj Here, Tan alludes to the concept of the "mother tongue": a child's earliest language, often used with a primary caregiver, who in many instances is the mother. Indeed, Tan conjectures that many Asian American children are probably encouraged to pursue careers in jobs requiring maths and science rather than English for this reason. What Is the Main Idea of Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue?" - Reference.com Write the correct word in the space next to given definition. Math is precise; there is only one correct answer. Tan is making the argument in "Mother Tongue" that she became a better writer when she began to use both the types of English she spoke to write books her mother could understand. Cite the text as needed to clarify and support your response. Later, the gangster became more powerful, far richer than my mother's family, and one day showed up at my mother's wedding to pay his respects. A Summary and Analysis of Amy Tan's 'Mother Tongue' Tan seems to love and respect her mother despite her language boundaries. When Tan was growing up, how did her mother's use of English affect Tan's perception of her? 6. Just because there are several tones throughout Mother Tongue doesnt mean that there isnt one overarching tone. M.A. The story helps the reader understand Tan's later comments about what to call her mother's English-words like limited or broken affect people's perceptions of her mother and her mother's abilities. Works have been adapted for film, opera, and TV mother tongue first language Whom does the author focus on in this narrative? Include details from the text. I knew what the tests were asking, but I could not block out of my mind the images already created by the first pair, "sunset is to nightfall"--and I would see a burst of colors against a darkening sky, the moon rising, the lowering of a curtain of stars.And all the other pairs of words --red, bus, stoplight, boring--just threw up a mass of confusing images, making it impossible for me to sort out something as logical as saying: "A sunset precedes nightfall" is the same as "a chill precedes a fever." Mother Tongue is a story that describes how Amy Tan's mother was treated unfairly because of her "broken English". She said they would not give her any more information until the next time and she would have to make another appointment for that. Analysis of "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan: DRAFT - GraduateWay When writing about becoming an English major in college, Tan said that she had always been rebellious. In "Mother Tongue," do you think that Tan and her mother have a close relationship? Tan highlights this dichotomy when she writes about giving her speech, saying the proper English words that she was using felt strange to say when her mother was in the room. Use Tan's ideas about different kinds of English from "Mother Tongue" as a basis to consider the kinds of English you encounter every day. Amy Tan "Mother Tongue" Flashcards | Quizlet The nature of the talk was about my writing, my life, and my book, The Joy Luck Club. -understand how her mom talked and how it was hard for others to understand her Take Tan's mother's experience with the doctors as an example. Does it drag on too much? Tan uses an example of her mother going to New York to yell at her stockbroker, after not receiving her check from cashing out her portfolio, to show us that even though her language skills were sub par, she could still very effectively communicate her feelings and ideas. State your opinion in an essay, and support it with evidence from at least two of the essays. You may also wish to discuss some of the emotions that a king in battle might be feeling. Mean gives lots of respect. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz What is the "associative situation" (para. Describe how others (those who do not know her intimately) see Tan's mother versus how Tan describes her in "Mother Tongue." Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays. Mother Tongue | Reading Quiz - Quizizz Though Mother Tongue is a very short narrative, its rich in content. Her mom, who speaks "limited" English, needs Tan to be her "translator" in order to communicate with the native English speakers. What is the context of Mother Tongue? /SM 0.02 Mother Tongue is an essay by Amy Tan, an American author who was born to Chinese immigrants in 1952. We used a similar routine just five days ago, for a situation that was far less humorous. In Tan's experience with the SATs, it was suggested that Tan's strengths lie within mathematics and science because of her higher scores on those exams; it didn't account for her struggle with understanding the format of the test questions. Tan says that her identity as a writer was originally separate from her identity as her mother's daughter. The difference is in the application of the phrase, which is between general and specific. It is not simply, as she first thought, that one type of English is correct and the other incorrect. -she explains that the stories she writes are about mothers But where Tan really gets to something deep, is this idea how we acquire language. So mad he lie to me, losing me money. while growing up, what assumption did Amy Tan make about her mother because of her mother's language skills? Because dogs are legally required to be on a leash, letting your dog run free in the park is a(n) _______. Include details from the text. In "Mother Tongue" why does Tan include her mother's story about the political gangster in Shanghai? Tan says she uses simple English around her mother, and while this isnt the same form that her mother speaks, it symbolizes the bond between her and her family. The author notes that the language her mother speaks is very different than "American English," but that it is deceiving in that her mother understands more than one might think when listening to her speak. Award-winning novelist, short story writer, and essayist. -however, later she decided that she wanted to capture what language ability tests can never reveal "her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts. The different forms of English that mother and daughter speak are also a product of their backgrounds: whilst Tans mother is a Chinese immigrant to America, Tan was born in the United States and has grown up, and been educated, in an English-speaking culture. Like others, I have described it to people as 'broken" or "fractured" English. 16, Tan)". << It's my mother tongue. /Type /XObject How could I go about writing four pages about the essay "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, citing two or more different authors to support my claims? Fill in the blank spot in the following sentence. Log in here. A scholar would push to discover and learn about their particular subject, while the writer is to take their findings and put them into practice. /SMask /None>> In the following sentence, underline each misspelled or misused word and write the correct spelling or word above the incorrect word. If raised in Italy, it is Italian; in France, it is French. Tan grew up in California and in Switzerland and studied English and linguistics at San Jose State University (B.A., 1973; M.A., 1974) and the University of California, Berkeley. As the second generation of Chinese immigrants, Tan faces more problems than her peers do. How does each have its own type of power? How did Tans teachers identify her when she was in high school? Envisioning her mother as the reader allowed Tan to write with more fluidity. In paragraph 6, Tan quotes part of one of her mother's conversations. WhowasJohnWilkesBooth? Mother Tongue Summary - eNotes.com What argument is Tan making here about language and its connection to our identity in "Mother Tongue"? She adores her as any other child would adore their own mom. Amy Tan's essay "Mother Tongue" discusses the way that language changes, and the ways it stays the same, inside contexts of immigration and generational time. Some say they understand none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese. Accessed 2 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Latest answer posted October 28, 2019 at 10:43:03 PM, Latest answer posted November 08, 2020 at 3:49:32 AM. I believe that there is a play on words with the title, "Mother Tongue." 7. "In Amy Tan's short story "Mother Tongue," explain the essence of what "mother tongue" signifies in the story." What does Tan mean by "the power of language" (para. Mother Tongue Essay - 795 Words | Bartleby Already a member? In a short essay "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan reveals her background and describes different kinds of English that she had to speak in her childhood and adolescence. That was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world. tests, and the SAT. Tan notes in paragraph 21 that she thinks of her mother as her audience when she writes stories. In the essay, Tan discusses her relationship with language, and how her mothers influence has shaped her use of English, as well as her attitude to it. Cell Bio Exam 1. What is the difference? Language is thus more than just a cultural marker: Tan reveals, in Mother Tongue, the extent to which it is a tool of power (or, depending on the use, powerlessness), particularly for those from migrant backgrounds. She wouldn't budge. I had to get on the phone and say in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs. The "different Englishes" talked about in the essay range from perfect to broken english. The phrase "mother tongue" refers to the language people learn to speak first. Our experts can deliver a "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan essay tailored to your instructions for only $13.00 $11.05/page 308 qualified specialists online Learn more Main text Because there are quite a few different tones in this short story, they transition from one to the other. And my mother was standing in the back whispering loudly, "Why he don't send me check, already two weeks late. Every piece of literature, whether its an epic novel or a haiku, has some sort of structurewhich is simply the organization of the material. She is just as special a person, despite what language she uses or how she uses it. Amy Tan also believes her mothers English affected her daughters school results. But I wince when I say that. She then contrasts this with a moment when she was walking down the street with her mother and she used the more clipped, informal English she naturally uses with her mother, and her husband. And how they tend to excel in mathematics and science due to language barriers. Answers will vary but should include points similar to the following: a. Tan includes the story to give readers an example of just how her mother's English sounds and how expressive it is. Paraphrasing her mother's words would take away from the audience's understanding of the exact type of language boundaries they were dealing with. Mother Tongue by Amy Tan - Essay Summary, Analysis, Review 742 views May 19, 2022 25 Dislike The CodeX Cantina 17.6K subscribers Welcome to the CodeX Cantina where our mission is to get. So she said she would not leave until the doctor called her daughter. She points out that her mother is intelligent and reads things which Tan herself cannot begin to understand. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Economics Semester 2 SG 40-60. What is the author's purpose, style, and tone in the story? Amy's mother refused to leave the office until someone called her daughter. /Height 155 Tan uses points from her personal life and from her work to show that there is no need to separate one's language and identity. Even though language is not an object you can hold, Amy Tan still uses language to symbolize different, more ambiguous concepts. In grade school I did moderately well, getting perhaps B's, sometimes B-pluses, in English and scoring perhaps in the sixtieth or seventieth percentile onachievement tests. She reads the Forbes report, listens to Wall Street Week, converses daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley MacLaine's books with easeall kinds of things I can't begin to understand. But I wince when I say that. What is the context of Mother Tongue? (para. It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than "broken," as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. 5. I hesitate to use the word plot in the case of Mother Tongue because it doesnt seem to have much of one, at least not in the traditional sense that most fiction stories do. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. "Mother Tongue" // Amy Tan Flashcards | Quizlet Explain the meaning of Tans title and how it relates to her own identity as both a Chinese American, a daughter, and a writer. Mother Tongue. The McGraw Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines. The argument Tan makes is that she has become a better writer by fusing these types of language than she was when she used the acrolect alone. Write a journal entry from the perspective of Richard the Lion-Hearted during the Crusades. At one point, Tan writes about being embarrassed about her mother. Tan speculates that because Asian Americans score so much higher on math achievement tests than on English tests, they are encouraged to pursue math and science in college. "Like others, I have described it to people as "broken" or "fractured" English. Other Quizlet sets. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. It explores these ideas through how Amy and her mother use the English language, and how Amy uses the English language differently around her mother than she does in professionalized contexts. Read the excerpt from Amy Tan's essay "Mother Tongue - Brainly Take a practice test. Explain the meaning of Tans title and how it relates to her own identity as both a Chinese American, a daughter, and a writer. First, she points out that she uses the same language with her mother and her husband. In fact, Tan uses the same tone in the beginning and end of her storythe reader starts at a homebase, sees the journey Tan is leading them on, and returns right back to where they started but with more insight than before. taylor_garrett36. Here is the text: http://www.umsl.edu/~alexanderjm/Mother%20Tongue%20by%20Tan.pdfSupport me by buying mugs, t-shirts, notebooks and more! 3 0 obj In "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan explains that she uses multiple "Englishes" in her daily life. When describing the wording for people who cannot speak English fluently, she makes sure the audience knows of her feelings toward the most common terms. ". Yet some of my friends tell me they understand 50 percent of what my mother says. Whereas, for me at least, the answers on English tests were always a judgment call, a matter of opinion and personal experience, (para. Her first novel, The Joy Luck Club, is a collection of related stories told by four mothers and four daughters and was later turned into a film. They resemble chapters in a book as they each have a different focus, while still relating all to each other and being interconnected. In this respect, if the parable Feathers from a Thousand Li Away acts as preface to the novel, Mother Tongue, in effect, acts as a kind of postscript. check out these example essays on Mother Tongue.. C q" But it does have a loose progression. She struggled with tests which asked students to pick a correct word to fill in the blanks in a sentence because she was distracted by the imaginative and poetic possibilities of other words.
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