For numerous amounts of people, with English being their second language, they have been described as having "Broken English". "Broken English" refers to a poorly spoken or ill-written version of the English language. One article called "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan discusses the effects of growing up with a Chinese mother who has "Broken English". In fact, Tan deliberates about the limitations and criticism of growing up with her mother. Although Tan speaks articulate English, she still can comprehend with her mother 's "Broken English". In this article, Tan 's argue that her mother 's "Broken English" has caused unfairness, disinterest, and limitations throughout their life.
Amy Tan’s purpose in her article “Mother Tongue” is to show the influence of her mother’s style of english. She also relates this to a more broad topic of the idea that there are many different types of english that people speak that are tailored to whoever they are speaking to. She begins this piece by stating plainly that she is not an english scholar. Instead of decreasing her credibility it actually increases it and paints this piece as a more personal set of observations rather than a bland overview of the entire language. By making it more personal it allows the reader to connect to the author because she seem like a normal person you might run into on the street rather than an isolated scholar. She also mentions that she is a writer and an english major which gives her credibility by implying that she has
Language is a part one’s identity and culture, which allows one to communicate with those of the same group, although when spoken to someone of another group, it can cause a language barrier or miscommunication in many different ways. In Gloria Anzaldua’s article, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, which was taken from her book Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza, she is trying to inform her readers that her language is what defines her. She began to mention how she was being criticized by both English and Spanish Speakers, although they both make up who she is as a person. Then, she gave convincing personal experiences about how it was to be a Chicana and their different types of languages. Moreover, despite the fact that her language was considered illegitimate, Anzaldua made it clear that she cannot get rid of it until the day she dies, or as she states (on page 26) “Wild tongues can’t be, they can only be cut out.” At the same time her attitude towards the English speakers is distasteful.
The article 'Mother Tongue ' by author Amy Tan is about the variations in the English language the author uses in her life. She describes her English when giving a speech to a other people, English she uses when speaking to her mother, and English she uses in her writing. She tells of difficulties faced by both her mother and herself from these many differences.
In Amy Tan‘s essay “Mother Tongue” (1999), she describes her life with her mother in America and how the broken speech of her mother has had an influence on her life. Amy Tan talks about the different “Englishes" she speaks to communicate with different people. Also, she tells us about her love for English and how she becomes a famous writer in America. In her essay she tries to shows us that language, culture, and education shapes us into who we are and the more you study English the more you learn and English will change your life a lot. In fact, many people against Tan’s point of view that English is very useful and important. However, others, including me agree with Tan’s idea. Indeed, there are many reasons that agree with the author’s
The article “From outside, in,” by Barbara Mellix reveals the difficulties among the black ethnicity to differentiate between two diverse but similar languages. One is “black English”, which is comfortable to her while speaking with her family and community and the other is “standard English”, generally used while talking in public with strangers and work.
After reading Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, my perspective changed about the struggles for people who are not as good at English. All throughout this article Tan uses personal experience from her mom to show the readers the struggle while also using primary sources to back up her claim. All the evidence backs up her initial claim and as the reader your perspective changes after reading about how she personally was effected. The author 's main claim of Mother Tongue is to persuade people so respect people who struggle with English because she has serval personal connections, she has fact based proof, and she is an experienced writer on this topic and in general.
The tongue for every language is that inside the mouth, speaking words, meanings, and sentences. Both articles, being, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” and “The Mother Tongue”, touch on this subject. We see how these articles describe how language varies around the world yet both articles are different in describing this; both taking a deeper approach. Language has become a powerful tool used around the world and peoples interpretation of these various languages can shape that of who we are/how we view the people speaking them, shown throughout both articles. We see a perfect description of language in the first article, being that of, “A language which they can connect their identity to, one capable of communicating the realities and values true
Written by Gloria Anzaldua, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, is an opinion easy , a retrospection of her past and a story about identity and recognition of a wild tongue. The following is a rhetorical analysis and personal response of this easy . My analysis will be divided into 4 separate parts including intended audience, main claim, purpose and situation.
As a country that was built by immigrants from around the world, America is a melting pot of abundant cultures and languages. However, it seems as though “proper English” is the only appropriate dialect considered to be civilized, neglecting the presence of other native tongues. Amy Tan describes life with her Chinese, immigrant mother who tries adapting to life in America. Tan uses the rhetorical methods of ethos, pathos, and logos to convey a different perspective on accepting the various types of English and how her mother should not be isolated from society while coping with learning a new language.
The piece of writing I am using for my rhetorical analysis is Mother Tongue by the famous author Amy Tan. Amy Tan is the author of such books as The Joy Luck Club. Mother Tongue was originally published in 1990 by the Sandra Dijsktra Literary Agency. Then was reprinted in Everything is an Argument with readings, by Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters. The text book was published by Bedford/ St. Martin’s in 2013. Mother Tongue was originally part of a speech that Amy Tan had given while she participated in a panel entitled,”Englishes: Whose English is it anyway?” in 1989. The author describes in detail how she finds herself using various forms of English, depending on who she is around. She also makes the point on how hard life can be for someone who doesn’t speak good English. She goes into her own historical and cultural background to detail how this came about. Including her stories about impersonating her mother for her mother.
As an activist, Chicana, and lesbian, Gloria Anzaldúa bring a interesting point of view to the conversation on Feminism. If not already ready hard to be colored in America, could you imagine having other identities that aren’t accepted? Yes, through In Borderland: La Frontera The New Mestiza, Anzaldúa questioned the idea of borderlands creating obstacles in people’s lives. However, through the idea of the “New Mestiza” one can defy the binary categories that society has placed in us. By emerging beyond limits that society tries to place on you, one will be able to be the voices of people that have no voice. Not in the way for speaking for them, but in the way of understanding and bringing their
“Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan is the short story about the importance of language and how it is a key for communication. Tan emigrated from China to Oakland, California and she was a first generation of Asian-American. The author is very fascinated by the language and she believes that the language has the power of emotions, a visual image, a complex idea, and a simple truth. She also believes that there are many different types of “Englishes”.
Some information about the author: She was born in China and studied in a local Chinese school for a few years before switching to an International school. It provided her the chance to experience first hand the real meaning behind "broken English", and understand how non-standard varieties of English have their own rules and shape a community 's sense of identity. In this article, she shares her views on Amy Tan 's "Mother Tongue" and talks about the power of language.
Language can be defined as the recipe for human communication through verbal, and nonverbal techniques. Our use of language emerges from interactions between one another, giving uniqueness to the multitude of cultures that exist. Generations are detached from each other as the result of not only cultural differences, but through dialects, idioms, and slang. Simultaneously, language can be simple and complex, giving us a vast understanding of what separates us as cultures and individuals. The language we use creates a barrier between separate cultures and exposes our personal identity as demonstrated through Mother Tongue, Slang in America and The F Word.