Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” video
The mother tongue amy tan explained
The mother tongue amy tan explained
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” video
Adapting to a new setting, where a different language is more commonly used, can cause an altercation in a foreigner's identity. Immigrants' identities may be influenced by the language of those who are unacquainted with foreign names. Not only does language affect the foreigner, but language can influence change in a person adjusting to the new culture brought on by a foreigner. The newcomer might be teased due to the change in the individual’s identity, which may result in the immigrant altering their individuality to belong. Some believe language does not express one's true self and feelings and, therefore, does not alter that person's identity. Others think America needs to have English as a national language because the United States …show more content…
Immigrants, of course, can use their language in America, as Charles explains, "[an immigrant] may speak [their language] in the street and proudly teach it to his children." Foreign language can still be expressed in one's life even though there is a more common language. However, Krauthammer goes on to say, "[An immigrant] knows that his future and certainly [his children's] lie inevitably in learning English as the gateway to American life." In order to belong in a new land and successfully communicate, an important step to take would be adapting to the common language. Thus, acclimating to English, the common language, changes one's identity to be more American though some have opposing beliefs.
Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" presents the idea that language does not express one's personality, which is essential to their identity. Tan writes, "[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." Amy wanted to display the nature of one's self through understandable language and inspire others to do the same through her writings. Yet, writings are formed by one's language and thoughts. Therefore, language can exhibit one's thoughts and identity, which can be inspired by
Even though opposition party of English-only movement assert that it has close connections to restrictionist, anti-immigration organizations, which suggests that the English-only movement has a wider, more far-reaching, and more negative agenda than simply advocating an official English language policy, English should be the official language of United States, because in 1990 US census reported that 97.1 % of the US population speak English. In addition, English will allow people to communicate with each other, discuss their points of view, and encourage trust, while reducing racial hostility and discrimination. Another example is that 87% of American voters want English to become the official language, because it keeps everyone learning the same language. People can still learn other languages if they want, and it will also encourage immigrants to develop the English ability necessary in this country for economic and democratic
In this country, we live in a mix culture and a mix race. When we walk out in the street, the first thing we notice is people from different ethnicities. The United States has always been the country where we come to make our dreams come true. Yet we never forget the country we came from. The languages is one thing we do not forget about our country but we should also know the English language. In this country it is essential for a person to know 2 or more languages. Regardless of how many languages we know, we all have a language we prefer over the other.
In her narrative Mother Tongue, Amy Tan speaks of how the English language has shaped her life, drawing from personal experiences in her early life, to her daily use of English in the present. Tan begins her narrative by identifying her own “mother tongue”, which is simply the broken English her mother uses and has been accustomed to. Tan says that due to her mother’s broken English some are unable to understand her, thereby limiting Tan’s mother to function properly in our English speaking society. Tan shows the reader how her feelings toward her mother tongue have changed throughout her life drawing out a personal experience from her adolescence.
In the work of Amy Tan’s “Mother’s Tongue” she provides a look into how she adapted her language to assimilate into American culture. She made changes to her language because her mother heavily relied on her for translation. She was the voice of her mother, relaying information in standard English to those who were unable to understand her mother’s broken english. She tells about her mother’s broken english and its impact on her communication to those outside their culture. Her mothers broken english limited others’ perception of her intelligence, and even her own perception of her mother was scewed: Tan said, “I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mothers ‘limited’ English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say.” (419) The use of standard english was a critical component to Tan’s assimilation into American culture. Standard English was an element she acquired to help her mother but more importantly is was an element that helped in her gain success as a writer. Tan changed her ‘Englishes’ (family talk) to include standard English that she had learnt in school and through books, the forms of English that she did not use at home with her mother. (417-418) Tan realized the ch...
From the time the Pilgrims landed in this great nation at Plymouth Rock, immigrants have been culturally diverse and have spoken many languages. When the Pilgrims arrived in the New World, they did not know how to communicate with the natives. Through intense study the natives learned the Pilgrims’ language. Even with the common language they were still a melting pot of different culture. Some would say that America has gotten over the language/ cultural barriers and now almost everyone speaks the common language of English, but there are still many immigrants who do not know English. Bilingual education is put into public schools for this reason, so that immigrant children can be assimilated to English gradually. The national language should be English instead of the official language because America has prided herself in being very diverse. If we take away the diversity, then we take away the core values that America has always had since her founding.
Language is part of the few benefits that immigrants bring with their culture. United States benefits from cultures of the many immigrants that migrate to the U.S. the variation of different languages brings great benefit to the U.
Despite growing up amidst a language deemed as “broken” and “fractured”, Amy Tan’s love for language allowed her to embrace the variations of English that surrounded her. In her short essay “Mother Tongue”, Tan discusses the internal conflict she had with the English learned from her mother to that of the English in her education. Sharing her experiences as an adolescent posing to be her mother for respect, Tan develops a frustration at the difficulty of not being taken seriously due to one’s inability to speak the way society expects. Disallowing others to prove their misconceptions of her, Tan exerted herself in excelling at English throughout school. She felt a need to rebel against the proverbial view that writing is not a strong suit of someone who grew up learning English in an immigrant family. Attempting to prove her mastery of the English language, Tan discovered her writing did not show who she truly was. She was an Asian-American, not just Asian, not just American, but that she belonged in both demographics. Disregarding the idea that her mother’s English could be something of a social deficit, a learning limitation, Tan expanded and cultivated her writing style to incorporate both the language she learned in school, as well as the variation of it spoken by her mother. Tan learned that in order to satisfy herself, she needed to acknowledge both of her “Englishes” (Tan 128).
If you are not fluent in a language, you probably don 't give much thought to your ability to make your personality attractive, to be in touch with the people and be understood in your world, that doesn’t mean you are an underestimated person. Every person has something special to make them more unique, remarkable, and gorgeous between people. The opinions could lead towards success, or those opinions could be one that is losing, and have a negative impact on how people connect with you. In Amy Tan 's “Mother Tongue” she made this book for several reasons. She had started her life by learning language, and she always loved to spend her time to learn language, but this story focuses about Amy Tan 's mother with her terrible English,
Amy Tan is the author of the essay Mother Tongue. In this essay, she explains how the power of language has influenced her life through her mother and the experiences they have had together concerning her mother's English-speaking ability, or lack there of. She was born into a Chinese family where both Chinese and English were spoken. She is sensitive to and accepting of people's lingual differences. She talks about how the inability to speak English well in America gives others the wrong impression: "...everything is limited, including people's perceptions of the limited English speaker" (Tan 13). She is saying here that prolific English speakers place limitations on people who have limited English-speak...
1. The U.S. should adopt English as its official language and the reason is quite simple. Although many immigrants move into this country with minimal knowledge of English, they assimilate into the culture and try their best at speaking the English language. For example, immigrants coming to America will usually marry broads that are from the U.S. to get a better perspective on what the English language really is. “English-language skills are correlated with many other variables that also affect these outcomes, such as ability and cultural attitudes.
but it is in the benefit of our country. If you do not speak english, you are limited socially and
Transitioning from one language to another can be very ecstatic, to some and to others it can be very inconsequential. “Seventy-four percent of Hispanics interviewed in English said they know a second language” (J.M Jones 2013). I work at a job where 95% of the customers speak another language from english and it becomes very difficult for us to communicate at times. Immigrants came to a country where the primary language is English as making this transition they should take into consideration that their language may not be the primary language. I was an immigrant as well not being born in America, coming from Germany when I was quite young, I have an understanding on how difficult it may be to learn a language you’re not familiar with, but it has opened so many opportunities for me that wouldn’t have been available to me if it wasn’t for me learning the country's primary language. Immigrants should be required by law to learn the basics of English.
English should be the official language of the United States to give the citizens what they want. Some citizens of the United States are completely oblivious to the lack of an official language. If the United States is “run by the people” then should not the voice of Americans not only be heard but also acted upon? According to the U.S. census of 2012, 87% of Americans believe that English should be the official language of their proud country(Pro English). Even the states that make up the U.S.A. agree that English should become national. These states began a movement by making their official state language English. In the United States, there are currently 31 states possessing the official language of English(Krauthammer pg.145). Interesting enough, the majority of people who argue against English becoming official believe it would offend the American people.
By making the national language English, it is totally disregarding this idea. “America has long been called a “Melting Pot,” a place where people come together to become one, while blending their cultures with others. Some even use the term “mosaic,” highlighting how each tile, or culture, is distinct but helps to make up the bigger picture.” Most everyone descend from immigrants in one way or another, and immigrants usually came to this country unable to speak English. Not all our ancestors were fluent, or could even speak, English.
Although some people believe the entire world should speak English, the reality is that all Americans should have some degree of formal education in a foreign language. Foreign language skills could have a positive impact on race relations in America. The number of minorities in America is rapidly increasing. In fact, "minority" groups will soon form a collective "majority" of the citizens of America. Considering the fact that many minority groups speak English as a second language and America has no official language, compulsory foreign language classes are viable options.