Mother Tongue Diction

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Recommended: Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” video

In Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” descriptive diction emphasizes her story of growing up as a Chinese- American showing that people shouldn’t be judged by their use of language. Language can be expressed in different levels but the use of the phrase “broken english” bothered Tan she states, “as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness,”(692). Tan expresses that one cannot be judged on the basis of how varied their english maybe. Growing up bilingual Tan depicts her mother’s use of language as, “ language, as i hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery” (692). To Tan the language is familiar and comforting although many would find it unflattering, like the stock brokers and doctor

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