When I finished reading a piece of ‘How to tame a wild tongue’, I went on a journey to recall if I had a similar situation. In the reading Anzaldua implies that her language has been alienated through constant heat from both sides (English and Spanish), through this quarrel emerged a new language that was neither English nor Spanish “but both” (Anzaldua, 77). The journey – proves Anzaldua’s point - recalled past events that clearly pointed that what I speak is neither English nor Spanish but a variation of both. This occurred to me when I would talk to friends, I would include words that were officially incorrect in English or Spanish, but they were a part of my culture. For instance, when I would speak to my friends, we would use certain …show more content…
By providing those words, Anzaldua confirms that a new variant of Spanish has appeared. One possible purpose Anzaldua may have in mind is protecting their language from the Anglo Americans, by doing this she is fighting the idea that there is only one sole language to learn. Anzaldua provides a list of a few variant languages spoken to offer as proof. For example, she listed “standard English, working class and slang English, standard Spanish, standard Mexican Spanish”. When Anzaldua mentioned “standard English and slang English”, she was referring to how we speak differently towards people, there’s a difference to the way someone speaks at work and with their buddies, and Anzaldua emphasized this to show that everyone has a variant language. By providing a list complied of English and Spanish sub-languages, it’s clear that Anzaldua is targeting – those who speak the sub-languages – as her audience. I agree with the direction she is taking regarding the viewership, because the issue mainly concerns those who speak a variant language. Anzaldua’s use of her variant language reinforces how much she really understands concerning the alienation of the language. At the end, Anzaldua states “…yet possessing a malleability that renders us unbreakable, we, the mestizas and mestizos will …show more content…
“She used to have me call people on the phone…I was forced to ask for information” (Tan, 78). This is something I can personally relate to. For example, when my mother’s English wouldn’t suffice, I had to step in and request for information. Tan Included this experience to set the stage, she was showing us that her mother’s English was “limited” or “broken” and because of that, she wasn’t acknowledged. Tan stated “My mother’s ‘limited’ English, limited my perception of her” (Tan, 78). Because everyone was saying her mother’s English was “limited”, see started believing it, doubting her mother of capabilities, by thinking that she would be no different than anybody else. However, although not said, Tan must have disregarded that thought as she continued aging. After examining Tan, Anzaldua and Brandt’s respective case, I’ve noted that Tan and Anzaldua seem to focus primarily towards speech and language unlike Brandt who seems to be drawn to literacy especially writing. Tan and Anzaldua focus on language; Anzaldua explores and reveals the unofficial languages spoken by people. Tan supports Anzaldua by introducing us her mother – who is one of those sub-language speakers – while it’s said to be “limited”, who is to say it is not just a variant language that shortens
“Se Habla Español,” is written by a Latin author, Tanya Barrientos; and Amy Tan, a Chinese author, wrote “Mother Tongue”. In both literate narratives the authors write about their experiences with language and how it impacted their lives. In This essay we will be discussing the similarities as well as the differences in the stories and the authors of “Se Habla Español” and “Mother Tongue”. We will discuss how both authors use a play on words in their titles, how language has impacted their lives, how struggling with language has made them feel emotionally, and how both authors dealt with these issues.
While Anzaldúa makes great points about the struggles of a Chicana women in America, her arguments imply that Mexican people are the only people that have to adapt to American culture. While Mexican people should feel free to express their cultures freely, language is a much more complex issue; it is not simply solved by not accommodating to English speakers. English speakers must strive to embrace other cultures and languages, and understand that they do not necessarily have to speak that language to accept
Tan makes an appeal to emotion with the connections she describes. A connection between a mother and daughter that is wrought with emotion is as relatable as humaneness is to a human. There is a soft declaration to be found in Tan’s statement, “I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: “So easy to read.” Tan gains trust by appealing to emotion with something as understandable as the loving and more often than not tension riddled connection between a mother and her daughter. Tan incorporates the intimacy of the “broken” language in correlation to her husband with these words, “It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with” (Tan 1). Under the assumption that Louis DeMattei (Tan’s husband) has no prior history with the Chinese Language Tan makes an important point of the use of the “broken” language she learned from her mother. Demattei doesn’t inquire or correct Tan when she switches between the English she acquired from the vast expanses of English literature and the English she acquired from her mother. Tan says, “he even uses it with me,” there is an implied level of comfort within the relationship she has with her husband. Tan shares what is viewed as “broken” and in need of fixing with Demattei and he reciprocates, leaving them
Rodriguez highlights comfortable, soothing, and intimate sounds of his family language by saying, “Spanish seemed to me the language of home. It became the language of joyful return. A family member would say something to me and I would feel myself specially recognized. My parents would say something to me and I would feel embraced by the sounds of their words. Those sounds said: I am speaking with ease in Spanish. I am addressing you in words I never use with los gringos. I recognize you as someone special, close, like no one outside. You belong with us. In the family”. The private language is like an intimate secret code among the family. Despite the struggle with their family languages, the author understands that the private language being spoken has been a large part of their lives and has helped shaped their view of the
Both the brains and the hearts of the audience have been convinced. She also used many rhetorical strategies, like emotional appeal to convey her rough childhood to the reader. She gave numerous examples of being discriminated, and stereotyped because of their race. Tan’s audience reaches out to family members who speak broken English. Amy Tan also comprehends that although people may not be able to speak perfect English, they can comprehend what others are saying, and that you shouldn't discriminate others because of their race. A persons understanding of someone who speaks “broken-English” could be very limited, but the wisdom of the “broken English” speaker is
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...
Anzaldua grew up in the United States but spoke mostly Spanish, however, her essay discusses how the elements of language began to define her identity and culture. She was living in an English speaking environment, but was not White. She describes the difficulty of straddling the delicate changing language of Chicano Spanish. Chicano Spanish can even differ from state to state; these variations as well as and the whole Chicano language, is considered a lesser form of Spanish, which is where Anzaldua has a problem. The language a person speaks is a part...
In the essay, “How To Tame A Wild Tongue”, by Gloria Anzaldua and the essay, Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan, the ignorance shown by many people is highlighted. Amy Tan’s essay focuses on how some people look down on others who do not speak English without an accent. Anzaldua’s essay focuses on how people do not have a broad view of language and often look down upon others who do not speak the language that they speak. Both of the essays address language, but the broader topic that they acknowledge is more important. The essays both acknowledge how humans feel uncomfortable around people that are different from them, and often demean others. People demean others due to people wanting to look more powerful by giving their views correctness while discrediting
Spanglish is known as a hybrid language combining words and idioms from both Spanish and English especially Spanish speech that uses many English words and expressions. Around the US, millions of citizens in major cities are speaking what some are calling a third language. According to an essay forum on Spanglish, some consider Spanglish a language disease, slang that should be taken care of immediately. A threat to the purity of both languages as a whole. To others they seek to develop their Spanglish speaking skills. Spanglish has changed the world, corporations have discovered it and it’s on television, radio, novels, rap and rock music. In this essay I will explain the significance the language ‘Spanglish’
In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” author Gloria Anzaldua portrays all the negative aspects of having to dispose of her hispanic roots and taming her wild tongue to do so. She begins the article by describing her
Rodriguez would, for example, use words such as “unsettling” “cloistered” and “alienation,” to describe the beginning of his assimilation in the public English speaking world. While he would use “calm” “enchantingly” “consoling” and “intimacy” to describe Spanish. As Rodriguez is being pushed to assimilate and English is heard everywhere including his home he becomes “increasingly angry” only from being obliged from his parents and trying to participate in class he begins to feel a sense of belonging in public. Rodriguez’s diction was evident and continuous in his essay which abetted the audience to understand that the author wanted the audience to be addressed formally and be known that he wants to be taken seriously and able to connect to his background and why he made his
English is an invisible gate. Immigrants are the outsiders. And native speakers are the gatekeepers. Whether the gate is wide open to welcome the broken English speakers depends on their perceptions. Sadly, most of the times, the gate is shut tight, like the case of Tan’s mother as she discusses in her essay, "the mother tongue." People treat her mother with attitudes because of her improper English before they get to know her. Tan sympathizes for her mother as well as other immigrants. Tan, once embarrassed by her mother, now begins her writing journal through a brand-new kaleidoscope. She sees the beauty behind the "broken" English, even though it is different. Tan combines repetition, cause and effect, and exemplification to emphasize her belief that there are more than one proper way (proper English) to communicate with each other. Tan hopes her audience to understand that the power of language- “the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth”- purposes to connect societies, cultures, and individuals, rather than to rank our intelligence.
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...
...xpressing her Chinese culture. Mastering a second language allows her to articulate her and her mother’s thoughts; it is a foundation for her pride and a foundation to express herself. For Gloria Anzaldua, instead of choosing one language over the other, she chose a mix of the two and fights for it. She realized the value of her language when she lost it and now treasures it. The kind of Spanish she speaks is neither English nor Spanish, but both. It is overflowing with culture from Medieval Spain, France, Germany, etc., just from the origins of the words. It is her pride and a representation of herself, fighting and living. In conclusion, in addition to Lera Boroditsky’s article proving that the structure of language affects how we think, the articles by Eric Liu, Amy Tan, and Gloria Anzaldua show how language is a foundation for a person’s culture, pride, and self.
I considered to include my personal experience with the Spanglish since it has been disproved for many scholars. However, to me, Spanish speakers and English learner who has been grown in as Spanish native country (Ecuador, South America) is complicated disapproved Spanglish. I started to use Spanglish even before I started to learn English. Spanglish in not necessary in Ecuador to communicate effectively, so in develop this essay the questions emerged, why I used it and why I still do it?. Analysing the answers, I believe that is associated with social prestige, as young girl the perspective was that the more English words I included in my speech the more I could sound cool. Also it is considering as