Tan doesn't like Broken english because it
makes it sound like its damaged and is clerical
. … Tan's purpose for telling her story with the Stock broker was because her mother was embarrassed by her own english being limited and had tan do most of the calls for her mother because of her embarrassment.
Why does tan not like the term broken English?
The Power of Language
Tan expresses a tone of
regret because she felt embarrassed by her mother's “fractured” English
. She often felt “red-faced and quiet” when her mother spoke imperfect English in public due to the responses she would receive, but now, she came realize the mistreatment of her mother by society.
What effects has her mother's limited English had on Tan's life?
Her mother's “limited” English limited Tan's
perception of her
. Tan believed that her mother's English reflected the quality of what she had to say-that the imperfections in her speech meant that her ideas were just as imperfect.
How did people react to Mrs Tan's use of English?
People view Tan's mother
as inferior in society
and as a less intelligent individual because in their view, she speaks English in a less cultured and proficient manner. They feel uncomfortable when she uses English, show her less respect, and even tend to be condescending.
Why was Amy Tan ashamed of her mother's English?
When she was young, she was ashamed of her mother's imperfect English which others described as “ broken” or “ fractured” English. Because of her mother's imperfect English,
she was forced to pretend to be her mother to call people on the phone
. … Amy's mother was on her side and talked with her imperfect English.
What is the summary of mother tongue?
Essay On Mother Tongue
“Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan is
a story about the different ways to speak English she used to communicate with different people throughout her childhood
. I agree with her that our intelligence is judged by the way we speak.
What is the purpose of mother's tongue?
The purpose of Amy Tan's essay, “Mother Tongue,” is
to show how challenging it can be if an individual is raised by a parent who speaks “limited English”
(36) as Tan's mother does, partially because it can result in people being judged poorly by others.
What is the tone in Mother Tongue?
⚡Tan uses the diction in her work to show the reader her mothers troubles mastering the English language. In addition, her tone is
defensive, remorseful, and angry
. Using this diction, emotion, and tone she is able to feel what its like to be in her shoes and to see from her point of view.
What are the Englishes that Tan grew up with?
Tan describes the four different types of English she would use at home and outside her home. She would use “
simple”, “broken”, “limited”
, and “proper” English, but didn't like to use the word broken because broken means there is something that needed to be fixed.
Why did Tan's husband not notice her switching between her different Englishes?
Why did Tan's husband not notice her switching between her different “Englishes”?
He was further down the street and couldn't hear. He doesn't listen to her very carefully
. He has been married to her for 20 years and occasionally uses the same type of “Englishes.”
The carefully chosen writing style of “Mother Tongue” makes
the essay feel like a conversation that you are having
. Tan engages the audience directly when she says, “You should know that my mother's expressive command of the English language belies how much she really understands” (Tan 299).
What is Tan's viewpoint about language?
Tan states in her writing that “Sociologists and linguists probably
will tell you that a person's developing language skills are more influenced by peers
; but I do think that the language spoken in the family…plays a large role in shaping the language of the child” (Tan, 142-46).
Why does tan learn to accept her Mother Tongue?
This is because she
grew up in a home with
her Chinese mother who spoke English that was, at best, difficult for many people to understand. Tan came to realize this because when Tan was with her mother, she spoke English differently, more simply, like her mother.
How does Tan feel about her mother's tongue?
Tan believed that her mother's English
reflected the quality of what she had to say
-that the imperfections in her speech meant that her ideas were just as imperfect.
What is the thesis statement in Mother Tongue by Amy Tan?
Tan's thesis statement – “
I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth”
(Tan 633) – sets the tone for the article. I am in agreement with Tan's opinion with the power of language.
What is the conflict in mother tongue?
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.
