Mother Tongue
“Mother Tongue”
In the essay, “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan informs the reader of the language barrier
matters that she underwent as an Asian American. Various individuals are looked down upon because
of their poor english language skills. Tan shared the experience of limitation, intimation, and the family
talk that she had in her life.
She feels bad for having a limitations, because she was Asian-American. Her mother
speaks broken english, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. This also affected the way
people perceived her mom. In addition, she feels ashamed of her, because of her poor english. Tan
thought her mom was not that smart. She did not get good service from the department stores,
banks, and at restaurants. Her mom was disrespected because of the way she speaks. Furthermore,
people just pretended not to understand her mother. Her mother was disrespected by her stockbroker,
and she was not getting good service from the hospital. Tan said, “When I was fifteen, she used to have
me call people on the phone to pretend I was she” (64).
Tan completely understands the way her mother spoke. She spends a great deal of her
time thinking about the power of language, and the way it can evoke an emotion. For Tan, she feels her
mom’s english is clear and natural. Her mother’s language, as she hears it, is vivid or full of life.
Furthermore, she can directly understand the way her mother speaks. That was the language that helped
shape the way she saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world. Tan said, “My mother’s
english is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It’s my mother tongue” (64).
Tan grew up using the english language. Also, growing up speaking english affected her
grades in english. Moreover, it shapes her language skills in english. She spoke it with her family. In
In the essay, “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan informs the reader of the language barrier
matters that she underwent as an Asian American. Various individuals are looked down upon because
of their poor english language skills. Tan shared the experience of limitation, intimation, and the family
talk that she had in her life.
She feels bad for having a limitations, because she was Asian-American. Her mother
speaks broken english, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. This also affected the way
people perceived her mom. In addition, she feels ashamed of her, because of her poor english. Tan
thought her mom was not that smart. She did not get good service from the department stores,
banks, and at restaurants. Her mom was disrespected because of the way she speaks. Furthermore,
people just pretended not to understand her mother. Her mother was disrespected by her stockbroker,
and she was not getting good service from the hospital. Tan said, “When I was fifteen, she used to have
me call people on the phone to pretend I was she” (64).
Tan completely understands the way her mother spoke. She spends a great deal of her
time thinking about the power of language, and the way it can evoke an emotion. For Tan, she feels her
mom’s english is clear and natural. Her mother’s language, as she hears it, is vivid or full of life.
Furthermore, she can directly understand the way her mother speaks. That was the language that helped
shape the way she saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world. Tan said, “My mother’s
english is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It’s my mother tongue” (64).
Tan grew up using the english language. Also, growing up speaking english affected her
grades in english. Moreover, it shapes her language skills in english. She spoke it with her family. In