Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. On what were these descriptions and perceptions based according to paragraphs 15-16 of "Mother Tongue"? As for accents, it's usually a stereotype of some sort. She said she had spoken very good English, her best English, no mistakes. In this guise, I was forced to ask for information or even to complain and yell at people who had been rude to her. Who is the intended audience for "Mother Tongue"? How do you think Kemal Ataturk would have responded to later Islamic modernists such as Sheikh Kabir and perhaps Saira Khan? /Subtype /Image One time it was a call to her stockbroker in New York. In a short essay "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan reveals her background and describes different kinds of English that she had to speak in her childhood and adolescence. three subjects "What argument is Tan making here about language and its connection to our identity in "Mother Tongue"? What is Tan's strategy behind including a lengthy, direct quotation from her mother (para. Find examples of peopleincluding Tan herselftreating her mother disrespectfully. What motivates her to make such an argument?" Amy Tan, in full Amy Ruth Tan, (born February 19, 1952, Oakland, California, U.S.), American author of novels about Chinese American women and the immigrant experience. "9 [5 Tan, Amy. Mother Tongue questions & answers for quizzes and worksheets - Quizizz English Mother Tongue Deleted User 87 plays 15 questions Copy & Edit Live Session Show Answers See Preview 1. She says even her husband started speaking this kind of English together and that it has come to represent intimacy. As a writer, she used the rigid, grammatical acrolect she had learned at school; as a daughter, she used the more forceful, vivid English spoken by her mother, for which she cannot even find a name, since she dislikes calling it "broken.". Write the correct word in the space next to given definition. 4)_g|a>x{9}=vyG`?>x}.(72qgn>n * {1Mo$*=rnZ|!:Oc@`g=~l^0r8 WC,f;8vu4[e$Nexug (Byo O9|'uc+#Wv8Ee,9 :?6Ns C;0:j1E 66S~o^xzYX8R9 g= ^NTw{ _s7@ "1s m?M ;o V6'=:h The different forms of English that mother and daughter speak are also a product of their backgrounds: whilst Tans mother is a Chinese immigrant to America, Tan was born in the United States and has grown up, and been educated, in an English-speaking culture. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. /Type /XObject Even though language is not an object you can hold, Amy Tan still uses language to symbolize different, more ambiguous concepts. Here's what she said in part: "Du Yusong having business like fruit stand. Tan." M.A. a. fragment On what were these descriptions and perceptions based according to paragraphs 15-16 of "Mother Tongue"? -however, later she decided that 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. The Qin bureaucracy had civil and military divisions and a justekst\underline{\phantom{\text{justekst}}}justekst. Although Amy Tan was born in the United States, her writing is shaped to a great degree by the immigrant experience. This English is expressive, grammatically distant from proper forms, hard to understand for some native English speakers, and perfectly comfortable to Amy. The phrase "mother tongue" refers to the language people learn to speak first. Sociologists and linguists probably will tell you that a person's developing language skills are more influenced by peers. Amy Tan begins her essay by offering her personal opinions on the English language. Her mother gave her praise that meant a great deal to Tan: I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: 'So easy to read.'. Apart from what any critic had to say about my writing, I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: "So easy to read.". 3. Because of her broken English, Amy's mother was told by the doctors that they lost her scan and did not apologize nor care about it. She acknowledges that when she was growing up, she was ashamed of the way her mother spoke. I didn't see, I heard it. Analysis of "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan: DRAFT - GraduateWay Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Students are most likely to conclude that Tan and her mother do have a close relationship and should support their opinion with at least three of the following examples: a. She reads the Forbes report, listens to Wall Street Week, converses daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley MacLaine's books with ease--all kinds of things I can't begin to understand. The mother tongue shapes. All together, we expect forty or fifty volunteers to work on the project. In this connection, it is noteworthy that Tan chooses to focus on the school tests she undertook before concluding that her mothers broken style of English has been misunderstood not just literally (by some people whove known her), but in terms of the misleading perceptions of her it has led others to formulate. What is the context of Mother Tongue? Use Tan's ideas about different kinds of English from "Mother Tongue" as a basis to consider the kinds of English you encounter every day. The local people call putong, the river east side, he belong to that side local people. indiiigo. What is the context of Mother Tongue? Near the beginning of Mother Tongue, Tan says, I am fascinated by language in daily life. Tan doesn't concern herself with the fundamentals of language, she explains that her job isn't to learn and explore language, but to apply it. 7. "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan | Free Essay Example - StudyCorgi.com Later, the gangster became more powerful, far richer than my mother's family, and one day showed up at my mother's wedding to pay his respects. Log in here. But I wince when I say that. Tan wrote 'Mother Tongue' in 1990, a year after her novel The Joy Luck Club was a runaway success. -7 space 17 space. -breaking the paragraphs (spaces) 8 . "Mother Tongue" // Amy Tan Flashcards | Quizlet 15)? 5. 4 0 obj The "different Englishes" talked about in the essay range from perfect to broken english. Does the story feel complete as is? What is Amy Tans primary identity according to what she says in paragraphs 1-3 of "Mother Tongue"? What would be the impact of omitting one of them? JFIF K K C At the CAT scan, Tan's mother wasn't taken seriously due to her not being able to speak fluently. Describe how others (those who do not know her intimately) see Tan's mother versus how Tan describes her in "Mother Tongue." Why or why not? This is a key part of Feathers from a Thousand Li Away, and it helps us to understand Tans conflicted attitude towards her mothers use of language as explored in Mother Tongue. Chinese way, came only to show respect, don't stay for dinner. Students' essays will probably address slang and jargon that they use, standard English that they use for most of their school experiences, and possibly formal English that they may use with relatives or in work situations. Tans autobiographical revelations in Mother Tongue show us that her own mother struggled to be taken seriously among Americans, and Tan diagnoses this struggle as a result of her mothers different way of speaking. You may also wish to discuss some of the emotions that a king in battle might be feeling. Mother tongue Flashcards | Quizlet 1. My mother was in the room. eNotes Editorial, 10 Nov. 2019, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/in-amy-tan-s-short-story-mother-tongue-explain-258339. endobj stream She began writing fiction in 1985, and after several false starts trying to find her own style and idiom, she began to write with her mother in mind as the ideal reader for her stories. Like other children of immigrants to America, the perceptions of her language abilities almost limited her career path in math or science, yet Tan eventually realized her own American Dream of becoming a full-time writer. Test. Answers will vary but should include points similar to the following: a. Tan includes the story to give readers an example of just how her mother's English sounds and how expressive it is. When Tan was growing up, how did her mother's use of English affect Tan's perception of her? "Mother tongue," as it is used in the title of this piece, is a pun on the traditional idea. But many people who hear her mother speak can only partially understand what she is saying, and some even say they can understand nothing of what she says, as if she were speaking pure Chinese to them. Tan is very attached to her mothers English to the point that she doesnt want to refer to it as broken. To her it symbolizes home because its the English she grew up with. -uses quotes to give an example of her mother's English /SMask /None>> Du Zong father wasn't look down on him, but didn't take seriously, until that man big like become a mafia. Tan divides the essay into three sections. Why does Tan believe that envisioning a reader specifically, her mother enabled her to write more authentically? Tan mentions several different emotions when talking about her mothers English. Cell Bio Exam 1. /SA true Here is the text: http://www.umsl.edu/~alexanderjm/Mother%20Tongue%20by%20Tan.pdfSupport me by buying mugs, t-shirts, notebooks and more! Who is the intended audience for "Mother Tongue"? Give at least three details from the essay to support your opinion. In Amy Tan's short story "Mother Tongue," explain the essence of what "mother tongue" signifies in the story. nNSm`NO8 SL6x 9 tG%rzo=>ca3`!VW19>:HmoM!>? _E nYKyrO [%eLm ii+;t9xt;md/C?dSh[`N:)$9HAJI%i2. What is the "associative situation" (para. Accept any answers that address the concern of the question and are elaborated by examples or details from the literature or from life. Accessed 2 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan Flashcards | Quizlet What is the author's purpose, style, and tone in the story? 1 2 . While it may be difficult for some people to understand it, it is part of who she is, and it does not reflect negatively on her mother because it is "different." First, she points out that she uses the same language with her mother and her husband. She wouldn't budge. How would you characterize Tan's tone in the essay? Find and create gamified quizzes, lessons, presentations, and flashcards for students, employees, and everyone else. Write a journal entry from the perspective of Richard the Lion-Hearted during the Crusades. Amy Tan - Mother Tongue | Genius Math is precise; there is only one correct answer. Her mother, too, was clearly aware of how her use of the language affected how seriously people took her, for she used to get her daughter to phone people and pretend to be Mrs Tan. That man want to ask Du Zong father take him in like become own family. taylor_garrett36. It is the simple difference between theory and practice. In Tan's experience with the SATs, it was suggested that Tan's strengths lie within mathematics and science because of her higher scores on those exams; it didn't account for her struggle with understanding the format of the test questions. When describing the wording for people who cannot speak English fluently, she makes sure the audience knows of her feelings toward the most common terms. Amy Tan | Biography, Books, & Facts | Britannica How does Tan avoid stereotyping Asian Americans in general and Chinese in particular in this essay? Tan uses it with this definition, but also utilizes it to refer to the language her mom spoke (Chinese). << Mother Tongue by Amy Tan: Audio with Whiteboard Animations Amy's mother refused to leave the office until someone called her daughter. Tan uses points from her personal life and from her work to show that there is no need to separate one's language and identity. Latest answer posted March 28, 2020 at 6:52:46 PM. More recent to this story, her mother had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, but when she went to the doctor's office, the CAT scan was lost and no one was remotely concerned with her need to understand her prognosishaving lost a husband and son, both to brain tumors. Mother Tongue (by Amy Tan) Flashcards | Quizlet What we would call proper English symbolizes both Tans acceptance into American society and a separation from her mother. Jing-mei's mother quizzes her on various topicsincluding state and national capitals, complicated mathematics, and weather predictionin hopes that she might possess a talent like the children. 3. Eliasib. A Summary and Analysis of Amy Tan's 'Mother Tongue' By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) 'Mother Tongue' is an essay by Amy Tan, an American author who was born to Chinese immigrants in 1952. Tan grew up speaking the formal acrolect of English she learned at school and the more vivid, less correct variety her mother used. And I believe that it affected my results on achievement tests, I.Q. -she explains that the stories she writes are about mothers I gone to boy's side, they haveYMCA dinner. So mad he lie to me, losing me money. "In Amy Tan's short story "Mother Tongue," explain the essence of what "mother tongue" signifies in the story." Accessed 2 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. /CA 1.0 What argument is Tan making here about language and its connection to our identity in "Mother Tongue"? 1 0 obj It literally means one's first language. So you'll have some idea of what this family talk I heard sounds like, I'11 quote what my mother said during a recent conversation which I videotaped and then transcribed. When they called her daughter, who had perfect English, they suddenly found her scan. A person's "mother tongue" is usually considered to be their first language, but in this story, it refers to her "mother's tongue," or the version of English that her mother speaks. But I wince when I say that. Tan was born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland, California. Describe how others (those who do not know her intimately) see Tan's mother versus how Tan describes her in "Mother Tongue." Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan - OlyPen Multiple-choice 30 seconds 1 pt Where was the author born? I am going to show you a few of these devices and give you some awesome tips on how to incorporate them into your analysis of Mother Tongue.. Mother Tongue Essay - 795 Words | Bartleby In this respect, if the parable Feathers from a Thousand Li Away acts as preface to the novel, Mother Tongue, in effect, acts as a kind of postscript. "But I have noticed in surveys in fact, just last week that Asian students, as a whole, always do significantly better on math achievement tests than in English. In directly quoting her mother, Tan is able to demonstrate her mother's speech patterns in text form. Tan is making the argument in "Mother Tongue" that she became a better writer when she began to use both the types of English she spoke to write books her mother could understand. Edit. It is not simply, as she first thought, that one type of English is correct and the other incorrect. In "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan uses people's inclination to assume as a way of exploring the subject of identity. Print. The story helps readers understand one of Tan's points: her mother's English does have intent, passion, imagery, and rhythm, and it shows the complexity of her thoughts. Indeed, her mother read drafts of her work. Tan identify the different categories she discusses in "Mother Tongue" almost in the last paragraph, where she named all the kind of English she uses. What is the author's purpose, style, and tone in the story? Fortunately, there are several different literary devices you can concentrate on for your literary analysis. WhowasJohnWilkesBooth? Mother Tongue by Amy Tan: 10 Tips for a Literary Analysis - Kibin Blog 10th ed. Underline the verb in parentheses that correctly completes the sentence by agreeing with the subject. But Tans interest in language, both as a cultural marker and as a way of expressing thought and personality, is also a prevailing theme of the novel. -she uses four types of English (the English she grew up with) Like off the street kind. 6. In grade school I did moderately well, getting perhaps B's, sometimes B-pluses, in English and scoring perhaps in the sixtieth or seventieth percentile onachievement tests. But now you have to do a literary analysis on itand suddenly its short length seems like more of a burden than a blessing. She then contrasts this with a moment when she was walking down the street with her mother and she used the more clipped, informal English she naturally uses with her mother, and her husband. The talk was going along well enough, until I remembered one major difference that made the whole talk sound wrong. They resemble chapters in a book as they each have a different focus, while still relating all to each other and being interconnected. Mother Tongue is a story that describes how Amy Tan's mother was treated unfairly because of her "broken English". Her mother attends a lecture that Tan is delivering, and Tan realizes that her mother is hearing Tan speak a kind of English that she does not use at home. Language is thus more than just a cultural marker: Tan reveals, in Mother Tongue, the extent to which it is a tool of power (or, depending on the use, powerlessness), particularly for those from migrant backgrounds. From guilty to gracious, annoyed to appreciative, Amy Tan uses a few different tones throughout Mother Tongue. Identify these tones and explain how they are employed (the language used to convey the tones), and what effect it has on the reader. With the stockbroker, Tan was the one who would step in for her mother over the phone in order to express her mother's thoughts for her. Hopefully this list leaves you feeling like youre no longer short on ideas for your analysis of this short story. How could I go about writing four pages about the essay "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, citing two or more different authors to support my claims? Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. Whereas, for me at least, the answers on English tests were always a judgment call, a matter of opinion and personal experience, (para. And my mother was standing in the back whispering loudly, "Why he don't send me check, already two weeks late. She is the second of three children born to Chinese immigrants, Daisy and John Tan. I cannot give you much more than personal opinions on the English language and its variations in this country or others. -understand how her mom talked and how it was hard for others to understand her What is Amy Tans primary identity according to what she says in paragraphs 1-3 of "Mother Tongue"? Just because there are several tones throughout Mother Tongue doesnt mean that there isnt one overarching tone. "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan Flashcards | Quizlet He come to my wedding. Illustrate your observations with examples from Tan's essay, your own experience, or others you know. How do they further her argument? her mother How does the author describe her mother's English early in the essay limited 1. What strategies does she use to make this argument? Because dogs are legally required to be on a leash, letting your dog run free in the park is a(n) _______. At one point, Tan writes about being embarrassed about her mother. Our experts can deliver a "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan essay tailored to your instructions for only $13.00 $11.05/page 308 qualified specialists online Learn more Main text while growing up, what assumption did Amy Tan make about her mother because of her mother's language skills? If all the words in a numbered word group are correct, write C above it. b. eruption I came up with the idea that the author's claim is that one's use of language does not indicate their amount of knowledge or worth, but I am not sure if I am thinking of the right answer. How did Tans teachers identify her when she was in high school? Those tests were constructed around items like fill-in-the-blank sentence completion, such as, "Even though Tom was, Mary thought he was --. It was most gratifying to Amy Tan when her mother read The Joy Luck Club, Amy's first book. Tan even says that her mother was one of her draft readers for her own book series. How many subjects does Tan explore in the essay? He is Du like Du Zong -- but not Tsung-ming Island people. Latest answer posted March 28, 2020 at 9:26:15 PM. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Finally, Tan highlights the absurdity of writing a book about the relationships between mothers and daughters which her own mother could not understand. 11th Grade - Poems by Emily Dickinson: Latest answer posted October 28, 2019 at 10:43:03 PM, Latest answer posted November 08, 2020 at 3:49:32 AM. What does the title "Mother Tongue" suggest? literature. She is motivated to make this argument to explain her method as a writer and her intellectual, literary, linguistic, and personal progress in uniting her two identities and to show that these identities need not be separated. Some visitors on a search for new healing substances (looks, look) at medicinal plants. Tan acknowledges that, whilst she did well in maths and science, subjects with a single correct answer, she was less adept at English. Tan calls this clipped informal language her mother tongue, because it was the first language she learned and it helped to shape the way she saw the world and made sense of it. 5. In Amy Tan's essay "Mother Tongue", Tan reveals how she was sculpted into the successful writer she is from the struggles of language speaking her mother had to face. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz /Creator ( w k h t m l t o p d f 0 . Mother tongue is usually referred to the first language a person is taught, however I think Tans use of the word mother tongue is much more intimate in a sense that she feels that ere English or her mother tongue is unique to her, and that the variation of English she speaks to her mother is her mother tongue. State your opinion in an essay, and support it with evidence from at least two of the essays. What Is the Main Idea of Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue?" - Reference.com Mother Tongue by Amy Tan questions & answers for quizzes and worksheets Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan Comprehension 1. Mother Tongue | Reading Quiz - Quizizz Envisioning her mother as the reader allowed Tan to write with more fluidity. (para. Here, Tan alludes to the concept of the "mother tongue": a child's earliest language, often used with a primary caregiver, who in many instances is the mother. Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" | LAmyths How did Tans teachers identify her when she was in high school? Even though the focus of the essay is the author's experiences with languages and her mother's influence on her writing, an underlying theme of the essay is the identity of a first-generation American. When she began to write fiction, she made a conscious decision to write to a specific audience: she decided to write to her mother; as she was writing about relationships between mothers and daughters in her stories. There can be one tone throughout the entire piece or many different tones. from Oxford University Ph.D. from St. Andrews University, Amy Tan, like many children of immigrants, has more than one identity, and these identities are primarily defined by language. Log in here. Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" questions & answers for quizzes and I had to get on the phone and say in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs. In "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan explains that she uses multiple "Englishes" in her daily life. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr Chinese age I was nineteen. I was giving a talk to a large group of people, the same talk I had already given to half a dozen other groups. defining her mother's tongue and other's interpretations of it (their reactions) -defining her interpretation, others interpretation, and how it influenced her writing structure 1st part -1-7 -awareness of the diff types of English -nature of her mother's English Amy Tan born in 1952 in California to Chinese immigrants. Chinese custom. Get started for free! But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people's perceptions of the limited English speaker. She struggled with tests which asked students to pick a correct word to fill in the blanks in a sentence because she was distracted by the imaginative and poetic possibilities of other words. Psst 98% of Kibin users report better grades! 3 0 obj Mother Tongue Quiz Flashcards | Quizlet Tan refers to how much language impacts/changes our lives. When Amy first decided she wanted to be a writer, she was not encouraged to do so: English was her second language, and the peculiarities of the language (which confuse native English speakers, such as analogies) often confused her. Her mother's "limited" English limited Tan's perception of her. A good literary analysis might explain these transitions, and how they affect the structure of the piece. As the second generation of Chinese immigrants, Tan faces more problems than her peers do. Learn. One time Amy did this with her mother's stockbroker. Include details from the text. What is the difference? eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Why? I am doing an assignment about the essay "Mother Tongue," but I am having a hard time understanding the claim of the author and the target audience. Lately, I've been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Stephen Crane Amy Thompson Amy Tan Anne Tan 2. Review terms and definitions. 2. Amy Tan says that she has come to realize that something unusual goes on with languageat least her own, based upon the Chinese her mother grew up speaking, the English her mother uses as her "second language," Amy's use of this special version of her mother's English, and her own perception that her mother's English was somehow "broken"at least this is how Ms. Tan used to feel. Include in your discussion examples and observations from your own experience or Amy Tans Mother Tongue.. 2. c. Her mother relies on and trusts Tan to talk to the doctors about the CAT scan. 6. -other peoples reactions; how it affected Amy (would make calls for her mom) However, in Amy Tan's story, I believe she is making a statement about her mother's form of English: her mother's tongue. She had cashed out her small portfolio and it just so happened we were going to go to New York the next week, our very first trip outside California. Amy Tan's essay "Mother Tongue" is a wonderful tale that addresses the substance of languages and how language is not only a tool of communication, but a sociological tool of measuring individual worth. Works have been adapted for film, opera, and TV mother tongue first language Whom does the author focus on in this narrative? Respect for making big celebration, he shows up. /AIS false C q" I selected the article Mother Tongue by Amy Tan. But to me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. Tan says that her identity as a writer was originally separate from her identity as her mother's daughter. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The author notes that the language her mother speaks is very different than "American English," but that it is deceiving in that her mother understands more than one might think when listening to her speak. You had agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived.". check out these example essays on Mother Tongue.. Each story holds a key to understanding her main argument points.