Reflection Paper

Language is a way of communication and it is constantly changing. For those whose first language isn’t English, there will definitely be challenges in learning it; yet there is still criticism in how non-native speakers use the language. In Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” she writes about how language can influence life experiences and describes the true purpose of language as more than correct grammar and complex terms. Within my own experiences, I can relate to the message in Tan’s writing in the ways of regret, lack of respect, and often being the one who explained/translated for my family.

Part One, Language and Identity, includes personal essays that explore the struggles of two individuals with issues of identity connected to the languages they were raised to

When I first decided to expand my education, it had been so long since I had been to school, and I was very hesitant. I talked at length about my decision with my husband and with his encouragement, decided to enroll but still was not quite sure which degree program to enroll in. I knew that this was something that I had always wanted to do since I obtained my Associates Degree in Nursing, but I did not have the courage, nor did I want to give up the time with my family and children. I second guessed my abilities and my knowledge because it had been so long since I had been in college. Now that my children are about to graduate high school and

“Mother Tongue” is an essay by Amy Tan that examines the ways in which people treat those who do not speak or act like them. Simply, how people perceive those that are different . The main purpose of “Mother Tongue” is to inform the readers of the ways they might intentionally or unintentionally be treating people who speak broken english as Tan’s mother does. This essay highlights the extreme importance of language and how it connects with everyone’s day to day lives.

A typical childhood consists of a child having two parents; a mother and a father, or two fathers, or two mothers, whatever the situations maybe. My childhood wasn’t typical, my childhood consist of one single parent, my mother, with the occasional glimpse of my father, but that was rare. My mother played a significant role in my education and how I communicate with others. You see my mother immigrant from Cuba to America and was unable to speak a word of english but she came anyway with her Heart open and her mind ready to learn. Thanks to reruns of ‘ I Love Lucy’ and Oprah; my mother was able to learn english but it was “broken” as Amy Tan would put it. Amy Tan’s essay “ Mother Tongue” discusses the many difficulties that she and her mother have face with her mother's “broken” english; which seem all to similar to my mother and me. It was like we were one in the same. Tan points out the prejudices and culture racism that immigrants are forced to endure without showing aggression or even acknowledging the reader of it. Tan is able to criticize our culture standards and expresses how we have double standards for English speakers.

Unconsciously, we all speak different languages; we categorize the way we speak by the environment and people at which we are speaking too. Whenever a character enters an unfamiliar environment, they experiment with language to find themselves and understand reality. For immigrants, language is a means to retain one’s identity; however, as they become more assimilated in their new communities their language no longer reflects that of their identity but of their new cultural surroundings. When an immigrant, immigrates to a new country they become marginalized, they’re alienated from common cultural practices, social ritual, and scripted behavior. It’s not without intercultural communication and negotiation

On September 6, 2017, I were documented for an incident that involved a University Housing policy violation. I was charged with violating the University Housing Alcohol 1.2 policy. With my violation, came consequences. I met with The Residence Conduct Coordinator to discuss my actions and came to the conclusion that I would have to schedule a meeting with The Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center (CADEC) and with that, a reflection paper.

In the essay “Mother Tongue” Amy Tan, the author, gives a different, a more upbeat outlook on the various forms of English that immigrants speak as they adapt to the American culture. Using simple language to develop her argument, she casually communicates to the audience rather than informing which helps the audience understand what is being presented at ease. Her mother plays an important role in her outlook of language, because she helps her realize that language not only allows one to be a part of a culture but create one’s identity in society. Amy Tan shares her real life stories about cultural racism and the struggle to survive in America as an immigrant without showing any emotions, which is a wonderful epiphany for the audience in realizing how a non-native English speaker handles everyday situations.

It is beautiful to see how language has different interpretations. It can be a different language from half way around the world or it can be a dialect. It can be an accent or a more loosened form of English. It is used every day, becoming a tool for growth and before people know it, it becomes this soul tweaking tool that raises and composes a personality and identity within a culture and family. As esteemed novelist and writer Amy Tan describes in her essay,Mother Tongue, it is “the language spoken in the family, especially in immigrant families which are more insular, plays a large role in shaping the language of the child” (181). Growing up

I was twelve years old when my family decided to move to America and I can still recall the memories when I left India. I was horrified. What worried me most was going to a new school where I would have to communicate in an unfamiliar language. I feared that other kids would look down upon me for my inability to speak English properly. However, in the essay “Mother Tongue”, the author Amy Tan gives a different, a more optimistic outlook on the various forms of English that immigrants speak as they adapt to the American culture. Using simple language to develop her argument, she casually communicates to the audience rather than informing, which helps the audience understand what is being presented. Tan’s mother plays an important role in her outlook of language because she helps her realize that language not only allows one to be a part of a culture, but also create one’s identity in society. Amy Tan shares her real life stories about cultural racism and the struggle to survive in America as an immigrant without showing any emotions; which is an enlightening experience for the audience. It reveals how a non-native English speaker handles everyday situations.

Language itself not only takes part in our everyday communications, but also helps to shape a person’s way of thinking. This is well evident when Tan articulates that “I think the language spoken in the family, especially in an immigrant families which are more insular, plays a large role in shaping the language of the child”. She uses her own experience to show us the language barriers that many immigrant families face. The child will speak the same way as their parents because this is the only way they could learn language as they grew up. I do not know much about the language being used in an immigrant family because I am a foreigner who grew up in a traditional Chinese family for almost twenty years.

Amy Tan is the author of several novels including The Joy Luck Club and The Kitchen God’s Wife. She was born in the United States to parents who immigrated to California from China (Gruber 35). In her article entitled “Mother Tongue”, Tan focuses on the English shared between her mother and herself versus the English that she speaks with everyone else, and how it has affected her outlook on language. Through her examples, she presents to the audience the obstacles faced by her mother’s “limited” English. Tan demonstrates that no matter how much someone may change, the most important things lay back in their roots.

In the story, ‘Mother Tongue’, Amy Tan accurately describes the struggle and pain one goes through living in a foreign land and having a mother tongue that is not English. It is a story that many immigrants and expats,

Our civilizations relies upon people to develop morals and resilience through family, however, what happens when you grow up in an abusive family? Sure, you develop resilience quickly, unfortunately, you may build your moral foundation over a sinkhole. In addition to family dynamics, by age eleven, I survived being hung by a Mexican gang, three dog attacks and a house fire which left both legs covered in second degree burns. Fortunately, at age twelve, I ran away and a couple discovered me sleeping in their garage. Compassionately, they took me in and allowed me to live in a travel trailer on their property.

At a young age, people develop their own ways of speaking. One’s language begins with one’s family and continues to develop and become a part of you. As people become older, they realize their language is not the same as some people. The relationship between language and identity plays a huge role in our lives and occasionally it can have a negative effect as well. In Alyssa Lyons’s essay, “It’s Not Only What You Say, But How You Say It: On Language and Class,” she believes one should not listen to the world’s linguistic standards and be true to oneself. P.L. Thomas essay, “My Redneck Past: A Brief Memoir of Two’s,” explains the background of growing up as a “redneck” and how one’s past affects the way people perceive them. And how his language stayed with him, even with his best abilities to hide them. Gloria Anzaldua used her past and personal experiences to get her point across about language being one with the soul. Also in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” she made sure to explain the depth language meant to her identity. Lyons, Thomas, and Anzaldua all share the insecurities of not being able to speak freely due to social and English language standards. Each of these essays discusses how their upbringing affects their language, how they can only talk freely when with family or friends, and the ways they chose to deal with their linguistic downfalls and overcome them as they became older.