“Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan

In this writing Amy Tan writes about the “Englishes” there according to what she lived and grew up.  Amy Tan talks about her discovery, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use” Amy tan points out that she did not realize how differently she talks when she is having a conversation with her mom and when she was giving a talk to a group of people. She then noticed how she had never used this “English” with her. Amy Tan’s mom has learned how to speak her best English but many still consider it broken English. Amy Tan and her mother went through and the struggles she faced as an example when she needed to translate for her mother. The way she describes the language she used to communicate with her mother was “broken” english. She quotes “Some say they understand 80-90 percent. Some say they understand none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese. But to me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It’s my mother tongue.” The way she speaks about her “Mother Tongue” is a topic many immigrant families face, many of us, as I include myself, have to change our english in order for our parents to understand better, other people might not understand it. I’m aware my mom does not fully understand what those big “dictionary” words are but I’m able to adjust. When my mother and I have a conversation we try to include English words in order to have my mother continue to practice. I always try to help out my mom and with my eyes open now I can see how I speak and how I text my mother. My English is more cut off and even include some spanish but how it worded is also incorrect but my mother is able to understand very fast I just have to be straight forward.