Week 2 – Wed. Sept. 1

Homework Due Monday, Sept. 13th

PLEASE Comment on or reply to a comment of AT LEAST ONE of your classmate’s! 

  1. Read “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, write a response to the questions in a comment below. 
    • What did you think of this text? Explain! 
    • What is it mostly about? Write a 2-4 sentence summary. Be specific. Refer to the text itself. Use quotes even! 
    • What is the genre of the text? What is the tone?
    • Amy Tan writes, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use.” What does she mean by this? What different “Englishes” does she use? When does she use them?
    • What does Amy Tan mean when she uses the term “mother tongue?”   
    • What was Amy Tan’s perspective on her mother’s English as a child? How does it change over time? What influences led to her shift in perspectives?
    • Why do you think Amy Tan wrote this article? Who do you think is her intended audience?
    • Think about your relationship to the languages in your life. Describe at least two different languages or forms of language that you use either in speaking or writing. For example, when you text or email vs. when you speak. Or when you speak to a family member vs. a friend. Or a professor vs. a friend. Does it change depending on your audience? How? Why?

2. Write a micro-autobiography (60 words or less!) Possible ideas – examples – a 10 word memoir, a poem, a Haiku, an online bio, a dating profile! Post in the comments below. 

3.  ***Draft of Project 1 Due Mon. Sept. 27th***

 

35 Comments

  1. Christopher Lopez

    I think the text is very relatable. I say it’s relatable because when I’m with my friends and family I talk differently from when I’m in school or a formal environment. The article is about the different types of English she uses when she talks to her mother compared to everyone else .The text is mostly about Amy Tan telling us how her background affected her life, her education, and how it held her between two worlds. I believe that the genre of the text is a personal essay.I think the tone she had is defensive. When Amy Tan writes, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use” she is referring to the fact that she has different ways of speaking, one way more formal than other. For example, she, later in that paragraph, says “the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother.” Tan is referring to the former use of vocabulary in the speech she gave, to which her mother was able to hear while in the same room, but never heard from her during their conversations. When Amy Tang uses the term “Mother Tongue” she means how Some say they understand 80 to 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. Amy Tang explains “I was ashamed of her English. When she was younger she believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. Her perception of her mother’s English started to shift as she got older, because she began to understand that knowledge and understanding is not defined by the way one speaks, if that way is still understandable, but not held to a certain standard. I think Amy Tang wrote because even if they are subjected to a certain standard by someone other than themselves, it doesn’t matter, as long as you know the truth. I think her intended audience is people that have a similar situation to hers. My language does change compared to when I’m talking to my friends compared to a teacher or stranger because I wanna sound more presentable and respectful when I speak to a teacher.

    Part 2:
    Grew up in the city
    No romodels to help
    Mom did everything she could
    went to school and did everything I should
    Sometimes don’t feel like it’s enough
    Honestly as I gotten older life has been clearer
    Things the me happy are sports and music and family
    One of the goals I have is to finish school and get a degree
    Hopefully future me will be pleased

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Christopher,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic reply. I particularly like your summary of the piece and how you describe how Tan’s point of view shifts over time. I would love to see you use even more quotes from the text to support your thinking.

      Excellent work.

      Love your micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  2. Tehmina Imanat

    I think this text is very fitting to my own experiences and my families experiences when it comes to speaking English. Reading this text made me feel so comfortable and I related to it so much because I used to ashamed when my parents couldn’t say a word in English the right way and I would have to correct them I order for someone else to understand what they were saying. I would speak the way my parents did because I felt like that was the only way they would understand me. This text made me realize that it is not something one should be embarrassed about, everyone has their own way in speaking and interpreting a language.
    This text is mostly about Amy Tan explaining how growing up affected the way she spoke English, she started to notice the English she spoke in front of the public giving a speech and speaking in front of her mom were two different ways of speaking English. She shared the times where she had to speak for her mom because her mom’s English was considered “broken” or “not proper”, this not only affected her way of speaking English but her education. Amy Tan states, “But I do think that 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. And I believe that it affected my results on achievement tests, IQ tests, and the SAT.” This sums up the main idea of the text, Amy Tan discusses how because of growing up in an immigrant family, her style of speaking English varies and changes depending on who she is communicating with.
    The genre of this text is personal essay. I say this because she shares her personal stories and memories with her mom. The tone of this text is emotional and sentimental because she expressed her feelings.
    When Amy Tan writes, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use” she realized throughout the years that she’s witnessing different ways she speaks in English.She mentions that there are different types of English language spoken, such as “broken”, “limited”, “proper” and “simple”. Amy Tan uses these different Englishes according to who she is speaking to and where she is at.
    When Amy Tan uses the term “Mother tongue” she describes the way her mom speaks English. By using this term, she expresses how difficult it was to be raised by a mother that speaks “broken” or “limited” English. She draws a line between “proper” English and then her “mother tongue”.
    Amy Tan’s perspective on her mother’s English as a child was that she was embarrassed or ashamed of it because she had to speak for her mother in some situations or pretend like its her mother talking so people could have a better understanding of what her mother is wanting to say. Over time she started to accept how her mother grew up and how her English affected her own. Also, over time she realized it wasn’t who and how you speak English but it is how the other person interprets it. I think Public speaking and writing changed her perspective.
    I think Amy Tan wrote this article to share a personal piece of her life. I think her intended audience are the people that were once ashamed of how they spoke English or of how someone they knew spoke English.
    I speak 3 different types of languages, English, Urdu and Punjabi. These different languages apply to different people, for example 98% of the time I speak in Urdu and Punjabi with my Mom and my elders because that is what they can communicate back with. I speak in English with my professors, friends and siblings because that is just a natural thing.

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Tehmina,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response. I particularly like how you make the connection to your personal experience and how you use examples and quotes from the text to support your thinking. Excellent!

      Love, love your haiku!

      Warmly,

      RC

  3. Tehmina Imanat

    PART 2: Haiku
    Youngest in family
    Grew up in a big household
    Trying to find myself

    • ngawangtenzin

      Same I have a really big household and I am youngest

    • ngawangtenzin

      Same I have a really big household and I am youngest

  4. ngawangtenzin

    I think this text was very confusing at first and also relatable because most of my family members cant speak English fluently and it is hard for me to communicate with them. I can’t properly speak my native language because I was born in America and I had to learn English because I was going to English school. My parents from time to time ask me when are you going to learn how to speak our native language fluently and I cant give them an exact answer. I think the article is about how she accepts her mother not being able to fluently speak English. She writes books for her mother so she can read them and she made them simpler so her mother can read them. The Genre of the text is a personal essay. The tone is very persuading and confident tone. When Amy Tan writes “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use”. She means of the way she talks to people because only some people knew what she was talking about when she spoke to her mother or when her mother heard how she spoke with other people she was surprised. when she says” different Englishes” she means to speak more fluently and use bigger words and she uses them with other people whose English is more fluent. when she uses the “word mother” tongue she means the way how her mother talks. As a child, I think Amy perspective was embarrassed by her mother English and “The fact that the people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously” You can see her mother’s life was not good and even for Amy because she had to deal with that. It changed over time when Amy realized that language does not limit one knowledge and understanding and people are smart in their own way. If someone cant speak a certain language fluently does not mean that they are not smart. Amy Tan wrote this article to show that language does not limit one knowledge she wanted to share this story with her audience so people see her situation and how she fought it and some people can relate to this story. My language does change when I am speaking to my parents, friends, and teacher. When I speak to my friend we speak fast or we use one letter that means something. When I speak to my parents I have to slow down a little bit if I want to speak English with them and I also miss English and Tibetan together sometimes.

    Born in America
    little time with parents
    move from country to country
    aunt was my best friend
    barley meet my family members
    time in boarding school taught me stuff
    learned everything in boarding school
    I got older began to realize life was just starting
    now in college as a freshman majoring in the computer system

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Tenzin,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response. I particularly like how you make the connection to your personal experience and how you use examples and quotes from the text to support your thinking. Would love for you to include a brief summary of the piece (1-2 sentences!) Excellent job!

      Love your micro-autobiography!

      Thanks for commenting on your classmate’s post!

      Warmly,

      RC

  5. Xenia Berkowitz

    This text was eye opening and validating for people who have a similar experience understanding more than one version of english due to being apart of a diaspora. It was well written, in a way people who can relate and those who do not relate can understand. It is mostly about the experience as an immigrant or a first generation immigrant who must speak differently depending on their audience. It is also about her mothers “tongue,” or her mothers specific version of english that she developed because it deviates from her native and internal language. The genre is personal essay and the tone is calm but passionate. She was made aware of the various englishes she uses because she uses more complex english for academic talks and with strangers or when she speaks to on behalf of her mother. She uses simpler english to communicate with her mother. When she says mother tongue, she is referring to the version of english her mother speaks. When she was a child she thought her mothers english was embarrassing and childlike. This changes because she realizes most Asian Americans are pushed in a math and science direction because of stigma around the way east asians speak and she resents this because she is more passionate about fiction and creative writing. She was influenced by the disrespectful treatment of her mother based on her english and her lower scores in english class that pushed her to explore it rather than get discouraged. Amy Tan wrote this article to express disappointment in the way Asian Americans are treated based on their english and to explain how her experience with various englishes has shaped her. Her intended audience is people who have similar experiences understanding more than one kind of english, or with condescending Americans who treat them poorly based on language and ethnic background. I use formal english to communicate with teachers and strangers, informal english to communicate with friends, and guyanese creole to communicate with my family members.The way I speak shifts based on my audience because of the consequences of speaking informally to adults and because of the language barrier that exists between me and my immigrant family members.
    Haiku:
    I am a woman
    an intuitive empath
    more than meets the eye

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Xenia,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response. I particularly like you summary of the text and how you describe the different “Englishes” you use every day. Excellent!

      Love your haiku!

      Warmly,

      RC

  6. Gerardo

    Gerardo Molina
    – I liked this text as I can relate being from an immigrant family that has had to make English their second language. It is easier now than what I would imagine it was for her but I do understand when she had to speak on her mom’s behalf.
    – This is a personal essay and semi formal in the tone that it is written in. It’s about the different ways the author spoke English. It varied differently when in an informal meeting to when she was with her family. She spoke like her mom when with her and it was a vague “broken” English without grammar. Her upbringing altered how she though of her mom and what she could achieve.
    – The way she speaks when at an important meeting vs when with her close family is different in the formality. Her mom’s way of broken English when not serious and a formal school way when at a meeting.
    – Mother tongue refers to the way her mom spoke English and the lack of formatting when specking and how that is what she grew up being used to.
    – She thought her English was holding her back and that she could not express herself as well because of it. It make her look bad but as time went on she learned that it was more imaginary and thus creative. Her leaning towards being a writer as she grew and liking language not just English.
    – I think she wrote this so that more people could relate to her and make people from other backgrounds get into writing.
    – When I text I often use shorter phrases and not as much sarcasm when talking to someone. When I want to be respected I use formal and with friends and family I don’t care about grammar.

    Oldest out of three
    Hardships will lead to greatness
    Logical problem solver

  7. Gerardo Molina

    – I liked this text because I can relate to it being from an immigration family who has had to learn English as its second language. It made me think that “broken” English was not bad and that there were different approaches to it
    – Its about how the author talks differently when around her family vs when at a formal meeting and giving a speech. The way her mom spoke at home influenced her speak later in life and how she thought of her mother. This is a personal essay with a semi informal tone
    – The way her mom speaks broken English and how she talks when at a meeting are vastly different. Her school way of speaking is used when an important meeting is at place and the informal way is used around her family.
    – Mother tongue for the author refers to the way her mom spoke English in a basic non grammatically correct way that she would be used to growing around.
    – As a child she thought that her moms way of speaking held her back and thus made her look bad but as she grew up she learned that it was more creative. Her likeness towards writing and language not just English made her change her thinking.
    – I think she wrote this to have others relate to her and maybe go into writing just like she had and make it more diverse
    – When texting I often use shorter phrases and other shortcuts vs when I want to be taken seriously I speak formally. Sarcasm can be lost in writing and speaking can go with body movements that cut down on what I am trying to explain.

    Oldest out of three
    Hardships will lead to greatness
    Logical problem solver

  8. Gerardo Molina

    Gerardo Molina
    – I liked this text because I can relate to it being from an immigration family who has had to learn English as its second language. It made me think that “broken” English was not bad and that there were different approaches to it
    – Its about how the author talks differently when around her family vs when at a formal meeting and giving a speech. The way her mom spoke at home influenced her speak later in life and how she thought of her mother. This is a personal essay with a semi informal tone
    – The way her mom speaks broken English and how she talks when at a meeting are vastly different. Her school way of speaking is used when an important meeting is at place and the informal way is used around her family.
    – Mother tongue for the author refers to the way her mom spoke English in a basic non grammatically correct way that she would be used to growing around.
    – As a child she thought that her moms way of speaking held her back and thus made her look bad but as she grew up she learned that it was more creative. Her likeness towards writing and language not just English made her change her thinking.
    – I think she wrote this to have others relate to her and maybe go into writing just like she had and make it more diverse
    – When texting I often use shorter phrases and other shortcuts vs when I want to be taken seriously I speak formally. Sarcasm can be lost in writing and speaking can go with body movements that cut down on what I am trying to explain.

    Oldest out of three
    Hardships will lead to greatness
    Logical problem solver

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Geraldo,

      Great job! I am so glad that you connected to the reading. I particularly liked hearing about how you describe your experience and how it relates to Tan’s. I would love to see you include examples and evidence from the text (such as quotes!) to support your thinking!

      Loved your micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  9. Saida Akbarova

    1. I can relate to this text “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan because my family and I are also immigrants and my parents cant speak perfect English but for me I can speak a lot better than they can because I started school here in 4th Grade which allowed me to catch up and learn from other students. Growing up I had to help translate to my parents and sometimes even speak for them because of their accent or sometimes from not being to explain it in English. So this text is something I can relate to and have experienced.
    This text is about her growing up and learning to accept the way her mom speaks and how it affected her growing up. Also how she spoke with her mom was way different then her friends and people she knew because the way she spoke in English was lot closer to theirs since she learned from others through school and growing up.
    The genre of the text is personal essay because Amy Tan shares her experience in how Language affected her growing up and she shared her personal challenges that she went through. And the tone of this text is encouraging and empathetic because I feel like her sharing this with us encourages others going through similar experiences and knowing we aren’t alone.
    When Amy Tan says “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use.” She means how differently she talks with her mom and her friends other she knows, with her mom she talks in the way he mom would understand but with other she might use better grammar and bigger vocabulary to speak. She could have no accent when she is with others or she could be using bigger vocabularies.
    By saying “Mother Tongue” I think Amy Tan means the way her mother speaks English and the way it impacted her growing up.
    Amy Tan’s perspective on her mother’s English growing up was that she was ashamed and she felt embarrassed by the way her mother spoke English because she said in the text how some people would not understand they way she spoke or some would act like they did not understand which made her feel embarrassed near others as a child.
    I think the intended audience that Amy Tan wrote this text would be people going through the same problem she went through as a kid. And that they can know they are not alone that a lot of immigrants and people from other countries go through similar situations. They can start accepting it more rather than being ashamed of what other people think.
    I speak both English and Uzbek, Uzbek is with my family and friends that also speak Uzbek but most of the time I find myself speaking more comfortably in English because I’m more used to talking that way with friends and at school. The way I speak changes depending on who I am with, for example my friends who speak Uzbek but also speak English well we tend to speak more in English with them because that is what we are used to more.
    2. Youngest out of the family, 2 older siblings, reliable and honest friend.
    Born in Uzbekistan, moved to America 8 years ago.
    Currently majoring in Architecture and love to draw and sketch.

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Saida,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response! I love the personal connection that you made with the text and how you describe your experience and how it was similar to Tan’s. I also like how you provide examples and evidence from the text to support your thinking.

      Great micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  10. Abdul Ikhlaq

    The text “Mother Tongue” written by Amy Tan was a well written piece. As I read through the text I’m able to imagine the scene. The way Amy Tan words her experiences is as if she is story telling. The way Amy Tan talks about her mothers broken English makes me feel as if we are related in a way as my grandmothers English is also very broken and the way she speaks her words confuses others but I understand clearly. The text is mostly about the 2 types of English she speaks. One when she speaks with her mother and the grammatical way. I say grammatical way because the text is about her differentiating the English she speaks with her mother and when she speaks to the public and friends. The text states “with her. I was saying things like, “The intersection of memory upon imagination” and “There is an aspect of my fiction that relates to thus-and-thus”-a speech filled with carefully wrought grammatical phrases.” This quote shows when Amy was aware her mother was listening to her, she realizes that she doesn’t speak to her mother with big words and proper grammar. The genre I feel this text falls into is a narrative essay. As you read the text you’ll see how she talks about her life and writes it though as a story. The tone I get as I read is formal. Amy Tan is on point and straight with what she’s trying to tell us readers. Amy Tan stating “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different English’s I do use.” means the English she uses when she speaks with her mother compared to when she speaks with her friends or at work. Text states “and I heard myself saying this: “Not waste money that way.” This quote shows Tan telling her mother to not waste her money a certain way. The way she stated that phrase was improper and not grammatical. That’s the point, that’s exactly how she speaks with her mother. That’s the broken English she speaks with her. When Tan speaks to the public or at work, that’s when she speaks proper English. Text states “Yes, I’m getting rather concerned. You had agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” This quote clearly shows that when Tan is on the phone with the stockbroker she speaks fluently and not broken. When Amy Tan states “Mother Tongue” that’s her referring to her mothers broken English. Amy Tan writes about how a child’s learning and way they understand a language is by the people/family around. Amy writes that because of her mothers poor English growing on her, it affected her test scores when she was younger. The text it states “affected my results on achievement tests, IQ tests, and the SAT. While my English skills were never judged as poor, compared to math, English could not be considered my strong” This quote states how her scores that she achieved in English sections of the exams show her weakness. The reason I think Amy Tan wrote this article was to prove those who think Asian American’s can’t be writers. To those who think Asian Americans aren’t literate. Amy tan wanted to be rebellious to those who wanted her to stay in the math and science field. She wanted to shut those who made those negative assumptions about Asian Americans. The way I speak definitely depends on who I am talking to. If I speak to my teachers or my professors, I will speak with respect and make sure what I say is clear. Compared to if I were to speak with my friends we will talk in slang. Words such as “Iono” (I don’t know) or “Bet” (ok). I wouldn’t talk to my professors in slang because it would show them how uneducated I am. Also talking in slang could give off a vibe of not caring to some people. Friends on the other hand are people we are comfortable with. Also they are in the same age group meaning we grew up together in the same generation.

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Abdul,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response! I really like how you use quotes and examples from the text to support your thinking and I love how you summarize what it is mostly about. I also like how you discuss the different versions of “English” that you use every day.

      Love your micro auto-biography!

      Excellent job!

      Warmly,

      RC

  11. Abdul Ikhlaq

    Part 2 Haiku:

    My name is Abdul
    My dad calls me the king
    But I am a Babashera

  12. Travion Burke

    What did you think of this text? Explain!
    – I thought that this text was a very relatable one and I say this because I noticed that when my mom is home or around family she speaks Patois, a language she is comfortable speaking with the people she are most closest to but when she is speaking to her boss at work or a person from a company that provides services she speaks using proper english knowing that they wouldn’t understand her if she did. I also believe this depends on the time and place. For example: if you are in a meeting and two people speak your language but everyone else does not speak you language option number one would be to speak the language that everyone is comfortable speaking so they can connect with you and understand what you are saying which shows the power of language.

    What is it mostly about? Write a 2-4 sentence summary. Be specific. Refer to the text itself. Use quotes even!
    -The text “Mother Tongue” written by Amy Tan is mostly about language and how your use of it may change depending on the time, place, and or person whom you are speaking to which shows the power of language and how it creates a connection. for example the text states “phrases-all the forms of standard English that I had learned in school and through books, the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother.” the way Amy and her mother would connect is by speaking “broken down” English in which would create intimacy between her and her mother because thats what they are most comfortable speaking at home, just like how people may not curse at home because they come from a christian household but when out with there friends they end up doing so. This text demonstrates how the flexibility of using language in a unique way can allow people to connect with different people.

    What is the genre of the text? What is the tone?
    -The genre of this text is a memoir, I say this because throughout the text the author recalls upon many past experiences that influenced her on her journey to becoming a writer and the things that lead her to challenge the idea of asians being only good at math and science in comparison to english. The tone of this text would be formal because she wrote it in a very serious matter letting us know that it is important that you embrace the language that you speak and how you should not be ashamed if your English isn’t perfect.

    Amy Tan writes, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use.” What does she mean by this? What different “Englishes” does she use? When does she use them?
    -When the author states “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use.” She is referring to the “broken english” in which her and her mom uses when communicating vs the standard English that was taught at school in which she would use at more professional settings. The author states “ phrases-all the-forms of standard English that I had learned in school and through books, the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother.” This quote specifically states where she would use the different types of English’s which backs up my answer.

    What does Amy Tan mean when she uses the term “mother tongue?”
    -When Amy Tan uses the term “mother tongue” she is referring to the language that her and her mother speaks which would be called mothers tongue because to her it’s more than just broken down English.

    What was Amy Tan’s perspective on her mother’s English as a child? How does it change over time? What influences led to her shift in perspectives?
    When Amy was a child she was ashamed of her mothers english but her persepctive changes over times because she learns to embrace the English spoken by her mother. The realization that led Amy Tan to shift her perspective is that language is very important, no matter how its spoken it still has a personal meaning behind it.

    Why do you think Amy Tan wrote this article? Who do you think is her intended audience? Amy Tan wrote this article to let people of foreign culture who speak different languages know that the language you speak is very important even if it’s considered broken English by others. Embracing your language is accepting who you are as a person.

    Think about your relationship to the languages in your life. Describe at least two different languages or forms of language that you use either in speaking or writing. For example, when you text or email vs. when you speak. Or when you speak to a family member vs. a friend. Or a professor vs. a friend. Does it change depending on your audience? How? Why? Two different languages that I find myself using would be New York slang vs proper English. I would use New York slang when speaking to my friends but when I’m in a more professional setting like school or at an interview I would use proper English because thats the appropriate way to approach a conversation in that setting.

    PART 2:Online Bio
    Im the middle child
    I find writing music as a way to express myself
    I love gaming
    Traveling is something I enjoy doing a lot
    Im more of a summer person than a winter person
    I like watching Netflix shows
    Im a very independent person I do not like depending on people
    I try to enjoy life to the fullest.

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Travion,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response. I really like the personal connection that you make with the text and I love the quotes and examples that you use to support your thinking. I also love how you describe the different “Englishes” that you use. Excellent work!

      Love your micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  13. Darleny Morel

    1. 1. I think that this text is quite interesting because I can relate to Amy. I can relate to her especially when she had to make calls for her mother translating and speaking a type of “simple” and broken English to others. This text is mainly about how hard it is to grow up with parents that speak little to no English. But, it the end she challenges herself and uses this to her advantage in her writing. The genre of this text is personal essay and the tone is confident, she is not ashamed of how she grew up after all. Amy is referring to when she speaks to her parents versus anyone else. According to her it is a “simple English” (Tan, 8). Although she mentions several, “Englishes” including the simple that she speaks to her parents, and the “limited” or broken that they speak to her. She only uses this simple English she speaks of when she is talking to her parents.  When Tan uses the term “mother tongue” she is referring to her different englishes aka the “broken english” her mother speaks. Amy’s perspective on her mother’s English as a child was that her English reflected her ideas, imperfect as she states “I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect.” (Tan, 9). It changes over time as she realizes that society thinks the same way. Influenced that led her to shift in perspectives are sociologist and linguist that are very precise. I believe she wrote this article to let others know it’s okay and you should accept how you grow up and the way you speak. I believe her intended audience is Asian Americans but overall just people with immigrant parents. When I text versus when I am speaking to a professor I have my informal and formal. These change and vary because when I may be speaking to my mother I may speak spanglish, both a mixture of Spanish and English. But, when it is a teacher I wouldn’t say “Wassup bro” because that’s not formal and they aren’t my friends because that’s not what they’re there for. I believe this varies to the relationship you have with the person or who the person is.
    2. My name is Darleny
    Born in New York, Brooklyn Raised
    I don’t celebrate my Birthday
    My favorite color is orange
    I am a electrical Engineering major
    I’m the oldest
    I have a younger brother who doesn’t have a middle name
    I love to shop and have adventures

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Darleny,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response. I love the personal connection that you make to the text. I also really like how you describe the many different “Englishes” that you use in your daily life. You do a good job using quotes and examples to support your thinking.

      Great job!

      Love, love your micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  14. Shariffe Mckennon

    I thought that the text was very interesting story about of a girl who used to believe her mother who had imperfect speech was always speaking imperfect thoughts but growing up made her realize english doesnt have to be perfect.

    This text was mostly about the author sharing her and her mothers tough experiences with english and how it affected their lives. “stars. And all the other pairs of words-red, bus, stoplight, boring-just threw up a mass of confusing images,” this tells us how simple pairing of words were difficult to her because her mind couldnt think of a clear answer like in math were she could of only gotten one answer. “me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear” is an example of her mothers experiences that shows how nobody would take her seriously and see her as inferior because she didnt sound right to them.

    I believe the genre of the text is personal essay about through her experiences she realized that their are probably people in the same boat as her and she doesnt have to prove a point to anyone and can just stick to what she knows and what her mother know best when it comes to writing. The tone is an informative tone.

    When she says shes aware of the englishes she uses she means she understands that theres a difference in how she normally speaks the language example she describe how she wounldnt normally use certain words and phrases when her mother is around, she wouldnt have to put much effort into her grammar compared to when shes talking groups of different people. Englishes she grew up with was broken english that her mother would speak to her with and simple english that she would use to communicate with her mother.

    Amy uses mothers tongue to describe the way in which her mom would communicate to her and amy would be able to understand her best because its coming from her and how she would formulate sentences based on chinese structure of sentences, Amy grew up with the way her mother spoke english and knows how to communicate back without fail.

    Amy was one of the people who thought less of her mother as a child because of how her mother spoke english, to her is seemed like she was speaking unfinished thoughts or being embarrassed by her mother for example when they spoke to her boss about the check and she used imperfect english amy was red faced and embarrassed. Over time the author began to understand the hardships her mother faced by understand how imperfect she was in english, like in tests shes would only get Bs and B+ because she couldnt get certain simple things to click which would vary her answers. And her mother told her that these answer dont have much limitation to them so she still didnt do well on them. And they she talks about her writing fiction and majoring in english to prove a point that she could do it but when writing she saw that she sometimes didnt understand what she was writing down. So she wrote in her and her mothers english sometime that she understood the best.

    She wrote this article to show that english arent many peoples strong suite especially when their immigrants taking on a new language can be difficult and hard to pick up based forming sentences the way they think i would sound in their language and not how it should sound in standard english. The intended audience is for people lick her and her mother who stuggle with english, to let them know that its okay to struggle english isnt perfect and you have to be perfect at it.

    When it comes to language for me its simply censored and not censored, censored when around family because they might look at me a certain way if i used certain words around them not because their foul most of the times but because their not versed in media or trends to know what certain words like bruh and deadass would mean so i keep it simple to what they now. And with a friend or specifically my friends they know most terms and more terms than i do because i learn from them so there isnt really a barrier to hold up. So change up my language based on who I’m talking to for my family, understanding me and me being able to express my thoughts to my friends in a funnier and more up to date tone.

    10 word memoir- bed bug and house reden forever never seeking the next thrill.

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Shariffe,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response. I love how you write a thoughtful and concise summary of the piece. I also like how you describe the ways you censor your language around different people I would love to see you include quotes and examples to support your thinking.

      Great job!

      Like your micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  15. Noman Saleemi

    – I think the text was very informative as it shared the author’s past experience she had with her mother in the English language. I think the text was mainly about the author’s experience in the English language and the challenges her mother faced speaking this language. It also presented the accomplishments gained from the author being able to speak English. For example, it states in the text “So she said she would not leave until the doctor called her daughter. She wouldn’t budge. And when the doctor finally called her daughter, me, who spoke in perfect English–lo and behold we had assurances the CAT scan would be found, promises that a conference call on Monday would be held, and apologies for any suffering my mother had gone through for a most
    regrettable mistake.” This shows one of the challenges faced by the mother for not speaking good English and the result of leveraging her daughter to help overcome her challenge. The genre of the text is a personal essay. The tone is compassionate as it shows the compassion the author had for her mother and how she was always there to help her. What Amy Tan when she says that is in there are places where she speaks formally and some places where she speaks informally. She speaks formally when she is around large groups of people and she speaks informally when she is with her mother. When Amy Tan says “mother tongue”, she means the way her mother describes things is not the way others would describe it. Amy Tan’s perspective on her mother’s English as a child is she used to be ashamed of how her mother would speak. It changed over time because she soon realized her mother’s words were full of imagery. The influences which led her to shift her perspective was when she began to understand the language more and more. I think Amy Tan wrote this article to inform people of the challenges she faced growing up and how she was able to overcome them and achieve success. I think her intended audience is for people who are going through or went through the same things as her. Two different forms of languages I use is formal and informal. It changes depending on the audience because with a professor I would speak formally and with a friend I would speak informally.

    – Only 18 years old
    Living with parents and a sister
    Never was too bold
    Striving to be the best

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Noman,

      Excellent job! This is a fantastic response! I like how you use examples and quotes to support your thinking and how you describe your own use of different “Englishes.” Great observation about how Tan’s perspective changes over time.

      Like your micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  16. Khalil Adams

    1)
    I thought the text was intriguing and brought an interesting perspective to the way people speak and interact with each other through speech.

    Amy Tan realized after a conversation with her friends and mom, that her style of english changes depending on who she was talking to, and what she was talking about. This contrasts her mother’s limited, broken English, despite this she defends that her mother is very intelligent and it’s just hard for others to understand her. This meant throughout Amy’s childhood she had to be a literal voice for her mother. She took these experiences and used them as fuel for her individuality as a writer, she elaborates on this near the end, “drafts-I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English I spoke to my mother, which for lack of
    a better term, might be described as “simple”; the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken”; my translation of her Chinese, which could certainly be described as “watered down”; and what I imagined to be her translation of her Chinese if she could speak in perfect English”.

    The Genre is memoir and the tone is light hearted.

    She uses a simple form of english that lacks complicated phrasing or words for communicating with her mother and a more complex form of english that is much more articulate, and use of advanced words, that she uses when giving speeches.

    By mothers tongue Amy simply means her mother’s unique way of speaking and how it impacted her mother and herself in life.

    Amy at first saw her mothers english as normal, but over time after experiencing other peoples better english, she started to realize how much worse and different her mothers english was.

    She wrote this to spread awareness and inspiration to other asian-americans who may also feel insecure about their skills with english.

    There are two forms of texting language that I use, one being the typical, more formal form that I use to communicate online with teachers, professors and superiors, that aims to help them take what I’m saying seriously. and a relaxed form that is used to communicate between friends and family, that is quicker but is very unprofessional

    2)
    Cunning but Lazy, Like a snake with a sloth’s brain.
    (I picked the 10 word memoir)

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Khalil,

      Good job! I really like how you use some specific examples from the text to support your thinking and I am glad that you enjoyed the text. I would love to talk more about the shift in Tan’s perspective about her mother’s English! Let’s discuss! Love how you talk about the different “Englishes” that you use!

      Great micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  17. Rudrajit Roy

    I think the text is in a way relatable to me since my parents speak a broken iteration of English and had to rely on me and my siblings on proper English. The text is mostly about what the author had to deal with in real-life situations where the mother’s broken English can be problematic. She had to deal with how people treat her mother as if she’s not worth listening to, as she mentioned, “…the fact that people…did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.” Along with that, she had ran into situations in which covering up her mother with her fluid English had also been embarrassing to the author as she stated one time when visiting a stockbroker in New York, “I had to get on the phone and say in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing…And sure enough the following week there we were in front of this astonished stockbroker, and I was sitting there red-faced and quiet, and my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting at his boss in her impeccable broken English.” The genre of this text is a personal essay since it covers a unique learning experience from the author’s perspective, and the tone of the text is rather informative in a way it describes the author’s POV on how a broken language can be cumbersome. In the text, the author describes she uses different “Englishes” meaning she uses different style of English to certain people. She uses a simpler English to her mother while she uses a more complex and smoother English to her husband. In the text, she also mentions the use of “mother tongue” and in short, she means that as her daughter, she can understand her mother perfectly whereas some may not as she explicitly states in the text, “Some say they understand none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese. But to me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear…” The author’s perception on her mother’s English has made her view how she perceived her mother’s English in which she states that she was ashamed at her English due to the problems it caused. Amy Tan wrote this text to share her story of her POV on her mother’s broken English and how it has affected her life when it comes with her mother in public areas. Her intended audience would probably be the people who may view broken English as something very hard to perceive and shrug it off. The two types of language I use is a formal one to more professional settings or an unprofessional language such as with a friend.

    10 word memoir: Lazy guy on a bed loving video games and sleep.

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Rudrajit,

      Good job! I really like the personal connection you make to the text and how you explain the way that Tan views her mother’s English vs. how others view it. I also like how you use examples and quotes to support your thinking.

      Great micro-autobiography!

      Warmly,

      RC

  18. Kaylee Castaneda

    I enjoyed reading this text because I feel like it can be relatable to me since I’ve gone through the same experience as well. I liked how she showed a personal experience so that other people can put themselves in her shoes and see how this impacted her.
    This passage was mostly on Amy Tan telling the readers an experience that she had as a child and how that shaped who she has become today. This memory of her mother not being able to speak English the “proper” way and Amy seeing it as an embarrassment. To how she later on realized that her mother was being discriminated against by the way she talked and expressed herself since English was not her first language. In the text it states, “know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly, her thoughts were imperfect.” This shows how she would think about her mother back then and couldn’t grasp over the idea.
    The genre of the text is a personal essay. I say this because she is explaining an experience that she has a personal connection to. The tone would be considered to be defensive along with nostalgic. Defensive due to the fact that later on she learns that people would be rude to her mother or not give her the services she needed just because her English was not as “clear”. She now can defend her mother and be proud of how her mother speaks since she was never taught the “right” way. This can also be nostalgic to her because it is a memory he now has and can look back to it from a different perspective.
    When Amy Tan writes, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use.” She means that she speaks English in different ways to different people. This means that with her mother she speaks English in a way where her mother understands best and how she learned it. She also sees that with her teachers and with other people like at work she would have to speak in a polite and formal way. She can mix up the way she talks because it would be rude and impolite. She has to use formal language at school and as she calls it “broken english” with her mother.
    She uses the term Mother tongue when she refers to how her mother speaks the language. Whether it can be the way she learned english and the language she speaks at home.
    Amy Tan’s perspective on her mother’s English as a child changed alot to how she thinks of it now. She would think that there was nothing wrong with how her mom spoke. She saw that it was normal since that’s what she was used to and it was a habit she always had. Later she notices that she did speak a little differently than other people outside of home. She saw how people wouldn’t really give her the treatment she deserved and she would see how people didn’t understand how she spoke but she could understand her clearly. She became a little ashamed of it as well. But as she got older she saw that people were discriminating against her and she saw how it was not fair to her mom and she learned to accept it.
    I feel like Amy Tan wrote this article for people to relate to her story. There are many people that live in the United States that were not born here and they didn’t know English when they got here. They then formed their families and would later on pick up the language in the streets or at work for those that couldn’t go to school. Their children then had to learn how they know the language till when they went to school they would learn it in the “proper way”.
    The language that I usually use to read and write is english. But I can also read and write and talk in Spanish as well. But with both languages, if I’m speaking to an older person that deserves respect like a teacher or at work I use it in a formal way. But when i’m talking with my friends I use slang in spanish and english and when I speak to my sister as well. But with my parents I talk in Spanish in a polite way along with my grandma and the rest of my family besides my cousins.
    Adventurous, caring and filled with energy along with having a fun

    • Rebekah Coleman

      Dear Kaylee,

      This is an excellent response! I really like how you use quotes to support your thinking and how you describe the different ways you use English and Spanish in your life. I also love your microautobiography!

      Excellent work!

      Warmly,

      RC

  19. Mahdi ahammad

    this text shed light on different ways people communicate with the same language although it’s in two completely different ways, this text is about the different Englishes that amy tan had to use to talk to different people throughout her life. I belive the genre of this text is a personal essay because she talks about her life as well as personal experiences the tone of this essay i would say is angry a bit as well as defensive,she’s trying to put us in her shoes so we can see her point of view. what amy tan means by “i was keenly aware of the Englishes i spoke” was that she knew in what setting and where to speak a different English and the different englishes are simple, broken, limited and proper. what amy tan means by mother tounge is the limited english she has to speak to her parents with that because her mother’s English was imperfect so was her thoughts. However, as she grew she learned that was not true. One’s english does not determine one’s intelligencethe intended audience and Amy Tans essay is the people who have criticized and judge her mother’s version of English. while speaking to a professor you talk with intelligence but if you were to talk with a friend you would be less formal

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