Mother Tongue and When I was PR- Matthew Gonzalez

Part One: Mother Tongue

” I think my mother’s English almost had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life as well. Sociologists and linguists probably will tell you that a person’s developing language skills are more influenced by peers. 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” I think this is an important quote because it shows how the much of an impact that the family can have especially in immigrant families to affect the kids ability to learn and properly adept to the English language. As well of showing of that if the family actively attempts to learn the language can prove different results as the the pronunciation for them trying to speak English. And how that the writer thinks that this can affect and did affect them in school.

Vocab Words:

impeccable(adjective)-faultless; flawless; irreproachable. Seen in ” 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.”

belies(verb)-to show to be false, 3rd person singular present indicative of belie. Seen in ” You should know that my mother’s expressive command of English belies how much she actually understands”

evoke(verb)-to call up or produce. Seen in” I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language — the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth”

Part Two: When I was Puerto Rican

“I was so proud of myself, I almost burst. In Puerto Rico, if I’d been that
pushy, I would have been called mal educada by the Mr. Grant equivalent
and sent home with a note to my mother” I feel that this quote is important it shows the differences in the standards seen in her home land what is expected. Showing even more the she know needs to meet these new and higher expectations. But also that it shows the difference in the school systems and how they treat the kids.

Vocab Words:

churning(noun)- to move or shake in agitation, as a liquid or any loose matter. Seen in ” I waved and she waved back. I started up the stairs, my stomach churning into tight knots.”

prepositions(noun)-any member of a class of words found in many languages that are used before nouns, pronouns, or other substantives to form phrases functioning as modifiers of verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Seen in ” In her class, I learned to recognize the structure of the English language, and to draft the parts of a sentence by the position of words relative to pronouns and prepositions without knowing exactly what the whole thing meant.”

unruly(adjective)-not submissive or conforming to rule; ungovernable; turbulent; intractable; refractory; lawless. Seen in “They were an unruly group.”