Topic > "Broken English" on The example of the novel "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan

Introduction: 'Broken English' is what is spoken in many homes across America. People who come from a different country and settle in a new one are classified as immigrants. That said, once you settle in another country you have to get used to the culture, language and people in general. Say no to plagiarism violent."Shouldn't it be banned'? Get an original essay Background: Amy Tan is a Chinese-American writer who writes primarily about mother-daughter relationships. Tan grew up in a home where Chinese was her first language, so his mother's English was not; It was all great. People had difficulty understanding his mother because she spoke "broken English". mother, spoke the English language like her and realized that “English” people were spoken differently on behalf of herself and others The English language changes differently depending on who she is speaking to and who is around her. Thesis Statement: In the essay “Mother Tongue,” Tan examines and observes how she speaks English, why she believes the language is fascinating, and thinks back to how her changing background has shaped who she is. As with any child of an immigrant, he was once ashamed, but learns to embrace his background and not be ashamed of who he is or where he comes from. Tan does a good job of explaining her experiences with her mother's English and this helps immigrants relate to it and helps them know that it's okay to speak "broken English" because you can still communicate effectively and if you don't let hold back you can impact people like others you think you can't. Evidence and Citations: Tan recognized that as a writer, language is used as a tool in writings. It all started when he was giving a talk about his novel, The Joy Club. Before that, he had given versions of that talk before, but this time it seemed a little strange. Tan says: “I recently became aware of the different Englishes I use. I was giving a speech to a large group of people, the same speech I have already given to half a dozen other groups.” This reveals how switching from one English to another has become second nature. His English was correct and not at all like the English he spoke to his mother, and he realized this when his mother was in the room. Later, he realizes that the English spoken in his family is “broken” and that it replicates the anomaly of a native speaker/immigrant who learned English as an adult rather than as a child. Comment: There are several themes expressed in this essay, one of them is shame. Her mother's English caused her embarrassment when she was younger. Like any child whose parents don't speak English, he had to intervene so that the other person could better understand his mother. Topic Sentence: Tan told a story about when she was on the phone and acting like her mother, and was communicating with her mother's stockbroker about a missing check. Tan herself writes: "When I was fifteen, she made me call people on the phone to pretend to be her." It must have sounded like her mother, and you could hear and see how she struggled while her mother was in the background telling her what to say. Evidence and quotes: The man he was talking to was not fooled and Tan was very ashamed. She knew this wouldn't be the first or last time her mother would ask her to do this. Later that day, they see that man in person, and his mother starts yelling at him in her "broken" English, and he was surprised because she was yelling at him with a thick accent. It didn't look like it at alllike on the phone. Comment: This quote highlights how difficult it is to learn a new language, my mother has been in the United States for 19 years and her English is still not perfect. I know exactly how Tan feels when it comes to this topic, and it can be a little annoying sometimes, but I've learned to not feel embarrassed anymore. Tan wondered if the way her family spoke English limited her opportunities in life. After staying in hospital with her mother, Tan says, "I think my mother's English almost affected it, even limiting my options in life." Society tells you that “broken English” is holding you back, with tests they make you take and influential people who can tell you how certain people have a bad impact on your English. This quote reveals the difficulties of having to use different Englishes and how the thought of limiting possibilities can be anchoring. Topic sentence: Tan also recognizes how Asian Americans tend to be better at math than English and teachers notice this and steer them away from improving and focus on their strengths. Evidence and Quotes: When he realizes that Asian Americans perform better in math than English, Tan begins to think, “There are other Asian-American students whose spoken English at home could be described as 'broken.' Maybe they even have teachers who steer them away from writing and towards math and science” (3). Most Asian-Americans shared Tan's experience of having teachers "pull them away" from something they weren't good at and let them stay that way. Comment: This quote reveals that it is not only the way she speaks to her family that limits her opportunities in life, but also the people who are supposed to help her advance. Fortunately, he didn't let this happen for long and continued to major in English and write books. One of which was explicitly intended for his mother to read with ease. Topic Sentence: Tan uses all three of Aristotle's rhetorical styles in his essay "Mother Tongue." Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Ethos is used in the first two paragraphs to establish her identity as a writer. For example, she says, “I'm not a scholar of English literature. I am a writer,” to earn the reader's respect. Logos is also used to explain how her mother would call her to complain to people or ask for information on the phone. Tan mainly uses pathos in his essay to appeal to the readers' emotions. An example of his pathetic style is when he informs the reader of his mother's tumor “...the hospital was unapologetic when they said they had lost the CT scan, they didn't seem to have understanding when she told them she was anxious to know the exact diagnosis…” Comment: Tan significantly balances each part of the rhetorical triangle as each element ultimately leads to creating a very effective and thought-provoking essay. Concluding paragraph: Tan experiments a lot with the English language but above all she reflects on herself. Tan realizes how different it is for immigrants and the difficulty of communicating between the correct and broken languages ​​spoken in that country. He realized that one should not be ashamed of having to speak broken English because there is more joy in communicating effectively with someone close than in having the approval of others. Tan made an effort to improve her English, but ultimately wanted to post something that her mother could easily understand, regardless of what others thought of it. He believes there is beauty in the language and.