Ann Tan Mother Tongue Summary

I find it quite interesting to know how the author Ann Tan, has somewhat of a turn on and off switch. For instance, she stated in the beginning paragraphs of “Mother Tongue,” how she embraces the “power of language.” The author invites us into her world, giving us a clear picture of her own personal experiences that she encounters with the variations of languages. The author talked about the experience she had with her mother being in the room while giving a speech to a large group of people. According to the author, her speech was “filled with carefully wrought grammatical phrases,” the English language she had never spoken to her mother. The author also admits how she finds herself speaking what she later calls in the essay, “broken English,” to her mother and sometimes her husband. Why? Because this was the primary language used

in the household that she grew up in. I believe the idea that the author is trying to convey is how some people can adjust their languages to fit the situations, depending on who they are surrounded by.
I believe the author has a persuasive argument when getting her point across about everyday languages. Although the author is Chinese and I'm an African American woman, I can very well relate to the author's point-of-view. For example, there are a couple of my family members with master's degrees, and about a hand full of them possess a bachelor's degree. These family members are looked upon from other family members with high standards. Their intellect alone could have advanced them with even higher degrees. That's how intelligent they truly are. But during the last couple of family gatherings or so, I have noticed that those same ones that are looked upon with high standards, tend to have a slip of the tongue and use words that society likes to call “the ghetto language.” Now, I'm not quite sure if they are aware of the language, or if it's because that's what was spoken to them on the streets when they were growing up, or if it was the language that they were used to in the household. Nevertheless, I have found the language to be a little offensive, especially when they are known to speak with an English pattern that is perfect in all aspects of the language. I have often reminded them of their educational values and how important it is to be a good role model for our younger generation. For reasons alone, I would have to agree with the author one hundred percent.
One of the sections that really caught my attention was how the author described the way her mother communicated with others.

Although her mother's language was clear to her, others had a difficult time understanding her. I was shocked to read how the author had clearly defined her mother's language as being “broken” or even “fractured.” On one hand, she recognizes her mother as being intelligent, but on the other hand, she seems to be confused about her mother's language. For example, her mother reads the “Wall Street Week”, “Forbes” report, a few of “Shirley McClaine” books, and has a stockbroker. I believe the author relied too heavily on the assumption that just because her mother read proficient English, she should have been able to speak it. But life doesn't work like that and I found it to be an insult toward her mother. The other section that really got me to thinking was when the author talked about how she had to pretend to be her mother just to address certain business calls, with her mother breathing down her back. I'm sure there had to be times where the author might have felt a little frustrated with her mother's

language.
The comparisons between the introduction and the conclusion are consisted with each other from the beginning to the end. The author sets the tone right away when she introduces the “power of languages” to the reader. She then starts talking about her mother's “broken” English, and by her own admittance, how she has caught herself speaking the same way at times. In the end, the author's acceptance of her mother's everyday language is published in one of her books. So, yes, I find that the introduction and the conclusion of the story have a similar value within the material.
While analyzing the author's work, it made me view things in a different light. Before reading this essay, I knew the complexity of the Chinese language. But I would have never guessed how much the author was affected by her own mother's language. I admire the author's honesty, illustrating a couple of examples of her mother's imperfect language for the reader to get a glimpse of the kind of language that she has grown accustomed to. For instance, this is how the author's mother speaks on a daily basis. “Why he don't send me check, already two weeks late.” The author then went on to say how she had to basically translate her mother's words into perfect English in order for the language to be clear and concise. Clearly the language that was spoken by the mother was not proper English, something that was acknowledged by the author ever since she was a little girl. However, if the author hadn't received the adequate education herself, she too might have inherited that broken language from her mother.
When discussing the language barrier, the author makes her point about her mother's “broken” English when she breaks down her communication skills. The author tells how some of her friends “understands fifty percent” of what she is saying. Then there are some friends who say they understand eighty to ninety percent of her mother's speech. Others claim they don't understand her at all. Another part of the story that can be used as evidence is the fact that her own mother knows her limitation with the English language. That's why the author had to step in numerous times, just to communicate on her behalf. Lastly, sometimes the author's mother was denied good service because of the language barrier.
The target audience that I will be focusing on would be the American population between the ages of 5 and 70. Why? Because it is critical to acknowledge the importance of the Asian's language. Not to stereotype the Asians in any way, but the vast amount of them own dry cleaners, restaurants, nail salons, and stores. These places are visited mostly by those who speak fluent English. Since the Asian's English is limited, this may pose a problem for those Americans who are unable to understand their speech or it could trigger a negative response. Communicating with each other is essential and critical in maintaining a customer relationship and vice versa. And finally, although the author addresses her own situation, it is important to know that the language barrier extends well beyond the Chinese language. There are different cultures who's English is limited due to the lack of education.