Analysis of Different Englishes in Amy Tan's Mother Tongue Essay

This essay analyzes Amy Tan's 'Mother Tongue,' focusing on the different types of English discussed, including Broken English, Simple English, and others. The essay emphasizes how these different Englishes, despite their imperfections, possess their own power to convey emotions and meanings, challenging the standardization of language. The author celebrates the beauty and richness of these variations, highlighting the impact of language on identity and communication. It examines how the author, through her writing, challenged the societal expectations and assumptions about language. The essay also highlights the significance of the author's mother's response to her work, underscoring the importance of these different Englishes in conveying complex ideas and emotions, and their role in shaping her perspective and understanding of the world.

Running head: ENGLISH
Different English
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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1. The Different Englishes which the author f Mother Tongue, Amy Tan discusses in her
essay are Broken English, Simple English, Broken English, Watered Down English and
the English with grammatical phrases which are wrought (Tan, 1990).
2. Each one of the types of English discussed by Amy Tan, in the essay denote that
imperfect English may have its own limitation, but they have power of their own to
justify the emotions which the speaker or the writer wishes to express while keeping the
essence of the thoughts and feelings alive. The imperfect English has its own richness
and defies the standardization which is set by the society and the language itself (Tan,
1990). It might not meet the standards and even belittle their status during a public
encounter. However, the author is celebrating the differences in the language spoken by
people who do not have English as their Mother Tongue yet can evoke strong emotions,
visuals and simple truths.
3. “Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. That was the
language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the
world.” She celebrates the beauty of her mother’s language and expresses how they catch
the essence and meanings. It might be fractured or broken, but it has a kind of wholeness,
bereft of any pretense, which shatters the limitedness of the language (Tan, 1990).
“Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving
assumptions made about me.” Amy has defied the odds and challenged the established
notions and expectations, as she has mastered the language by acquiring English Major in
College and later writing fictions in the same language. This proved her strength which
was earlier pointed out for being week. She aimed to highlight that the language is
beautiful despite the differences and variations spoken by people as it captures simplicity

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as well as complexity. Even though Amy feared that her possibilities might get reduced
due to her mother’s English, as linguists emphasize on the impact of developing linguistic
skills from peers. The most awarding of all was her mother’s response after reading her
book, when she claimed that it was easy for her to read too, as her daughter points out
and celebrates the different Englishes and their notions.

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References
Tan, A. (1990). Mother tongue. The Threepenny Review, 43(7).