Shristi Bajracharya

Professor Malvin
English 114A
09 September 2015
Response to Amy Tans Mother Tongue

Amy Tans article Mother Tongue appeared to me as very sensitive piece about the
problems that an immigrant student goes through while trying to pursue a career in literature. She
has explained a great deal about how the English that she spoke at home with her mother was
different compared to proper English. I can relate to this because coming from a country where
English isnt the first language, I too speak different types of English at home and outside of it.
When Tan stated that she never described her mothers English as broken, I felt that she was right
since I speak a different type of English with my family which can be understood by many
people but we do not use the same language while conversing with those outside of our family.
This English that I use with my family has become a sort of language of our own and although it
does not help me improve my language skills, it doesnt make it worse either. It is simply a
language of our own. I admire Tans determination and tenacity up to the point where she did not
give up on her love for writing and proved her teachers wrong by writing her heart out and
turning into a renowned writer. She is a beacon of hope in the lives of all the students who were
born into families where English isnt the first language.