Shristi Bajracharya

Professor Malvin
English 114A
09 September 2015
Response to Amy Tans Mother Tongue
Amy Tans article Mother Tongue appeared to me as a very sensitive piece about the
problems that an immigrant student goes through while trying to pursue a career in literature. As
someone born into a family whose first language isnt English, she knew exactly how it felt to
dream of something that most people would consider to be impossible.
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 her story 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 too 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 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, one that I hold very dear to my heart. I admire Tans determination and
tenacious attitude, she kept this 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.