Journal Entry #9

"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, is a piece of writing that I personally relate to because the way in which the author describes how she grew up around her mother, as well as her upbringing at home, and how she would communicate through various forms of broken English. The text displays insight on how not everyone who is capable of speaking English communicates in the same way. I can relate to this story personally since I was not born here and was mostly raised in the Dominican Republic, so my English tends to come off with an accent. I struggle with certain words and find myself having trouble pronouncing them, so my English might end up sounding "broken". I believe this happens because English is not my primary language, as I mostly speak Spanish around the house, as well as around my family. In “Mother Tongue”, Amy explains how she used to make calls for her mom and pretend it was her because the way her mother couldn’t comprehend how to communicate well in English. This reminds me of when my mom would ask me to make calls for her in English and pretend that it is her talking, when it is in fact me instead.

Becoming literate helped Amy Tan better function in society, as she learned how to write more comprehensively, and by acquiring this skill she felt she became a more advanced person who was capable of achieving. She grew her literary skills by first starting to develop her vocabulary, as well as giving speeches and helping her mother. Becoming literate didn't just allow her to help her mom but it also helped her defend her mom from the people who either took advantage of her misinterpretation, or didn't respect her because they could not understand her. Lastly, I find this story to be relatable because there are a lot of people who go through this hassle and often feel the same way about either their English, or their families English speaking capabilities.