In her short piece, “Mother Tongue”, Amy Tan explains that she is the daughter of immigrants who fled the Chinese Revolution, and for that reason grew up in a home where English was not the first language. She then describes her relationship with her mother, specifically in regards to the way that her mother’s “broken” English directly impacted her, almost to the effect where it could have “limited her possibilities in life” (79). She mentions this effect in relation to her performance on different achievement tests, such as the SAT’s or IQ tests, where it was clear that English was not her “strong suit”. She then shifts to show how her mother’s broken English even impacted her own self (the mother), like in the way people perceived (and sometimes disrespected) her due to her lack of perfect English. But despite the difficulties the mother faces or the challenges that she herself faced, Tan states “my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural…. 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” (77).

She argues that her mother’s version of English, is not a “broken” English, but rather a “simple” one who’s substance/context is nothing short of the substance/context of a first-language English speaker. Her versions of English between her and her mother (the English she spoke to her mother, and the English her mother spoke to her) were just an example of the multiple “Englishes” she grew up with. The rest, she states, are her “translation of her [mother’s] Chinese”, her “perfect English”, and “what [she] imagined to be her translation of her [mother’s] Chinese if she could speak in perfect English”. Despite all these languages, she states to her readers (which I would say are people who can relate to dual-language homes or perhaps readers who are children of immigrants) that her goal in writing her stories was to envision her mother and in doing so, be able to “capture what language ability tests can never reveal: her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts” (80). Through experiences that she shares with the readers, Tan shows a growing appreciation for the version of the English language she grew up with.

At first I thought it was very clear to think Tan’s title for this piece was very fitting, as she essentially spoke abut her mother tongue. But when I gave a little more thought to it, I realized that there was no single mother tongue language that she spoke about. Broken or simple English does not even constitute an actual language. However, it seems to me that Tan was able to put all the “Englishes” she grew up with into perspective and appreciate them as much as anyone would appreciate the value in their native language, or mother tongue.

I loved reading this piece and though I would not describe my parents’ proficiency in English as “broken” as Tan would, I was still able to connect with much of what she had to say. I was able to relate with how Tan described the impact the broken English had on her and with how Tan described how the “broken” English impacted her own mother. I grew up in a home with three languages, Farsi, Hebrew, and “simple” English. I was definitely able to relate to the stories Tan described in which the mother would say a string of English words, and how Tan would have to put them together in a clear, coherent matter. I also connected with how Tan would use a simpler English when speaking to her mother, sometimes without even being so conscious of doing so! I also felt that I was able to relate with how Tan described the impact the “broken” English had on her mother, how people would look at her differently. This resonated with the occasional frustration I see my mom go through when she can’t seem to find the right words to say what she means to say.

Like Tan, growing up with several “Englishes” posed a possible challenge, not just for herself (or myself) but for her mother (and my mother and father too). However, regardless of the challenges, I can, just as Tan did, proudly state my gratitude and appreciation for those several languages we grew up with.