Asian American Voices

Apart from what any critic had to say about my writing, I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: "So easy to read." —"Mother Tongue,"Amy Tan Why does Tan's mother think the book is easy to read? It is written at a low grade level. It uses lots of familiar Chinese expressions. It expresses the many types of English the Tan family uses. It impresses a lot of literary critics.

It expresses the many types of English the Tan family uses.

Central ideas "Society unfairly judges people based on their ability to speak proper English." "Tan uses many different Englishes in her writing." Which of the following statements most accurately summarizes Tan's message in "Mother Tongue"? Life as a nonnative speaker is difficult, but proper English can be learned. Language rules are less important than the meaning and passion the speaker conveys. The rules of different languages are incompatible and ultimately meaningless. Telling people that they speak "broken" English will encourage them to learn proper English.

Language rules are less important than the meaning and passion the speaker conveys.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." And here you would be presented with a list of four possible pairs, one of which showed the same kind of relationship: red is to stoplight, bus is to arrival, chills is to fever, yawn is to boring. Well, I could never think that way. I knew what the tests were asking, but I could not block out of my mind the images already created by the first pair, "sunset is to nightfall"—and I would see a burst of colors against a darkening sky, the moon rising, the lowering of a curtain of stars. How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt? Tan gives an example of a test question to support the idea that more efforts must be made in the home to expose children to standard English. Tan relates a story about taking an achievement test to support the idea that English curricula must be structured more like math curricula. Tan discusses achievement tests to support the idea that language cannot be separated from the personal meanings and experiences attached to it. Tan describes her experience with achievement tests to support the idea that published authors are most qualified to write test questions for students.

Tan discusses achievement tests to support the idea that language cannot be separated from the personal meanings and experiences attached to it.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."And sure enough, the following week there we were in front of this astonished stockbroker, and I was sitting there red-faced and quiet, and my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting at his boss in her impeccable broken English.The inference suggested by this excerpt is that nonstandard forms of English are used more by older adults than by younger adults can be as effective as the standard form of Englishlimit the speaker's ability to stand up for herselfmake communication between cultures difficult.

can be as effective as the standard form of English

Read the English translation on this sign. What might an American audience assume about the people who run the center where this sign was posted? Check any of the boxes that you agree with. A sign that reads "please steek gently" that they speak many languages that they use nonstandard spelling that they made a mistake

select all

Highlight evidence in the passage below that supports the inference that people are treated better when their English is perceived as proper. My mother had gone to the hospital for an appointment, to find out about a benign brain tumor a CAT scan had revealed a month ago. She said she had spoken very good English, her best English, no mistakes. Still, she said, the hospital did not apologize when they said they had lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing. She said they did not seem to have any sympathy when she told them she was anxious to know the exact diagnosis, since her husband and son had both died of brain tumors. She said they would not give her any more information until the next time and she would have to make another appointment for that. So she said she would not leave until the doctor called her daughter. She wouldn't budge. And when the doctor finally called her daughter, me, who spoke in perfect English - lo and behold - we had assurances the CAT scan would be found, promises that a conference call on Monday would be held, and apologies for any suffering my mother had gone through for a most regrettable mistake.

"She said she had spoken very good English, her best English, no mistakes. Still, she said, the hospital did not apologize when they said they had lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing." "And when the doctor finally called her daughter, me, who spoke in perfect English - lo and behold - we had assurances the CAT scan would be found, promises that a conference call on Monday would be held, and apologies for any suffering my mother had gone through for a most regrettable mistake.:"

Which of the following best summarizes one central idea of the passage from "Mother Tongue"? All forms of the English language are meaningful and purposeful. Some forms of the English language do not translate well into writing. The English language would be more efficient with a Chinese structure. English language proficiency can only be determined through testing.

All forms of the English language are meaningful and purposeful.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."And sure enough, the following week there we were in front of this astonished stockbroker, and I was sitting there red-faced and quiet, and my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting at his boss in her impeccable broken English.What can be inferred from the excerpt? Nonstandard forms of English can be as effective as the standard form of English. Nonstandard forms of English limit a speaker's ability to stand up for herself. Nonstandard forms of English make communication difficult between cultures. Nonstandard forms of English are used more by older adults than by younger adults.

Non-standard forms of English can be as effective as the standard form of English

My mother had gone to the hospital for an appointment, to find out about a benign brain tumor a CAT scan had revealed a month ago. She said she had spoken very good English, her best English, no mistakes. Still, she said, the hospital did not apologize when they said they had lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing. She said they did not seem to have any sympathy when she told them she was anxious to know the exact diagnosis, since her husband and son had both died of brain tumors. She said they would not give her any more information until the next time and she would have to make another appointment for that. So she said she would not leave until the doctor called her daughter. She wouldn't budge. And when the doctor finally called her daughter, me, who spoke in perfect English — lo and behold — we had assurances the CAT scan would be found, promises that a conference call on Monday would be held, and apologies for any suffering my mother had gone through for a most regrettable mistake. —"Mother Tongue,"Amy Tan Based on the passage, which of the following statements is an accurate inference? People are treated better when their English is perceived as proper. People are lied to when they do not speak proper English. People become unhealthy because of the poor treatment they receive. People who persist eventually get what they want.

People are treated better when their English is perceived as proper.

I wanted 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. —"Mother Tongue,"Amy Tan Based on the passage, what conclusion can be made about Tan's opinion of language ability tests? She believes they are an imperfect way of understanding a person's expression. She believes they are essential to determining who needs extra instruction. She believes they are often filled with interesting stories for students. She believes they are a good way of getting students to think imaginatively.

She believes they are an imperfect way of understanding a person's expression.

Math is precise; there is only one correct answer. Whereas, for me at least, the answers on English tests were always a judgment call, a matter of opinion and personal experience. Those tests were constructed around items like fill-in-the-blank sentence completion, such as, "Even though Tom was ___, Mary thought he was ___." And the correct answer always seemed to be the most bland combinations of thoughts, for example, "Even though Tom was shy, Mary thought he was charming," with the grammatical structure "even though" limiting the correct answer to some sort of semantic opposites, so you wouldn't get answers like, "Even though Tom was foolish, Mary thought he was ridiculous." Well, according to my mother, there were very few limitations as to what Tom could have been and what Mary might have thought of him. So I never did well on tests like that. —"Mother Tongue,"Amy Tan Based on this passage, which of the following statements is an accurate inference? Tan enjoys English, so she resists the fact that she is gifted at math. Tan believes that English tests are unfair to nonnative English speakers. Tan is equally embarrassed at her mother's inability to do math. Tan blames her mother for her own problems with writing and speaking.

Tan believes that English tests are unfair to nonnative English speakers.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Those tests were constructed around items like fill-in-the-blank sentence completion, such as "Even though Tom was ______, Mary thought he was _____." And the correct answer always seemed to be the most bland combinations of thoughts, for example, "Even though Tom was foolish, Mary thought he was ridiculous." Well, according to my mother, there were very few limitations as to what Tom could have been and what Mary might have thought of him. So I never did well on tests like that.What can be inferred from the excerpt? Tan believes that achievement tests should include a wider variety of fill-in-the-blank questions. Tan believes that achievement tests should be constructed by published authors of fiction. Tan believes that achievement tests give inadequate measurements of language ability. Tan believes that achievement tests give inflated measurements of language ability.

Tan believes that achievement tests give inadequate measurements of language ability.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her. We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: "Not waste money that way." My husband was with us as well, and he didn't notice any switch in my English. And then I realized why. It's because over the twenty years we've been together I've often used that same kind of English with him, and sometimes he even uses it with me. It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with. What can be inferred from the excerpt? Tan believes that nonstandard English can make family communication difficult. Tan believes that nonstandard English can be an important part of family culture. Tan believes that the use of nonstandard English is a way to keep family business private. Tan believes that the use of nonstandard English must be guarded against in public.

Tan believes that nonstandard English can be an important part of family culture.

Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me. I became an English major my first year in college, after being enrolled as pre-med. I started writing nonfiction as a freelancer the week after I was told by my former boss that writing was my worst skill and I should hone my talents toward account management. But it wasn't until 1985 that I finally began to write fiction. And at first I wrote using what I thought to be wittily crafted sentences, sentences that would finally prove I had mastery over the English language. Here's an example from the first draft of a story that later made its way into The Joy Luck Club, but without this line: "That was my mental quandary in its nascent state." A terrible line, which I can barely pronounce. —"Mother Tongue,"Amy Tan What is the central idea of this passage? Tan was rebellious and did what she wanted to do. Tan was offended by what her manager said about her writing skills. Tan chose writing even though English was not her strongest skill. It took Tan several years to begin writing fiction.

Tan chose writing even though English was not her strongest skill.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her. We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: "Not waste money that way." My husband was with us as well, and he didn't notice any switch in my English. And then I realized why. It's because over the twenty years we've been together I've often used that same kind of English with him, and sometimes he even uses it with me. It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with.How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt? Tan discusses the form of language she uses with her family to support the idea that nonstandard English is only appropriate at home. Tan describes a realization she makes while with her husband to support the idea that nonstandard forms of English are important forms of communication. Tan compares the English of her childhood with the English of her adulthood to support the idea that adults should use standard English with children. Tan relates a story about her husband to support the idea that people do not always understand each other, even when they speak the same language.

Tan describes a realization she makes while with her husband to support the idea that nonstandard forms of English are important forms of communication.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Yet some of my friends tell me they understand 50 percent of what my mother says. Some say they understand 80 to 90 percent. Some say they understand none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese. But to me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It's my mother tongue. 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.How does Tan build a central idea of her story in the excerpt? Tan describes her friends' understanding of her mother to support the idea that nonstandard forms of English should only be used in the home. Tan uses numerical data to support the idea that nonstandard forms of English are on the decline and being replaced by one standard form. Tan tells a story about her mother's life to support the idea that learning the language of a new country comes naturally to most people. Tan discusses her mother's English to support the idea that the language of one's childhood is a person's deepest, truest form of expression.

Tan discusses her mother's English to support the idea that the language of one's childhood is a person's deepest, truest form of expression.

Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me. I became an English major my first year in college, after being enrolled as pre-med. I started writing nonfiction as a freelancer the week after I was told by my former boss that writing was my worst skill and I should hone my talents toward account management. But it wasn't until 1985 that I finally began to write fiction. And at first I wrote using what I thought to be wittily crafted sentences, sentences that would finally prove I had mastery over the English language. Here's an example from the first draft of a story that later made its way into The Joy Luck Club, but without this line: "That was my mental quandary in its nascent state." A terrible line, which I can barely pronounce. —"Mother Tongue,"Amy Tan Which statement is the best summary of the central ideas in the whole passage? Tan is not easily discouraged, even when others do not think she is good at something. Tan is still embarrassed by her earliest attempts at writing fiction because she assumed that she could use her mother tongue. Tan disproved assumptions, including her own assumptions about what type of English was best for fiction, by choosing to write.

Tan disproved assumptions, including her own assumptions about what type of English was best for fiction, by choosing to write.

Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue."Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her. We were talking about the price of new and used furniture and I heard myself saying this: "Not waste money that way." My husband was with us as well, and he didn't notice any switch in my English. And then I realized why. It's because over the twenty years we've been together I've often used that same kind of English with him, and sometimes he even uses it with me. It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with.Which information from the excerpt best supports the inference that nonstandard forms of English can express relationship nuances that standard English cannot? Tan encourages her husband to use nonstandard English so her mother can understand him. Tan uses nonstandard English with her husband so that he can better understand what she is saying. Tan forces herself to use nonstandard English with her family to make them feel more comfortable. Tan uses the nonstandard English of her childhood with her husband because it expresses intimacy.

Tan uses the nonstandard English of her childhood with her husband because it expresses intimacy.

EXAM 100% Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." Lately, I've been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as "broken" or "fractured" English. But I wince when I say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than "broken," as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. What best supports the inference that Tan believes nonstandard English is no less valid than standard English? Tan spends a lot of time thinking about her mother's "fractured" English. Tan has trouble thinking of descriptive words when she is writing. Tan's American education makes it difficult for her to understand her mother. Tan winces when she describes her mother's English as "broken."

Tan winces when she describes her mother's English as "broken."

Central idea: "Society unfairly judges people based on their ability to speak proper English." Which of the following details does Tan provide to develop this central idea? Check all of the answers that are correct. Tan uses different "Englishes" with her mother and her husband. Tan's mother understands complicated financial news but was treated poorly by her stockbroker. Tan chooses not to study math or engineering in college. Tan receives better treatment than her mother because she speaks proper English.

Tan's mother understands complicated financial news but was treated poorly by her stockbroker. Tan receives better treatment than her mother because she speaks proper English.