Is it necessary to ignore ones identity while learning to speak English? In Amy Tans essay, Mother Tongue the author talks about her love for languages. The author highlights more about her life experience with her mother in America because of her mother’s barrier to the English language. Tan also talks about her mother’s humiliation due to broken English and how her mother broken speech affected her life. Tan further talks about the kind of language she speaks to the mother and husband as well as the one she speaks to the public. The author talks about her decision to take English as her major even though she was good in other subjects. Finally, Tan talks about how she became a writer and her love for languages despite the struggles she faced during her school days. In Richard Rodriquezs essay, Public and Private Language, the author talks about a little boy who speaks Spanish as his primary language and struggles with speaking the
English language. At school, Rodriquez was shy and timid because of his inability to speak the English language. His teachers had to contact his family at home about his difficulties in speaking English in school and suggested that they speak English at home to reduce their frustrations in school. The family had some difficulties but kept speaking for the sake of their kids. Rodriquez talks about his constant practice of speaking English at home and outside to become better. Rodriquez again talks about his isolation from the family to concentrate on the English language. After that, Rodriquez felt he had the power to speak English in public. From that time, Rodriquez considered himself an American citizen and was excited. ; I believe that one can maintain ones true identity while learning to speak an alternative English (Standard Academic English-SAE); however, the form of English that I learned as my first language is different from SAE.