The Mother Tongue

Amy Tan's essay on the issues of non-native English speakers has allowed me to understand the English language from a different perspective than which I would as a native English speaker. Although there are stereotypes within Mother Tongue English dialects and accents, the stereotypes of non-native English speakers seem to usually be introduced with a negative connotation. Particularly in the essay at hand, where Amy's ethnicity affects how native English speakers view her capabilities, as well as the almost immediate assumptions native English speakers create when in conversation with a non-native English speaker. 

Midway through the text Tan explains how she realised how her ethnicity limited her in a native English-speaking culture. "I think my mother's English had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life as well." The unfortunate and perhaps subconscious stereotype a native English speaker may associate to a non-native English speaker, or in Tan's case, her Asian ethnicity could have evidently affected her career path. Since Asians can be associated with Mathematics, Tan was somewhat forced to follow this social "rule", therefore doing nothing to improve her English speaking skills. This evidently creates a cycle for those in similar situations, continuing the "Broken English". 

Another negative connotation Tan has proved in her essay is the assumptions made by native English speakers to those who speak "Broken English".  Tan's mother had "long realised the limitations of her English" due to her incorrect use of grammar, obvious to native English speakers. This unfortunate reality for non-native English speakers can be due to the socioeconomic or a hierarchy of assumptions made by native English speakers. Perhaps native English speakers deem certain non-native English speakers unfit for their attention, a situation proved by Tan later on during her essay where her mother was unable to receive certain information due to her inability to communicate her message or feelings to the English speaking individual, however as soon as Tan explains her mother's point in less "broken English" she is given the right to the information. Non-natives definitely have to work twice as hard to earn the same respect as a native speaker.

All in all, non-native speakers are made to cross extra steps to be able earn the same respect as a native speaker in most languages, not excluding the English language. And as a result, these different cultures can be made to follow certain stereotypes in an predominantly English-language culture in order to follow the rules of society.