Although language is used to communicate information in a direct way, the style of language use also provides information about the person who speaks or writes and their relationship with the recipient. audience. Amy Tan discusses the different styles of English she grew up with as the child of a Chinese immigrant in her article, Mother Tongue. The title is a play on words, signifying both Tan's native English language and the style of English she uses when communicating with her mother. Her mother speaks English as a second language and has a specific way of speaking. Tan points out that her use of this simpler form of English with her mother, which seems awkward to native speakers, is something she does automatically. She is not consciously aware of switching between the style of English she uses with her mother and the more sophisticated American vernacular she uses with other native English speakers; It’s something she’s done since early childhood. Tan discusses the differences between the intimate language she shares with her mother and family and the formal language she uses with others. She effectively argues that these differences are an integral part of how people define their relationships with others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay and then explore the topic of the types of assumptions people make about others based on their speech style. Do the ways people speak with those within their inner circle and the ways they speak with those outside it still differ, and if so, are speakers actually aware of the change in style ? As a writer, Tan is fascinated by the uses of language and the subtle meanings they contain. The difference between the English Tan uses with her mother and the English she uses with others is highlighted in her mind when she gives a lecture on her novel The Joy Luck Club. This was a talk she had given many times before, and she uses erudite and syntactically complex English in these discussions. She realized as she spoke that her mother was in the audience. Her mother had never heard Tan speak professionally before, and this highlighted the difference between the two "Englishes" with Tan, as she wondered how well her mother would understand her speech. Tan gives an example of the style of English she uses with her mother to clarify the difference for the reader and to demonstrate how she slips into this usage with her mother without being aware of it. She describes walking down the street with her mother and discussing the cost of furniture. "...I heard myself say this: 'Don't waste money like that'." She would never phrase an English sentence that way to a native English speaker, but that's how she and her mother have spoken to each other in English since she learned to speak. Tan describes the difficulties that her mother's English speaking style causes outside the family and the Chinese American community. She knows that her mother's command of English is greater than her ability to express it and comments that her mother is able to read complex financial publications such as Forbes, appreciate American books, and listen to the news without problem. However, Tan notes that his friends tell him that they have a lot of difficulty understanding his mother's speech. The reader can feel the pain Tan feels when she remembers being embarrassed by her mother's stilted speech when she was growing up. She. 6, 2006, 20-23.