Gonzalez 1

Samuel Gonzalez
Professor Malvin
English 114A
September 23, 2015
Language
When it comes down to communication, perfect English is amongst one of the many
forms of language used to communicate in our economy today and Amy Tan expresses this
throughout here writing in this story. In Mother Tongue by Amy Tan and Why and When We
Speak Spanish in Public by Myriam Marquez, they talk about different forms of language and
why we choose these different languages to communicate to different audiences. In Tans piece,
she gives multiple examples of different English languages she used not only at school and at
home with her parents but in everyday life. In Marquezs piece, she gives an explanation as to
why she speaks a different language to get the same message out she could have said in English.
Throughout my life experience I have had many similar incidences not only at home but in
school and public places where I chose a certain form of language to communicate with at that
moment.
There are many forms of English people use from slang to proper English. When talking
or texting with my brother I will usually say, Hey wats up bro how u doing which is labeled as
slang because of abbreviating words like wats which means what is or bro which means
brother. But when I am in school I use proper English which is the opposite of slang like we
were taught in school. Tan states, And I use them all all the Englishes I grew up with (479).
This means that Tan grew up learning and speaking many different forms of English. We use

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these different types of languages for different occasions because it is what best helps other
people understand or even yourself understand how to make sense of the conversation presented
during the occasion.
Often, people tend to make up their own form of language that applies within a certain
group or audience. Tan describes, It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of
English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with (479). This means that they have
adapted to that form of language that they only use when talking with family hense family talk.
Within my family we never called our grandmother grandma, we called her Tita. This was just a
word we used in our family and only we were the ones who understood it and why we called her
that. To us, our form of family talk had a meaning and purpose.
There is not one form of language that everybody in the universe knows how to speak.
Marquez states, From its inception, this country was careful not to promote a governmentmandated official language (528). This means that the government did not choose any one
language as the permanent language of the country. In general, there are many U.S. citizens that
dont know how to speak English. Therefore, this comes to prove that not everybody in the
United States of America can speak English. This is significant because it means that any
language can be used to communicate. So why come up with an official language if does not fit
or apply to everybody.
I believe people choose to speak in their native languages because they feel more
comfortable speaking it. Marquez explains that, Its a matter of respect for our parents and
comfort in our cultural roots (528). This means that they feel comfortable speaking in their
different language. Tan states that, That was the language that helped shape the way I saw

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things, expressed things, made sense of the world (480). This means that the language she used
helped her view many possibilities in life as well as help her make sense of this world. When I
am out with my dad at a restaurant, we speak Spanish because my dad feels most comfortable
when speaking in his cultural root. As for me, I speak to him in Spanish out of respect towards
him. Like my dad, there are many people out there that grew up learning a different language
other than English. They chose that language because it helped them get a better perspective of
what is around them.
In my family we have our own way of speaking where every one of us can understand
each other. There are different types of language I grew up with like slang, Spanish, proper, and
family talk. There are multiple reasons as to why speak the way we do in different occasions.
There isnt a label on people that says how they are supposed to speak at all times. There is not
only one choice but many different possibilities and preferences out there for the taking. I urge
people to explore their possibilities out there in the world and find which form works best with
groups of people or family members. Most important of all find which form of language you feel
comfortable speaking, and helps you better make sense of what is around you.

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Work Cited
Marquez, Myriam. Why and When We Speak Spanish in Public. Models for Writers. 12th ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2015. 527-529. Print.
Tan, Amy. Mother Tongue. Models for Writers. 12th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins,
2015. 478-484. Print.

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Dear Professor Malvin,

To begin writing this essay I read some short essays and chose the ones I was best able to
relate to. Meanwhile reading these essays, ideas about what I could write about would pop into
my head and I would jot them down on the margins of the essays. I also would highlight great
quotes I thought could make it the essay. Then, its straight to the computer and I start typing
what topic I think was the best for me. I go through a little trial and error here and there until I
get my finished product. I believe that my personal strength in essay writing is structure and
organization of my paper. But my weakness in essay writing is making my essay a long essay
and I run out of words to say. I hope to improve on making my essays longer in the future.
Sincerely,
Samuel Gonzalez