A Bilingual Journey From Two Different Cultures - 988 Words

A bilingual journey from two different cultures, Amy Tan and Richard Rodriguez recounts their joys and pains of growing up in an english speaking country. An American born Chinese, Tan was born to immigrant parents from China, while Rodriguez hails from a spanish American-Mexican background, and just like Tan, was also born and raised in the United States. Although both writers grew up in native speaking homes, each varied in terms of parental influence on their second language. On similarities, not only are both writers English majors, they are also considered to be successful in their respective writing careers. Tan is an English major graduate with a masters in Linguistics. Along with the rest of Tan’s bestselling writings is her first novel the â€Å"Joy Luck Club† which was made into a movie. A writer, lecturer and editor for major newspapers and other world known press, the same literacy success story applies to Rodriguez who had earned his BA in English in prestigious Stanford University. Tan’s essay on Mother Tongue depicts a story of a daughter who grew up learning different type of â€Å"Englishes† (510). The latter described as the kind of English wherein one may regard as â€Å"simple†, yet she fondly refers to as her â€Å"Mother’s English.† In addition to those Englishes is the â€Å"broken English† or Tan’s mother’s communication style with her. Lastly is Tan’s own translation of her mother’s English which she described as â€Å"watered down† An impression that is distinctlyShow MoreRelatedThe Benefits of Bilingualism1605 Words   |  7 PagesLanguage and culture diversity have always been an intercontinental barrier in the past. Now, many people have learned to acquire other languages for them to destroy that barrier and also maybe to appreciate and learn other cultures that may one day help them towards becoming universal citizens. Some people have argued that these people, known as bilinguals, are tainting their respective cultures by learning a different language and learning other cultures. As a result, these bilinguals end up beingRead MoreThe Benefits of Bilingualism1596 Words   |  7 PagesLanguage and culture diversity have always been an intercontinental barrier in the past. Now, many people have learned to acquire other languages for them to destroy that barrier and also maybe to appreciate and learn other cultures that may one day help them towards becoming universal citizens. Some people have argued that these people, known as bilinguals, are tainting their respective cultures by learning a different language and learning other cultures. 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