Page 68 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

TRM Lesson Plan
A lesson plan for this text can be found in Mother Tongue
the Teacher’s Resource Materials. Amy Tan
TRM Text Talk Video and Podcast Amy Tan (b. 1952) grew up in California. She has an MA in linguistics
A Text Talk featuring the authors of The and has written several best-selling novels, including The Joy Luck

Language of Composition in a roundtable Central Essay Club (1989) and The Valley of Amazement (2013) . Her most recent
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
discussion of the rhetorical features and book is Where the Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir (2017) . Mireya Acierto/Getty Images
pedagogical approaches to this text is

available in both video and podcast form. KEY CONTEXT In her work, Tan draws on her Chinese heritage
Both formats can be found in the Teacher’s to depict the clash of traditional Chinese culture with modern-day
Resource Materials. American customs. Tan collected many of her nonfiction writings in
The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings (2003). “Mother Tongue” is from that
TRM ELL Essential Guide Handout collection.
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
An ELL Essential Guide for this reading
can be found in the Teacher’s Resource am not a scholar of English or literature. I can- c carefully wrought grammatical phrases, bur- -
ugh
al phr
as
es
t gr
, b
efull
ar
amm
y wr
o
tic
ur
a
Materials. I not give you much more than personal opin- dened, it suddenly seemed to me, with nominal-
dened, it suddenly seemed to me, with nominal-
ized forms, past perfect tenses, conditional
TRM Vocabulary Handout ions on the English language and its variations ized forms, past perfect tenses, conditional
phrases, all the forms of standard English that I
in this country or others. phrases, all the forms of standard English that I
Vocabulary in Context exercises based on I am a writer. And by that definition, I am had learned in school and through books, the
had learned in school and through books, the
challenging words from this reading can be someone who has always loved language. I am forms of English I did not use at home with my
forms of English I did not use at home with my
found in the Teacher’s Resource Materials. fascinated by language in daily life. I spend a mother.
mother.
Just last week, I was walking down the street
great deal of my time thinking about the power Just last week, I was walking down the street
with my mother, and I again found myself con-
of language — the way it can evoke an emotion, a with my mother, and I again found myself con-
BUILDING CONTEXT visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. scious of the English I was using, the English I
scious of the English I was using, the English I
Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them do use with her. We were talking about the
do use with her. We were talking about the
Y ou might ask students to think about family all — all the Englishes I grew up with. price of new and used furniture and I heard
You might ask students to think about family
price of new and used furniture and I heard
relationships and identity before they read Recently, I was made keenly aware of the dif- myself saying this: “Not waste money that way.”
Recently, I was made keenly aware of the dif-
myself saying this: “Not waste money that way.”
this passage. Have they experienced family ferent Englishes I do use. I was giving a talk to a My husband was with us as well, and he didn’t
ferent Englishes I do use. I was giving a talk to a
My husband was with us as well, and he didn’t
clashes? Which clashes are simply personal large group of people, the same talk I had notice any switch in my English. And then I
large group of people, the same talk I had
notice any switch in my English. And then I
differences of opinion and which clashes already given to half a dozen other groups. The realized why. It’s because over the twenty years
realized why. It’s because over the twenty years
already given to half a dozen other groups. The
may arise from cultural expectations? How nature of the talk was about my writing, my life, we’ve been together I’ve often used that same
nature of the talk was about my writing, my life,
we’ve been together I’ve often used that same
important are family and their parents’ cul- and my book, The Joy Luck Club . The talk was kind of English with him, and sometimes he
and my book, The Joy Luck Club . The talk was
kind of English with him, and sometimes he
tures to their sense of identity? going along well enough, until I remembered even uses it with me. It has become our lan-
going along well enough, until I remembered
even uses it with me. It has become our lan-
guage of intimacy, a different sort of English
one major difference that made the whole talk guage of intimacy, a different sort of English
one major difference that made the whole talk
that relates to family talk, the language I grew
sound wrong. My mother was in the room. And
sound wrong. My mother was in the room. And that relates to family talk, the language I grew
BUILDING CONTEXT it was perhaps the first time she had heard me up with.
up with.
it was perhaps the first time she had heard me
give a lengthy speech, using the kind of English I So you’ll have some idea of what this family 5
give a lengthy speech, using the kind of English I
First-generation American students will have never used with her. I was saying things like talk I heard sounds like, I’ll quote what my
have never used with her. I was saying things like
likely be readily able to connect to the diffi- “The intersection of memory upon imagination” mother said during a recent conversation which
“The intersection of memory upon imagination”
culties Tan faced growing up; they probably
culties T an faced gr owing up; they pr obably and “There is an aspect of my fiction that relates I videotaped and then transcribed. During this
and “There is an aspect of my fiction that relates
recognize the notion of having dual identi- to thus-and-thus” — a speech filled with conversation, my mother was talking about a
to thus-and-thus” — a speech filled with
ties and having to communicate for family
members whose dominant language is not 174
standard American English. However, this
essay can be taught in a way that cultivates
essay can be taught in a way that cultivates
a connection with all students, regardless
of heritage. You can remind students they
code-switch often. They likely use different 05_sheatlc4e_40925_ch04_170_315.indd 174 12/10/22 2:33 PM
“Englishes” throughout their lives when CLOSE READING DIFFERENTIATION
they communicate with their parents, with You might ask students to explore the pur-
their friends, or with their teachers; when poses and effects of Tan’s rhetorical choices Connections to Text
®
they write an essay in AP English or text in her opening paragraphs. Tan opens her Tan’s list of some of the characteristics of her
a message to a friend. You might ask stu- essay with an illustration of her identity as a formal English at the end of paragraph 3
dents to list contexts in which they use dif- writer rather than as a scholar. She begins recalls Orwell’s lists in “Politics and the
ferent forms of speech, and then ask them by defining “scholar” and “writer” in her own English Language” (Chapter 9, pp. 916–929).
to explore any tensions they see among words—see “definition” method of develop- You might have students read Orwell’s essay
them. What are “all the Englishes [they] ment in Chapter 2, page 80—and supports and compare the two writer’s attitudes
grew up with”? toward formal English.
these definitions with an anecdote. You might
ask students to locate the shortest sentence
in paragraph 3 and discuss its purpose. Then,
turning to paragraph 4, in what way does Tan CLOSE READING
contrast her professional language with the
“language of intimacy”? How do these intro- Key Passage. The highlighted text is a rich
ductory paragraphs lay the groundwork for passage suited for close reading. Students
the remainder of the essay? can annotate this key passage in the book’s
digital platform, or you can print it to be
annotated by hand.
174 chapter 4 / Identity
05_sheatlcte4e_46921_ch04_170a_315_2pp.indd 174 1/20/23 7:43 PM