Page 69 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

political gangster in Shanghai who had the same daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley 4
last name as her family’s, Du, and how the gang- MacLaine’s books with ease — all kinds of things
ster in his early years wanted to be adopted by I can’t begin to understand. Yet some of my CLOSE READING chapter 4
her family, which was rich by comparison. Later, friends tell me they understand 50 percent of
Paragraph 7 of
fers opportunities for stu-
the gangster became more powerful, far richer what my mother says. Some say they understand Paragraph 7 offers opportunities for stu-
eading
dents to do some quick close r
than my mother’s family, and one day showed 80 to 90 percent. Some say they understand Central Essay / Amy Tan dents to do some quick close reading
ou could have them use context
work. Y
up at my mother’s wedding to pay his respects. none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese. work. You could have them use context
clues to define the following words and ref-
Here’s what she said in part: But to me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, clues to define the following wor ds and r ef-
erences: “expressive,” “belie,” Forbes and
“Du Yusong having business like fruit stand. perfectly natural. It’s my mother tongue. Her er ences: “expr essive,” “belie,”
all Str
W
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
eek
eet W
Like off the street kind. He is Du like Du Zong — language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of Wall Street Week, “mother tongue” (note
the play on words in the phrase that is
but not Tsung-ming Island people. The local peo- observation and imagery. That was the language the play on wor ds in the phrase that is
ds
also the essay’
s title). How do these wor
ple call putong, the river east side, he belong to that helped shape the way I saw things, also the essay’s title). How do these words
s mother?
an’
convey a complex portrait of T
convey a complex portrait of Tan’s mother?
that side local people. That man want to ask Du expressed things, made sense of the world. Also, to examine the line of r easoning, you
Also, to examine the line of reasoning, you
Zong father take him in like become own family. • • • could ask students to explain ways that the
could ask students to explain ways that the
Du Zong father wasn’t look down on him, but end of this paragraph, which concludes the
end of this paragraph, which concludes the
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
didn’t take seriously, until that man big like Lately, I’ve been giving more thought to the essay’ s first section, connects to paragraph
essay’s first section, connects to paragraph
become a mafia. Now important person, very kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, 2 and the opening of the essay .
2 and the opening of the essay.
hard to inviting him. Chinese way, came only to I have described it to people as “broken” or
show respect, don’t stay for dinner. Respect for “fractured” English. But I wince when I say that.
making big celebration, he shows up. Mean gives It has always bothered me that I can think of no
lots of respect. Chinese custom. Chinese social other way to describe it other than “broken,” CLOSE READING
life that way. If too important won’t have to stay as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as In the second section (pars. 8–18), Tan
an
In the second section (pars. 8–18), T
too long. He come to my wedding. I didn’t see, if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. reports that she has described her mother’s
r
eports that she has described her mother’
s
I heard it. I gone to boy’s side, they have YMCA I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” English as “broken,” “fractured,” “limited,”
English as “br
ed,” “limited,”
oken,” “fractur
dinner. Chinese age I was nineteen.” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if or “imperfect.” Y ou might ask students to
or “imperfect.” You might ask students to
You should know that my mother’s expres- everything is limited, including people’s percep- explain the effect this diction has had on
fect this diction has had on
explain the ef
sive command of English belies how much she tions of the limited English speaker. her own per ception of her mother , partic-
her own perception of her mother, partic-
actually understands. She reads the Forbes I know this for a fact, because when I was ularly looking at the shortest sentence in
ularly looking at the shortest sentence in
report, listens to Wall Street Week, converses growing up, my mother’s “limited” English
paragraph 9. Students might pay particular
paragraph 9. Students might pay particular
attention to the anecdotes Tan uses to
attention to the anecdotes T an uses to
illustrate this per ception. Why does T an
illustrate this perception. Why does Tan
speak of her mother’s “impeccable bro-
o-
s “impeccable br
speak of her mother’
ken English” (par . 13)? How have these
ken English” (par. 13)? How have these
negative connotations affected Tan’s rela-
negative connotations af fected T an’ s r ela-
tionship with her mother? You might also
ou might also
tionship with her mother? Y
extend this point to have students explore
e
extend this point to have students explor
the meanings of “br oken English” and dis-
the meanings of “broken English” and dis-
cuss issues of cultural sensitivity.
In 2006, the sign outside a popular cuss issues of cultural sensitivity .
Philadelphia restaurant told
Matt Rourke/AP Images English.
customers they must order in
How does Amy Tan prompt
her audience to consider the
definition of English?
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Central Essay / Amy Tan 175
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