Summation of "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan

English is English is English, right? Wrong, says Amy Tan.

Having grown up speaking, reading and writing only in English, it's hard for me to see the perspective of someone who has learned it as a second language, or lives with someone in this situation.

Tan does a very good job of pointing out the differences between the linguistics of someone who speaks English natively, and in the case of her mother, someone who has learned it as a second language.

The author cites circumstances such as having to help friends understand what her mother is saying in her "broken English", and times when she had to place calls to business pretending to be her mother, due to poor treatment from the business.

To accommodate her mother, Tan often switches to different variations of English; Using proper English when speaking to native English speakers, and "broken English" when speaking with her mother.

The author makes it clear that simply because her mother has not learned or chooses not to incorporate the intricacies of spoken English, it is not to say that she doesn't understand them. Reading periodicals such as Forbes and The Wall street Journal are activities she often partakes in.