LANGUAGE HAS POWER: AMY TAN’S “MOTHER TONGUE”2Language Has Power: Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”In the article “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan (2006) shines light on the hardships faced bycitizens in this country whose primary language is not English and shows the power aroundcommunication. The struggles faced by Tan is evident as she explains how different forms of theEnglish language had to be learned so she could communicate with different people in her life,how certain roles of employment were pushed on her based solely on her limited communicationskills and how she had to be the voice for her mother, who struggled even more with the primarylanguage of this country. The power of language is its display of emotion, its expression of needsand intent, and the communication of ideas.Due to a language barrier, Tan experiencesunsatisfactory service, misunderstandings, and societal rejection or indifference.Language has power. With it, people can change the course of most undesired outcomes.Simple words such as “yes” or “no” can grant or deny consent. One can communicatetheirourneeds,theirourfeelings,ourdesires, andourlimitations.We can paint a vivid picture in one’smind with just words, either written or spoken,creating a whole new, imaginary world withdepth and richness.When spoken language is a struggle, misunderstandings can happen,intentions can be overlooked or misinterpreted and, in some cases, one could be completelyignored rather than dealing with the struggles of trying to understand them. Tan conveys that idea
