mother tan
...s to another individual then the language has been used successfully. Miss Tan’s mother’s use of English differs from hers because of her experience. However, she is an effective communicator. She adopted the speaking skills she needed to survive in a new culture and then hr language skills stagnated. As long as she could communicate to the outside world and her children she was happy with what she learned. I am the same. People who are around me quite a bit adapt to my “Arabic accent” and they have no trouble understanding me. Those who have only casual contact with me may not be familiar with my inflections and they may find understanding me close it impossible. However, I believe that Miss Tan’s point is one of personal identity and safety as opposed to language use. As a foreign student, learning English frightened me. I believe Miss Tan’s mother was as well. Like myself, I believe Miss Tan’s mother protected her identity and image y using as little English as possible. When I first came to the United States I did the same thing. I stayed with the Arabic students and develop my English skills very slowly and tried only to survive at school. This slowed my progression, but the need for academic achievement pulled me into the American community and improved my language skills and made them mainstream. Miss...