Question
In the short story, "Mother Tongue" Amy Tan shares her mother's and her own experiences as a bilingual speaker in America. Do you believe being bilingual or having a "mother tongue" creates opportunities and positive experiences for people or are people who have a native language other than English discriminated against? You may share your own personal experiences, or you may use "Mother Tongue" and "Highlighting the Benefits of Being Bilingual" to support your answer. Please write 5-7 sentences with citations and include correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
write as junior in high school and use RESTATE: I (do/do not) believe that being bilingual or having a “mother tongue” creates opportunities and positive experiences for people.
ANSWER: Tell me why you believe what you do!
Cite: You have so many ways to go here… you could talk about your own personal experience. Then, no citing would be necessary. You could use the article or the story if you don’t have any personal anecdotes to talk about with being bilingual….
ANSWER: Tell me why you believe what you do!
EXPLAIN: Explain how this affects you or the people in your life.
CONCLUSION: Wrap up with your original answer to the question. You do/do not think that being bilingual is positive.
format.
write as junior in high school and use RESTATE: I (do/do not) believe that being bilingual or having a “mother tongue” creates opportunities and positive experiences for people.
ANSWER: Tell me why you believe what you do!
Cite: You have so many ways to go here… you could talk about your own personal experience. Then, no citing would be necessary. You could use the article or the story if you don’t have any personal anecdotes to talk about with being bilingual….
ANSWER: Tell me why you believe what you do!
EXPLAIN: Explain how this affects you or the people in your life.
CONCLUSION: Wrap up with your original answer to the question. You do/do not think that being bilingual is positive.
format.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
I do believe that being bilingual or having a "mother tongue" creates opportunities and positive experiences for people. In Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue," she illustrates how her mother's use of English influenced her identity and experiences in society. Tan writes about the challenges her mother faced when interacting with the world in a language that was not fully reflective of her abilities, yet Tan’s bilingualism allowed her to bridge these cultural gaps and advocate for her mother (Tan). Similarly, I have experienced the enriching effects of being bilingual, as it has enabled me to communicate with diverse groups of people and appreciate different cultures.
My ability to speak Spanish has opened doors for me in social situations, making me more relatable to classmates and teachers who are also bilingual or who speak the language. This shared understanding fosters connection and community, demonstrating that bilingualism can indeed create a sense of belonging. However, I recognize that some individuals may face discrimination due to their native language. In many cases, non-native English speakers are unfairly judged or overlooked, as was the case with Tan’s mother while trying to receive proper services.
Overall, while there can be challenges associated with being bilingual, my experiences and insights, supported by Tan’s narrative, strongly indicate that being bilingual is predominantly a positive experience that offers opportunities and broadens horizons.
My ability to speak Spanish has opened doors for me in social situations, making me more relatable to classmates and teachers who are also bilingual or who speak the language. This shared understanding fosters connection and community, demonstrating that bilingualism can indeed create a sense of belonging. However, I recognize that some individuals may face discrimination due to their native language. In many cases, non-native English speakers are unfairly judged or overlooked, as was the case with Tan’s mother while trying to receive proper services.
Overall, while there can be challenges associated with being bilingual, my experiences and insights, supported by Tan’s narrative, strongly indicate that being bilingual is predominantly a positive experience that offers opportunities and broadens horizons.