"Mother Tongue" - Discussion

Question 1

SOAPSTONE

Answer 1

• S: Tan, user of many Englishes, daughter, coping w/ language
• O: after speaking formal English in front of her mother
• A: language “purists”
• P: argue that language is never “broken”
• S: many examples, ethos, word choice (diction)
• TONE: reflective, up front, honesty

Question 2

focus: appealing to ethos and logos in arguments

Answer 2

• in this essay, Tan appeals to ethos, establishing her credibility to address her audience on the subject, an appeal we can also use in our own arguments
• if we focus on open appeal (e.g., ethos), we must still be sure to use all the appeals – pathos and logos – as well
• this essay is known as a classification essay - which classifies the different aspects of any kind of aspect

Question 3

step 1

Answer 3

By integrating specific, personal examples of her experiences with language,

Question 4

step 2

Answer 4

Tan

Question 5

step 3

Answer 5

appeals to the reader’s sense of pathos and ethos

Question 6

note

Answer 6

• figurative language and parallel structure
• This is not a universal claim; it only applies to Tan’s mother
• complex sentence structure
• parallel structure