Each person may have a specific language associated with them because of their culture, such as Enlgish or French, however, we do not necessarily only have one language. What exactly do I mean by this, you ask? Well, how we portray how we speak varies from who we may be with or what setting we are in. I would not speak to my mother the way that I speak to my friends. I would not speak to my boss the way that I speak to a little kid that I am babysitting. The words of my mouth would be drastically different at a funeral compared to a football game. The "languages" we speak are portrayed differently to different people.
In "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan describes the different words she used when talking to her mother compared to speaking to large group in more formal session. She and her mother have their own language in which others may not be able to understand no matter no matter how "broken" her mothers English may or may not be. Also, Tan has a connection with the groups she has discussions with that her mother may not understand.
The use of words a person uses can help relay how a situation or connection between the speakers exist. Whether it be strict and critical words between a boss and coworker or the consoling words between a bride-to-be and the mother of the bride, the "languages" are different. Although, we technically may only speak one language, how we portray them varies from situation to situation, from people to people.
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