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The use of code-switching in novels

Code-Switching is defined as occurs when a speaker alternates between two or more

languages varieties, in the context of single conversation(McLachlan.) Whereas, code-meshing is

defined as the act of combining local, vernacular, colloquial, and world dialects of English(Fish.)

Code switching and code meshing occur in every day in my life. For example, when I am in a

group speaking Korean, and a monoglot English speaking friend comes along, then I suddenly

switch language entirely. On the one hand, Tans Mother Tongue involves code-switching, on

the other hand, Diazs Homecoming with Turtle and MFA vs POC contain code-meshing.

While the authors are experimenting languages flourishingly. Code-Switching is settled literary

device that can serve a number of different purposes. If the author wants to tell a story about an

individual group of people, such as Hispanics in the borderlands, code-switching could be

common and authentic way to establish characters and settings. Code-Switching often signals a

more spontaneous register and offers the author a probability to play with languages.

This story, Mother Tongue, is substantially about Tan overcoming calamity and cultural

differences based on how well her English is spoken. Tans mother speaks what one would call

broken English and throughout her life had great struggle in being taken seriously. Tan writes,

And my mother was standing in the back whispering loudly, Why he dont send me check,

already two weeks late. So mad he lie to me, losing me money (Tan, 256). Moreover Tan

writes, My mother has long realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was

fifteen, she used to have me call people on the phone to pretend I was she. The word

broken gives the perception that the speaker has a limited ability to express whatever it is they
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are trying to convey. Thoughts that are expressed erroneously do not mean that the thoughts

themselves are imperfect. Though this may be true, others still judge and do not respect someone

that does not speak English perfectly. Tan uses the example of her mother going to get a CT scan

and the doctors having no compassion for how worried she was when they said that they lost it.

With Tans mother claiming that she used her best English and the doctors treating her with

definitely no deliberation she would not leave until her daughter, Amy, was contacted. After the

call and she talked to the doctors in perfect English there were affirmations that the scan would

be found and any excuses for any trouble to her and her mother. That is one example Tan

suffered growing up and the limitations of language. Tan thinks that the language spoken at home

has more of a consequence in shaping the language than what is learned through peers. On the

accomplishment tests, math and science proved to be Amy Tans stronger subjects. While not

doing badly in English, it was not the subject where she received her highest scores. She feels

that in English there is more than one correct answer, unlike math. The correct answers were

always more of a judgment call. As Tan writes, This was understandable. Math is precise;

there is only one correct answer. Whereas, for me at least, the answers on English tests

were always a judgment call, a matter of opinion and personal experience. She feels that the

tests used words to put cautiousness on what the correct answer could possibly be but to Tan

there were very few arrangements on the language and what could be. After she is grown up and

giving a lecture in front of an audience, she feels that the way she is speaking and using her

English is all wrong. Her mother was also in the audience and thats when Tan realizes that there

are many different ways to speak in English. The most important thing to her is ability to express
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the affection and symbolism behind the words with the description and intent of ones thoughts,

not just about writing what she used to think of masterfully constructed grammatical sentences.

Amy Tan describes how she enjoys learning about languages especially English. Tan

grew up with many variation of English. Amy Tan used code-switch or code-meshing as between

standard English and broken English. She talks about how her mother speaks English, and how

it does not exactly sound correct to most. Tan sees that her mother understands English well, and

that she uses a different dialect when speaking. The story switches between Tans well spoken

English, and her mothers broken dialect. Tan does not blend her mothers dialect with her own

dialect, she separately uses her own dialect and her mothers. Examples of Code-Switching and

Code-Meshing in Mother Tongue are Why he dont send me check, already two weeks late.

So mad he lie to me, losing me money (Tan 256)., and What he want, I come to New York tell

him front of his boss, you cheating me? (Tan 256) Amazingly towards the end of the essay

readers who relate to Tans situation would think it would be easy to give up on learning English

due to constantly struggling with basic communication. The most important lesson Tan learns is

as the audience changes, the tone also has to change in order to definitely get a clear message

across.

Ky - you have a good start here, and I wonder if you need both Diaz articles. Why dont

you pick the one you want to work with and then do that? Please let me know if you have

any questions.

References and Work Cited

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McLachlan, D.A. A Case Study of Familes in Transition. 6th ed. Vol. 2. N.p.: Journal of

Research in International Education, n.d. Web. 2003.

Fish, Stanley. "What Should Colleges Teach?" Opinion Page, n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2009.