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

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, Tan’s “Mother Tongue” involves code-switching, on
the other hand, Diaz’s “Homecoming with Turtle” and “MFA vs POC” contend
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. Tan’s mother
speaks what one would call “broken” English and throughout her life had great
struggle in being taken seriously. The word “broken” gives the perception that
the speaker has a limited ability to express whatever it is they 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 Tan’s mother
claiming that she used her best English and the doctor’s 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 Tan’s 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. 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 that’s when Tan
realizes that there are many different ways to speak in English. The most
important thing to her is ability to express the affection and symbolism behind
the words with the description and intent of one’s thoughts, not just about
writing what she used to think of masterfully constructed grammatical
sentences. In
your above example, you haven’t brought in any evidence as either a direct
quote or a paraphrase. Get back in there
and do that work.
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 Tan’s well spoken English, and her
mother’s “broken” dialect. Tan does not blend her mother’s dialect with her own
dialect, she separately uses her own dialect and her mother’s. Examples of
Code-Switching and Code-Meshing in “Mother Tongue” are “Why he don’t 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 Tan’s 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 don’t 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
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.