Learning a Language: How Difficult Can It Be - Article Example

Learning a Language: How Difficult Can It Be? Learning a new language is not always an easy task. The learning experience varies from one individual to another. However, it is generally a daunting task. “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris and “My Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan are two short narratives on the learning of a new language amongst various people. The attempt by Sedaris to show the character’s futility in learning French and Tan’s indication of the language differences are god indicators of the hardness in learning a new language. The two stories have different plots. “Me talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris is about the author’s hope of learning French as a second language. He moves to Paris to attend the French lessons. The experience was not an easy one and the fact that the teacher was harsh and judgmental did not make things any better. However, he believes that with time, he will be able to master and talk fluently in French by stating that “Much work and someday you talk pretty, people start love you soon” (Sedaris 14). Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”, on the other hand, describes how the language she had been using in official duties was different from what she used at home. When delivering speeches, the author would use well-structured and grammatically correct sentences. This however, was not the case when talking to her husband or mother. Despite being able to use the right language in official settings, the “mother tongue” had impacted on her as evident when she says “I think my mother’s English almost had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life as well” (Tan 3). The two stories used fictitious characters to pass the intended message. In “Me Talk Pretty One Day “, the characters included the narrator, his classmates from different countries and the teachers. In “My Mother Tongue”, they were the narrator, he mother and husband and the various people they interacted with. According to Griffith, the use of fictitious characters has several advantages (40). However the major one is that it makes the reader easily identify with the story. This happens since the characters used are able to reason and behave just the way human beings do thus making the story interesting. When David says that “The teacher marched in, deeply tanned from a recent vacation, and proceeded to rattle off a series of administrative announcements”, reader will easily create a vivid picture of the situation. This is due to the fact that it is an observation which is also made in several real world contexts (Griffith 43). The behaviors displayed by the characters in Tan’s narrative are also things which are common in the society. The use of the fictitious characters in both stories has also made their interpretation easy. The reader does not have to look for an underlying meaning in a particular character. The setting of the two stories is different though the intended message is the same. In “Me Talk Pretty One Day”, the setting is more of a formal one involving students and the teachers in a learning set up. This therefore requires the characters to abide by the rules and regulations associated with such an environment. In addition, it creates some sense of authority where the teacher wields more power than the other characters. The setting in “My Mother Tongue” on the other hand is more informal. Most of the actions in the story take place in the author’s home. Even the title of the story itself suggest a more relaxed and informal setting. Each author has however effectively used these settings to talk about the difficulty linked with the language learning process. Conflicts are normally created in stories and narratives to help the author pass the intended message. This is evident in both stories. However, it is worth pointing out that despite the fact that the two pieces are about language, the nature of conflict in each is very unique. In “Me Talk Pretty One Day”, there is a conflict between the teacher and the students. It arises because the learners have low mastery of the French language. In one instance, the teacher comments that “I really hate you” (Sedaris 13).This is a clear indication of the disagreement between the two groups. On the other, in Tan’s narrative, conflict arises between her mother and those who listen to her. The author herself is able to get what her mother is saying. However, people who are not members of the family or close to them find her mother’s language to be limited and fractured. It also comes out when the author states that “when I was fifteen, she used to make me call people on phone pretending I was she” (Tan 2).This and her due to the conflict which existed between her mother and those which did not understand her language. In conclusion, it is evident that both Tan and Sedaris have effectively used various narrative elements to explore the problems associated with learning a language. Despite the plot, setting, themes, and characters being different, the two stories give a clear picture of the issues being discussed. The first language learnt and used by an individual greatly affects how he masters and uses another language as evident in Tan’s story. The relationship which exist between the second language learners and the teacher also impact on the learning process. Such barriers must be overcome for one to master and be fluent in particular language. Works Cited Griffith, Kelley. Writing Essays about Literature . New York: Cengage Learning, 2010.Print. Herman, David. Basic Narrative Elements. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons Publications, 2011. Print. Sedaris, David. Me Talk Pretty One Day. New York: Back Bay Books, 2001. Print. Tan, Amy. My Mother Tongue. Santa Barbra: ABC-CLIO, 2009.Print Read More