Mother Tongue

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Why does Tan view English as a “tool” of her trade?

A) A writer is a scholar of language.

B) A writer is a lover of language.

C) A writer is a student of literature.

D) A writer is a pupil of language variations.

2. How does Tan’s mother as her audience affect Tan’s work?

A) Tan understands her mother is unable to read her work.

B) Tan goes unappreciated by her publication boss.

C) Tan realizes her school English is inauthentic.

D) Tan values carefully wrought grammatical phrasing.

3. In what way is Tan’s “family talk” intimate?

A) It is meaningful in and outside the family.

B) It makes Tan’s mother feel public discomfort.

C) It makes Tan’s husband feel left out of the family.

D) It is meaningful only among family members.

4. According to Tan, what is the influence of her “mother tongue”?

A) It shapes Tan’s understanding of the world.

B) It helps Tan appreciate her Chinese heritage.

C) It strains Tan’s relationship with her mother.

D) It inspires Tan to express herself clearly.

5. What is problematic about the term “broken English”?

A) It conveys the inclusivity of English.

B) It suggests there is one correct English.

C) It supports English as a holistic language.

D) It reinforces the harsh sounds of English.

6. Why does Tan believe the language spoken in immigrant families particularly influences children’s developing language skills?