Read the excerpt from "Mother Tongue." Yet some of my friends tell me they understand 50 percent of what my mother says. Some say they understand 80 to 90 percent. Some say they understand none of it, as if she were speaking pure Chinese. But to me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It’s my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. That was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world. Which best summarizes the central idea of the excerpt?
Answer
A
People from different cultures can easily learn to speak English.
B
Parents should use standard English with their children in the home.
C
Nonstandard forms of English are valid, complete languages.
D
The English and Chinese languages have similar structures.
Explanation
The narrator explains that although other people find her mother’s English difficult to understand, she hears it as clear, natural, vivid, and meaningful. This shows that nonstandard English can still be a valid and complete way of communicating; it does not need to follow standard English to express ideas effectively.
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