Final answer:
Amy Tan's mother tongue almost limited her opportunities, but she leveraged her understanding of language to become a successful writer. Bilingual education, as experienced by another student, Lucy, enhanced her academic and professional opportunities. Language not only shapes our identities but also offers broader life possibilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the essay "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan discusses how her mother's particular use of English, which can be considered her mother tongue, almost limited her life's possibilities. The correct answer to the question posed is c) Amy Tan's mother tongue almost had a limiting effect on her possibilities. Contrarily, the studies suggest the value of bilingual education in enhancing academic achievements and broadening career opportunities.
Amy Tan overcame potential limitations by embracing her linguistic background and utilizing the nuances of language in her writing, which ultimately contributed to her literary success. Like Lucy, a bilingual student of English and Spanish, who benefited from being educated in both languages, Amy Tan's proficiency in different English dialects allowed her to express a range of experiences and emotions in her work.
Language indeed shapes cognitive processes and identity, as seen in the ways different cultures conceptualize time or how individuals represent themselves. In bilingual settings, such as the school Lucy attended, the use of both English and Spanish supported her academic progress and later opened doors in her professional life.