Starter quiz
- What is imagery?
- comparing one thing to another using the words 'like' or 'as'
- the use of words or figurative language to create vivid pictures ✓
- when two words begin with the same sound
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- What does to 'rot' mean?
- to flourish
- to get stronger
- to decay and break down ✓
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- The phrase 'mother tongue' refers to ...
- the organ inside your mouth.
- your native language. ✓
- the language your family speaks.
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- What connects all of the following words: 'bud', 'grow', 'blossom', 'root'?
- food
- plants ✓
- domestic life
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- Which word means 'speaking more than one language'?
- monolingual
- multilingual ✓
- literate
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- What does 'immigration' mean?
- to move to another country temporarily
- to flee a country
- to move to a different country permanently ✓
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Exit quiz
- What is interesting about the second stanza in 'Search for My Tongue'?
- it is set in the past
- it is written in sentence fragments
- it is written in Gujarati ✓
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- What does the image of the mother tongue rotting in 'Search for My Tongue' suggest?
- the mother tongue is strong
- the mother tongue is fighting to come back
- the mother tongue is no longer valued ✓
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- What imagery is used throughout 'Search for My Tongue'?
- auditory
- bestial
- plant ✓
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- What feeling is present in the first stanza of 'Search for My Tongue'?
- pride
- fear ✓
- jealousy
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- How does Bhatt show pride in her identity and heritage in 'Search for My Tongue'?
- she writes in her mother tongue ✓
- she talks of her mother tongue blossoming ✓
- she writes two stanzas in English
- she describes her country vividly using sensory language
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- The image of the mother tongue blossoming in 'Search for My Tongue' could reflect ...
- how the mother tongue is no longer useful
- how the mother tongue outgrows Bhatt
- how Bhatt experiences rebirth after reclaiming her identity through language ✓
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- 'Search for My Tongue' shows the importance of language in shaping our identity.
- Initially, Bhatt fears she has lost her mother tongue, Gujarati, after immigrating to America.
- Bhatt then finds her mother tongue again, writing the second stanza in Gujarati.
- Bhatt ends the poem showing great pride in her ability to still speak her mother tongue.
- Bhatt uses plant imagery in the poem to reflect the power of one's native language.
Common misconception
Students may misconceive what the phrase "my tongue" means initially.
Explain the figurative language involved in the phrase "my tongue" and the link to language.
Keywords
Belonging - feeling happy or comfortable as part of a group
Immigrant - a person who has come to a different country to live there permanently
Pride - a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction because of something you have achieved, possess or are part of
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