Taglish and English
Speak for Yourself
When people ask me where I got my “accent” I would simply smile casually, and sometimes sheepishly reply “I came from an English speaking school”. I came from an English speaking school, that’s why I’m fluent in English. English is generally noted as one of the languages commonly used in the Philippines. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog. Sub-varieties of Philippine English is emerging based on the regional location of the speakers. Code-mixing is one of the most prevalent example of emerging sub-varieties among Ilokano and Visayan speakers particularly Cebuano and Hiligaynon. But what connection does coming from an English speaking school have with the fact that I can speak English fluently? Looking at the teacher of a school, it is usually stressed on how teachers, being one of the preliminary role models for children next to the parents, need to establish a sturdy communication between them and their students.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) Communication is the foundation of a healthy student-teacher relationship. Now, imagine what would happen if there are boundaries and an obstacle between the students’s learning and the teacher. What if such obstacle disrupts the child’s learning and affects the child’s potential. Pretend, for a moment, that this boundary is the inability for the teacher to communicate thoroughly. If the teacher has problems with communicating effectively this could affect the child’s response to the lessons. If my response to a good English teacher’s accent during lessons is the eventual acquisition of this skill then it can be said that whatever the teacher’s methods in teaching can also affect the child’s skills. However, the previous example is on a personal level and does not necessarily describe the outcome. It can still
When people ask me where I got my “accent” I would simply smile casually, and sometimes sheepishly reply “I came from an English speaking school”. I came from an English speaking school, that’s why I’m fluent in English. English is generally noted as one of the languages commonly used in the Philippines. English is taught in schools as one of the two official languages of the country, the other being Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog. Sub-varieties of Philippine English is emerging based on the regional location of the speakers. Code-mixing is one of the most prevalent example of emerging sub-varieties among Ilokano and Visayan speakers particularly Cebuano and Hiligaynon. But what connection does coming from an English speaking school have with the fact that I can speak English fluently? Looking at the teacher of a school, it is usually stressed on how teachers, being one of the preliminary role models for children next to the parents, need to establish a sturdy communication between them and their students.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) Communication is the foundation of a healthy student-teacher relationship. Now, imagine what would happen if there are boundaries and an obstacle between the students’s learning and the teacher. What if such obstacle disrupts the child’s learning and affects the child’s potential. Pretend, for a moment, that this boundary is the inability for the teacher to communicate thoroughly. If the teacher has problems with communicating effectively this could affect the child’s response to the lessons. If my response to a good English teacher’s accent during lessons is the eventual acquisition of this skill then it can be said that whatever the teacher’s methods in teaching can also affect the child’s skills. However, the previous example is on a personal level and does not necessarily describe the outcome. It can still
Bibliography: 1) Philippine English. Para. 1. In Wikipedia the free Encylopedia. Retreived from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_English 2) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) King James 2000 Bible (@2003) 3) Taglish. para. 1. In Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia. Retreived from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taglish 4) Almario, Virgilio S. (n.d.) Wikand Taglish, Kamulatang Taglish “Sa kabila nito, naniniwala pa rin akong dapat disiplinahin ang Taglish sa loob ng klase. Kung bagá, dapat gamitan ng preno. Ipaliwanag sa mag-aaral ang kabuluhan ng panghihiram upang yumaman ang kanilang wika’t isipan. Upang kaugnay nito’y linawin din sa kanila ang masamâng bisà ng walang-pakundangang paggamit ng salitâ’t praseng Ingles.” Retreived from http://www.sawikaan.net/wikang_taglish.html 5) (English in the Philippines, Global Issues in Language Education, Issue 26, 1997, Espinosa, Doray, Language Institute of Japan - LIOJ) 6) Tubeza, Philip (2009, November 4).Experts discourage the use of taglish. The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://www.Inquirer.net 7) Hizon, Rico (2011, May 12). Being proud of our own Filipino-English diction. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retreived from http://www.Inquirer.net 8) Willows, Matilda (2011, January 7) How role models affect children. Retreived from http://www.helium.com/items/2059988-how-role-models-affect-children 9) (Foundations of Education, Language and Writing, Jose F. Calderon, Ed. D. ,1998 Edition, P.176) 10) (Filipino English and Taglish, Rationale for this study, Thompson, Roger M. , p. 3)