Fearing Oral English Communication : Hindrance for the student’s

English proficiency

Do You Fear the English Language?

Posted by on April 13th 2008 to Language and History

Why is it that many Filipinos fear the English language? Students are intimidated by it.
Graduates feel that they have to be perfect at it in order to be considered smart and
educated.

We fear it, thus we elevate it. It has become a status symbol. Filipino beauty queens are
expected to be able to speak perfect English to be considered worthy of their crowns. The
children of the rich learn English as their first language. There is a linguistic divide
between the have’s and have-nots. But why should this be?

Isabel Pefianco Martin, president of the Linguistic Society of the Philippines, said that
none of us should fear English. She says:

* Linguistically, all languages are equally perfect and complete.

* The English language is not owned by one country or one race.

* It is only one language among the 150 that exist today.

This means that Tagalog is every bit as valid and valuable as English. So is Cebuano,
Ilocano and so forth. English is the global language, but it is by no means the mark of an
intelligent mind. Filipinos who speak less than perfect English have succeeded, and
wildly so, in their chosen fields. Examples are Manny Pacquiao and Melanie Marquez.
They may speak Carabao English, but so what?

Go ahead and learn English, but do not be ashamed of your native tongue. And do not,
for crying out loud, speak Tagalog with an American/British accent just to show that
somehow you have forgotten the language you have spoken for 20+ years!

Sabi nga ni Jose Rizal:

Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa ang amoy sa mabahong isda.
(He who doesn’t know how to love his own language has a worse odor than a smelly
fish.)

via Inquirer

http://www.filipinasoul.com/2008/04/do-you-fear-the-english-language/
Commentary

Fearing English in the Philippines

By Isabel Pefianco Martin
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:09:00 04/12/2008

Filed Under: Language, Education

Sometime ago, at a teacher training session I conducted, I made the mistake of suggesting that Math and
Science teachers consider code switching (using English and Tagalog) as a strategy for making lessons less
difficult for their students. I did not know that the school had just implemented an English-only policy in the
classrooms, corridors and faculty lounges. No wonder teachers and students rushed to the quadrangle
during break time!

This practice of enforcing English-only zones in schools is symptomatic of the lack of awareness among
school heads about the nature of languages, as well as the basics of learning a language. One important
reality that many overlook is that students will not learn a language if they fear it.

In the Philippines, the language most feared is English. I see this in my students who joke that their noses
bleed after they talk in English; in my friends who claim that they speak English only when they’re drunk; and
in my doctor who suddenly switches to Tagalog after I tell him that I teach English. We see this fear of
English in classes where students feel stupid because they mispronounced a word; in contact centers where
applicants take accent neutralization sessions; and in English review centers that continue to mushroom
throughout Metro Manila. Fear of English is also manifested in predictions that the country is approaching an
English-deprived future; in House bills that seek to make English the sole medium of instruction in schools;
and in courses or training programs that focus only on developing grammatical accuracy.

Many research studies prove that learning a language becomes more effective when emotional barriers are
eliminated. Linguist and educational researcher Stephen Krashen refers to these emotional barriers as
“affective filters.” The formula for success in learning a language is painfully simple: the lower the feelings of
fear (low affective filter), the higher the chances of learning.

One famous Filipino who exemplifies the lack of fear of English is boxer Manny Pacquiao. I have observed
with delight how Pacquiao, in his post-fight interviews, confidently and effortlessly churn out so-called
“carabao” English to share his joy over his victories. Pacquiao does not fear Barrera or Morales. Why on
earth should he fear English?

Just recently, 17-year-old Janina San Miguel was crowned Bb. Pilipinas World 2008 despite her “funny”
English during the pageant’s Q&A. Janina’s experience proves that personal successes need not be
dependent on proficiency in English. Why fear English then?

From a linguistic standpoint, all languages are equally perfect and complete. This means that there really is
no reason to fear English. Nothing in the sound system or writing system of English makes it superior to
other languages. Conversely, nothing in the sound system or writing system of the national and local
languages makes these languages inferior to English. It is the Filipinos’ attitude toward English that elevates
the language to a prestige form. It is this same attitude that makes it difficult for most Filipinos to learn it.

Another reason English should not be feared is that the language is not owned by one country or one race,
as many Filipinos believe. The profile of English today reveals that ownership of the language is already
shared across continents and cultures. In international English Language Teaching circles, academics do
not talk about English in singular terms anymore. There is widespread recognition that several Englishes
exist—American English, British English, Australian English, but also, Malaysian English, Singapore English,
and yes, Philippine English. In addition, “non-native” speakers of English are beginning to outnumber
“native” speakers in the world today.
To be sure, English occupies an important place in Philippine society. But, it is only one language among the
150 that exist today. It is believed that most Filipinos speak at least three different languages. For these
Filipinos, English might not even be one of the languages they speak. So when English is first introduced to
them, it should be introduced slowly and gently, with much respect for their first languages.

Teaching and learning English in the Philippines may be a difficult task, but it need not be a frightening
experience. So much has already been spent on testing the proficiency of teachers and then training these
teachers to become more proficient in the language. But simply focusing on testing and training, without
recognizing the multilingual context of teaching and learning English in the Philippines, only reinforces fear
of the language.

This year, the International Year of Languages, all language education stakeholders are invited to reflect on
their policies and practices so that Filipinos will finally regard their languages, including English, not with
fear, but with confidence and pride.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080412-129893/Fearing-
English-in-the-Philippines