English In Filipinos Colleges And Universities

[Miguk]

I used to live right across the street from Assumption College and was enjoying the daily eye candy with the kolehiyas coming and going until i found out Assumption also included a grade/high school -- not to mention college age starts at 16 in the Philippines!

[JJReyes]

The language is Philippine English which is different from Standard American English, British or Queen's English, Australian, Nigerian, British Bahamas, etc. The example is "Kill the light." instead of "Turn off the light" because it is a direct translation from Pilipino, "Patayin ang ilaw." 

 

Schools like De La Salle University (Christian Brothers), Ateneo (Jesuit), and Miriam (Maryknoll Sisters) use Standard American English textbooks. Their education system begins at First Grade, sometimes kindergarten or pre-kindergarten all the way to graduate school. The parents help reinforce the language because it is spoken at home.

 

Some teachers will mark a paper as wrong if you deviate from Philippine English. Others are aware of the distinction.

[MacBubba]

Thanks for the explanation JJ. My wife herself did not know about "Philippine English" being taught elsewhere.  Being educated by Maryknoll sisters and Jesuits, with friends and family of similar background, she thought Standard American English textbooks were in use everywhere.

[JJReyes]

Thanks for the explanation JJ. My wife herself did not know about "Philippine English" being taught elsewhere.  Being educated by Maryknoll sisters and Jesuits, with friends and family of similar background, she thought Standard American English textbooks were in use everywhere.

 

When the call centers started opening in the Philippines, there were wild predictions about a new industry employing 1.2 million young Filipinos. They hit the proverbial brick wall at 265,000. What happened is the Philippines ran out of potential employees who could speak Standard American English. The private Catholic schools were not producing qualified candidates in large numbers. Interviews with public school candidates were resulting into one hire for every 65 applicants.

 

Both the government and private industry collaborated by offering 90 days courses in Standard American English to upgrade language skills. It is actually working out. They now have the same program for applicants who want to work overseas with the hotel, restaurant and resort industry.

[Steve & Myrlita]

Who was the genius who set up the schools with "Filipino English" in the 1st place? Who ever started this did a good job of holding back the people to uneducated masses. If this had not been done and the standard English had been left in place, who knows for far forward Filipinos could have gone. What a waste just because of Filipino Pride being more important than having a good job.

[JJReyes]

Who was the genius who set up the schools with "Filipino English" in the 1st place? Who ever started this did a good job of holding back the people to uneducated masses. If this had not been done and the standard English had been left in place, who knows for far forward Filipinos could have gone. What a waste just because of Filipino Pride being more important than having a good job.

 

It was part of a nationalism movement that dates back to the Commonwealth period. The reason was to remove American colonialism wherein the Filipinos were 2nd class citizens who could not even speak a common native language. The opposing groups included those who wanted a return to Spanish after the Declaration of Independence on July 4,1946. The nationalists later got the date changed to June 12th because why should the Philippines use an American holiday? Besides the independence movement started with the Philippine revolution against Spain. Filipinos also fought the Americans, but lost.

 

One of the compromises is teaching in the vernacular language until Grade 3. This is for public schools. The private schools refused to participate and continued teaching English from the First Grade. 

 

Another example is the introduction of Taglish (Tagalog-English) in the media about 40 years ago.

 

In an academic debate, I can probably take either side and end up concluding Filipinos should be taught Esperanto rather than English or Tagalog. 

Edited February 19, 2014 by JJReyes

[Miguk]

The example is "Kill the light." instead of "Turn off the light"

 

You mean like "for awhile sir" - cracks me up everytime.

[alsuave]

Some teachers will mark a paper as wrong if you deviate from Philippine English. Others are aware of the distinction.

 

I have also noticed this when my wife complains that she got an answer marked incorrect after I helped her with her homework. Sometimes the "correct" answer is nonsensical. If I was going to school there I would be very frustrated, to say the least, and probably not getting along well with the professor. I'm not an English major or linguist but I do know when a sentence sounds wrong, even if I can't always explain exactly why.

[i am bob]

There are many countries today who do not speak "the Queen's English"... Including our own countries! And I don't mean places like the Canadian francophone province of Quebec...

Slip into downtown Toronto, New York or even Surfers Paradise... Within 5 minutes, I guarantee you'll be shaking your head and muttering "What the flippin' firetruck...?". Even London is like this note!

Sent by using a very long piece of string, a couple tin cans, 2 gaseous monkeys, Tapatalk and my Nexus 4

[Americano]

 

The example is "Kill the light." instead of "Turn off the light"

 

You mean like "for awhile sir" cracks me up- everytime

 

 

The first time I called my lawyer's office and asked his receptionist, "Is Mr. xxxx in his office this afternoon?" He replied, "for a while sir."  I thought he meant the lawyer would be in his office for a while longer. Later I figured out he didn't know how to answer a simple question or speak correct English.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Americano