Filipino not a ‘language of the learned,’ says columnist

[uls]

there's now a whole generation of kids who grew up watching disney channel, nickelodeon, high school musical, etc

born late 90s/early 00

fluent in english, very intelligent, tremendous learning capacity

their parents are well-educated, well-travelled, professional/management/capitalist types

i suppose those parents know what's best for their kids

do they mind their kids can barely speak filipino? i don't think so

the parents dont freaking care if their kids can't speak filipino

the parents are preparing their kids for a highly competitive world

being unable to speak filipino won't affect their kids' chances of landing a job in Google or Goldman Sachs

the parents are thinking global, not local

kung natural selection ang pag uusapan, in 10-15 yrs we will see who rises to the top of the food chain

kids who watch ABSCBN, GMA noontime game shows and evening dramas

or kids who watch disney and nickelodeon all day

--

this isnt about being nationalistic

this is about survival of the freaking fittest in a very competitive world

[marg]

Yup "KEEP THEM POOR, KEEP THEM STUPID" as the politicians and church want. Makes the Masa easier to Control.

The daughter of our househelp, schooled in pure Tagalog, is living in our house. Falls asleep whenever Discovery, NGeo and History channels are on. But is abreast with everything about WOWOWEE and the Telenovelas.

Compare her to my niece, fluent in English, who could talk non-stop about Astronomy, Geology, and a host of other topics. And she is just 6 years old.

English is the Language of Science and Mathematics. The majority of Scientific Journals, Documentaries and Web pages are in English.

Tama na yung misplaced nationalism. Our country is being left behind. In terms of International Science and Math achievement tests, the Philippines is always NEAR THE BOTTOM.

The Philippines is being brought down by people like this:

[Ry_Tower]

The autohr just did not presented it in a more appropriate term. That's what makes his writing insulting IMO. Yes english proficiency is what we need to succeed but does not give us the right to belittle Filipino as a native languange.

He could have posted instead that if you want to succeed in life, be proficient in english. Period.

[Monseratto]

Wrter's perception: Filipino = gutter language...=p

[uls]

BUT

being able to speak english doesnt necessarily make a person smart

there lots of dumb Americans. really dumb

point here is if you're able to think only in filipino you are missing an entire universe of ideas and concepts that can only be grasped when you're able to think in other languages

buti sana kung highly advanced language ang filipino

hindi eh

--

anyway

other people they don't care if they can't grasp foreign concepts

what's important to them is that they're happy and content

they don't need to know what algorithms are

as long as they have life's essentials (food, beer, videoke) they don't need anything else

ignorance is bliss

[myk384]

Sa totoo lang, the author should not wrote this in a insulting way. There is nothing wrong with using filipino or english. Pag informal ang usapan - Filipino/Taglish, Pag formal affairs - English. Ang kalalabasan ng article is ang filipino is jologs language. Heck, I know English and Filipino, but do I brag it??? No.

Parang ang kalalabasan that the author is proficient in English among everyone. Kahit sino proficient eh, heck some public school students know English. Pagyayabang ang tunog nito eh.

[niky]

How bout we take a look at the other end of the spectrum? The marginalized could be having a difficult time in school, maybe even their teachers, because English is the language used instead of their mother-tongues, especially considering provinces with their own dialects. I did a research paper on this and I believe I saw it on i-Witness, it was proven true, albeit very small sample size.

Actually, There was that big ruckus over the NCEE, wherein other regions were complaining very loudly about moves to make the NCEE all-Filipino. The ruckus was loudest in Cebu, if I recall.

I mean... who are we kidding. "Filipino" is Tagalog. Period. Written down or spoken, it bears little (if any) resemblance to other major dialects.

Would it be easier for students if they learned in their native dialect? Yes. Would it help bind our nation together and ensure a large pool of highly trained professionals and technical people are available for any region or area that may need them? Maybe not.

The reason some of us can't get all patriotic about "Filipino" is because we're mixed heritage. My grandparents speak Panggalatok. My wife's grandparents speak Ilocano. Many of my teachers in Grade School were Cebuano. None of them sound anything like "Filipino" or look anything like it when written down.

But English? Unless you have a cockney accent thicker than Yorkshire pudding or a mile-a-minute New Yawk tongue, everyone can understand everyone else's English.

Other countries are not afraid of English. We have many hang-ups over it because of the preconception of it being a "colonial language". Well, English doesn't belong to the British or the Americans. The world owns English, and if we want to be part of the Global Village, the price of entry is learning the language spoken there.

[andywesteast]

Yup "KEEP THEM POOR, KEEP THEM STUPID" as the politicians and church want. Makes the Masa easier to Control.

The daughter of our househelp, schooled in pure Tagalog, is living in our house. Falls asleep whenever Discovery, NGeo and History channels are on. But is abreast with everything about WOWOWEE and the Telenovelas.

The Philippines is being brought down by people like this:

Yan ang gusto ng ABS-CBN, GMA7 and now, Ch5.

Easier to FOOL the Masses with.

[Gerbo]

The Filipino language has its use. I married a Bicolano and I speak Cebuano, and we speak Filipino so we can understand each other. Even until now when my wife can understand the local dialect since we lived in a Cebuano speaking region.

But my two daughters use English for conversation. Filipino and Cebuano are the secondary dialects.

The more languages one is proficient with, the better. And it usually start with English. Most Filipino kids who can speak English tends to be schooled in "elite" private school systems. They can understand the better programs seen on cable TV.

Honestly,we don't encourage them to watch the local shows. Doon nila natutuan mga mura, jolog-speak, bakla-language, etc. tuloy parang hindi "learned" ang dating.

[vinj]

My take is that we should still concentrate on honing our English skills, especially at schools and on programming. This has been something that has kept us competitive globally.

Tagalog (or whatever local dialect) will always be around and will not vanish because of such.