Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2008-44523
What is general English in the Philippines seems to be the English of the second language users.
English language usage stretches from Luzon to Mindanao, thus the language has varied
environment from one socio-geographical space to another. These differed spaces in turn gives
the English language differed alterations that are manifested in its speakers. The local language
in particular takes part as a major factor in these changes. In other words, first language
interference is at work.
First, we justifiably must have a clear description of what Filipino English is. With the
arguments above there is really clear-cut restriction to what Filipino English is. For instance,
English of the Ilocano at some respect differs from English of the Tagalog or of the Cordilleran.
Among these socio-geographic divides of English in the Philippines, within them are subdivides
like “class”—the lower, the middle and the higher social strata.
The Filipino language according to the above arguments plays then a great role on defining
second language users of English whose first language is Filipino can be likened or are more or
less actually translations from their native tongue. For example, in some instances the statement
‘Gusto mo?’ is asked in English as ‘You like?’. The latter question formation firstly shows an
incorrect grammar in reference to the English standard grammar and secondly the phenomenon
The Filipino or the Tagalog culture is also inherent in Filipino English. For example, ‘Good
morning, po.’ which speaks both an English greeting and traditional practice of showing respect.
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Our history is also taken into account for its influences on how we use certain English words. For
instance the word ‘salvage’ which means ‘to save’, conventionally means ‘to kill’ given maybe
by a similar Spanish word ‘salvaje’ which means ‘savage’. Another quite redefined word that I
observed is ‘scandal’ which is used in the more informal sense to mean scandalous acts related to
sex.