Let’s speak wers-wers and laugh hahaha!
Next to democracy, English language is America’s greatest legacy to the Filipino people.
While introducing democracy (government of the people, by the people, for the people) the Americans taught us how to speak their tongue. And without any iota of mental reservation, we accepted and readily injected it into our system – social, cultural, educational, political.
And so today, a little over a century after its introduction, English has become our second national language. The Philippines now ranks as the second largest English speaking nation on earth, right next to the United States.
Broad Scope of English
English is the language of communication (oral and written) in our country. It is spoken everywhere – schools, government and private offices, churches, hospitals, radio and television stations, the halls of law-making bodies – Congress, city, municipal, barangay – hotels, malls, department stores, airports, bus terminals, train stations, ships, etc.
In written communication, more than 90% of national and local publications are printed in English.
Signages in roads, buildings, restaurant menus and traffic lights are all written in English.
It is no exaggeration to say that Filipinos eat English for breakfast, lunch and dinner, not to mention snack. And before they fall asleep, their lips mumble a proper prayer in English.
The unlettered Filipino cries “aray” when he feels sudden pain, whie the educated says “ouch”.
Oral English
It is rather embarrassing to admit, but generally, Filipinos try to imitate the way Americans speak English, from the rolling of the “r” to the sounding of the nasal twang. Most radio announcers and disc jockeys in particular, try hard to sound like their American counterparts, only to end up sounding more like drunken American sailors out on furlaugh (RnR).
Origin of American English
What is American English?
Cornell University professor William Morris has this to say:
“American English is descended from that variety of English brought over (by the Englishmen to the colonies (USA) in the 17th century). It developed on its own to some extent – obviously, in the matter of names, places, flora, peoples, and fauna.
The regional dialects of English in America are: New England, General American and Southern English.”
Origin of English Language
How did the English language come about?
According to Calvin Witkins, professor of linguistics in Harvard University, “English was born about 1500 years ago in Europe.
“It was spoken and developed by three related tribes – the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes – who dwelt on the Northern Shores of what is now Northern Germany ad Southern Denmark. It is generally a member of the Germanic branch of Indo-European. It has borrowed extensively from Latin and Greek.”
There are six major dialects of English – American, Canadian, Irish, Scottish, Australian and Indian English.
A word about the Anglo-Saxons and the Jutes. They are all members of a Germanic tribal group that invaded Britain in the 15th to 16th centuries.
Filipino English
Can we add Filipino English to the list of the world’s major English dialects? I guess we cannot because, as spoken by many, it comes in three varieties:
One, as spoken by the uneducated/unlettered whose English is of the “oido” type = learned from frequent hearing.
Ex: A group of children created a raucus that caught the ear of a street sweeper who pacified them shouting “stop noise, you! What school from you?”
Two, as spoken by the literal translator whose English seems direct to the point, but is grossly ungrammatical.
Ex: Anong tingin mo sa akin, gago? (vernacular)
Translation: “What do you look to me, crazy?”
Three, as spoken by the educated/lettered Filipino whose English is an exaggerated specimen of verbosity (flowery, wordy).
Ex: A lawyer and an engineer were asked how much is one plus one.
The engineer promptly answered “two”. The lawyer paused for a few seconds and then perorated:
“ In the course of human events, when there arises the necessity for me to add quantity one to quantity one, it is without fear of successional contradictions when I declare that the answer is incontestably, irreversibly, irrevocably, inevitably, and absolutely two.”
Filipino English, anyone?
