By ACC Delen
For the longest time, writer, fellow columnist, and our good friend, Estanislao Albano had been on a personal crusade to bring back English as the medium of instruction in Philippine local schools. He has done so much research and made copious notes on the dangers that the current model of using the Mother Tongue to teach content in our lower elementary schools poses in the education of the younger generation. So much that once you have him started on the topic, you might as well throw your whole schedule out the window because he can bend your ears for hours on end talking about the issue. I’ve listened and discussed the same with him as a bystander. I have neither negated nor supported his views because I’ve always tried to be objective on most issues. However, this time, it is really hard to not take a side and here’s why.
Recently, Oxford English Dictionary editor Dr. Danica Salazar who hails from the Philippines made the news when in her webinar, she stressed that Philippine English is legitimate English and should not be labelled as slang or carabao English. There is nothing organically wrong with this observation because like any language, English continues to evolve with the passing of time. Words become extinct, new ones added in, while others continue to survive through the years. It is no wonder then that apart from the Queen’s English, we now have American English, Indian English, Singaporean English and yes, Philippine English. However, the next thing Dr. Salazar says made me break my objectivity.
“We don’t have to waste our time in the classroom trying to twist our student’s tongues in shapes that they can’t make.”
To an extent, Dr. Salazar’s piece of advice does make sense. Language after all is learned and used mainly for communication, especially when one is learning it as a foreign language. So, if you can understand a language and make yourself understood in the said language, it should be enough. But what if it is your second language? More importantly, what if your livelihood depends on not only being able to speak the language but also speaking it correctly, properly, and with a neutral accent? What then?
Currently, there are hundreds of TEFL teachers abroad with more who aspire to join the ever increasing number. As someone who has been in the industry for more than a decade, I can personally say that being able to speak English isn’t enough. As someone who had experienced discrimination unintentionally and intentionally, I can personally say that being able to speak English isn’t enough. As someone who’s been often told that I don’t sound Filipino when speaking English, an observation that’s hard to respond to, I can personally say that being able to speak English isn’t enough. In fact, it’s been such a long time ago when being able to speak English was enough.
I would be remiss if I don’t point out that not all Filipino TEFL teachers abroad have neutral accents. At work and during my travels, I’ve met many who speak English with a Filipino accent. In the TEFL industry, this is a handicap. To be brutally honest about it, a Filipino TEFL teacher seeking work abroad already has two strikes against him/her. First, we don’t look Caucasian. Second, unless, it is neutralized, we also have a unique Filipino accent. The first one, we can’t do anything about bar an extensive plastic surgery. But, the second one is something that can certainly be corrected with a little bit of hard work. Despite Dr. Salazar’s recommendation, teaching children to pronounce words properly and working on neutralizing their accent is as important as learning the language.
Nay sayers will counter that not everyone is going to become a TEFL teacher. Let me counter by ending this segment with words from the publisher. He may or may not remember saying it because he’s a senior citizen. A fact that he never lets me forget. (He just celebrated his 65th birthday a few days ago.) Do not sell Filipino students short. Twist those tongues and help them say the words properly because Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Note: This is the first part of a series and is mainly the product of an over caffeinated brain and years of experience. For comments and complaints, please email anne_delen@yahoo.com. **
