“This is not to disparage James Soriano, a young man who may have learned German, but hasn’t yet seen the world in all its gritty detail. I wouldn’t quarrel with him, especially since I’m a very old woman of 62; but I would love for him to learn a thing or three about his country.”
(In Answer to James Soriano)
By Mila D. Aguilar
When I was born in 1949, my father, Jose V. Aguilar, was conducting what became known as the Sta. Barbara Language Experiment. Before I turned two years old, he had already proven through this experiment in a remote town in Iloilo, the island of Panay, that pupils who were taught in their mother tongue during the first two years of school learned better than those who were shocked into learning through the medium of English.
But that does not mean that I grew up entirely using my mother tongue, Hiligaynon. My father was wise enough to speak to me purely in English, while he bid my mother and siblings to speak to me purely in Hiligaynon.
Did I grow up confused? No.
(In Answer to James Soriano)
By Mila D. Aguilar
When I was born in 1949, my father, Jose V. Aguilar, was conducting what became known as the Sta. Barbara Language Experiment. Before I turned two years old, he had already proven through this experiment in a remote town in Iloilo, the island of Panay, that pupils who were taught in their mother tongue during the first two years of school learned better than those who were shocked into learning through the medium of English.
But that does not mean that I grew up entirely using my mother tongue, Hiligaynon. My father was wise enough to speak to me purely in English, while he bid my mother and siblings to speak to me purely in Hiligaynon.
Did I grow up confused? No.
I grew up versatile in both languages. When I transferred to U.P. Diliman with my family at the age of four, I learned my Tagalog from playmates. By the time I reached Grade 1, I was speaking it fluently.
When, at the age of 25, I was assigned to the underground of Mindanao and consciously mingled with the urban poor, I learned Cebuano in a month. When I made a week-long foray into the hinterlands of Samar at the age of 34, shortly before I left my beloved movement, I was able to get the rudiments of Waray and would not have forgotten it had I stayed in Samar a bit longer.
I also know a smattering of Kapampangan and Ilokano from friends both within and without the underground.
The Filipino is multilingual.
When, at the age of 25, I was assigned to the underground of Mindanao and consciously mingled with the urban poor, I learned Cebuano in a month. When I made a week-long foray into the hinterlands of Samar at the age of 34, shortly before I left my beloved movement, I was able to get the rudiments of Waray and would not have forgotten it had I stayed in Samar a bit longer.
I also know a smattering of Kapampangan and Ilokano from friends both within and without the underground.
The Filipino is multilingual.
You can see that from 10 million Filipinos all around the world, learning the languages of their adopted countries so quickly, you could hardly hear them stuttering. And most of these Filipinos aren’t rich; they’re masa, domestic helpers, drivers, janitors, seamen, nurses with hungry mouths to feed.
As to whether they become grammatical or not is not the point. The point is, they could communicate with anyone in any language.
So what’s this “revelation” about living a princely life with English?
There is nothing new to it. During the Spanish times, the conquistadores herded the datus and their families into town centers and cut them off from their barangays, the better to prevent them from staging rebellions. They brainwashed those datu families into thinking they were a privileged lot by teaching them Spanish, among other things.
The datu families began to think they were princes, living a princely life using Espanggol.
No different from our “princes” today, who think they’re so lucky to be born privileged.
But then this shows that life today is no different from life centuries ago. We still have a privileged class bragging about how good they are in the language of the conquistador.
This is not to disparage James Soriano, a young man who may have learned German, but hasn’t yet seen the world in all its gritty detail. I wouldn’t quarrel with him, especially since I’m a very old woman of 62; but I would love for him to learn a thing or three about his country.
In English, because that is the language he understands. But I could very well switch to Filipino, which serendipitously combines all languages with Tagalog as base; or Hiligaynon, or Cebuano. But he wouldn’t understand.
I have written underground tracts in Tagalog and even tried to translate Bible verses into Filipino right on Facebook, so James can’t say that our languages are meant only for informal conversations. And has he heard U.P. professors teaching biology, physics and chemistry in Pilipino?
Truth is, English is not necessarily the language of connection, because a full three-quarters of the world don’t speak it anyway. One does not have to connect using English; one connects by communicating with the eyes using one’s Filipino smile. The language, whatever language that is, comes after.
That is what Filipinos all over the world, from Europe to Asia to the Middle East to Latin America to Africa, have discovered.
Oh yes -- I left out the U.S. That’s because it’s perhaps one of the few countries in the world left that is largely monolingual, and bilingual only among first and second generation immigrant families. That they’re teaching second languages like Spanish now is a recognition not only of their Latin American migration problem but of their scientific finding that monolingualism makes for a dumb population.
No, English is not a universal language, I teach in TESOL. Does God, who rules the universe, and the multiverses as well, speak in English? Of course not. He speaks to you Spirit to spirit, in any language you can accept with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
At most, English is the language of world commerce. If that is what the upper classes of Philippine society need it for, then so be it. Let them deal with Japanese and Chinese CEOs in English.
But let me tell you what happened to this language of commerce in the 1950s, after my father had so painstakingly shown, through his Sta. Barbara Experiment, that the mother tongue is a better medium of instruction for efficient learning in Grades 1 and 2.
A man named Clifford Prator, from the University of California in Los Angeles, came up calling vehemently for a return to English as the medium of instruction on all levels in Philippine schools. His reason was, in a word, in my view, something like: Ah basta! English is superior.
Subsequently, my father’s findings were twisted statistically to show that, indeed, his findings were wrong: English was really the better medium of instruction on all levels.
I’m sure these same tactics are being used and will be used again and again to push the superiority of the English language in the Philippine scene, including and especially in the Constitution.
Sige, go ahead. Meantime, I will use the language of the reconquistador to shout down its proponents.
So have I connected?
Apir!
As to whether they become grammatical or not is not the point. The point is, they could communicate with anyone in any language.
So what’s this “revelation” about living a princely life with English?
There is nothing new to it. During the Spanish times, the conquistadores herded the datus and their families into town centers and cut them off from their barangays, the better to prevent them from staging rebellions. They brainwashed those datu families into thinking they were a privileged lot by teaching them Spanish, among other things.
The datu families began to think they were princes, living a princely life using Espanggol.
No different from our “princes” today, who think they’re so lucky to be born privileged.
But then this shows that life today is no different from life centuries ago. We still have a privileged class bragging about how good they are in the language of the conquistador.
This is not to disparage James Soriano, a young man who may have learned German, but hasn’t yet seen the world in all its gritty detail. I wouldn’t quarrel with him, especially since I’m a very old woman of 62; but I would love for him to learn a thing or three about his country.
In English, because that is the language he understands. But I could very well switch to Filipino, which serendipitously combines all languages with Tagalog as base; or Hiligaynon, or Cebuano. But he wouldn’t understand.
I have written underground tracts in Tagalog and even tried to translate Bible verses into Filipino right on Facebook, so James can’t say that our languages are meant only for informal conversations. And has he heard U.P. professors teaching biology, physics and chemistry in Pilipino?
Truth is, English is not necessarily the language of connection, because a full three-quarters of the world don’t speak it anyway. One does not have to connect using English; one connects by communicating with the eyes using one’s Filipino smile. The language, whatever language that is, comes after.
That is what Filipinos all over the world, from Europe to Asia to the Middle East to Latin America to Africa, have discovered.
Oh yes -- I left out the U.S. That’s because it’s perhaps one of the few countries in the world left that is largely monolingual, and bilingual only among first and second generation immigrant families. That they’re teaching second languages like Spanish now is a recognition not only of their Latin American migration problem but of their scientific finding that monolingualism makes for a dumb population.
No, English is not a universal language, I teach in TESOL. Does God, who rules the universe, and the multiverses as well, speak in English? Of course not. He speaks to you Spirit to spirit, in any language you can accept with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
At most, English is the language of world commerce. If that is what the upper classes of Philippine society need it for, then so be it. Let them deal with Japanese and Chinese CEOs in English.
But let me tell you what happened to this language of commerce in the 1950s, after my father had so painstakingly shown, through his Sta. Barbara Experiment, that the mother tongue is a better medium of instruction for efficient learning in Grades 1 and 2.
A man named Clifford Prator, from the University of California in Los Angeles, came up calling vehemently for a return to English as the medium of instruction on all levels in Philippine schools. His reason was, in a word, in my view, something like: Ah basta! English is superior.
Subsequently, my father’s findings were twisted statistically to show that, indeed, his findings were wrong: English was really the better medium of instruction on all levels.
I’m sure these same tactics are being used and will be used again and again to push the superiority of the English language in the Philippine scene, including and especially in the Constitution.
Sige, go ahead. Meantime, I will use the language of the reconquistador to shout down its proponents.
So have I connected?
Apir!
i have read James' write up about the issue, and I don't see it offensive. No matter how we try to prove how much we love this oh, so wonderful language, There is no way to deny that MOST filipinos, especially the lower class who had the privilege of working abroad, goes back home and speak with a funny twang, or worse, forget it completely!
and let's not deny the fact the the Americans brought the english language to the philippines, the THOMASITES brought us english and the school system! we really do use the english language to the core. ask the kids now who studies in assumption,xavier, poveda, la salle, ateneo, and the like,the ones that are educated in private schools mandate that all students MUST speak English! they even provide a special class for those who really can't, or do not want to speak it..
we are so americanized in language and in spirit.
i'm not saying it's a hideous thing, but the poor James is only appealing to us that we need to assert our language more, not only as the language of the streets.
i have no objections on your write up, but also take into consideration how our schools had become hypocritical about how to utilize our language too. it's not just only James' observation and much worse.. the catholic schools are also to blame.
Teka lang po mga ginoo at mga ginang...Ni rerespeto ko po yung mga opinyon niyo po tungkol sa mga sinulat po ni ginoong Soriano. Alam ko po malaki po ang inyong mga hinanakit sa kanya ngunit hindi po ba parang sinasabi niyo na rin po na totoo yung mga sinasabi niya sa isang mababaw na pagbabasa. Isipining mabuti, sa isang ginoong tulad po ni ginoong Soriano, magsusulat po ba siya ng isang ganyang artikulo kung wala pong mas mababang kahulugan? Ako po'y isang estudyante rin po ng unibersidad kung saan po kasalukuyang nag-aaral si ginoong Soriano at masasabi ko pong marami nga pong mga elitista sa aming eskwelahan ngunit sa mas mababaw po ang kanilang pagiging elitista.
Hindi ko po prinoprotektahan si ginoong Soriano ngunit ako po'y namamahagi ng aking kuro-kuro sa kanya niya pong sinulat. Ako'y hindi po makakapaniwala na ang mga laman ng inyo mga kuro-kuro ang mismong mga bagay na gustong sabihin ni ginoong Soriano. Sa tingin ko po kung iinitindihin ng leteral ang kanyang mga sinulat, isa po ito mababaw na pagka-intindi. Si ginoong Soriano po ay kasalukuyang kumukuha po ng isang kurso kung saan marami pong mahirap na kurso po na hindi po kayang kunin ng kahit na sino. Isipin niyo po, lampas trenta ang kumukuha ng kursong ito sa unang taon ngunit mga higit kumulang 10 lang po ang nagtatapos sa kursong ito. Kasalukuyang nasa taon na ng pagtatapos si ginoong Soriano. Kaya po ako hindi makakapaniwala o hindi ko TATANGGAPIn ang mababaw na pagkabasa nitong artikulong ito.
Hindi ko po alam kung ano talaga ang nasa utak ni ginoong Soriano kung bakit niya ito sinulat at ano talaga ang kanyang gustong sabihin.
Ito po ang kuro-kuro ko sa artikulong ito.
Sinasabi niya lang po ang totoong nangyayari sa ating bansa ngayon.Huwag na po tayong makipagplastikan na sa tingin natin hindi nangyayari ang mga ibang sinabi ni ginoong Soriano sa kanyang artikulo na kung saan maraming taong mas gugustuhin magsalita at maging magaling sa pagsasalita ng Ingles. Kung hindi mo ito aaminin, masasabi ko lang po sa iyo ay isa kang hipokrito at wala kang karapatan kutyain ang artikulong ito! Hindi ba kayo nagtataka kung bakit hindi Filipino ang ginagamit sa pagtuturo sa mga eskwelahan? Hindi ba kayo nagtataka na parang kung saan kayo pumunta makakababasa, makakarining, o makakakita kayo ng ingles? Hindi ba kayo nagtataka bakit maski kayo hindi makasalita ng diretsong Filipino at laging hinahaluan ng ibang mga ingles na salita (aminin mo!)
Ito lang ang aking masasabi sa inyo mga ginoo at mga ginaang. Hindi talaga si ginoong Soriano ang tunay na nagsasalita sa artikulong iyan. Kung hindi Ikaw, Siya, Sila, LAHAT TAYO! Sa tingin ko hindi po ito isang artikulo tungkol sa sa ating wika, ito’y artikulo tungkol sa ating pagka-tao at ang ating pagkanasyonalisom. Isipin niyo pong mabuti, ni wala nga po talaga tayong isang wika sa ating bansa eh. Isipin niyo po ng mabuti hindi nga tayo lahat magkaka-intindihan maski gamit ang Filipinong wika eh. (kung iniisip mo na Pilipino lang ating wika, kinakalimutan ng iyong isipan ang mga iba pang diyalekto ng ating bansa, bastusan yon!) Ang aking pagkaka-intindi rito sa artikulo ni ginoong Soriano, unti-unti ng nawawala ang ating pambansang pagkakakilanlan. Isipin niyo na lang mas gusto pa ng ating gawin ang mga bagay na galing sa kanluran kaysa sa mga bagay na naka-ugat sa ating kultura at kasaysayan. Ang halimbawa rito ay ang basketball at ang football; mga larong galing kanluran ngunit hindi talaga naka-ugat sa ating kultura at kasaysayan. Tignan naman sa kabilang banda ang Philippine Dragon boat, isang larong masasabi nating galing sa Tsina ngunit ang konsepto ay maihahalintulad lang sa pagpapagalaw ng bangka. Tandaan na ang mga Pilipino ay tunay na mga “taong mahilig sa katubigan”, at naka-ugat sa ating kultura at kasaysayan na tayo talaga ay magagaling sa mga aspektong tubig. Ngunit kung titignan ang nangyayari ngayon sa ating bansa nananlo ang PHILIPPINE DRAGON BOAT TEAM ngunit aminin natin WALANG PAKI ANG ATING BANSA sa kanila dahil hindi naman ito isang larong sikat sa kanluran. Mas gusto pa nga natin tularan at panoodin ang Basketball at Football na wala pa nga nakukuhang tropeyo para sa ating bansa at ang PHILIPPINE DRAGON BOAT TEAM marami na.
Ito lang ang nais sabihin ni ginoong Soriano sa atin at ginamit niyang tauhan sa kanyang artikulo ay ang kasalukuayng TAYO at hindi ang personalidad ni ginoong Soriano. Kung gusto mo subukan sa usapan Filipino si ginoong Soriano kung ako sayo hanapin mo siya sa Ateneo at makikipag-tastasan ka sa Filipino sa kanya at tignan natin kung hindi ka magtaka kung talaga siya ang taong iniisip niyong ayaw sa wikang Filipino.
Ang aking mga sinasabi ay aking opinyon lamang, at hindi ko prinoprotektahan si ginoong Soriano ngunit nililiwanagan ko lamang ang kanyang mga nais sabihin.
James Soriano learns brang new language!
http://utakpugita.blogspot.com/2011/08/james-soriano-learns-new-language.html
Good angle. :) I think there are different ways to view Soriano's essay. I think it's just because he was more exposed to English than Filipino. That's all.
Here's a friend's take on it:
http://filipinowriter.com/analyzing-deconstructing-james-soriano-s-essay-on-language-learning-or-writing-really-is-hard-writers-should-get-paid-more
and
http://psych0.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/nakadepende-sa-iyong-mga-mata/
paulinanini wag mo idamay Ateneo!
why? what's with 'the' ateneo?
Hello po.
Nabasa ko article ni J. Soriano. Nakakailang basa na ako... ganun pa din ang pagkakabasa ko... masyado snob. Sana nakailang basa na ako iba iba ng tema pero sad to say... snobbish talaga ang dating niya.
Yun lang. I have nothing against naman dun sa tao, I just hope hindi lahat ng writers ganun... there are other ways to convey what you want to say in a proper and less "sensitive" manner. All of us are Filipino and whether we like it or not... he is one of us.
paulinanini said... "ask the kids now who studies in assumption,xavier, poveda, la salle, ateneo, and the like.."
Ateneo is bilingual... La Salle is monolingual: half-baked broken English
Paulinian anong naka-in mo?
Has your school ever created a President or a great person?
I think not!
@paulinanini
Your grammar and spelling are horrible.
Don't forget about the kids who come from schools (or maybe just a certain university) that use Filipino as medium of instruction. These are the same kids who later go on to excel in their fields and bring great pride to their country.
"Ateneo is bilingual... La Salle is monolingual: half-baked broken English"
"Has your school ever created a President or a great person?"
- ang babaw. buti na lang taga UP ako.
hehehe... anon what do you expect from someone who came from St. Pauls?
i expect the same thing from 'the' Ateneo. and La Salle. and St. Paul - ang hindi maging mababaw.
hahaha... ang bababaw ng exclusive schools. buti nalang sa Informatics lang ako nag-grad!
I wonder why the editor of the Manila Bulletin approved the publication of James Soriano's article. In the first place, its focus was clearly his love, loyalty and devotion to his mother tongue-English and his self glorification owing mainly to his supposed mastery of the language of the learned. Soriano did not even bother to check his facts before submitting his final draft to his editor. Since when has "ay" become a preposition, Mr. Soriano? But then again, Filipino is NOT the language of the learned, so it didn't matter if you knew that, did it?
Since when has "ay" become a preposition, Mr. Soriano?
TH si james soriano- tama na sisikat lang ang walang K...!
Hindi sukatan ng tagumpay at karangalan ang pagiging mahusay sa wikang Ingles. Yun lang po.