UPDate Magazine JULY-DECEMBER 2015 • Volume 2 • Number 2

“. . . the language a person uses as mother tongue serves as a marker of that person’s ethnic identity.”

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 1 WHAT’S INSIDE

Introduction Shifting paradigms Jem Roque Javier 3 Jonathan C. Malicsi 12

Engineering in speech and language Kritikal na imahinasyon: Panayam Michael Gringo Angelo R. Bayona 4 kay Rommel B. Rodriguez 16 Deafness as ethnicity Nestor T. Castro 7

Signs of the times Marie Therese A.P. Bustos 10

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sir Anril Pineda Tiatco ISSUE EDITOR Jem Roque Javier MANAGING EDITOR Mariamme D. Jadloc COPY EDITOR Chi A. Ibay ART DIRECTOR Denes V. Dasco ISSUE WRITERS Michael Gringo Angelo R. Bayona, Marie Therese A.P. Bustos, Nestor T. Castro, Jonathan Malicsi EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Albino C. Gamba Jr., Haidee C. Pineda, Anna Kristine E. Regidor, Benito V. Sanvictores Jr. PHOTOGRAPHERS Leonardo A. Reyes, Jefferson Villacruz ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Shirley S. Arandia CIRCULATION OFFICERS Narciso S. Achico Jr., Pia Ysabel C. Cala, Raul R. Camba, Agnes P. Guerrero

The UPDate Magazine is UP Diliman’s platform for discussion and a biannual publication of the UP Diliman Information Office under the Office of the Chancellor, UP Diliman, Quezon City. Its editorialUP Dateoffice isMagazine located at the l 2/F July-December Villamor Hall, Osmeña 2015Avenue, UP Diliman, Quezon City, with telephone numbers (+632) 981-8500 locals 3982 and 3983, telefax (+632) 2 924-1882, email address: [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this news magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the University of the Philippines Diliman unless otherwise specified in the story. INTRODUCTION

a edisyong ito ng UPDate Magazine, Kinapanayam ng patnugutan si Dr. Rommel B. Rodriguez, ang bagong halal na Direktor ng Sentro matutunghayan natin ang estado ng Wikang Filipino sa Diliman, upang malaman ang ng wika sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas kasalukuyang kalagayan ng Filipino, ang wikang pambansa (Kritikal na Imahinasyon: Diliman at ang mga proyekto ng Panayam kay Rommel B. Rodriguez). Isinaad din ang mga institusyon upang higit itong mga proyektong pinanukala at ipagpapatuloy ng kanyang administrasyon. mapag-inam sa ikapagiging-angkop at kapaki- Spakinabang tungo sa pagdaloy ng kaalaman, Matutunghayan din natin ang isang katangi-tanging laboratoryong nakalaan para sa mga bago at makabagong sa pamamagitan ng tunog, titik at senyas. paraan ng paggamit ng Filipino sa kasalukuyang panahon (Engineering in Speech and Language ni Michael Gringo Angelo R. Bayona). Ang Digital Signal Processing Laboratory ng Kolehiyo ng Inhenyeriya ay nangunguna sa pagsasagawa ng pananaliksik sa speech recognition at production ng Filipino, upang magamit sa iba’t ibang anyo ng teknolohiya.

Sa mga artikulong Deafness as ethnicity ni Nestor T. Castro at Signs of the times ni Marie Therese A.P. Bustos, mamamalas kung paanong ang pagiging kasapi ng Deaf ay pagiging kasapi ng isang etnisidad, na may iisang kulturang isinasabuhay at iisang wikang ginagamit. Masusulyapan din ang mga adhikain ng Unibersidad, partikular na ang Kolehiyo ng Edukasyon, sa pagsulong ng Filipino Sign Language bilang isa sa mga medium of instruction.

Ang artikulo ni Jonathan C. Malicsi na pinamagatang Shifting paradigms ay naglalaman naman ng mga panukala sa pagsasaayos ng pagtuturo ng wikang Ingles upang makaagapay sa dagliang pangangailangan sa pagkatuto ng Ingles bilang international lingua franca. Patutunayan din na ang kasanayan sa wikang Filipino at/o wikang kinagisnan ay hindi makahahadlang, bagkus makatutulong pa nga, sa pag-aaral ng wikang Ingles.

Hindi nagmamaliw sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Diliman ang pagsasaalang-alang sa kakanyahan ng bawat isa. Pinatitingkad ito ng sunud-sunod na mga proyekto para sa ikatatatag at ikauunlad ng mga programang pangwika na nagsusulong na ang lahat ng kasapi ng lipunan at iba’t ibang etnolinggwistikong grupo ay mahalaga at makatutuwang sa pagpapaangat ng buhay dito sa ating bayan. Nawa’y masiyahan kayo sa inyong pagbabasa ng edisyong ito ng UPDate Magazine!

Jem Roque Javier Issue Editor

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 3 Engineering

in speech MICHAEL GRINGO ANGELO R. BAYONA* and language Decades ago, human-machine interaction existed mainly in the

realm of science fiction. Dr. Susan Festin (front row, third from right), LEAP Program Coordinator and EEEI faculty with the beta testing participants in Davao City in 2014. oday, one can navigate the web via Google’s Voice Search or be assisted by Apple’s Siri. Though they may not be as accurate and sophisticated as Iron Man’s T JARVIS, (Just A Rather Very Intelligent System), the use of speech and language processing technologies is increasing. These technologies are made possible by three things: the great advances in computing and engineering from early general-purpose computers that occupy entire rooms, to today’s devices that fit a hand’s palm and can handle several applications running at once; numerous researches on language development, and on human speech production and perception that helped developers understand how to encode information and decode messages; and the availability of huge amounts of data. These three combined allowed the creation of machines that can process various spoken queries and provide spoken replies seen in dialogue systems today. Can there be local versions of these systems, like a digital assistant Juan who will say “Bumangon ka na! Male-late ka na!” instead of a ringing alarm? The UP Digital Signal Processing (UP DSP) laboratory of the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute (EEEI) of the UP Diliman College of Engineering is one of the few laboratories in the country that is currently working on these things. The UP DSP laboratory is mainly concerned with the acquisition, representation and manipulation of signals. The term signal is a name given to any physical

4 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 quantity that varies with respect to recordings that can be used in the UP DSP laboratory was granted some other parameter. Speech is development of speech recognizers approval for the Interdisciplinary considered a signal that varies with and synthesizers for the language. Signal Processing for Pinoys time. Currently, the laboratory is Shortly after, the development (ISIP), a research program of the focused on projects involving image, of the first Filipino speech Philippine Council for Industry, video, audio and speech processing. recognizer began. The recognizer Energy and Emerging Technology It was established in 1990 by Dr. was tasked with converting spoken Research and Development of Rowena Cristina Guevara, who utterances from the FSC to text the Department of Science and served as Dean of the college from form. There was also parallel work Technology (DOST-PCIEERD). 2004 to 2010. on the development of a Filipino The 3-year program consists speech synthesizer. of projects for corpora building Filipino Speech Corpus. In 2002, The challenge is in determining and projects that use speech and UP DSP began work on local versions the appropriate units to combine language processing technology in of speech and language processing- so that the generated speech will be developing systems for education based systems via its first Filipino intelligible and as natural sounding and to aid differently-abled persons. speech database. The result is the as possible. In 2015, Software Applications Filipino Speech Corpus (FSC), a Initial projects on developing for Education (ISIP-SAFE), the collection of roughly 100 hours of read speech and language processing- second ISIP phase, followed. and spontaneous speech. The goal based systems were geared towards One component of these projects was to create a collection of speech learning the technologies behind is building an automatic subtitling them. The next projects were system for Filipino broadcast news *Bayona is Instructor at the Electrical and focused on the applications. programs. The system is useful in Electronics Engineering Institute of the College public places where listening to what of Engineering. UP DSP projects. In 2011, the is on television is difficult. Viewers

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 5 https://nationalictconfederationofthephilippines.files.wordpress.com can just look at the subtitles while to simple questions about the the country with the help of DOST- watching the news. This is a direct speaker. Currently, the laboratory PCIEERD. application of the speech recognizer is developing speech recognizers A similar software, the developed in the laboratory. for languages included in the Automated Reading Tutor (ART) While the projects were all on PLD project and the first target for Filipinos, is currently being the Filipino language, the laboratory, application is an automated developed for elementary students aware that the benefits of such subtitling system for news programs. of the Filipino language. This systems can be extended to a wider There are also efforts to make the will contain a series of exercises range of users for other Philippine database available for public use. students can use to improve their languages, included the Philippine Other ISIP projects include fluency and reading comprehension Languages Database (PLD) project in the use of speech and language skills in Filipino. the ISIP program. processing methods in creating The software uses the same The PLD involved the computer-assisted language learning technology in LEAP to provide collection of speech data for 10 of software. The Learning English useful feedback to both students the most widely used languages Application for Pinoys (LEAP) and teachers. Targeted to finish in in the country, namely Tagalog, software targets high school and 2017, the ART for Filipino will be Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon, college level students and graduates distributed to elementary schools in Waray-Waray, Kapampangan, who want to improve on their the Philippines. Northern Bicol, Pangasinense, English skills. There are also projects in the UP Tausug and Filipino English. It contains a collection of DSP laboratory concerned with the The data collection activity grammar and speech modules use of data processing in studying the involved 200 volunteers per language, designed not only to reintroduce characteristics and development of a generating almost 200 hours of the basics of the language but also language. Most notable is the Bantay read and spontaneous speech data address the weaknesses of Filipinos Wika project, initiated in 1994 by the per language. The text material for in English. The speech modules Sentro ng Wikang Filipino (SWF). the read speech data covers several allow users to record their voice In 2010, the project was included domains that can be used in varying while reading presented texts, and a in the ISIP research program as part applications like sentences from system that uses a speech recognizer of the collaboration with the UP DSP different domains as: broadcast news determines whether the user made laboratory. Its goal is to track the programs, medical consultations, a mistake or not, and provides use and development of the Filipino travel and literary works. appropriate feedback. The LEAP language across time, focusing Spontaneous speech data, on software was successfully rolled on Philippine media. From this the other hand, includes answers out to several institutions across collection, a database Turn to page 20 http://www.eee.upd.edu.ph/research/

6 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 Deafness as ethnicity NESTOR T. CASTRO*

The perceptions of cultural differentiation in the Philippines were traditionally reckoned through a combination of criteria, such as religion (e.g. Christian, Muslim, or “pagan”), domicile (e.g. concepts of highlander vs. lowlander, riverine or coastal peoples, sea-faring groups), phenotypic characteristics (e.g. Negrito vs. Mongoloid), and material culture (e.g. native costume, type of dwelling, musical instruments, weapons, customs and traditions, etc.). More important than these aforementioned factors, however, is the language that a particular group uses. Thus, varied communities are commonly referred as “ethnolinguistic groups” instead of “ethnic groups.”

he 2010 Ethnologue lists Cantonese), and one, Chavacano, is Ilocos Region or not. at least 172 languages a Creole language. The dominant ethnic majority used in the Philippines. The link between language in Philippine society is made up Of this number, 169 and group identity has been of eight ethnolinguistic groups: are living languages well studied by linguists, Tagalog, Sugbuanon (or Cebuano), while three are identified as already anthropologists, and psychologists. Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Bikol, Waray, extinct, namely Dicamay Agta, Usually, the language a person Kapampangan and Pangasinan. Tayabas Agta, and Katabaga. Of uses as mother tongue serves as Together, these eight groups Tthe 169 living languages, five are a marker of that person’s ethnic comprise approximately 85 percent foreign languages (English, Castilian identity. If one’s first language is of the Philippine population. Spanish, Mandarin, Hokkien and Iloko (or Ilokano) or the language The term “ethnic minorities,” in that they use at home is Iloko, then the Philippine context, often refers to that person is classified as ethnically smaller ethnolinguistic communities. *Castro is Professor of anthropology and the belonging to the Ilocanos. This is For example, the Ifugao are those current Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs. true whether that person lives in the who speak either Tuwali or Ayangan

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 7 languages. Badjao refers to the sea- distinctions made in reference to sinaing (rice that is being cooked), faring Sama-speaking peoples of features of environment or culture kanin (cooked rice), bahaw (cold rice), Tawi-tawi, Sabah and Sulawesi. with which the speakers are the sinangag (fried rice), tutong (burnt Anthropologists consider most concerned. On the other hand, rice) and hundreds of other terms language as the “soul” of a culture. there are fewer and more generalized related to rice. The shared beliefs, behavior, terms when they refer to features The Whorfian hypothesis – practices, customs and morals that are given less cultural emphasis. proposed by the linguist Benjamin of a particular people are better For example, Tagalog society is Lee Whorf – states that language, expressed through that group’s basically a rice culture. There is by providing habitual grooves of native language. not one Tagalog word that can be expression, predisposes people to Franz Boas put forward the translated to mean “rice;” it depends see the world in a certain way and so concept of “cultural emphasis” in on what type of rice is being referred guides their thinking and behavior. cases where there are more separate to. It may be palay (rice plant or There is no doubt that language terms, more synonyms and more fine unhusked rice), bigas (husked rice), definitely influences culture. People

8 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 http://www.demotix.com in the case of deaf sign languages? different from the dominant hearing- based society. Filipino Sign Language. Of the 169 Amy Roach calls this unique living languages in the Philippines, culture of deaf persons as Deaf 168 are spoken languages. There culture. The word “Deaf” is used is one language that is not spoken with a capital “D” to distinguish it but is visual. This is the Filipino from the more generic and broader Sign Language (FSL). FSL is rightly concept of being deaf. According to categorized as a living language the author, the term “deaf” (with “d” because it is not an artificial in the lowercase) is a general term language. The Filipino deaf which encompasses many groups community uses it as their native of people, many of whom do not “tongue.” FSL is a language that is identify themselves as being part of distinct from the 113 other foreign the cultural Deaf community. The sign languages. deaf are usually oral deaf people According to the Summer who use speech/residual hearing Institute of Linguistics International to communicate instead of sign in its 2010 data, the exact number language. The term is usually of FSL users in the Philippines also connected to people with a severe or remains unknown, along with the profound hearing loss who choose to total population of deaf persons associate mainly with hearing people. in the Philippines. A conservative Applying Roach’s concept of estimate places the present number “Deaf” in the Philippine setting, of Filipino deaf at 100,000 while a this refers to members of the deaf higher estimate places the figure to community who possess a culture more than four million. of their own, i.e. Deaf culture. They Not all of the Filipino deaf are are proud to be Deaf and feel that FSL users. There is a small segment Deafness is a vital part of their who are American Sign Language identity, cherished as much as gender (ASL) users and there is a bigger and religious background. People segment of the population who do in this cultural group most likely not know any sign language. An attended residential schools for the estimate is that there are 60,000 FSL deaf, use FSL, and view deafness as users in the Philippines. This is the a difference rather than a disability. group that would have their own Deaf people often feel a cultural language, their own culture, and bond with one another based on their own ethnic identity. It must sharing a common language and also be mentioned that FSL has many dealing with oppression. Although dialects. The FSL used in Cebu has they most likely recognize FSL as some variations from those used in their primary/native language, they Metro Manila although the two are may or may not use speech still mutually intelligible. to communicate. coming from different cultures may FSL signers transmit the view the same reality differently. A message about the reality they Philippine Deaf culture. Members Tagalog speaker may describe the perceive visually. Thus, knowledge of the Filipino Deaf culture have color of the sea as bughaw (blue), is learned mainly visually. Because certain cultural behaviors that are the night sky as itim (black), or their means of knowing reality and unique to their group. They are of turtles as luntian (green) but a expressing that reality are different happier when they are in schools Hanunoo Mangyan would say that from those of hearing people, they or in churches than when they the three have the same color, i.e. perceive things differently from the are at home. They feel a sense of mabiru or “dark.” rest. Thus, for deaf persons, culture- community when they are with other Most of the studies on the making is done visually (i.e. through Deaf persons in these schools for the relationship between language and FSL). It is not a surprise, therefore, deaf or in church congregations that ethnicity refer to those of spoken that they have developed their own tolerate, if not encourage, the use of languages. But what if the said norms, rules for behavior, rituals, FSL. They could tell stories with one language is a non-verbal language as customs and traditions that are another, update one Turn to page 18

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 9 Signs of MARIE THERESE A.P. BUSTOS*

This is not the first time UP Diliman (UPD) accepted Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students. In fact, six the times Deaf students graduated from Diliman: one with a Certificate in Fine Arts (Painting), two with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Communication) degree and three with a Master of Arts in Saturday, 8:30 a.m. A flurry of Education degree. The CEd started offering non- conversations using hand, body and facial formal Filipino Sign Language courses in 2012 to prepare the movements rushed past the College of UP academic community in communicating with Deaf students Education (CEd) lobby as Mae Shiela accepted in UPD’s certificate and degree programs. Dr. Liza B. Martinez of the Antenor, Morly Canta, Lisette Ann Dela Philippine Deaf Resource Center created the initial basic course, FSL Cruz, and Pearl Talens ran to Room 106. Conversation 1. Later, Sign Language

hey were to address Prof. Ched Arzadon’s class (EDNFE 222: Instructional Materials and Strategies in T Non-formal Education): a hearing audience. Pearl sat across them watching and translating to Filipino and English their report delivered in Filipino Sign Language (FSL).

FSL at CEd. Mae, Lisette and Morly are Deaf students attending the Certification in Professional Education (CPE) program at CEd. Pearl is their sign language interpreter. They access class lectures and participate in the lively discussions of EDNFE 222 through FSL. Morly is impressed by the flexibility Arzadon demonstrated in communicating via FSL and the free exchange of ideas she encouraged in Angel Laygan (left) and Melissa Rabang, Deaf teachers, who handle the FSL course. Opposite page: A class at the UP the classroom. College of Education where students are taught FSL. (Photos courtesy of the author.)

10 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 for Teachers 1 and 2 were added by spoken or written language. FSL and interpreters insist in signing in the College with the help of Rommel should not be confused with spoken English, “People are worried that if Agravante, a Deaf sign language Filipino nor should ASL be confused we use FSL that we will not be able teacher. Word has spread about with spoken English. to write well in English. Definitely the FSL course that even non-UP For Mae and Morly, using FSL for writing, we write in English but it constituents expressed interest and in the classroom is important, “It does not follow that we should sign joined the classes. Currently, Angel is easy to understand, it is very in English too.” Laygan and Melissa Rabang, Deaf visual, simple, clear, and enables us FSL enabled Deaf students to teachers, handle the FSL course. to express our feelings. FSL is our experience a UP education. “At first, language of identity as Deaf Filipinos I was afraid to be in a predominantly Sign languages. FSL is the visual- and we take pride in it.” hearing class, but working on spatial language used by the Deaf Mae explains, “When we use projects with my hearing classmates community in the Philippines. It Signing Exact English (SEE, an artificial showed me how they respected is a language received through sign system created to manually my opinions and that I was treated the eyes and conveyed through represent the English language) instead fairly,” Mae said. the shape, placement, movement of FSL, I am afraid that there is a Pearl’s role as a sign language and orientation of the hands and possibility that we won’t understand interpreter is the bridge between two movement of the face and body. It is each other as clearly. FSL is more worlds, that of the hearing and the the language of identity of one who expressive while SEE is more linear, Deaf. When she is unavailable, Deaf considers himself/herself a member more English sentence-like. I am not students resort to writing messages of the Filipino Deaf community. sure if what gets signed is the actual and gesturing. FSL has its own linguistic structure message meant by the sender. We “It is a challenge to be writing —phonology, morphology, syntax often have to second-guess what the back and forth but it is important and discourse. It belongs to a family teacher says when the interpreter signs to communicate with our hearing of sign languages that have been in English. FSL enables us to access classmates,” said Morly. Arzadon influenced by the American Sign what the teacher says faster and easier.” meanwhile, shares the need to Language (ASL) due to language “When SEE is used, Deaf understand Deafness, Deaf culture contact with American missionaries students are not inclined to respond and Hearing culture to enable and Peace Corp Volunteers. to the teacher simply because they Hearing and Deaf students to Sign and spoken languages are are more concerned with being able work harmoniously. worlds apart. The structure of sign to sign English properly than express As Deaf students continue to language alone is different from any their thoughts. Sometimes, you engage in UP academic life, the just have to decide which is more national university has become

*Bustos is Associate Professor at the College important: to use a language that accessible to them through Filipino of Education who specializes in Deafness facilitates learning or the correctness Sign Language. For inquiries on and Literacy, Student Achievement and of the sign/word order,” adds Morly. Filipino Sign Language classes, please Special Education. Mae understands why teachers email [email protected]. u

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 11 JONATHAN MALICSI*

*Malicsi is a known expert in linguistics and Shifting is currently Professorial Lecturer at the paradigms Department of Linguistics, College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.

proficiency statistics I have gathered A prescription for teaching over the years, mostly coming from college English faculties and staff English as a foreign language. of multinationals, with the latter expressing grave concern over the English of their personnel in light of their having to communicate ast Nov. 11, I was invited to what average score they think they with international clientele. The run a seminar on English for should get, considering that they sad inevitable conclusion is that elementary and high school are teachers, and that those who English has not been taught well, teachers of a particular city, teach English, Science and Math use even after 10 pre-collegiate and to prepare them for the English as the medium of instruction two collegiate years of teaching. At Levaluation of teaching materials under the Bilingual Education the 2014 conference of the College being prepared for the coming school Program. They said they should get English Teachers, I even quipped to years, especially those for Grades higher than 75, and maybe should the audience, “Thank you for not 11 and 12. Though I was invited to average in the 80’s. teaching well. I have a job as trainer run a seminar on evaluation, I made The 1-hour lunch break allowed for multinationals.” it clear that in my own phasing of me and my assistant just enough Considering everything I have language skills training, evaluation time to process 127 answer sheets, learned about foreign language involves judging for rhetoric, and when we resumed the session, teaching, sociolinguistics, and language assertions, discourse, argument and I showed them that these averaged planning, coupled with my continuing general communication strategies, around 63. Indeed they laughed at research into English linguistics (begun as discussed in my book Critical the statistic, but it was laughter that in 1991 as the English Language Project Thinking in Written Communication. betrayed a realization of how the under the office of then UP President But before evaluation can be done, educational system has not really Jose Abueva) and the state of English the texts of teaching materials must trained them well in the language. language teaching nationwide, I firmly first be edited well, and that the best When we completed processing all of believe that only a systemic change we all could accomplish in one day the answer sheets, the average turned will work, a shift in paradigm involving (of two 3-hour sessions) is to do an out to be 61.83, with the highest many interrelated details which may overview of English used currently in score at 86 (a Science teacher’s), the be taken up one at a time by the timid, international media. lowest at 25, and a standard deviation or all at once by the bold. Two hundred seventeen teachers of 8.68, indicating quite a distance gamely took a 100-item test on basic between the more proficient and the SHIFTING ENGLISH VARIETIES forms and rules of international less proficient among them. English, and they were even allowed The 38 who identified themselves From Pinoy English (PE) to to share information with each as English teachers averaged 64.97; International English (IE). As stated other, even with teachers from the 29 Math teachers averaged 63.07; quite clearly in the UP Language other schools, to achieve the target the 34 Science teachers averaged Policy, English shall serve as the of getting a decent average for the 61.76, which, interestingly, is the same University’s international lingua entire group. It was also an exercise average as that of the 23 Filipino franca, and the increasingly globalized in team learning. Towards the end teachers – the group with the least perspectives and concerns of local of the one-hour time limit for the connection with English. institutions point to the focus of exercise, I asked the body as to This is but the latest in language language teaching on international

12 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 English, practically defined as the The use of the progressive aspect while IE has adMINistrative, English used in international print and are … understanding is an interference CHAracteristics, and organiZAtion, not broadcast media, and catalogued in from Filipino and other Philippine to mention the differences in vowels international dictionaries of English. languages, in which all conjugable and consonants. The differences between PE verbs have the imperfective (or Dealing in education typifies the and IE can be illustrated in the progressive, or durative) aspect PE confusion in using prepositions following samples: which translates to either the past idiomatically, since IE differentiates progressive or present progressive between the phrasal verbs deal in PE: If masteral students are of English, except for a subcategory (to buy and sell goods) and deal with not understanding the of verbs, like understand, know, (to be about something, to talk to most effective and efficient love, or cost, which do not take the someone, or to take action). Another administrative characteristics progressive aspect. Iniibig kita does PE idiom is experts on; the IE idiom of the organizations dealing in not translate into *I am loving you. is experts in. A third is the PE creation education, they would enjoin The phrase effective and efficient at par with, meaning “at the same level experts on management to is an automatic collocation in as”; the IE idiom is on (a) par with. enlighten them on procedures PE, as if one cannot use effective The issue in learning idioms is that at par with the best practices in without saying and efficient. This is the collocations will just have to be the world. likely the result of English teachers’ memorized, since many cannot be admonition to their students to reconstructed based on meaning, such IE: If master’s students do not “Think in English”, which simply as expert in, authority on, professor of. understand the most efficient becomes picking up bits and pieces The verb enjoin is popularly administrative characteristics of English and putting them in what used in Philippine memos, as in All of organizations dealing with may be acceptable sentences. faculty members are enjoined to attend education, they will request The words administrative, the commencement exercises. However, experts in management to characteristics and organization seats are limited, which indicates that enlighten them on procedures are three of the more commonly it is used to mean “request, invite on a par with the best practices mispronounced words in PE, i.e., formally, or encourage”. Yet, enjoin to in the world. the PE pronunciations of which are do something literally means “require”, not reflected in any international while enjoin from doing something means The adjective form masteral is not dictionary of English. The PE “prohibit”. This is likely the result of listed in any English dictionary, but is stress placements (represented by English teachers’ instruction to “get the popularly used locally, even by CHED capital letters) are admiNIStrative, meaning of the word from the context”, officials, derived as parallel todoctoral . chaRACteristics, and orGAnization, which nurtured such a divergent meaning. Abstracting meanings from contexts should be done only after being trained in lexicography.

SHIFTING ENGLISH INFORMANTS

From fellow Pinoy learners to reputable language professionals who are first-language speakers, or who have near-native fluency. Shifting to IE necessarily means changing informants, or the speakers of the language from whom the sounds, words, sentences, idiomatic expressions, spelling, punctuation and mechanics of English are sourced. The evolution of PE has been nurtured by Filipinos learning from each other, such that any variant pronunciation uttered by an influential person, such as a local broadcaster, gets picked up and

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 13 news.bbcimg.co.uk spread throughout the population. This is how we have picked up the one-word spelling of everyday as an adverb, as evident in nearly all local advertisements, while IE distinguishes between the adverb every day, and the adjective everyday, as in You can shampoo your hair every day and Make it your everday habit. Broadcasters from high-rating stations say adVOcacy instead of ADvocacy; pronounce the double “l” of pollute and pollution as if it were the Spanish “ll”, when it should actually be pronounced like a single “l”; make poll sound like Paul, instead of pole. Biology teachers say INtestine instead of inTEStine. Doctors say peNIcilin Filipinos have a penchant for mixing English and Filipino in signs as: Ice bloke for sale (Ice block for sale). instead of peniCIllin, and make psoriasis sound like “sorYAsis” instead advance one’s career. SHIFTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE of “soRAyasis”. Math teachers say This approach fits senior high TEACHING STRATEGIES PythaGOrean, instead of PythagoREan. school English, which should be at the The unsuspecting student same level as current college General 1 . From building on past English learns from his teacher; the teacher Education (GE) English courses. training to correcting the forms gets influenced by his colleagues; New post-grade 12 English courses, and rules learned from such, and everyone gets infected by the mass beginning in 2018, should focus on redirecting the learning of English. media. The spread of a linguistic reading, writing, and presenting in Language acquisition, or a child’s form is like a virus spreading the disciplines. Possible outputs are learning of his first language, works throughout a population. Those who a critical review of a published article simply through exposure, imitation, know the correct form do not get or a state-of-the-art report, writing a and repetition. Language learning, infected, but most are vulnerable, yet short research paper using original i.e., learning a second language, also teachers of English have persisted in data, and making an audiovisual works in the same way if done in learning from fellow learners without presentation of the same. Such childhood. Language learning at a checking the learning against what courses, being highly immersed in the later age requires explanation of the reliable references contain. discipline, should be handled by the forms and processes of the target Continual exposure to teachers of the discipline themselves. language as well, since the second international media, especially to After all, teachers of the discipline are language will always be processed the best accessible via cable or the also expected to do research, publish, with reference to the first language. Internet, is the antidote. The brain and render extension service. It is But this is premised on the students’ will naturally pick up forms, and intuit easier to improve the language skills, exposure to exemplars of the processes, thereby developing a kind of especially in editing, of a statistics second language. “intuition” about the language. teacher, than to teach enough statistics In the case of the Filipino to an English teacher to enable him learner, his 10-12 years of exposure SHIFTING LANGUAGE TARGETS to guide statistics majors in data to and imitation of PE requires the gathering, problem solving, and integration of a corrective phase From a diffuse set of targets (which writing up a report. to his language learning. Such will even includes literary appreciation, College English faculties can have to be based on a comparative conversation, and public speaking) then concentrate on their own analysis of PE and IE, in order to to English for academic and majors’ courses, while offering GE strategize the relearning, inasmuch professional purposes in a global courses in literature, especially as whatever has been learned tends context. English language courses in on topics which a well-educated to stay in the learner’s mind until senior high school and college should Filipino college student should learn, it gets supplanted by new learning. focus on the very reason English has such as a reintroduction to literary Exposure, imitation, correction, a place in our school system—to forms, creative writing, or surveys of explanation, and drills—all of these be used in further learning, to gain Philippine and Asian literatures. are needed for the IE forms to entry into the job market, and increase in probability of use, and

14 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 block IE except in domains where IE English and locally published English So many developments have is useful. teaching materials have relied on happened in the field of grammar The 63.18 average of teachers traditional grammar to explain the as a science since the ‘50s, yet most mentioned earlier indicates the language, without realizing that that English teaching materials have strength of PE in the minds of the grammar is likely just another copy not utilized such developments teachers. The test items had only of 18th century grammars of English, that explain forms and processes two options—the common PE form based on Latin. Key indicators are more clearly, logically and vs. the IE form. Thus, the teachers, notional definitions of syntactic comprehensively. One example is even when they discussed the test categories, such as “A sentence analyzing the phrase “will return” as a items with each other, merely is a word or group of words that combination of the modal verb “will” reinforced their own PE. Their expresses a complete thought” (how in the present tense and the base systematic errors came from good does one evaluate the completeness form “return”, instead of identifying it memories of wrong forms. of a thought?), or “A noun is the as the simple future tense, since the name of a person, place or thing” verb “return” itself is not inflected. 2. From using traditional grammar (which excludes beauty, or election, Foreign language teaching is found in Teaching English as a and quite useless in identifying light). best grounded on a comprehensive Second Language (TESL) materials Grammatical categories must be comparative analysis of the target to using contemporary linguistic defined by grammatical features, not language and the language of the analyses of the English used in by meaning. students. Unfortunately, TESL international media materials from the US are not based compared with on a comparison of English and Philippine English and Philippine languages. Turn to page 21 Philippine languages. Most teachers of

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 15 KritikaL na imahinasyon Panayam kay Direktor Rommel B. Rodriguez ng SWF

Sa pagtatapos ng atapos ang masusing malikhain at pagiging kritikal lalo proseso ng panayam, na sa usapin ng wikang Filipino. panunungkulan ni pampublikong talakayan, Nakatuon ito sa hamon at tunguhin Professor Emeritus at deliberasyon, napili si ng Filipino sa ika-21 siglo. Kaya, Rosario Torres- Dr. Rommel Rodriguez nanaliksik ako ng mga pag-aaral Mng Departamento ng Filipino at hinggil sa pagpaplanong pangwika, Yu, bumuo ang Panitikan ng Pilipinas (DFPP), patakarang pangwika ng ibang Kolehiyo ng Arte at Literatura (KAL), mga unibersidad at kasaysayan Unibersidad ng upang ipagpatuloy ang mga simulaing ng patakarang pangwika dito sa Pilipinas (UP) Diliman isinusulong ng ahensya. Unibersidad. Bukod dito, nais ko Sa edisyong ito ng UPDate ring magkaroon ng administrasyong ng isang Search Magazine – na nakatuon sa wika demokratiko at transparent, at Committee upang ng/sa UP Diliman – minarapat magpapatuloy ng mga programa at ng patnugutan na kapanayamin proyektong iniwan ni Dr. Torres-Yu. pumili ng susunod na ang bagong Direktor ng SWF at manunungkulan bilang ang mga panukala niya para sa DIO: Ano ang mga programang katayuan at ambag ng wikang panukala ninyo para sa inyong Direktor ng Sentro Filipino sa Unibersidad. panunungkulan bilang Direktor ng Wikang Filipino ng SWF? Diliman Information Office (DIO): (SWF), ang tanggapang Noong panahong nasa proseso ng RBR: Nais kong ipagpatuloy ang nangunguna sa paghahanap ng susunod na Direktor mga naitatag nang programa ng ng SWF, ano po ang mission/vision Sentro, gaya ng Gawad Saliksik-Wika, pagtataguyod ng na iprinisinta ninyo sa search Aklatang-Bayan, mga publikasyon Pambansang Wika committee at sa Unibersidad? tulad ng Daluyan, na kaisa-isang refereed journal na monolinggwal at susubaybay sa Dr. Rommel B. Rodriguez(RBR): na nakalimbag sa wikang Filipino pagpapatupad ng Ang mission/vision paper ko noon dito sa UP Diliman. Nais ko ring ay pinamagatang, “Kritikal na balikan, bagaman mabusisi, patakarang pangwika Imahinasyon o Critical Imagination,” ang mga kasaysayan at dahilan sa Unibersidad. paano magsasanib ang pagiging ng pagkakatatag ng patakarang

16 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 pangwika sa UP, para magkaroon ako maituturing na ring serbisyo publiko. nagpulong ang Komite sa Wika, isa ng isang mas malinaw na perspektiba Sumunod ay ang pagpapalakas sa mga mungkahi ni Dekana Grace sa patutunguhan ng SWF. Nariyan ng istruktura ng institusyon. Dalisay ng Kolehiyo ng Agham din ang pagsasagawa ng mga Alam natin na dati ang Sentro ay Panlipunan at Pilosopiya (KAPP) talakayan at mga pambansang systemwide. Tapos nangyari ang ay ang pagbuo ng pananaliksik palihan at kumperensya. Tinitingnan debolusyon nito, bagama’t may hinggil sa mga tesis at disertasyong ko ang posibilidad ng isang probisyon na ang bawat unit ay nakasulat sa Filipino. Wala pa kasing internasyunal na kumperensya na magkaroon ng sariling Sentro. Pero komprehensibong sanggunian o ang lunsaran ay tungkol sa Filipino. sa huling naging pagpupulong ng batayang materyal ukol dito. Kaya Ipinapanukala ko rin ang pagbuo iba’t ibang Sentro, may ilang SWF magsusumite kami sa Opisina ng ng isang video production na may sa iba’t ibang units na nalusaw na. Bise-Tsanselor para sa Pananaliksik kinalaman sa popularisasyon at Gayunman, may pana-panahong at Pagpapaunlad hinggil sa pagbuo ng diseminasyon ng Palisi sa Wika ng ugnayan sa ibang units ang SWF- annotated bibliography ng mga tesis UP kasi maraming misconceptions Diliman at sa aking palagay, at disertasyong nakasulat sa Filipino ukol dito. Akala ng iba na ang Palisi kailangan pa ang tuluy-tuloy na na nasa pangangalaga ng mga aklatan sa Wika ay tungkol lang sa Filipino ugnayan. Ang nakikita naming ng Unibersidad. as medium of instruction. Kung posibleng magpatibay ng ugnayan Sa usapin pa rin ng istruktura, tutuusin, kung babalikan natin ang ng mga Sentro ay ang pagbuo tinitingnan pa rin ang posibilidad Palisi na iyan, bahagi lang iyon ng ng textbook sa Filipino, lalo na ng pagkakaroon ng Katuwang na isang probisyon pero karamihan kung ire-require ang pagkuha Direktor at mga Research Fellow. ay may kinalaman sa pag-unlad at ng asignaturang ito sa lahat ng Sila ang magsisilbing research pagsulong ng wikang Filipino kapwa constituent units ng Unibersidad. arm ng Sentro na magpapatakbo sa pananaliksik at sa usapin ng ng mga pananaliksik na ipapasok produksyon ng malikhaing akda. DIO: Nagpapatuloy sa tanggapan. Nakikipag-ugnayan Nagpapatuloy ang rin po ba ang kami ngayon sa Departamento ng suportang pagsasaling pakikipag- Linggwistiks ng KAPP, sa DFPP ng teknikal sa UP at sa labas ng ugnayan ninyo sa KAL, at sa Language Division ng Unibersidad. Pana-panahon mga Kolehiyo sa Kolehiyo ng Edukasyon. mayroong mga pumupunta pamamagitan ng rito, may mga sumasangguni mga Komite sa DIO: Ano ang mga lumilitaw na isyu o sa Sentro upang magpasalin Wika? usaping pangwika ngayon dito sa UP ng survey nila. Halimbawa, Diliman? At ano ang mga mungkahi iyong survey forms ng mga RBR: Oo, sa ninyong solusyon o tugon ukol sa doktor. Dahil dito, pinaplano katunayan, mga usaping ito? ng Sentro na bumuo ng noong kongkretong batayan RBR: Una, lumitaw ang isyu kung ng pagsasalin upang gaano kalapit ang implementasyon maging gabay ng Palisi sa Wika sa UP. Dito, sa namin sa tingin ko, mahalagang linawing gawaing nagpapatuloy ang implementasyon ito na ng Palisi sa Wika sa UP. Kinakailangan ang monitoring, at ito ay magagawa sa pamamagitan ng masusing pagkalap ng datos gaya ng makukuha sa mga survey hinggil sa GE at sa pagtuturo sa wikang Filipino, maging sa bibliograpiya ng mga tesis at disertasyong isinulat sa Filipino. Sa panahong pinaplano ang GE Conference, itinanong ko kung puwede bang isama sa kit ang ginawa naming polyeto tungkol sa Palisi sa Wika. Maganda ang naging tugon kasi naging bahagi pa ng plenary session ang Turn to page 28

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 17 from page 9 . . . anotherDeafness about the latest in showbiz people watched silent movies made English. For example, a Deaf person news, or engage in political debate, by both hearing and deaf persons. may write the sentence “Ball I buy” all through the use of FSL. In their One film shown was “Deaf MTV.” In instead of “I bought a ball” because respective homes, however, they the film, Deaf persons performed the former sentence is an acceptable feel lonely because only a few of the rap using FSL although without any syntactic form in FSL. household members, if not none at musical accompaniment. Those in Some schools like the Philippine all, are able to communicate with the audience, however, especially School for the Deaf (PSDF), them in FSL. the youth, appreciated the video and encourage its students to pronounce Whenever they have the rapped (through FSL) together in sounds as they use sign language. opportunity, Deaf persons from harmony. While they may not hear Their underlying concept is that Metro Manila would congregate any music, they were able to perceive deafness is a disability that is why at certain places to interact with a common beat. deaf people should be taught how to one another. Deaf Catholics living speak and distinguish sounds. From in Quezon City would go to the Political issue of the Deaf. At the point of view of the Filipino St. Joseph’s Church along Aurora least 31 elementary schools, 14 high Deaf community, this is another Boulevard, Cubao to attend the 9 schools, and nine tertiary schools in ethnocentric bias by hearing people. a.m. Sunday mass. They would flock the Philippines cater to the deaf. The They do not see their Deafness as by the left portion of the front pews Department of Education (DepEd), a disability. Their language – FSL – to see one or more interpreters however, imposed that ASL should has been effective enough for them translate the services into FSL. be the language taught and used in to communicate with their own Together they respond and say these institutions. The members of community. To communicate with prayers using FSL. After the mass, the Deaf community are protesting hearing people, they encourage they would converge in one portion this imposition. According to them, bilingualism by learning how to read of the church grounds to engage in why would they use ASL when they and write. It is the hearing people friendly “talk.” have their own language, i.e. FSL? who do not understand them. It is Deaf persons from Pampanga Why do they have to study a foreign the hearing people who perceive occasionally come to Metro Manila language? Allegedly, the DepEd’s that there is a problem somewhere. to meet their counterparts. One decision was based on the need to Majority of Filipinos view deafness such occasion was during the Deaf correct the writing skills of the deaf. from a pathological perspective. Film Festival in 2003 at the Church of If they use FSL, then they could not The Deaf community, however, view the Risen Lord at UP Diliman. Deaf write in correct English since its Deafness from a cultural perspective. students, professionals and ordinary syntax is very dissimilar from that of Another issue concerns the use

18 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 pinoydeaffileswordpress.com

of hearing aids and implants. Many research aimed at eradicating messaging, e-mail, and internet members of the Deaf community do deafness. They said this type of chat rooms. The internet has not like to use hearing aids because research is tantamount to cultural the Deaf Philippines Directory they do not see the need for it. An genocide as it would eradicate the webpage. There is also one website informant, when asked if she does very source of their heritage. promoting Filipino Deaf pen pals. not like to hear the song of a bird Another site connects the alumni or the gush of the wind, answered Rethinking ethnicity. Based on the of the Manila Christian Computer she could sense their singing and evidence from Deaf culture, there is a Institute for the Deaf. could feel the wind. This for her is need to rethink the basic concepts of The traditional notion of enough. Moreover, many of the Deaf language, community and ethnicity. ethnolinguistic groups is also complain about hearing aids because A community is commonly spatially defined, i.e. according to sometimes they get too jittery with defined as “mutually dependent culture areas and regions. However, all the sounds they hear. The use families living and working together the Filipino Deaf community, of hearing implants is even more in a given area and usually in face-to- which has its own language and controversial for them. According face association” in the Dictionary of culture, is spread across different to members of the Filipino Deaf, Anthropology by Charles Winick. households, communities and hearing implants should only be used The Filipino Deaf created regions. Ethnicity refers to a on people who are old enough to an “imagined” community that social and psychological feeling give their consent. It should never be unites most, if not all, of them that a particular group is different used on children since they are not despite their “diaspora.” This from the rest. The Filipino Deaf yet in their proper age to decide for a community has all the more been community feels and believes they surgical operation. reinforced with the onset of the are a distinct cultural and linguistic Filipino Deaf community information technology revolution. group within Philippine society. members support a resolution Deaf persons separated from As such, their human rights as of the World Federation of the one another regularly converse a linguistic and ethnic minority Deaf opposing all forms of genetic with each other through text should be recognized. u

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 19 from page 6 Engineering . . .

of word frequency counts across time was automatically generated. This information can now be accessed via a program in the Bantay Wika project website (http://sentrofilipino.upd. edu.ph/bantaywika/). Some of the studies done in the Bantay Wika project include a survey of words in the language with competing forms: spelling variations of some Filipino words, and borrowed words from the Spanish and American English languages and their Filipino translations, if any exist. One can observe how the competing word forms are used across time in written media, and whether one word form prevailed among the others. The text data can also be used to map cultural trends, referred to as the field of culturomics. The projects are just a few of what the UP DSP laboratory is currently working on. They may not yet include building the local version of Siri, but engineering in speech and language is giving rise to tools and technologies that can be of great use, be it in improving information access and dissemination, learning a language, or conducting studies on a Data collection activity in an elementary school in Quezon City. (Photo below) Affiliates of the laboratory are each assigned a signal language itself. u processing problem for their capstone project (EEEI-DSP Laboratory).

20 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 from page 15 Shifting . . . This is where faculties of English 4. From teacher as authority to grammatical information in each should set up their own research teacher as coach. Teachers tend to entry (that leisurely is an adjective, program, sharing and compiling glory in being the source of much not an adverb), how to interpret the details on what may be considered knowledge about the language and meanings, and, in some dictionaries, as interferences coming from many of them probably are, but how to use the word in a sentence, Philippine languages, as well as this prevents them from treating such as which particle or preposition details on idiomatic translations, the students as fellow learners. It follows or precedes it, or whether such as rendering May nakaupo ba is always possible for students, the embedded verb that follows is in rito? as Is this seat taken?. exposed to the Internet more than the infinitive or gerund form. They Additionally, especially for the teachers, to pick up more should be cautioned about Internet senior high school and college current words and idioms, which sources, especially free ones, since English courses, a comprehensive they can share with the teachers these may contain dated information, comparative analysis of international and fellow classmates. An example or, if it is a usage guide, it may reflect English and Philippine English must is the word waitstaff to refer to the author’s idiosyncrasies. They be a continuing research program, to waiters and waitresses, or the should know enough grammar facilitate the students’ shift to IE for expression heads up, not referring to to determine which chapter of a academic and professional purposes. a snub, or an acknowledgment, but grammar book a particular form to advance information. (possibly an error) is explained. They 3. From an over-reliance on Teachers then should focus on should be trained to learn more grammar books and dictionaries how to make their students learn on English by listening to and reading to a continuing analysis of actual their own. After all, it is the student international media. They should output by informants, added to who eventually has to use English to become autonomous learners. information from grammar books get good grades, get a job, and get and dictionaries. Since most English promoted. The teacher can then be 6. From individual learning teachers did not learn English from evaluated for teaching competence to instrumented team learning. So reputable native or near-native based on the performance of his much to learn (and “unlearn”). Such speakers, nor have they continued students, and not so much on his huge classes. These two problems learning the language by exposure research and advanced degrees. can be solved through instrumented to international media, they have Good coaching means getting the team learning. Based on a reliable become overly dependent on their team to win by playing well, not just diagnostic test, the students can be limited—and dated—references. studying the game. grouped into teams, with each team There are those who still teach that consisting of four or five members “Are you finished?” is incorrect, and 5. From teacher dependence with varied levels of proficiency, should be “Have you finished”, or to learner autonomy through and the better ones spread out in those who think “Who can you trust instrumented learning. The teacher different teams (not necessarily to to lead the nation?” is wrong since as an authority figure also leads to function as leaders, but simply to who should be whom functioning teacher dependence, and indeed it share what they know with the rest). as the object of trust, even if that is gratifying, even flattering, to be It is probable that in a class of 40, sentence was one of the campaign asked about the forms and rules of or even 50, there are students who slogans of the Labor Party, and the language and be able to respond cannot even understand the lectures most native speakers no longer say correctly. The engagement of and instructions of the teachers. whom at the beginning of a sentence teacher and student, however, draws Interaction with fellow students regardless of its grammatical to a close at the end of each semester will certainly make their learning function. One English trainer or school year, and it is impractical happen even outside the classroom. insists that the word biodata is not for former students to keep going Additionally, the social nature of an English word since it is not in his back to their teachers for details they language is heightened. dictionary, though Encarta (1999) failed to learn, or were not covered All the teacher has to do, while and the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s by their courses. teaching how to use references, Dictionary 3rd ed (2008) have it. Instead, the students should is to devise tasks for the team to Dictionaries and grammar books be taught how to use references, accomplish. The teams can be pitted are dated and necessarily limited; both print and electronic, for their against each other in a game-like the learners—both the teachers and own learning—how to interpret manner that also makes the learning the students—must simply learn the the phonetic transcriptions enjoyable. An example is giving an language primarily from current of their dictionaries to get the objective test for each team to work international media. standard pronunciation of words out as an assignment, and the team (try brougham), how to use the answers (the result of negotiations

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 21 http://1.bp.blogspot.com/ conTRAry is “pasaway”). If maintained for years, much learning can happen.

8. From GE English teachers specialized in grammar, writing, or speech, with the GE English courses treated like an assembly line to a team of GE English language coaches organized as quality circles, handling all GE English courses. The current “specialization” of English teachers in grammar, writing or speech will likely disappear from college but may appear in senior high school. This has been a kind of assembly line approach, in which students are supposed to learn from one teacher, who passes them on to the next, and so on. The unfortunate reality is that there is little coordination among the sets of teachers, not just between the ones who teach different courses, but also among those teaching among the team members) shown to the younger ones, saying that the different sections of the same course. onscreen (or on the whiteboard) in latter have graduated more recently Typically, the grammar teacher does class; the teams can then discuss the and would probably still remember not give feedback on articulation, root of any difference in answers a lot more of their college learning. pronunciation and prosody since they have, and based on the class In contrast, the younger teachers these are supposed to be taught by discussion, the teams can then come would point to the older ones, saying the speech teacher, and the speech up with their final answers—and the that the latter have had more years of teacher does not give much feedback teacher then gives the correct answer teaching, and should have developed on grammar since this is supposed and explains why. Another is pairing their competencies even more. The to have been learned in the earlier teams, making the members of fact is that they have disparate levels course. The situation is made worse one take turns narrating a story in of proficiency which naturally lead in schools where these courses are the vernacular, with the members to different levels of effectiveness handled by different departments, of the other team translating on in teaching. As students would or where the English teachers are the spot into English. sometimes put it, a grade of 2.0 spread out in different colleges. The main point to this strategy is under teacher X is probably a grade Getting out of the Ford assembly for the students to do so much more of 1.0 under teacher Y, yet teacher X line system, the English language learning outside the class, on their is better. program can follow the Volvo system own and with their teammates, and As a faculty, English teachers of quality circles, in which teachers to use class time to get feedback from should also constitute a team and are organized in teams, in this case, other teams and the teacher. use team learning as the strategy the GE team or the senior high for continual learning. The school team, and within the team, 7. From a group of individual language changes; grammatical the members take turns teaching teachers of English with varying theories also change. different courses. This means one levels of competency to a team All it takes is for the faculty to teacher is expected to move from of English language coaches with set up mechanisms for sharing with teaching grammar, to teaching excellent competencies in all each other, not necessarily through writing, to speech, and possibly bilingual skills. In all the groups seminars or workshops. A simple also to research, and then return to of English teachers I have trained, bulletin board in the faculty room teaching grammar. In this manner, the gap between the better and the can have new learnings posted each teacher has a full realization of worse is rather wide. When asked weekly (e.g., the second syllable the teaching challenges of the entire who the more proficient in English of compilation sounds like “pee”, GE or senior high school program. are, the older teachers would point not “pie”; or CONtrary is “salungat”, In the grammar course, the sounds

22 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 of English are also reviewed; in 10. From developing only the valued in the workplace, such that the research course, grammar and basic macro skills to developing many important decisions are made speech are also given feedback. the macro skills as well as based on presentations, and not on a editing, translating, presenting, thorough and critical reading of the 9. From varying language targets negotiating, and analyzing skills. related research report. Researching, to uniform basic semestral language Both Department of Education and writing, speaking and presenting targets, still allowing for academic Commission on Higher Education skills should be so integrated as freedom for the use of different refer only to the four macro skills to evolve into negotiating skills— effective teaching strategies to of reading, writing, listening and possibly the highest level among all meet these targets. Under the guise speaking when they talk about communication skills. of practicing academic freedom, language skills. This is quite limited, Translation skills should different teachers tend to teach the and does not consider the fact that be the primary target of any same course differently, yet this English is a foreign language. A foreign language course, with situation leads to some students study of language jobs clearly shows simultaneous interpreting as the becoming more advantaged that there are other foreign language best demonstration of proficiency in than others. What the program skills that senior high school and two languages. This is why English administrator and the teachers college courses should address. First courses should be grounded on should do is establish a set of of these is editing skills, particularly comparative analyses of English core language targets per course, for teachers. Editing requires and Philippine languages to formulate standardized exams thorough grounding in the forms, ensure grammatical and idiomatic for all sections, and agree on the rules, and styles of the language, translations both ways. Any interpretation of scores for grading. and this should be the top skill of expression in English that the Academic freedom can be exercised language teachers. teacher or student cannot translate in their individual teaching strategies Speech teachers must also or explain in the vernacular means and possible additional learnings. develop their presenting skills since he did not understand the English; their students are already required to any expression in the vernacular make presentations in their classes. that the teacher or student cannot The impact of a presentation is so translate or explain in English great that a middling research project means a gap in his learning of presented well may get a good English. Pang-ilang anak ka? is grade, while a good research project idiomatically rendered as Are you A scene at a Business Process Outsourcing office where presented badly may get a bad the eldest/youngest? and not *What is agents communicate using the English language. grade. Presentation skills are highly your birth order?, nor *What is your

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 http://www.thephilippinepride.com 23 24 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2013/10/antonios-tagaytay.html sibling position. Translation should of the committee tasked to construct be quick, automatic, and accurate. the test said that it is the final grades And to support the student’s that are defective. Final grades learner autonomy, his analytic skills do not correlate with proficiency must also be developed, enabling because these include items like him to recognize new forms, attendance and “active participation new meanings, and possibly even in class”. Further, exams given at hypothesize new rules or refinements different times tend to get averaged, of old rules he has learned from his as if they are all equivalent in references, like a junior linguist. weight even if language learning is cumulative, meaning the coverage of 11. From performance evaluation the first month is carried over to the to performance management of second month, and so on, making the teachers and students. Teachers final exam cover the entire semester. are usually evaluated once a Performance in language is more semester, or even just once a year. logically graded at the end of the The evaluation may involve an semester. Even if the various quizzes unannounced visit to his class, the and exercises during the semester use of peer evaluation and student are individually graded, such grades evaluation questionnaires, and should only serve as rehearsal possibly exit interviews of students. feedback for the finals. In fact, in Such evaluation methods are theatrical terms, applause for an quite problematic, but even if they artist is for the actual performance, work well, why should a teacher not for the rehearsals. But because be allowed to teach for an entire the final exam period is stressful, semester or a whole year before some students may not be able to being told he did not teach well? perform at their best. Still, outputs Instead of the traditional towards and at the end of the performance evaluation scheme, semester are more indicative of the teachers should undergo learning for the semester, making performance management by the a finals-oriented grading system program administrator. This involves a better alternative to the typical identifying indicators of good—and cumulative grading system. bad—teaching behaviour, continually monitoring such, and giving timely 13. From courseware that remains feedback to the teacher. fixed for years to courseware that In like manner, teachers should continually improves based on give timely feedback to their ongoing linguistic and pedagogical students, who can then correct research. Many universities limit themselves and continually the use of a particular edition of a improve their knowledge and use textbook to three years, yet there are of the language. also those whose teachers decide to use textbooks and other teaching 12. From a cumulative grading materials that are decades-old. system per semester to a finals- Given the many changes that oriented grading system. In a study happen in language, language of English proficiency test scores analysis, and language teaching of sophomores against their final strategies, courseware should grades in their college freshman necessarily evolve, not just to keep English courses, no correlation was it abreast of developments, but also established. Since it was a pilot to refine it to suit the specific needs study of the test, the possibility of the students. Each class per was there that the test was not semester can generate information measuring proficiency well. Yet, that should be integrated into the after consultants on language testing teaching materials. Eventually, this declared the test good, the members practice can lead to a department’s

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 25 publication of its own courseware and games using typical objective they do get some information when that is data-driven, and quite suited tests—these and others like them they are awake and attentive, but it is to the department’s target clientele. can become a campus tradition that skills development that they need to students prepare for regularly. become better teachers. 14. From disconnected language It should be possible to use and content courses to content and 16. From English language majors increasing levels of proficiency language integration in both English getting their degrees by completing in different language skills as a and non-English courses. English all courses to English language major factor in the reward system, courses are generally isolated from majors getting their degrees by whether in the form of promotion, other courses even if some of these use completing all courses and getting additional honorarium, or language English as the instructional language. a required proficiency grade, differential. The ability to write One approach to make the classification or level in a standard effective promotional materials connection is CLIC, or the content- international test. The winner of for the school, for publication in and-language integrated class, a reality contest on TV, who could national media, to write and deliver popular in Europe, in which the hardly carry a conversation in a rousing speech in a public forum, English language courses use the English and admits having difficulty to do sequential interpretration in English texts of other courses the expressing herself in English, turns the vernacular for a visiting English- students are enrolled in. Thus, the out to be an English major, and speaking lecturer, to spot and correct students get to understand their texts apparently was an English teacher all errors in texts submitted for better and learn academic English at for a time. This is because the system publication in the school’s journal, to the same time. gives them their degrees by simply publish research papers on English completing all the required courses. linguistics—these are just a few 15. From classroom centered The challenge now is for English demonstrations of excellent language language activities to campuswide majors to be required to take an skills that should be rewarded, since language activities for students, international profiency test—TOEIC, teachers who can do tasks like these teachers and all other personnel. TOEFL, or IELTS—and to achieve a can be expected to develop the same The English language program tends high rating in any one of these before skills among their students. to be concentrated on classroom they can graduate as English majors. activities, which are quite limited in This calibrates the English language SHIFTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE time. Huge classes further limit the teaching program of the school to the PROGRAM PRIORITIES chances of each student to participate proficiency levels defined by these in recitations or discussions. international tests. This gives the From mostly teaching, to some But the campus itself may be program good external validation. research, and a little extension transformed into an immersion service to engaging in continual campus, with teaching facilities SHIFTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE research, teaching from research, all over confronting the students. FACULTY DEVELOPMENT and rendering extension service to Bulletin boards teach continuously; STRATEGIES expand the research database and posters on them can be used to apply the research findings. Overall, introduce new learnings and From English language teachers the tasks of teaching, research and reinforce old ones. Teammates can getting promoted for longevity, extension service must be integrated challenge each other to read all of advanced degrees, and attendance in such a way that the English language the sentences without making any in workshops, seminars and courses become the principal mistake in pronunciation. LCD conferences to English language beneficiaries. The push for teachers projectors can be set up in hallways teachers getting rewarded for rising to finish advanced degrees may simply or lobbies to show documentaries on levels of proficiency in various end up with theses and dissertations topics that can enrich their general bilingual skills and ability to which are irrelevant to the language education while demonstrating good develop the same among students. program, which do not get translated IE speech. The reward system for English into teaching and testing materials. A semestral or annual teachers must also be reexamined. There is a need to define the competition gives added value to Commonly, promotion is based research program of the department language proficiency as it fires up on length of service, advanced that covers not only the research interest in learning English well. degrees and attendance in academic done by its students but also A spelling bee, solo interpetive gatherings. Unfortunately, many the graduate research done by reading, choral interpretive reading, such seminars are mere attendance the faculty. All outputs should impromptu speeches, pronunciation events; the teachers’ language skills contribute to building a terrific challenge, on-the-spot writing, are not developed at all. Of course language program that can develop

26 UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 UP Department of Linguistics Library

students into near-native speakers of the community or other institutions many quarters, but it is about time the language with only six years of could be used to further validate the that well-researched foreign language language courses (as the Netherlands teaching and testing materials as well teaching strategies were employed to and Scandinavian countries are able as expand the database for research. raise the students’ language skills to to do). Such continual research The paradigm shift prescribed levels useful in academe and valuable becomes the scientific base for here may seem daunting, and in the workplace. Current paradigms teaching, and extension service to certainly will face resistance from are simply not working well. u

UPDate Magazine l July-December 2015 27 from page 17 KRITIKAL . . . talakayan sa Palisi sa Wika at teknolohiya ng bangka sa Pilipinas. Education (MTBMLE.) Kamakailan, nang sa gayon ay mailatag na ang Posible itong makatulong sa kanilang mayroong ahensyang sumangguni sa posibleng resolusyon hinggil sa pagtuturo at pananaliksik. amin upang tumukoy ng maaaring paggamit ng Filipino bilang medium Dito ko nakikita na habang sumuri sa pagpapatupad ng K-12 sa of instruction. gumagawa ka ng iba’t ibang antas na elementarya. pananaliksik, paghahanap ng datos, DIO: Para sa inyo, paano masasabing makikita mo na may ugnayan ang DIO: Ano pa po ang mga maaari naming malawak at malalim na ang bawat isa. Layunin ng Sentro na abangan na mga proyekto ng Sentro ng implementasyon ng Palisi sa Wika sa UP? maiugnay ang ganitong uri ng Wikang Filipino ng UP Diliman? pananaliksik sa mga tanggapan, RBR: Nakabatay ito sa mga at sa tingin ko, ito ay magiging RBR: Ang pagpapalakas ng patakarang dokumento na binabasa at sinusuri kalakasan ng opisina sa larangan ng gamitin ang Filipino bilang medium namin: kung ang pagbabatayan pananaliksik sa Unibersidad. of instruction. Sa usapin ng GE, natin ay ang tesis at disertasyon, ang pagpapa-require na kumuha ng lumilitaw na 5% lang ang nagsulat sa DIO: Mayroon din po bang mga asignaturang Filipino sa lahat ng mga Filipino. Maraming dahilan marahil. panukalang proyekto ang SWF ngayon estudyante ng UP. At ipinapanukala Una, hindi batid na puwede palang para sa mga estudyante ng UP? rin ang pagbabalik ng Sentro sa ilalim magsulat sa Filipino. Ikalawa, hindi ng UP System na bagaman madugo, ay alam kung papaano magsulat sa RBR: Sa di-gradwadong antas, ang kailangang pagsumikapan. Filipino, ano ang batayan. Ikatlo, iniisip ko diyan ay: una, isang journal Sa tingin ko, napakatibay na ng gaano kalakas ang suporta sa iba’t (hindi kailangang refereed) kung Filipino bilang opisyal na wika, kaya ibang antas administratibo. saan maaaring mag-ambag ang may mga Departamentong nakatuon Nakatutuwang makita ang iba’t mga estudyante mula sa iba’t ibang sa pag-aaral nito, kaya nakilala ibang institusyon na sa tingin ko ay disiplina. Nariyan din ang pagsasagawa na ang mga iskolar na nagsusulat may pagkukusa na rin na ginagamit ng seminar-workhop na lunan ng sa Filipino, at mga manunulat sa ang Filipino sa iba’t ibang proyekto. presentasyon ng mga pananaliksik Ingles na lumipat sa Filipino dahil sa May nakikita akong mga memo sa gamit ang wikang Filipino. historikal, radikal at progresibong iba’t ibang tanggapan na nasa wikang Ikalawa, scholarship. ideyang naipahahayag ng wikang ito. Filipino na. Sa tingin ko, magandang Pagkakalooban ng suportang Malaki ang naitulong ng kaalaman at simulain ito sa pagtataguyod ng pinansyal ang mga estudyanteng nais kamulatan sa Filipino para isulong paggamit ng Filipino sa iba’t ibang mag-aral ng wika, gaya ng sa DFPP at hindi lamang ang wika kundi pati na transaksyon sa Unibersidad. Linggwistiks. Scholarship o stipend- rin ang pambansang identidad. Lalo Pero sa huli, ang isa sa mga based o di kaya’y thesis grant, para sa rito sa UP, makikita mong buhay ang pangunahing layunin ng Palisi sa mga nais magsaliksik hindi lamang Filipino doon sa praktika. Buhay ito Wika ay ang intelektwalisasyon nito, hinggil sa Filipino, kundi maging sa hindi dahil sa pananaliksik lang o sa ang epektibong paggamit nito sa ibang mga wika sa Pilipinas. mga opisyal na sulat kundi patuloy pananaliksik at pagbuo ng kaalaman, itong nag-e-evolve at ang mismong lampas sa opisyal na komunikasyon. DIO: Paano ninyo naiuugnay ang inyong pag-evolve at pag-unlad ng Filipino Halimbawa ay sa Marine mga gawain sa Sentro sa mga patakarang ay malinaw na indikasyong hindi Science. Paano mo pag-aaralan ipinatutupad ng pamahalaan? ito mamamatay. Patayin man sa ang mga dagat ng Pilipinas kung akademya, buhay ito sa lipunan. u ito ay laging nasa wikang Ingles o RBR: May partikular na kaming kamalayang kanluranin? Mayroong iniisip na proyekto katuwang ang tinatawag na organic unity, ibang kolehiyo at institusyon sa pagkakaugnay ng mga ginagawa UP, na tutugon sa kasalukuyang mong pananaliksik. Halimbawa, ang ipinatutupad ng gobyerno: ang K to 12. nakita kong ugnayan, kung ang isang Sa pagsusuri namin ng mga kurikulum, guro ng Marine Science ay bukas nakita namin ang pangangailangang sa pagtuturo gamit ang Filipino, bumuo ng isang komprehensibong kailangan niya ng materyales. Hindi textbook. Kailangang may kamalayan kailangang textbook o glosari, pero sa mga katangian ng mga rehiyon, materyal na pananaliksik sa Filipino at syempre, pagtalakay sa wikang na may kinalaman sa dagat, sa marine Filipino. May ilang umuugnay sa ecology, at iba pa. Tapos may nakita akin upang makatulong nila sa akong tesis dito sa Main Library na pagbuo ng mga materyales tungkol sa akma sa kanila, na tumatalakay sa Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual

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