Should Filipino English sound like the American?
For all the native English speakers of the world who has heard a Filipino speak, you will notice something very interesting about how we talk in English – we can speak it well, but we “put the accent on the wrong sylLAble”.
Louie Agnir-Paraan of the Business Mirror wrote that “English should sound like English” and he suggests that if Filipinos are going to speak the English language anyway, we must know how to pronounce the words correctly. Case in point: Filipinos say ceREmony instead of CEremony. MaTRImony instead of MAtrimony. ineviTAble instead of inEVitable. comforTAble instead of COMfortable… and all words with – TAble hence.
Agnir-Paraan is a teacher, and like my English teacher used to do with us, he knows to teach his students the correct way of pronunciation. However, should our English really need to sound like the Americans or the Canadians or the Brits?
I don’t believe so, at least I don’t think this is practical anymore. To move towards this end, all Filipino educators and prominent persons must first learn to speak it properly. Then they can teach the next generation of students, TV viewers and the ordinary common the proper way. As it is, our OFWs are being understood by their foreign employers, GMA can communicate to other dignitaries even in her hardened English version. Sure, to be able to speak the American or British twang and proper diction would be nice but it’s not necessary. Eventually, after repeated tries, we understand each other.
8 Comments
As a filipino with who has been teased when I was young as being “amerikanong Hilaw” due to my diction and pronunciation of proper English, I must ask, what is so wrong with proper English? If I am correct the filipino students do not have English and Phonics anymore,and the so called “Nationalistic movement” to make talagog as a mode of learning during the mid-90’s did more damage than benefit; and that now the Philippines has an influx of call centers with being able to speak and understand english as a requirement. ( why do you think India did not last long as a call center haven?) If necessary I also encourage young filipinos to revisit our Spanish roots ( because to compete in a global economy you really do not need english alone) and I thank my great grandmother for speaking to me ONLY in Kastila . I often get criticized and often reprimanded by my grandmother that I sound too much like an american, ( well why not? I talk to americans from both sides of the coast- and understanding what I say and how I say it is crucial to what I do) What we should work on instead is the filipino mindset of ” pwede na yan” which is a hindrance, to do what filipinos are capable of doing, which is anything we set our minds to.
I am a native English speaker who has been to the Philippines and i like the accent of the people there. it is a totally different language with Tagalog and English flowing together. I love it! I think everyone has a right to be honest to their culture no matter where they are living
If, as Agnir-Paraan wrote, ‘English should sound like English’, then the only correct way of spelling and pronunciation would be the British way, not American, Canadian, Australian, etc. They took the original language and made it their own with distinct accents. I don’t see people suggesting they stop and follow the British.
I dont want to sound harsh but it irks me when a fellow Filipino self-proclaimed expert in English linguistic would criticize how we enunciate English words and discriminates our style of speaking.
She stresses British is the correct way of pronounciation and spelling. I beg to differ, the English language is constantly evolving and changing, that’s why it’s the hardest language to learn. In my opinion the correct way would be the widely accepted and the prevailent standards
We are lucky to have English as our medium of instruction in school. I met different people from different countries come to America struggling to learn it. They have been here for years but they still cant eighty-six the accent.
Miss Agnir-Paraan I want to hear you talk with a British accent in England. If there are no negative criticism on your accent then you would get the my
HIGHLY COVETED SEAL OF APPROVAL.
“She stresses British is the correct way of pronounciation and spelling.”
(rereads source @ Business Mirror)
I seem to be missing this part of the article where an attack is made. Citation needed? The tone I’m getting is that there is no disparaging, but an acknowledgement that these leads to gaps in communication.
I also seem to be missing the part of the article singing the praises of Queen’s Standard.
I am a student of english with a bachelor’s degree and I believe that pronounciation is important but not a big issue. Every race has their own ways of expressing ourselves. As long as two people, even with different races understand each other, I think it’s ok to make mistakes in pronounciation. I believe we should give more focus on grammar and emphasis in comprehensible english. I am not aiming for a perfect grammar because it is truly impossible to attain and it would be very hard to watch the grammar, pronounciation and proper delivery all at the same time.
About the topic which is better: British or American, I don’t really believe british is the CORRECT english, I don’t even believe there is one. There are so many of english varieties all over the world and it would be boasting if one will claim that their english is the correct one.
I agree that we don’t need to speak English with a north American or British twang. But it can be quite handy when we want native speakers to understand us right away – and not have to repeat what we say (and often be corrected by them, unintentionally). Having said that, I truly enjoy using the “Filipino English” accent because it’s unique and it sounds “more real” for me. Cheers
hello, all
please read the entire article (beyond the title) and look for the part where i was supposed to have stressed that the british way is the correct way…since i wrote no such thing, i would be very interested in finding such a quote from my article.
my students will be the first to tell you that i loathe any kind of fake accent and that i am as maka-pinoy as any pinoy can get. hindi po ako naging iskolar ng bayan para lamang magpaka-fake. (thanks nathan, whoever you are, for reading me right) God bless, everyone