Speaking good English is one of those relative notions that are largely dependent on each individual’s perception of what is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’. Our referential tools support this by publishing various definitions of the word ‘good’ or ‘bad’. For example, the Encarta World Dictionary, mentions that the word ‘good’ can mean the best, genuine or suitable whichever is applicable to the scenario to which the word is applied in. If I was asked last semester to give my opinion on the matter, I would have, without as much as batting an eyelash, immediately define what composed a good speaker and a bad speaker. However, with a little enlightenment, I have learned to avoid labeling the different types of English as good or bad since the more important concept to take note of is whether that type of English is appropriate or useful to the person. Let us take the growing reputation and acceptance of World Englishes as an example. If we were going to strictly comply with the rules of grammar or enunciation then several World Englishes will be categorized as ‘bad’ Englishes and one perfect example will be Singapore English. Singapore English or Singlish obviously does not follow the conservative rule since its standards are social constucts that were created by the society of Singapore (with a bigger bearing for those who hold important positions in the educational or socio-economic structures of the community) based on their accessibility and utilization of the language. So to put it in layman’s terms, if Singaporeans opted to say “Why you so like that lah?” or “I don’t understand your question, what?” over the “Why are you acting like this?” or “I don’t understand what your question was?” then they are not reprimanded as these are acceptable ways of communicating using the English language. In fact, other nearby Asian countries are mimicking this type of English since it is now recognized as another type of English that is aggressively making its mark in the global economy.
When we think of English, we are generally referring to language and language is well known as a medium to communicate using words with the prime objective of being understood. Anything that achieves its objective is always considered good so if we go back to the example, Singlish, cited in the previous paragraph where the speakers were still understood despite the awkward sentence construction then it should follow that Singlish is ‘good’ English, right? The answer – it does not always necessarily follow because the objective is not the only factor to take into account. In order to appropriately describe good English or identify good English speakers, it is necessary to consider the variables that affect how the language was used or applied. These variables can range from the individual’s upbringing all the way to his social status.
To put this to a test, a series of interviews were conducted alongside the survey sheets that were distributed. Instead of interviewing 2 respondents only (as instructed by the Professor), I have taken the liberty to interview 17 respondents and requested all of them to fill out the survey sheets for comparison and reference purposes. Please see the next page for the data gathered. (Note: I chose to show 2 results only)
II. Findings and Observations:
The survey sheet shows the answers given by 2 out of 17 respondents interviewed. They were asked to provide answers to questions which were generally assumed to have influenced how they speak English now. The data inquired about their educational background, hobbies, movie or t.v. show preferences, their exposure to the English language, manners of using English in their everyday activities and experiences that resulted to their continuous usage or non-usage of the said language.
Subject 1 was tagged as the Bad Speaker. The respondent works as a Facilities and Maintenance Personnel at a BPO Industry in Cebu. He earned his education (from Elementary to College) at public institutions and only has 9 units of English courses. His hobbies include eating, watching movies, playing basketball and volleyball and he often preferred to watch shows in the local channels such as the local news (often narrated in Cebuano or Tagalog) and Wowowi. He can speak Tagalog, Ilonggo, Bisaya but mixes his English with the said dialects. His exposure to English was limited to his classes in school and he opts not to talk at work (practices EOP or English Only Policy) for fear of being laughed at if he made a grammatical or pronunciation error. It was observed that he merely uses English when required.
Subject 2 was tagged as the Good Speaker. The respondent works as a Team Leader at a Call Center Industry in Cebu. He graduated elementary in a public school but earned his high school and college diploma in private institutions as well as earned 24 units of English courses. Like Subject 1, his hobbies were almost similar but he prefers to watch English shows like Glee, Lost and House. He can also speak Tagalog, Ilonggo, Bisaya but unlike Subject 1, can speak and write straight English comfortably. His exposure to English has a wider coverage than Subject 1 since he uses it more, not just at work but also at his home.
III. Conclusion and Recommendations:
As mentioned in the introduction, there are several variables to consider and it is important to discuss the variables one by one in order to understand why such variables contributed to the current level of English speaking skills of the respondent.
Variable 1: Educational Background
Whether we admit it or not, there is some truth to the notion that children get better education in private institutions than in public schools. This particular notion is founded on numerous factors such as erroneous textbooks, lack of proper equipment or facilities that would have been conducive to learning, low expectations for students’ performance and un-enforced standards for teachers. Let me cite the results of the 2007 NAT or National Achievement Test among public school children which showed an alarming downward trend and in the year before that, more elementary school children failed to make the passing mark of 75%, averaging a score of only 57% (Cathy Ruiz, Cebu Daily News). Further adding that in 2005, elementary students got a failing average of 59% in English. This poor performance, according to the writer, has been linked to poor English comprehension of students and lack of mastery of English among public school teachers. In a self-assessment test conducted by the Department of Education in 2004, only one out of every five public school teachers is proficient in the English language. More than half of the teachers have little or no training in English, according to a senior Dep Ed official.
This observation was not mentioned to encourage parents to enroll their children in private schools but merely to point our current concerns that have affected the type of education our public school children are getting and to hope that these concerns will be addressed accordingly as soon as possible.
Variable 2: Habit Forming Preferences
If our goal is to speak English well then it will be best if we surround ourselves with everything in English. Read papers and magazines written in English and browse Internet sites that utilize the English language. In fact, reading is an excellent way of improving our English speaking skills. Even watching English movies or television shows can come quite handy since we will be exposed to how they say the words and how the said words were used. Hence, it is like reading all over again.
Going to an English speaking country is an ideal option, but if going abroad is truly not practical then reading and speaking with friends will help just as much to practice your English. Introducing yourself in an environment that requires us to speak the language 95% of the time is a cheaper version of going abroad, however, I think that it is still very good to visit some English speaking country and test our knowledge of the language since we will feel the everyday usage of language in its natural environment. There, our level of English will improve even faster. Subconsciously, we will sense everything and our instinctive knowledge will emerge.
Variable 3: Exposure to English
Everyone can probably own up to saying that we know how to speak English. This is true as almost everyone can speak the language. The question is not on our capacity to speak English but our capacity to speak it well. Like all other known skills, practice is essential in speaking the language well. Like what I mentioned in last semester’s term paper, it takes a lot of effort, time and will to master it in all possible ways. I will directly quote what I have mentioned in the term paper for clarification.
“Learning or speaking the language is not a talent that only a few privileged individuals are gifted with. In fact, it is a skill that is taught and one requires constant practice and determination; thus, something that can be improved through time. Anyone can achieve the native speaker’s accent if they would only try harder. I will cite an acquaintance as an example to make my point more convincing. Michelle, who I met overseas, used to work as a waitress at a restaurant in Bahrain. Her ultimate goal was to be a Flight Attendant so she always asked to be tutored on her English usage and accent. I was able to observe and monitor her improvement. Her English then was what we commonly refer to as ‘Philippine English’ (or what foreigners referred to as Carabao English) but with practice and sheer dedication, her English improved. On her third attempt of application at Gulf Air, she finally got the job. When I went to Dubai last year, I set up a meeting with her and guess what, her English was even better. If not for her Filipino features, she will probably be mistaken as an American. In addition to that, when I arrived at Costa Cafe, she was talking to a fellow Flight Attendant and they were talking in French! I can’t claim that I know the French language that well to say that her French was also excellent but judging from how fast and how confident she was in using the language to a Native French Speaker, I will assume that she has mastered that language too.
And the best thing about growing old is you are not caged within one environment only. As you grow older, you move from one environment to another and your network of connections expand. You don’t just rely on your family for information and knowledge anymore, you also have the schools that you attend to, friends and teachers to learn from and subsequently co-workers as well as acquaintances to compare, learn and re-learn facts and data with. The area for improvement is without bounds and we have the option to save and discard whatever knowledge we prefer. Likened to my friend Michelle, we too can move out of our old shell so we can transfer to a better one which will provide us a bigger room to grow. It just boils down to one word - choice. Do you choose Intelligibility or do you choose Perfection?”
That is why it is important not to stop at some level of acquiring knowledge and avoid getting stuck in a rut. When one has graduated from the foundations of English, he/she must continue learning the language. There are so many possibilities.
The concern now is: Why still insist on aiming for 'perfection' when the growing trend on World Englishes is now globally acknowledged? The answer is quite simple, sadly, our economy is unlike the other countries that are breaking out in the market. Or in simpler terms, the Philippines is not Singapore and while we are still at a phase where we partner with other English speaking countries, we do not have the supremacy to contend that our type of English be recognized. For the time being, we have to comply and follow the standards of our supposed partners since they have the stronger economy. This is not to wallow in self-pity but simply, to accept the rules of economic engagement and globalization. Our economy is not yet stable or aggressive enough and this is why we still follow the standards of American or British language as well as their definition of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ English. This is why Subject 1 was categorized as a Bad English Speaker and Subject 2 as the Good English Speaker. This is why we cannot simply be contented with getting the message across but also ensure that we get the message across as eloquently as possible.
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