The Supposed Good and Bad Speaker of English

I. Introduction:

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.

Mid Term Exam Question #2

Discuss the following. Perfection in English language pronunciation VS intelligibility. Compare the theories. What are their implications to you as teacher/user of English language? Cite concrete examples. And what are some common errors you have noticed in your students/trainees/ clients/family while using English in speaking or writing? Why do you think these errors happen? What are your recommendations to them?

Admit it, like everyone else who were supposed to know better, we laughed and snickered while browsing through the photos. This is the sad truth in our country these days. Sad because those photos are clear proofs of the fear that our English language skills have degenerated after taking so much pride of saying that we have some of the best English speakers in the world for a long time. Also sad, as our efforts to assist in resolving the concern largely revolved on making jokes about the English errors being committed. These errors were not just observed in one, two or three individuals but also in commercial establishments as well as various businesses. In Call Centers, for example, several errors have been observed. As a Quality Evaluator, other than ensuring that the agents follow the correct business process as required by the clients, I am also tasked with monitoring their communication skills. I wince every time I hear the agents pluralized the wrong words like ‘Stuffs,’ ‘Anyways’ and ‘Informations’. Or when they coupled an adjective + ‘er’ with ‘more’ such as ‘more harder’ and ‘more brighter’. Or when they exhaust the superlative rule by saying ‘most latest’. Or when ‘their’, ‘they’re’ and ‘there’ are used in the same manner and thought as the same banana. Or the most common error of saying “fill up” the form instead of saying “fill out”. Or other words that evolved thanks to the Filipinism trend such as “irregardless,” “bottomless,” “It’s me,“ “Pin number” or “red color”.

And at a time when English is widely considered as an advantage in global competitiveness for any country, ours is slipping down the ladder. In fact, in the investment statement made by the US State Department, it specifically mentioned that “English language proficiency, while still better than in other Southeast Asian nations, is declining in the Philippines” whilst the others are catching up fast with the help of their government’s aggressive training programs and modules.

The question now, why is this happening? In order to answer the question, we have to consider several factors but to cite all of them will take too much of our time. We can, however, focus on the most obvious and most impacting factor - our schools.

The truth on the worsening caliber of English education is, a portion, rooted on bad English textbooks that are still being utilized. The users of the said textbooks, both teachers and students alike, are being fed with mostly erroneous information. Please take note that, as per the Department of Education, the approved textbooks are going to be recognized as the main source of information or knowledge. Because of this, the errors might possibly be acknowledged as acceptable or worst, considered correct since our supposedly reliable textbooks said so. The students who do not know any better or may have become uncertain of what they knew will then rely on the teachers for confirmation of understanding who are also going through the same dilemma.

Our teachers are, whether we admit the truth or not, the second sub-factor to the degradation of English of our students. But please take into account, that although teachers are vital contributors to the problem, they do not function as solitary contributors. We cannot simply note that they should be solely held accountable for process or system failures that affect their work. Some of these process or system failures are out of their control or have been handed down by their mentors such as low expectations for student performance, un-enforced standards of teachers, inadequate induction for beginning teachers, major flaws in teacher preparation, lack of professional development and rewards for knowledge and skills amongst others.

Let us look closer at ‘Low Expectations For Student Performance’ failure for instance which is deeply rooted on the concept of discrimination. Although discrimination is not as obvious as it was before, it still exists. It exists in our educational system that puts private schools in pedestals while public schools are left to fend for themselves or to put it lightly, to simply resort to resourcefulness. It exists between sections that are grouped as Special or Node sections versus general sections. It exists amongst students who are labeled based on their grades in schools or talents that they showcase. And the common inclination is since ‘not much’ is expected from average or low performers then a ‘not much’ type of education will also be provided to the same individuals. Let us take my high school as an example. I graduated from a public school in Davao City, although the section I belonged in was nurtured and well cared for by the school’s partnership with DOST, the other students in that same school were not so lucky. I was witness to the type of education that my schoolmates were getting. Other than not having actual classrooms, they (often than always) did not have teachers. Since most of the time they did not have classes, the students tend to go elsewhere and by elsewhere, I meant anywhere but within the vicinity of the school. However, if the teachers bothered showing up to conduct a class on rare occasions, the quality of education was only a quarter of what the students from the special or node classes were getting. Up to this day, I can still remember one particular conversation that I had with one of the teachers (no need to mention his name) when I interrupted his class because he specifically instructed me to call him once the beauty pageant started as he wanted to be there when his bet initially introduced herself. (Caution: Dabawenos neither speak straight Bisaya nor straight Tagalog. It is what the Chinese people refer to as the ‘chopseuy’ of dialects.)

Den at 14: Sir, excuse me, magsa-start na ang pageant.
Teacher: Ay, ay! Sige sabay ako sayo pagbalik dun.
Den at 14: Nyeh…eh pano yung class.
Teacher: Ako na bahala. Dalhin mo ang tape para sa talent portion ni (____).
Den at 14: Si Sir talaga…magsugo pa jud.
Teacher: Huwag ka ng magreklamo. (Turned around to talk to his class) Okay class, read chapter 8. We will have a test tomorrow.
Den at 14: (said nothing)
Teacher: O, bakit? Sus, hayaan mo na yung klase gud. Ganun din, either di makagradweyt ang mga yan o maging tambay o adik. At yung mga babae, mabuntis ng sayo kaya sayang lang din ang effort diba.

My teacher was just one out of 8 teachers in the school who I remembered making similar comments out in the open. And I am quite certain that there were other teachers who may have thought or felt the same way, only they were discrete enough to keep their opinions to themselves.

Or let us take ‘Un-enforced Standards of Teachers’ as another instance. The problem with the supposed standards (or lack thereof) today is, its vulnerability to politics and shift of priorities of the Board. And although our Board has developed certain standards for teacher education, licensing and professional development, it has not maintained the standards and/or maybe the same standards did not appropriately adapt to the changes in our society. It is necessary to acknowledge this realization and place the burden on the Board as it is presumed that the Board is the ‘conscience’ of the teaching profession because it is the governing body that develops and enforces ethical codes as well as technical standards for practice. Fixing the process failure attached to un-enforced standards is then the Board’s responsibility and in order to resolve it, they should develop common standards, high quality assessments and reciprocity agreements that will allow and help our teachers command comparable yet highly accomplished skills that will reflect on the positive type of education given to our students.

How will the recommendation be beneficial? First, the standards that will be set by the Board will bring the teachers’ expertise to a higher level since the improvement process will then be more focused and will be applied in a steadier fashion, which meant that it will be coupled with continuous updates and re-evaluations in light of the growing professional need. Second, the maintenance and improvement of such standards will allow the creation of a more coherent system that will be followed by all. Lastly, it will then encourage the teachers to work towards excellence.

What we need to understand about standards is its primary purpose. Standards exist in order to keep everything in line; hence, the status quo will be maintained or developed and never degraded. But because such standards are often not enforced in our educational institutions, the movement will always be towards mediocrity that is susceptible to exploration and constant changes which will only be an advantage to a few and not to everyone concerned.

The last factor, but as significant as the first two sub-factors discussed, is the growing trend on Intelligibility. Although there is no argument with considering Intelligibility as the most practical approach, it still does not justify the fact that in settling for Intelligibility, we are somehow, again, settling for mediocrity. The idea, “it is enough that you are understood” is a difficult concept for me to digest. Is it really enough to be understood? Is our expertise limited to a certain bracket only? Or better yet, is “Intelligibility” strong enough to defend our teachers when they are criticized by their students despite of successfully getting the lessons accross? The answer to all is NO. It is never enough that we stop once we are understood as it is human nature to aim for something higher. Our levels of expertise are boundless if we give ourselves the chance. And “Intelligibility” is not strong enough to be utilized as arms to linguistic wars with other nations or in simpler scenarios, it is not strong enough to fully prepare our children for globalization-in-full-throttle. Let us consider some examples. A call center agent is inclined towards pre-judicial impressions from both the business client and the customers as soon as his ‘Philippine English’ is detected. Even though his grammar was spotless and there was a probability that he will be able to resolve the customer’s concern in a clear and concise manner, the Filipino accent will often be the bane to his scope of work. A Filipina Guest Relations Officer who has been working in the same hotel 5 years will be bypassed despite of her experience, skill and knowledge since the chosen applicant spoke better English. An English Teacher who was mocked by her students because she mispronounced the simple word “refer” will possibly still get an opportunity to redeem herself on her next classes, however, she will be required to double her efforts in order to earn her students’ trust and respect again.

My strong dissatisfaction with the trend on Intelligibility in most schools is derived from dense excuses that I have heard people use in order to justify their level of English skills.

Excuse #1: “This is our way of imprinting our distinct Filipino personality on the English language.”

Why is there a need to show our distinct Filipino personality on the English language when it is something that we do not own in the first place? Just as Cebuanos are sick and tired of hearing us, Dabawenos, say “adto diri” when we specifically meant “anhi diri”, I am quite certain that Native English speakers are also sick and tired of hearing the English language being mutilated. And if we really wanted to promote our culture and supposed distinctness, we can always do so in other countless ways unless of course if we ran out ideas which I believe is quite impossible for the Filipino people.

Excuse #2: “The goal is to be understood and that is all there is.”

Why does the goal stop in being understood? Isn’t our ultimate goal to cultivate communication? If we chose the latter then how can we expect the person we are conversing with to interact when he is burdened with disinterest and disrespect, that sometimes border on doubt, after we have spoken? In my experience at a BPO Company, I have high expectations for those who hold managerial positions. Can you just imagine my dismay when I was introduced to a Senior Team Leader whose English grammar was all over the place and most of the words that came out of her mouth were pronounced incorrectly? My thoughts then were, “You got to that position with that kind of English?” and “What will the clients think?” since I was worried that the Clients might get the impression that all employees in our company talked the same way as she did. There was no doubt that I understood what she was trying to relay but the manner as to how she was relaying her thoughts was the barrier in the interaction. Up to this day, I still doubt her capabilities and the process of how she was hired.

Excuse #3: “We are too old for ‘perfection’, thus, the bamboo has grown into a narra tree” or “Perfection is impossible!”

This notion is clearly a sign of laziness. Unless you have a speech defect that is attributed to physical deformities such as a cleft palate or worst, laryngeal cancer, then there is no reason for you not to be able to use the language the same way as Native Speakers can. Aren’t words created because we have learned to utilize sounds based on the formation, movement and placement of our mouth, tongue, teeth, etc? Do we not have the same vocal, audio and nasal organs as them? If yes, then why should we limit our capabilities to a certain bracket only? 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 that 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.

Excuse #4: “This is what we learned while growing up.”

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 who was mentioned in Excuse #3, we too can move out of our old shell so we can move 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?

Mid Term Exam Question #1

How important is it for the teacher of English as a Second Language or Foreign language to have knowledge of English language (morphology, phonology, syntax, semantics, speech acts)? Cite theories on language learning and teaching and concrete examples. You may base the theories from your report or other sources.

If we were to hold the notion “What teachers know and can do are the most important influence on what students learn” as the main premise, then the obvious answer to the above question is --- It is indeed very important.

As what I always urge, it is important to continue working on strengthening the ‘Basics’ of English as these will serve as our framework and reference for teaching. Our knowledge on these ‘Basics’ such as Morphology, Phonology, Syntax, Semantics, Speech Acts, etc. will guide us in redefining the English language in such a way that it can be incorporated in the growing demands of today’s society which will result to a more challenging coursework and a higher standard for graduation. It is necessary that we understand what these concepts are, how they came to be and their significance to learning as well as teaching the English language. For instance, a teacher who has a limited understanding of the concept of Phonology will fail to comprehend the different aspects of meaning created by the variety of speech sounds. Because of this, he will not be able to differentiate and clearly explain the rising intonation of “Maybe tomorrow” versus the rising-falling intonation of ‘Maybe tomorrow”. Or maybe a teacher who cared less about Phonetics will not be able to share the correct pronunciation of the uncommon word “panacea” because he did not know how to read the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) affixed to the dictionary he consulted. Or even a teacher who was simply contented with the literal meaning of a word and probably viewed Semantics as another gabble created by lonely Linguists who did not have anything better to do with their time, will neglect to understand the different dimensions of meaning attached to the word which will result to miscommunication or confusion later on.

The focal point is, our students are who they are because of what we teach them. If we have some ideas about the supposed ‘Basics’, we might probably be able to teach them some English. If we have a limited insight about the same ‘Basics’, then we have a limited capability to teach them English that borders on mediocrity. However, if we have a broad understanding and knowledge of the ‘Basics’ and we continue expanding this knowledge then we will be able to extensively educate our students and benchmark their performance from acceptable to highly accomplished.

By thoroughly making them aware of the concepts, our students will take great care in communicating with others, hence, they will speak and write more effectively and eloquently. Let us take the Language Model for discerning the importance of studying meaning as an example. In analyzing the process and specifying the steps on how meaning was derived (Thought – Word – Set of Words – Message – Meaning), we were able to understand why Semantics existed and why there was a need to study meaning. Because of this, different concepts were created to better explain the various facets of meaning which allowed us to appropriately identify and interpret words, statement and events accordingly; thereby became better communicators.

In conclusion, the ‘Basics’ being referred to are the linchpins for transforming current systems of preparation and ongoing development so that they can better support learning. They can bring clarity and focus to a set of ideas that are poorly connected and/or often badly organized. And a teacher of English as a Second/Foreign Language who has a rich understanding of them will be able to know how to reveal the subject matter to his students and will also know how to combine this knowledge with the preconceptions that his students typically bring to the classroom.

EDFD 201

During the course of discussing the different aspects of Philosophy and their celebrated Philosophers, as well as, the topics about the Nature of Man, I thought to myself, “Okay, all of them are quite interesting (if not boring) but how are they going to prepare me to become the educator that I hoped to be? Wouldn’t my time be better spent if we were studying successful methods in today’s classroom instead?

After much (needless) deliberation, I have learned and arrived to a conclusion. The truth of the matter is, while study and/or practice of teaching methods is a central part of teacher preparation, such methods make sense only in particular environment and in the achievement of specific objectives that may only cater to one or several groups of learners, but certainly not all of them. Further, the said objectives are not always agreed upon which then leaves the burden of making decisions to the educators.

Because of the concern mentioned above, I have come to believe that the incorporation of the Psychological and Philosophical foundations of education as applied in our EDFD 201 class with the supposed successful teaching methods will be very beneficial. Hence, the better we understood the larger society, in which schools are embedded, the better teachers we become. In considering and studying Education’s historical and philosophical insights alongside our own sociological knowledge, we will then be better equipped in handling classroom situations by understanding the larger context that surrounds and shapes the events that happen in our classrooms. Let us take this scenario as an example: How can we categorize a child with a learning disability from a child whose home culture differs from that of the school that he goes to? Unless we understand the effects, that school culture has on a child from a minority group or (to give a more obvious example) a child who came from the less privileged class of society, we will not be able to comprehend the root of the child’s academic or social adjustment problems. As a result, not knowing the problem will equal to not knowing how to address it. This cited example, however, is just one of the several scenarios that we encounter.

To cut to the chase, all that I am sharing is, it is necessary to acknowledge that the classroom or the learning setting is inevitably ingrained in the broader psychological and philosophical contexts that surround our educational system. The differing perceptions on the structure of Philosophy, theories of education, sociological contexts and prevailing ideologies are a few of the variables that we need to study in order to understand our workplace. Disregarding them will impair our ability to interpret classroom events and to construct meaningful solutions to perennial concerns.

Why Black And White Are The Alpha Colors

In general, I am in agreement with A. Bloom’s perspective as I also believe that going back to the most basic questions or the foundation of knowledge is one way of creating your own thoughts or ideals, a way that will lead you to a path of your own choosing.

I also believe that the trend on relativism amongst most universities today, although has great potential, will prove to be of less worth in the long run as these same universities failed to fully equip their students with enough knowledge or foundation that would have encouraged the students to develop their own ideas from what was taught. This ultimately revolved around a supposed “analytic philosophy” that dictates to the students to accept concepts at first glance with the opinions of the so-called experts in the field of their textbooks, which to my understanding then can be labeled as ironic. For instance, a Professor who wants his students to create a book review would instruct the student to read the synopsis of a particular book rather than encourage him/her to read the whole book. We have to take note that by reading the synopsis, we are already reading the interpretation of the one who created the synopsis and our understanding then is influenced by the said interpretation, hence, we unknowingly become part of a movement. Therefore, the idea that we thought was original was in truth, at a closer look, not original after all since someone else already owned it. Another good example that I can note was a statistical study that was conducted when I was taking my BA at UP Baguio, which comprised of respondents who were all members of the group ANAKBAYAN. When they were asked what their reasons were for joining the group, some had similar reasons (explanations were narrated exactly like the explanation of the leader of the group) while the others differed simply because they cannot pinpoint exactly what their reasons were and they perceived that what they were doing was what UPians should be doing. The bottom line is, the students these days are influenced by a thought that has been tainted with a little bit of influence form one person or another, which then makes it difficult for them to determine which thoughts were theirs and which ones were not. Further, this trend leads to the students’ inability to fashion a life for themselves that will go beyond the monotonous offerings of success via instant gratification and moral relativism.

These were the reasons why I agreed with A. Bloom’s urging that it is best to go back, study the historical/cultural materials in their original form, and create new thoughts based on our understanding of the said text.