Fearing English in the Philippines

By Isabel Pefianco Martin

Philippine Daily Inquirer
Sometime ago, at a teacher training session I conducted, I made the mistake of suggesting
that Math and Science teachers consider code switching (using English and Tagalog) as a
strategy for making lessons less difficult for their students. I did not know that the school had
just implemented an English-only policy in the classrooms, corridors and faculty lounges. No
wonder teachers and students rushed to the quadrangle during break time!
This practice of enforcing English-only zones in schools is symptomatic of the lack of
awareness among school heads about the nature of languages, as well as the basics of
learning a language. One important reality that many overlook is that students will not learn a
language if they fear it.
In the Philippines, the language most feared is English. I see this in my students who joke that
their noses bleed after they talk in English; in my friends who claim that they speak English
only when they?re drunk; and in my doctor who suddenly switches to Tagalog after I tell him
that I teach English. We see this fear of English in classes where students feel stupid
because they mispronounced a word; in contact centers where applicants take accent
neutralization sessions; and in English review centers that continue to mushroom throughout
Metro Manila. Fear of English is also manifested in predictions that the country is approaching
an English-deprived future; in House bills that seek to make English the sole medium of
instruction in schools; and in courses or training programs that focus only on developing
grammatical accuracy.
Many research studies prove that learning a language becomes more effective when
emotional barriers are eliminated. Linguist and educational researcher Stephen Krashen
refers to these emotional barriers as ?affective filters.? The formula for success in learning a
language is painfully simple: the lower the feelings of fear (low affective filter), the higher the
chances of learning.
One famous Filipino who exemplifies the lack of fear of English is boxer Manny Pacquiao. I
have observed with delight how Pacquiao, in his post-fight interviews, confidently and
effortlessly churn out so-called ?carabao? English to share his joy over his victories. Pacquiao
does not fear Barrera or Morales. Why on earth should he fear English?
Just recently, 17-year-old Janina San Miguel was crowned Bb. Pilipinas World 2008 despite
her ?funny? English during the pageant?s Q&A. Janina?s experience proves that personal
successes need not be dependent on proficiency in English. Why fear English then?
From a linguistic standpoint, all languages are equally perfect and complete. This means that
there really is no reason to fear English. Nothing in the sound system or writing system of
English makes it superior to other languages. Conversely, nothing in the sound system or
writing system of the national and local languages makes these languages inferior to English.
It is the Filipinos? attitude toward English that elevates the language to a prestige form. It is
this same attitude that makes it difficult for most Filipinos to learn it.
Another reason English should not be feared is that the language is not owned by one country
or one race, as many Filipinos believe. The profile of English today reveals that ownership of
the language is already shared across continents and cultures. In international English

Language Teaching circles, academics do not talk about English in singular terms anymore.
There is widespread recognition that several Englishes exist?American English, British
English, Australian English, but also, Malaysian English, Singapore English, and yes,
Philippine English. In addition, ?non-native? speakers of English are beginning to
outnumber ?native? speakers in the world today.
To be sure, English occupies an important place in Philippine society. But, it is only one
language among the 150 that exist today. It is believed that most Filipinos speak at least three
different languages. For these Filipinos, English might not even be one of the languages they
speak. So when English is first introduced to them, it should be introduced slowly and gently,
with much respect for their first languages.
Teaching and learning English in the Philippines may be a difficult task, but it need not be a
frightening experience. So much has already been spent on testing the proficiency of
teachers and then training these teachers to become more proficient in the language. But
simply focusing on testing and training, without recognizing the multilingual context of
teaching and learning English in the Philippines, only reinforces fear of the language.
This year, the International Year of Languages, all language education stakeholders are
invited to reflect on their policies and practices so that Filipinos will finally regard their
languages, including English, not with fear, but with confidence and pride.