THE ENGLISH SPEAKING PINOY

It is true that most Filipinos react in an unusual way to any Pinoy speaking fluent English. Some may think they just make an impression or otherwise, but for the speaker itself this may be normal for him. English sounding Pinoys have become the peculiar sense and there are many reasons about their fluency.

In school, students give the “reaction” if a classmate of theirs speaks straight English in campus or in recitation or even “TagLish” well delivered. First thinking would be that he or she maybe from a rich family and likewise have their fingers clip their noses feeling that blood will profusely roll down their nostrils and say “kaka-nose bleed naman” or just remain “dedma.” This seems to be irritating for them seeing their classmate express his “show of brilliance” or simply “papansin” even “pa-sosyal effect.” These reactions and remarks are perhaps of their misconceptions.

Getting the point here, not all who speak (fluent) English speaking Pinoys are from rich clan, but this is most known for the affluent class. However, it’s no surprise also to hear that even members of simple families talk among themselves more in English because this has been their normal way of conversing ever since and English for them has been their main language and natural for them at home. Another notion is, these “English Pinoys” are schooled in prestigious or exclusive schools. It is a common scene to see girls in school uniforms “kolehiyalas” to hear talking among themselves in fast-foods, malls, or in food kiosks in “twang-pasosyal” fluent English manner and even this poses as an intimidation for the ones from different schools. It is quite funny, for there are those schooled in not so wellknown school and yet they can express themselves in the Universal Language, and ironically there are some from good schools can’t even speak straight English. Therefore the fluency in speaking is more on learning and using the language constantly and it’s not a “sosyal” thing known by many.

Another would be that “Pinoys Spoking English” were born or grew-up in another country with either a foreign parent, or perhaps he or she is a widely-travelled Pinoy outside the country, and or whatever their reasons might be. Simply putting-up all these assumptions, we can say that there are really connections in the language use, social status and how they are schooled. And we cannot deny that one who has the means to a comfortable living can acquire to learn the language further and be fluent in speaking the language naturally without looking “trying hard” or “English-challenged.”

We Filipinos have this “unusual reactions” for Pinoys who can speak good English. This maybe the case before, but now in this Social Media era as time passes by and with the Media itself presents more in English - this labeling thing for “Spokening Dollars” shrinks and fades. Let us give the benefit of the doubt that these Pinoy English speakers are not necessarily we think they are. Let us also consider the fact that these Pinoys learned and sharpened their English and applied this communication skill in their various everyday dealings for their fluency. And these thinking about Pinoy fluency on English – maybe have gone far.

-oOoThe author is Teacher I at Sapa Elementary School Sto. Tomas District Sto. Tomas, Pampanga