FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN THE MIDST

OF THE FILIPINO HIGH SCHOOLS

By: Ando,Charles Anthony G., Batu,Earl Jersey A.,
Mamangun, Isaiah Russel R., Crispino, Donna
Riezl V., Dizon Abegail P.

According to Thomas Hardy, Dialect words are those

terrible marks of the beast to the truly genteel. But is
it hard to learn other languages? The California State
University Northridge state that the Philippines have
175 different languages and dialects. The eight main
dialects of the Philippines are Bicolano, Ilonggo,
Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray. We
are fortunate because we have so many dialects to communicate. If that is the case, why
are we still seeking more? Our nation should not offer foreign languages to the high school
students, since we can communicate through the English language. Other dialects and
languages here in the Philippines, as well as the Filipino language, can be at risk of
extinction, and other more vital subjects can or might be left behind.

Schools should not offer foreign languages to Filipino high school students because it is not
necessary. We can communicate through the English language. The statistics reveal that
more than a quarter of the global population speaks English, which means that about 1.6
billion people understand the language of Shakespeare. English is the most widely used
language on our planet. That is why wherever we travel, we can find someone who speaks
English. Learning foreign languages isn't necessary, because using the English language,
our universal language, we're able to relate, communicate, and understand each other.
Hence, learning different languages will only confuse us. Therefore, if you don't want to get
in trouble with studying other languages, then let's stick with English.

The next reason why schools should not offer foreign languages to Filipino high school
students is that the Filipino language can be at risk of extinction. In a study conducted by
Britannica, they found out that, “Language extinction often happens when speakers seek to
learn a more prestigious language to gain social and economic advantages or to avoid
discrimination." There is a high possibility of a shift from speaking Filipino to speaking a
foreign language among students because they tend to do something that awe and
advantage them. Take K-Pop and K-Drama fans in the Philippines as an example. A lot of
them started to learn the Korean language because it is being used by their idols. It also
helps them in understanding the Korean Dramas they are watching. They learned this
language by studying on their own. But somehow, they can already understand it, so what
more if it is being taught every day in school? It can lead to the point that the
Filipino language will be forgotten slowly by many until it is extinct without anyone noticing
because of being busy exploring other languages. An example of this is the concern of Dr.
Lakangiting Garcia, an associate professor at De La Salle University. He noticed a decline of
Filipino-language speakers in his students and he also said, “Especially for millennials, it
looks like the youth’s proficiency in their language is rapidly declining,” he said in Filipino.
“And you know, the sad part is, it’s like they don’t notice,” he added. In the Philippines,
there is also a slang called Taglish that is being used by a lot of Filipinos. It is when Tagalog
is being accompanied by English words which include "edi wow", "game na"," sana all", and
even more. Think if more foreign languages will accompany Tagalog or Filipino. When will
pure Filipino language shine in our hearts and minds? Filipino repeated mistakes in
Filipino grammar can also be noticed like the use between “din” and “rin” or “daw” and
“raw”. How will Filipinos, particularly the students, shift in learning foreign languages if
they do not know and appreciate their language?

Taking a foreign language in schools can be tricky. Compared to other subjects like
Filipino, Math, and English, it is not that important. For students, they know that English
is hard to learn and confusing. There are a lot of words that are difficult to pronounce,
difficult to write, and hard to understand, but according to Oxford Royale Academy, " As
we've seen, then, English is pretty challenging. But it is not the only contender for the
World’s Most Difficult Language. Other notoriously tricky languages include Finnish,
Russian, Japanese, and Mandarin. Mandarin’s tone system, for instance, is famously
tricky. "This evidence suggests that taking a foreign language will take us ages to
understand. We may tend to forget other subjects in class, too. Learning a foreign language
would take a lot of time, dedication, and effort. Therefore, it is not advisable to be taught in
school. We should focus more on other important subjects rather than offering a foreign
language.

In conclusion, there isn’t an urgent need for us to study foreign languages since we can
communicate through the universal language, English. Also, our dialects can be at risk of
extinction. Important subjects may also be taken for granted. It would just be a waste of
time for us because there is no guarantee that we would go to a foreign country. Let us first
love our language before anything else. As Dr. Jose Rizal, our national hero said, “He who
does not love his language is worse than an animal and smelly fish.”  If we want to learn
other languages, there are a lot of alternatives like enrolling in a language school, taking an
online course about your desired tongue, etc.
Distribution of Tasks:
Intro by Isaiah, Argument 1 by Donna, Argument 2 by Abegail Argument 3 by Earl Jersey,
Conclusion by Charles.

References:
Bacasmas E. (2018) EDITORIAL-National language. Retrieved from
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2018/08/19/1843833/editorial-national-language

Hardy, T. (1886)Mayor of Casterbridge. Retrieved from

https://www.azquotes.com/quote/123919

California State University,Northridge (n.d.) Major Languages of the Philippines Retrieved

from https://www.csun.edu/~lan56728/majorlanguages.htm?
fbclid=IwAR24FNY2FXAE1jk6XUirDn-el-
25PIiQj41mhQTyaeongjTldER1teFIBbc#:~:text=Major%20Languages%20of%20the
%20Philippines&text=The%20Philippines%20has%208%20major,Philippines%20is
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Ines-Ruhengeri Language Center(n.d) Welcome to INES Language Center. Retrieved

from: https://ines.ac.rw/welcome-to-ines-language-center/

Tesch,N.(n.d.)Encyclopedia Britannica: Why Do Languages Die?. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/amp/story/why-do-languages-die

Reyes,T.(n.d.)Coconuts Manila: Mind the Gap: In the Philippines, language isn’t about
words, it’s about class. Retrieved from https://coconuts.co/manila/features/mind-gap-
philippines-language-isnt-words-class/

Oxford Royale Academy (2020). Why is English so Hard to Learn? Retrieved from
https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/learning-english-hard/#aId=c816b745-82d1-4af6-
bf32-a0af2ac324b9
References:

N.A. (n.d) What’s the Hardest Languages to Learn? Retrieved from

https://meilyngiftshop.com/qa/whats-the-hardest-language-to-learn.html

Rizal J.(n.d.)Quotes of Jose Rizal. Retrieved from http://www.joserizal.ph/qt01.html