Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERTURE ANDSTUDIES

This chapter presents the review of related studies, theories and concepts

in some of the variable that are useful in this study.

Related Literature

Language is important as it is the chief medium of communication

between individuals. It makes life easier for passing important messages,

education and for socializing. It connects people from all over the world and

brings about international cooperation. Interestingly, language is what the

members of the society speak. Linguist studies language from various vantage

points, most significantly focusing in language structure, acquisition, use and

change (Spolsky&Hult, 2010).

Thus, language has important functions in human life. Humans as users

have dynamic characteristics and differ from each other.

Philippine English

In communication, many speakers use more than one language. These

are people who are bilinguals or they practice bilingualism or multilingualism.

Among these people are the Filipinos who evolve a particular type of English

known as Philippine English. That there exists a variety of English called

Philippine English which is incontestable. This is according to Borlongan (2011)

1
who further said that it is a fact everyone has to live with. Philippine English is

widely used in such domains as government, law, education, newspapers,

electronic media, music, entertainment, and Philippine literature (Bautista,

http://ice-corpora.net/ice/icephi/htm).

Gonzalez (1985) pointed out that in the Philippines, with the Post War

Period, there has been a progressive disappearance of native English speakers

in the country serving as models and critics and there has been a change in the

character of English competence as it is used in the Philippines. Thus, it has

evolved into a new variety.

Moag (cited in Llamzon 1982) introduced the five stages that all varieties

of English throughout the world today go through, namely: Transportation (when

the seedling is brought and set in a new environment); Indigenization (when the

transplanted tree undergoes change, and becomes distinct from the present and

all other nativized varieties elsewhere); Expansion (when the shoot becomes

mature, and puts forth branches and leaves, the language being used in more

and more domains of activity); Institutionalization (when the tree begins to bear

fruit in creative writing and the literary output of its writers , poets, and orators,

and finally, Restriction (which may or may not occur, in accord with the social and

cultural climate of its environment.

With this, Llamzon (1982) mentioned that the variety of English in the

Philippines, namely “Filipino English”, underwent all the four phases. Provided

that Philippines is a multilingual country, it also underwent the fifth phase which is

2
the restriction phase, when it was challenged by the National Language of the

country.

According to Madrunio (2003), the phenomenon of World Englishes is a

reality in language development widens accepted all over the world. The

existence of World Englishes or New Englishes (Philippine English) presupposes

that there are varieties and they can be differentiated in terms of grammar, lexis

and phonology.

This supports to what McArthur (1998) proposed. He gave a

comprehensive description of what Philippine English or Filipinism is. In matter of

phonology, he discussed that (1) Philippine English is Rhotic, but the local /r/ is

an alveolar flap, not an AmE retroflex. (2) It is syllable-timed, following the rhythm

of the local languages; full value is therefore given to unstressed syllables and

schwa is usually realized as a full vowel. (3) Certain polysyllables have distinctive

stress patterns, as with eligible, establísh, cerémony. (4) Intonation is widely

characterized as ‘singsong’. (5) Educated Filipinos aim at an AmE accent, but

have varying success with the vowel contrasts in sheep/ship, full/fool, and

boat/bought. (6) Few Filipinos have the /æ/ in AmEmask; instead, they use /α/ as

in AmE father. (7) The distinction between /s, z/ and /ʃ, ʒ/ is not made: azure is

‘ayshure’, pleasure ‘pleshure’, seize ‘sees’, cars ‘karss’. (8) Interdental /ɵ, ð/ are

often rendered as /t, d/, so that three of these is spoken as ‘tree of dese.

In terms of grammar, he observed that the following features occur at all

social level: (1) Loss of the singular inflection of verbs: The family home rest on

the bluff of a hill; One of the boys give a report to the teacher every morning. (2)

3
Use of present perfect for simple past (I have seen her yesterday I saw her

yesterday) and past perfect for present perfect (He had already gone home He

has already gone home). (3) Use of the continuous tenses for habitual aspect:

He is going to school regularly. He goes to school regularly. (4) Use of the

present forms of auxiliary verbs in subordinate noun clauses rather than past

forms, and vice versa: He said he has already seen you. He said he had already

seen you; She hoped that she can visit you tomorrow. She hoped that she could

visit you tomorrow; He says that he could visit you tomorrow. He says that he can

visit you tomorrow. (5) An apparent reversal of the norms for the use of the

definite article: He is studying at the Manuel Quezon University; I am going to

visit United States. (6) Verbs that are generally transitive used intransitively: Did

you enjoy?, I cannot afford; I don't like.