St. Cecilia’s College- Cebu, Inc.

A LASSO Supervised School

Poblacion, Minglanilla, Cebu
SY 2020-2021
Second Semester

Language Programs and Policies in Multilingual Society

Activity #2

Name: ANGEL MAE P. SELLOTE

Course & Yr. level: BSED ENGLISH 2A
Date: MARCH 31 2022

Disclaimer: This activity is adapted from A Course Module for Language Programs and Policies
in Multilingual Society developed/authored by Jonna Marie A. Lim, Ph.D.

Directions: Different domains would have their preferred language. For each domain listed, try to
determine whether the language is used as a: (5 pts.)
a. primary language;
b. secondary language; or
c. not used.

Interview someone from home/neighborhood/work on what language s/he prefers to use in

the different domains listed below. (The first item is given as an example.)

Domain Filipino English Local Dialect

National Government Secondary Primary Not Used
Local Government NOT USED PRIMARY SECONDARY
Education NOT USED PRIMARY SECONDARY
Courts SECONDARY PRIMARY NOT USED
Businesses and NOT USED SECONDARY PRIMARY
Offices
Religion NOT USED SECONDARY PRIMARY
Literature SECONDARY PRIMARY NOT USED
Press SECONDARY PRIMARY NOT USED
Marketplace SECONDAY NOT USED PRIMARY

Name of interviewee (optional): _NEIGHBORHOOD

 What can be said about the role of English, Filipino, and the local dialects in the different
domains? Do you agree with the data? Why do you think there are differences in the preferred
languages across domains? Provide examples to justify your answer in not less than 250 words.
(10 points)

The Philippines is recognized globally as one of the largest English-speaking nations with majority
of its population having at least some degree of fluency in the language. English has always been
one of the official languages of the Philippines and is spoken by more than 14 million Filipinos. It is
the language of commerce and law, as well as the primary medium of instruction in education.
Proficiency in the language is also one of the country’s strengths that has helped drive the economy
and even made the Philippines the top voice outsourcing destination in the world, surpassing India
in 2012. The influx of foreign learners of English is also on the rise due to the relatively more
affordable but quality English as a Second Language (ESL) programs being offered locally.
However, in a recent roundtable discussion organized by the British Council, key stakeholders from
the government, academe, private, and non-government sectors acknowledged that even if the
Philippines is doing fine in terms of English competency, concerns on how much of a competitive
advantage it still is for the country were raised. The stakeholders agreed that the country needs to
step up its efforts in improving the teaching and learning of English, developing it as a vital skill of
the workforce. This is an initiative that could potentially strengthen the Philippines' distinct
advantage in this part of the world, particularly with the upcoming ASEAN economic integration.
Language is a crucial means for communication and interaction. Language not only reflects and
expresses facts and observations; it also influences attitudes and behavior. It thus constitutes a vital
component of the cultural prerequisites underlying societal development. The aim of this course is
to discuss the role of language and language use in a series of societal challenges and in various
cultural contexts. We live in a multilingual world. English serves as the lingua franca for education,
trade and employment, and is an essential skill for anyone wanting to succeed professionally or
academically in the 21st century. English offers enormous opportunities, and language policy rightly
focuses on how to give more equitable access to high levels of English language proficiency so that
these opportunities can be inclusive rather than exclusive, open to all socioeconomic groups. But
English is not enough. Education should provide a varied language repertoire and an understanding
of which languages we should learn for what purpose. This suggests a language policy that improves
the quality of curriculum, teaching, and learning in state education, as well as a policy that helps to
position the role of the multiple languages in a more positive and protected context.

https://www.uib.no/en/rs/bsrs/103131/language-culture-and-society
https://www.britishcouncil.ph/teach/state-english-philippines-should-we-be-concerned-2
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/539682-perspectives-impact-on-multilingualism.pdf

Rubric:
Content: 4 points
Organization: 3 points
Grammar: 3 points
Total: 10 points
*After you answer, save this file as a PDF with your A2_LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_ELT2 as
your filename format.