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Name: Diross Bert B. Batohinog

Activity 1: Reaction Paper

Language is an inherent ability of humans. It is a product of a way of life and it evolves

over time and several influences. As dynamic in nature, it has different forms and is used freely

regardless of the sets of conventions. In a sociolinguist’s view of language, language is a means

of understanding whereby people has to learn with respect to its diversity. Otherwise, mutual

understanding between and among people will be sacrificed. Without gestures of respect to

distinctions between languages, it would be hard for anybody to understand and learn what is

shared by other people, but rather, will be glued to the closeness of his mind where the prime

goal of social communication is hampered.

The video of a young lady who shared her empirical observations on how a certain

group of people in a particular society judged her parents who used to speak in Cantonese

English showcases a great disparity between the regions and countries in the world in terms of

socio-linguistic understanding and appreciation. This reflects the reality that many people are

ethnocentric in their language. They think that their language is dominant over others and

seems official to their beliefs. Take the example given by the speaker who said that her parents

were told to speak in ‘American’ for they’re already considered Americans since they migrated

to America; not even considering American as not language. Is there an American language?

Definitely, there’s none. American pertains to the people living in America. If one refers to

language, then it should be English, not American; as highlighted by the speaker in her

discourse. Further, she claimed about the intelligence of her parents and it sounds valid. Why?

Because they were multi-skilled. They knew how to play instruments, they could speak

Mandarin, Cantonese, and English albeit accented based on their region. The speaker even told

that she could speak French though she wasn’t going to France. They had this so-called
multilingualism and this sprouted from their openness to embrace it. This is not solely because

they ought to learn but because they respected the nature of language as it appears in many

and different ways in different places and with different influences. This is a reality check that

everyone must be aware of, to minimize discrimination and ethnocentricism.

Taking the key points emphasized in the video, and as a language teacher, I have come

to contemplate and reflect alone, trying to visualize a school without respect to one’s language

because it has its own set of registers that the students must use upon entering the campus. It

somehow limits students to express themselves and it adds them burden to learning the

different learning activities and experiences in school. The concept of the double standard

comes in and jeopardizes the abilities and skills of students in dealing with others in the school.

Why? It would be hard on the part of students to become so conscious of their linguistic ability in

coping with the kind of register that the school is imposing while they are learning the important

subjects in school including the co-curricular and extra-curricular learning activities.

Furthermore, as I have directly observed in my class, I discovered many students were being so

shy to share their ideas because of their linguistic ability in terms of using the Filipino language.

They were afraid of their classmates frowning at them, making them a laughingstock or even

bullying them. This is a sad reality in the realm of my community in school, much worse in the

outer community where control and restrictions are not at hand. If this bad practice continues, it

would always be hard for us all to beget mutual understanding, and so as to beget respect

because we ourselves hardly give respect to others. Hence, with the theories, principles, and

points of view that Sociolinguistics can offer, people are hoped to have found the essence of a

deep understanding of it may have applied all the insights in their daily life encounters.