ALAS, Paijen Joy Q.
ENG 127 – A5
Performance Task 2. Insights and Questions: Write 1-3 sentences for each article.
Title of Article
1. Language Policy, Ethnic
Tensions, and Linguistic Rights
in Post-War Sri Lanka
2. Asserting Ethnic Identity
and Power through Language
3. Language and Identity in
Israel-Palestine Conflict (the
Book Review by Ayman
Agbaria and the Book
(Introduction, Chapter 9, and
Conclusion) by Camelia
Suleiman.
4. Language, and Nation
Building and Identity Formation:
A Multi-Ethnic Society
Insights
The article shows how Sri Lanka’s Language Policy underwent three phases: the
British colonizers started language policies from the colonial period; secondly, LP
transitioned during the independence period of Sri Lankans from the colonizers;
lastly, during the post-civil war period between Sinhalese and Tamils. An insight into
actual experiences of marginalized minorities’ where their concerns and rights are
taken lightly in implementing new LPs—linguistic groups were fighting by any
means to acquire authority and assert dominance.
Socioeconomic opportunities, demographic, and geographic aspects are essential to
study language ethnicity among communities with monolingual and bilingual
identities in nation-building. Diversity is deviance threatening the “national” goal
(one nation, one mentality=united/uniform). ‘Otherness’ leads to linguistic attrition,
the oppressive menace of identity shift, and language endangerment.
Conflicts between inter countries (may it be between people) must be thoroughly
investigated in their separate perspectives and actual lived experiences. As Adichie
Ngozi mentioned, stories create stereotypes where people tend to focus more on
differences, and negatives. We must avoid single stories for it results to prejudices
and misconceptions.
English as a language of knowledge is a tool. It can either break or make a nation. It
all depends on how one utilizes that tool. “Most of us have the tools we need, we’re
just not sure how to use them” by Robert Queeke is a notable quote relating how
Malaysians were able to compete globally by learning English to communicate
internationally.
Questions
If you were a Tamil member during colonial period,
would you have fought (through violence) the same
way?
What effective multilingual language policy could
help support minority groups to catch up with
modernization and globalization?
In what manner does focusing on single
perspectives/stories endangered sense of belonging
and equality, including obtaining national
recognition and legitimacy?
In countries that use English as a second language,
how can one discern the language as a hindrance
and as an asset to the country’s development?
5. The politics of ‘p’ and
‘f’: a linguistic history of nation-
building in the Philippines
6. Regimes of language,
whiteness and social class: The
negotiation of sociolinguistic
privileges by British migrants in
Rural France
Language planning policy in the Philippines is the basis for the p to f alterations.
Particularly, implementations of the LPP was for the objectives of resolving national
issues occurring in the country: legitimizing and sustainability of our indigenous
language, the applications in education as medium of instructions, and a sense of
authenticity and nation building.
Based on my own collective understanding of and related studies to the article, I came
to realize that English has paved its way as lingua france by means of power (e.g. by
force through colonization process) and politics. Learning history, the British empire
has successfully and rightfully gained that power over many decades. It is inevitable
that with power, its linked with acquiring privileges to the ones who control it (Celis,
et al., 2016).
What is your major understanding in the discursive
shifts that happened in the linguistic history of
nation building in the Philippines?
If you situate yourself as a language educator, how
can you impart your understandings in the sharing
of ideologies, conceptions of integration and
otherness (the context of linguistics) in guiding
future learners?

7. Translating politeness cues in
Philippine missionary
linguistics: “Hail, Mister Mary!”
and other Stories
The underpinnings of the missionary lens of the interpretation and translation process
offers a different perspective. Yet, a translators attempt on articulating values of Are there other implications found on the article
culture rejects the goal of universality of how language should be viewed. In a using different lenses of analysis?
poststructural lens, translation on Philippine texts may offer different insights in
understanding culture.

8. The language of labor
export in political discourse:
modern-day heroism” and
constructions of overseas
Filipino workers (OFW’s)
In studying the article, it revolves on power, discourse and truth. By publicizing and
highlighting the case of Flor Contemplacion, certain policies were made more
acceptable and legitimatized. “Truth” is linked in a circular relation with systems of How can you relate power in political discourse in
power that produce and sustain it, and to effects of power which it induces and which your understanding of the article?
extend it - a “regime” of truth” (Foucault, 2002, p. 132). Dominant groups or
institutions that made these accounts credibible has great influence in
politicaldiscourse.

9. The role of new Despite downside and dangerous influences from apparent pervasive mass media,
technology and social media in substantial advantages have become apparent in language preservation. One should How can you contribute in the concept of language
reversing language loss view technology as a “tool” for linguistic progression. Furthermore, internet preservation by means of employing technology
advancement and utilization leads to language shifts, thus, language is seen as fluid and social media as tools?
and dynamic therefore it unfastens new knowledge and data accessible from the
internet - connecting worldwide netizens.
10. The discursive
construction of separation wall
at Abu Dis: Graffiti as Political
Discourse
11. The Gendering of
Language: A Comparison of
Gender Equality in Countries
with Gendered, Natural Gender,
and Genderless Langauges
12. The pedagogical benefits
of a linguistic landscape project
in Japan
13. Linguistic Currencies:
the transitive power of English
in Southeast Asia and the US
14. Unequal Englishes in the
Philippines
The history of graffitis can be traced in ancient period where civilians of a specific
area are experiencing precariousness impoverishment, social exclusion and
unemployment, all relating to economic crises. Graffitis may be perceived as freedom
of expression or often regarded by institutions and government into two viewpoints:
as a vandalism or a cultural/political response.
Grammatical gender in language can shape people’s perceptions (e.g., Boroditsky et
al. 2003) as well as how minor changes in the gendering of everyday language can
impact an individual’s judgments, decisions, and behavior in ways that could
influence the relative status and treatment of men and women at an interpersonal level
(e.g., Bem and Bem 1973; Hamilton et al. 1992).
Accommodating multilingual identities in a translanguaging space, multimodal
approach facilities, stimulation, and enhancing sensitivity on multilingualism, these
will surely impact an increasing competency on their language learning skills.
There is power in language as I have comprehended how English serves as universal
lingua franca which has been language of globalization resulting in socioeconomic
developments and improvements on other aspects of living. Hence, other languages
serve its purpose based on importance and benefit among people and civilization.
With the existence of power, we cannot deny the linguistic hierarchy that manifests in
all languages.
With terms of social interaction and human cognitive development (Vygotsky, 1978),
we can grasp the idea that there are varied individual linguistic ideologies that shape
and influence one’s behavior in their day-to-day lives. This is evident on how one
invokes unequal Englishes. In this article, we can fathom the delegitimization and the
empowering ascendancy of English and its role in our country.
In the Philippine context, how did the government
utilize scribbled graffitis found in our country? Can
you cite an example and elaborate further?
Is gendering of language evident in the Philippines?
Cite an example.
In situating MTB MLE programs, how can we
improve pedagogy in increasing learners’
competencies on language learning?
By accepting the fact that linguistic hierarchy
emerges among languages, what kind of repression
has our country experienced (having English as
medium of instruction and as lingua franca)
considering that we have a multilingual country?
Using your own ideology, how do you view the role
of English language in the Philippine context?