Lingua franca - A language mutually understood and commonly used in trade by people who

have different native languages.

Cultural chauvinism - belief that one's cultural norms are superior to the norms of another's
group.
Linguistic nationalism - the attempt by ethnic groups and even countries to proclaim
independence by purging their language of foreign terms.
Conversant - (adj) knowledgeable about or experienced with.
Siloed cubicles - A functional or divisional unit that operates by its own rules and guidelines
and does not openly share information with other units.
Creme de la creme - the best of the best, superlative.
Mano a mano - directly or face-to-face in a confrontation or conflict.
Bourgeois - stories of or characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its
perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.
Batting an eyelash - To display a subtle emotional reaction, such as consternation, annoyance,
sadness, joy, etc. Generally used in the negative to denote that the person in question did not
display even a hint of an emotional response.

A MANSION OF MANY LANGAUGES

By Danton Remoto (2017)

(1): In 1977, my mentor, the poet and National Artist for Literature and Theater Rolando S.
Tinio, said: “It is too simple-minded to suppose that enthusiasm for Filipino as lingua franca and
national language of the country involves the elimination of English usage or training for it in
schools. Proficiency in English provides us with all the advantages that champions of English say
it does. It gives us access to the vast fund of culture expressed in it and mobility in various
spheres of the international scene. This is especially true in those spheres dominated by the
English-speaking Americans. It also helps us to participate in a quality of modern life of which
some features may be assimilated with great advantage.”

E: In the quote, Tinio is expressing his opinion that being enthusiastic about the
Filipino language as the lingua franca and national language of the country does not
mean eliminating the use of English or training for it in schools. Tinio argues that
proficiency in English is advantageous because it provides access to a vast fund of
culture expressed in English and mobility in various spheres of the international
scene, especially in those dominated by English-speaking Americans. Moreover,
English helps Filipinos participate in a quality of modern life, some features of which
may be assimilated with great advantage.

(2): Professor Tinio continues: “Linguistic nationalism does not imply cultural chauvinism.
Nobody wants to go back to the mountains. The essential Filipino is not the center of an onion
one gets at by peeling off layer after layer of vegetable skin. One’s experience with onions is
quite telling: Peel off everything and you end up with a pinch of air.”
E: In the quote, Tinio is expressing his belief that linguistic nationalism, or the
desire to promote the use of the Filipino language, does not necessarily mean
cultural chauvinism, or the belief that one's culture is superior to others. He argues
that this type of nationalism should not be taken to an extreme where it leads to a
rejection of other cultures or languages.

To illustrate his point, Tinio uses the metaphor of an onion. He suggests that the
idea of an "essential Filipino" is not like the center of an onion that can be reached
by peeling off layers of cultural identity. Instead, he argues that this idea is
misleading, much like peeling off an onion layer by layer only to find nothing at the
center but a "pinch of air." Tinio seems to be cautioning against oversimplifying
complex cultural identities and against rejecting the cultural contributions of others.

(3): Written 40 years ago, these words still echo especially now. By some quirk of history and
economics, enrollment in English courses are rising. This is so because (a) there are many
vacant positions for teachers of English and literature in private and public schools, and (b)
there are many vacancies, still, for jobs in call centers with entry-level pay of P18,000 plus a
signing bonus. It is also a career that will make you earn twice your present salary in just a few
years. With the opening of the doors of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
more Filipinos are being hired to teach English in Indonesia, Thailand and, yes even our best
friend china.

E: This sentence discusses how the words of Professor Tinio from 40 years ago still
hold relevance today, especially given the current state of affairs in the Philippines.
Despite the push for promoting the Filipino language, enrollment in English courses
has been rising due to a combination of factors.

Firstly, there is a high demand for English and literature teachers in both private
and public schools. Secondly, call centers offer entry-level positions with a starting
salary of P18,000 and a signing bonus, making it an attractive career choice for
many Filipinos.

Moreover, call center jobs are seen as a means to earn twice as much as their
current salary within a few years. Additionally, the opening of the doors of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has led to more opportunities for
Filipinos to teach English in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and even China.
This suggests that proficiency in English remains a valuable asset in the
international job market, and the demand for it continues to grow.

(4). Why? First, Filipino teachers will accept a pay scale lower than their Western counterparts,
a pay scale that is still higher than what they would get in the Philippines. Second, they are
conversant with American popular culture, a happy (or unhappy) result of colonialism and
neo-colonialism. Third, they are still Southeast Asians beneath their skin and are thus familiar
with Asian cultural practices, whether said or unsaid. One is the importance of saving face. The
meaning of “maybe” or “I will try” to an invitation means the invited does not want to hurt you
by giving a vague answer. Another is the primacy given to family. Already in his 50s, one is still
called Totoy or Baby or Blue Boy, and still lives with one’s parents and extended family in the
warm cocoon of home. Meals are shared, stories swapped, Netflix passwords given away, to kin
who live just an arms’ length away from you. You can see that, as well, in the other Southeast
Asian countries. In these places, families are nuclear and not split. Food is communal and not
eaten in siloed cubicles. I have lived in Singapore and Malaysia, and food is one good way of
keeping friends.

E: This sentence is discussing why Filipino teachers are in high demand for teaching
English abroad, particularly in Southeast Asian countries. The sentence provides
three reasons for this:

Firstly, Filipino teachers are willing to accept a lower pay scale than their Western
counterparts, but still earn more than they would in the Philippines. This makes
them a cost-effective option for schools or institutions looking to hire English
teachers.

Secondly, many Filipinos are familiar with American popular culture due to the
country's history of colonialism and neo-colonialism, which has resulted in the
widespread use of English and exposure to American culture. This familiarity with
American culture can be useful in teaching English and relating to students who are
also fans of American popular culture.

Thirdly, Filipinos share many cultural practices with other Southeast Asian countries.
For example, saving face and the importance of family are highly valued in many
Southeast Asian cultures, including the Philippines. This familiarity with cultural
practices can help Filipino teachers relate to students and adapt to their cultural
norms. Food is also seen as a way of keeping friends in many Southeast Asian
countries, including Singapore and Malaysia. Taken together, these factors make
Filipino teachers attractive options for teaching English abroad, particularly in
Southeast Asia.

(5): Three long decades of teaching English and Filipino to students have shown me that the best
students in English are also the best students in Filipino. And how did they master the two languages?

(6): One, they had good teachers in both languages in their early years. Two, they have inhabited the
worlds of both languages—English in school; They spoke English in social media, Tagalog at home, and
Taglish with friends. Three, they have gone beyond the false either-or mentality that hobbled their
parents’ generation. This either-or mentality was a product of weak critical thinking.

(7): Let me explain

(8): My best students in English and Filipino were taught by the crème de la crème, many of
them teaching in the private schools in Metro Manila and the regions. At the Ateneo de Manila
University, we used to have classes in Remedial English, since renamed Basic English or English
1. These were six units of non-credit subjects. These were intelligent students from the public
schools and the provinces. Lack of books and untrained teachers hindered them from having a
level playing field with the other freshmen. A year of catching up was necessary for them to
have the skills to put them at par with the other students.

(9): Moreover, I introduced them to the worlds of the language they were studying. This can be
in the formal realm of the textbook. It can also be found in films, documentaries, graphic novels,
YouTube video clips or animes. I encourage them to keep a journal as well, which was not a
diary where you wrote what time you woke up and why. A journal, or its cyberspace cousin, the
Web log or blog, aims to capture vivid impressions or moods on the wing. If at the same time it
sharpens the students’ knowledge of English, then the English teacher is ready to sing hallelujah
for the English teacher.

(10): And the third is that today’s generation is no longer burdened by the guilt of learning
English – and mastering it. I still remember the writing workshops I took in the 1980s, when I
was asked why I wrote “petit-bourgeois” poems and stories in the colonizer’s language. The
panelists said I should write about workers and peasants – and that I should write in Filipino.
Without batting a false eyelash, I answered that unfortunately, I grew up in a military base and
knew nothing about the lives of workers and peasants. I added that to write about something I
don’t know would be to misrepresent them. I could write about the lives of young soldiers and
retirees fading into the sunset. I could write about the lives of the brave soldiers’ wives and
their children. That I know only too well. To the charge that I write only in English, I showed
them my poems in Filipino. The modern Filipino writer is not only a writer in either English or
Filipino. He or she writes in both languages, or in Cebuano or Bikolano or Ilocano or Waray.
These languages are like colorful balls he juggles with the dexterity of a seasoned circus
performer.

(11): So, it’s no longer choice between English and Filipino. Rather, it is now English and Filipino,
plus the language of one’s grandmother, be it Bikolano, Waray, or Tausug. And in college,
another language of one’s choice, be it Bahasa Malaysia, German, or French. Learning other
languages is good. It gives you a better way to view the world from many windows. To learn a
new language is to see the world from another angle of vision. In short, one no longer has to
live between two languages, but to live in a mansion of many languages.

(12): To end in a full circle, we must return to Professor Tinio, who said: “Only the mastery of a
first language enables one to master a second and a third. For one can think and feel only in
one’s first language, then encode those thoughts and feelings into a second and a third.
(13): In short, as Dr. Isabel Pefianco Martin, my friend and fellow professor at the Ateneo de
Manila University has put it: “The Philippines is a multi-lingual paradise.” The earlier we know
that we live in a paradise of many languages, the better we can savor its fruits ripened by the
sun.

Note: Mga terms ay galing lamang sa google, hindi ata yan lalabas sa exam
pero at least alam mo ang meaning.

Goodluck! Galingan natin.

- Earl