For most people especially here in the Philippines, learning how to speak English has become an indicator of Intelligence. When someone speaks English in a public place or in a mall, people automatically think that he/she has a good social standing of being smart or "intelligent".
However, as I study more about the nature of Sociology, I have come to realize that English is no other different from any other languages such as Mandarin, French, Spanish and Filipino since they are just all kinds of languages people speak and utter.
Therefore, thinking that one language is superior than the other is truly not justifiable since language mirrors culture. And definitely no culture is above the other knowing each one has a diverse and distinct beauty of life they are upholding.
With this note, I wanna make these following points go across to the hearts of every people who do not learn how to appreciate ones language and culture:
1. Language is our IDENTITY, it is WHO we are
When a nation has a distinct language she can call her own, she then is undoubtedly blessed to have own identity to unveil to the world.
Creating a national language is a very complicated process folks considering various linguistic processess to solidify and be technically arranged just to come up with an organized linguistic system. With this saying, we should then be blessed to have a language we can call our own since its not like a walk on the park or an overnight process just to come up with a language so systematic. Thus thinking that foreign language is better than ours is truly no point at all. It's like lighting a candle in a deep bowl though producing a magneficient light but its power is delimited because of such enclosed space.
2. Mispronunciations and English Illiteracy doesn't make us less of a person. Language is not a measure of Intelligence afterall.
When someone happen to mispronounce words or enunciate it wrongly during speech, we then people who listen immediately burst into laughters. I dont know what's the matter about us having shallow minds and containing intelligence to being FLUENT and PROFICIENT in English. Why can't we just consider being fluent in our own language and be called intelligent rather? Neither, it doesn't apply because language is just a language except if you put an art using it.
Most of the time folks, we give more value to what pleases and tickles our ears rather than the substantial content of a speech.
3. If we do not use our own language, it will COMPLETELY vanish and It'll be remembered no more
If you study about language, you will learn that it has nature and characteristics it is upholding. One is being dynamic. Meaning, it is continually changing and evolving through time either progressively by developing new words or regressively having no development at all. Language is meant to develop and be improved because it is an everyday suitor and accompaniment of every mankind in the everyday life. But if it is not used the way it should be used, then slowly and slowly we are parading a burial to our own language identity.
Can we please erase that mentality of thinking other's culture and language as better than ours.
By this, we let those be our OWN standards that we so eagerly aspire and possess. By all means we become so "trying hard" just to achieve that IDENTITY that is never ours. Folks, there is nothing wrong about appreciating foreign culture, but us, neglecting and overshadowing our very OWN, then that's completely another different story.
WE are just the one creating and setting our own standards. And I'm afraid to speculate that indeed there is no heart of nationalism in us to figure out that foreigners are better than ours. If this mindset continues over times, then I'll not be surprised that we will one day become refugees in our land.
Why don't we think as our own language be the medium of our everyday activities because we find it very good and pleasing anyway?
Why don't we patronize our own movies instead of others? Does it mean we have no beautiful stories to tell? Does it mean we are not competent to produce quality movies?
Why don't we appreciate our own music. Does it mean we dont have our own beautiful rhythm and melody resounding in our soul?
Why don't we appreciate our own cloth? Does it mean we don't have our own style all along?
Why do we always think that our own brand of products is always inferior to the other? Does it mean we DON'T have abilities at all to produce world-class?
Folks, this is just a glimpse of a whole lot more that we have to be awaken up from deep slumber.
I can just remember, my College Professor once shared. She met a foreigner out from her trip here in the Philippines. When that foreigner made a scene to the place and keeps on showing off her English fluency, our professor responded in a very classic way.
She answered, "With due respect sir, you are here in our country, so you adjust to speak Filipino not us speaking your language. I don't mean to degrade your language or what but this is a matter of respect to being nationalism, so you adjust, bear and experience the beauty of my country. And after that, when the foreigner wants to initiate further conversation, our Professor answered him using Filipino (our own dialect).
Truly when we heard her sharing it, we were all nothing but awaken up to maturity of life perspectives.
Folks, I maybe ironic somehow writing this blog and yet using English not my native dialect to further my point, but I do this because I also speak to other nations who also share the same sentiments as we do. Finally, let me leave you this outstanding answer of Ms. Janine Tugonon when asked,
"Do you believe that learning English is a prerequiste to be the Ms. Universe?
- To be Ms. Universe is not about learning how to speak a specific language, but its about being able to influence and inspire other people, so whatever language you have as long as you have a heart to serve and a strong mind to show to people then you can be Ms. Universe.
Indeed fellow steemians. I hope this made us think a cent and act a BILL.
Shalom Everyone...