An article published by James Soriano made it rounds online, bashing the Filipino Language James Soriano’s article saw the light of day for a few hours only.
The author of the text quoted below is written by James Soriano. He’s a 21 year old columnist of the Manila Bulletin since 2008. Mind you, he’s so confident in his English writing talent that he, James Soriano published an article on Manila Bulletin entitled Language, learning, identity, privilege – just in time when most Schools, Colleges and Universities are about to have their Buwan ng Wika Culmination
Language, learning, identity, privilege
Ithink
By JAMES SORIANO
August 24, 2011, 4:06amEnglish is the language of learning. I’ve known this since before I could go to school. As a toddler, my first study materials were a set of flash cards that my mother used to teach me the English alphabet.
James Soriano from Manila Bulletin
My mother made home conducive to learning English: all my storybooks and coloring books were in English, and so were the cartoons I watched and the music I listened to. She required me to speak English at home. She even hired tutors to help me learn to read and write in English.
In school I learned to think in English. We used English to learn about numbers, equations and variables. With it we learned about observation and inference, the moon and the stars, monsoons and photosynthesis. With it we learned about shapes and colors, about meter and rhythm. I learned about God in English, and I prayed to Him in English.
Filipino, on the other hand, was always the ‘other’ subject — almost a special subject like PE or Home Economics, except that it was graded the same way as Science, Math, Religion, and English. My classmates and I used to complain about Filipino all the time. Filipino was a chore, like washing the dishes; it was not the language of learning. It was the language we used to speak to the people who washed our dishes.
We used to think learning Filipino was important because it was practical: Filipino was the language of the world outside the classroom. It was the language of the streets: it was how you spoke to the tindera when you went to the tindahan, what you used to tell your katulong that you had an utos, and how you texted manong when you needed “sundo na.”
These skills were required to survive in the outside world, because we are forced to relate with the tinderas and the manongs and the katulongs of this world. If we wanted to communicate to these people — or otherwise avoid being mugged on the jeepney — we needed to learn Filipino.
That being said though, I was proud of my proficiency with the language. Filipino was the language I used to speak with my cousins and uncles and grandparents in the province, so I never had much trouble reciting.
It was the reading and writing that was tedious and difficult. I spoke Filipino, but only when I was in a different world like the streets or the province; it did not come naturally to me. English was more natural; I read, wrote and thought in English. And so, in much of the same way that I learned German later on, I learned Filipino in terms of English. In this way I survived Filipino in high school, albeit with too many sentences that had the preposition ‘ay.’
It was really only in university that I began to grasp Filipino in terms of language and not just dialect. Filipino was not merely a peculiar variety of language, derived and continuously borrowing from the English and Spanish alphabets; it was its own system, with its own grammar, semantics, sounds, even symbols.
But more significantly, it was its own way of reading, writing, and thinking. There are ideas and concepts unique to Filipino that can never be translated into another. Try translating bayanihan, tagay, kilig or diskarte.
Only recently have I begun to grasp Filipino as the language of identity: the language of emotion, experience, and even of learning. And with this comes the realization that I do, in fact, smell worse than a malansang isda. My own language is foreign to me: I speak, think, read and write primarily in English. To borrow the terminology of Fr. Bulatao, I am a split-level Filipino.
But perhaps this is not so bad in a society of rotten beef and stinking fish. For while Filipino may be the language of identity, it is the language of the streets. It might have the capacity to be the language of learning, but it is not the language of the learned.
It is neither the language of the classroom and the laboratory, nor the language of the boardroom, the court room, or the operating room. It is not the language of privilege. I may be disconnected from my being Filipino, but with a tongue of privilege I will always have my connections.
So I have my education to thank for making English my mother language.
What are your thoughts about the scrappy article posted by James Soriano on the Manila Bulletin site?
One thing is for sure, I guess the editors didn’t like it too, since it was taken down just a couple of hours. Wala kasing kwenta, eh. Ayun hah, Filipino ‘to!
Don’t forget to like this article, tweet it and share it with your friends. We all want to know your ideas on this topics in the comments below!
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Ako po ay founder ng Pinoy Music Tambayan. Comment ko lang!! tama sya dun na need talaga matutunan ang ENglish pero hindi pa din pwede kalimutan ang language naten!!! hindi lageng U.S ang nasa taas!!! unti unti ng dumarateng ang ARAW ng pag taas NG china!! ibig sabihin nun!!! hindi na English magiging world language kundi Chinese mandarin!!!^^ Comment ko lang wag sana natin ipag malaki ang talento naten sa language ng ibang bansa!! ipag malaki naten ang sariling aten!!
its not even a talent…. it is something that can be learned…
If the editors didn't like it, they shouldn't have allowed it to be published. They took it down due to the "hate" it was receiving. 🙂
so true!!!
They probably realized that their failure to properly edit that poorly written article.
Oops! I meant to say "they probably realized their failure to properly edit the poorly written article." Lol.
Good that it was scrapped! That article only reflect the "conio" lifestyle of the writer. Nevertheless, parents are to be blamed for making their children think that Filipino language is the language of the "indio". Although English is also important so we could communicate in the global society, but I believe that's the only necessary reason why we learn English. Other nations (such as Japan, China, Korea, etc) whose English are not as good as ours, still continue to progress and earn the respect of English-speaking nations. I also believe that it's very important to inculcate love of country through honoring our national language. Language should not discriminate the uneducated from the educated Our language is part of our identity. If you fail to appreciate our language, it's either your parents failed to educate you properly or you're a fake.
wow.. this guy has gone through a spoiled life, typical US pinoy: Cold Wannabe. FILIPINO is NOT A STREET LANGUAGE! for gods sake. Its one of a kind. Its A GIFT not everyone has the chance to have. Filipino is one material to learn&recite "other" languages much easier compared to foreigners. D*** this article belongs to AMERICAS PINOY STREET VENDORS :)wow.. this guy has gone through a spoiled life, typical US pinoy: Cold Wannabe. FILIPINO is NOT A STREET LANGUAGE! for gods sake. Its one of a kind. Its A GIFT not everyone has the chance to have. Filipino is one material to learn&recite "other" languages much easier compared to foreigners. D*** this article belongs to AMERICAS PINOY STREET VENDORS 🙂
sisikat ka…
The Mother gave his son the best education.
But her Son use his knowledge the worst way.
No, you are not "even" a split-level Filipino.
You should have been the one executed in Bagumbayan.
taeng kulot to! ganon na lang ang tingin mo sa filipino language? magaling ka na sa english.. kaw na! mga matatalinong unggoy! mga ganyang bagay di na kailangang i-publish gunggong!
Ano pa ano pa't naging PINOY siya? Lang hiya nmn oh… tsk3
ano sa tingin mo? paano ka ba nabuo kung hindi nagkaintindihan mga magulang mo gamit ang Filipino language? think about it!
i have to be honest -it is partly true about English –however, bashing our language, that's just going too far. i admit, Filipino wasn't the language i learned. i learned Chavacano (my dialect), then English, then Filipino —but i didn't learn Filipino just for convenience as this … lowlife said, "it was the language we used to speak to the people who washed our dishes".
i learned to speak it because it is my identity. im not a natural at speaking it, by i make an effort to learn it and love it. its neither tedious nor a lower form of language.
the author of the article is privileged, yes, born with a silver spoon, chauffeur and house help at his finger tips —but at the end of the day, he will have to speak the language, he will conform –otherwise, he won't survive. privileged, yes –street smart? definitely not.
He's just trying to get attention by trolling the Filipinos. Don't feed the troll. XD Trolls don't deserve attention.
James Soriano's UNCUT Foreskin..i.e. SUPOT is tantamount to his SUPOT na pag i isip.
I'm actually pretty fluent in English (self-proclaimed though XD) but I never needed any push like what yo' mama did. My mom never forced me to always speak in English even if I'm at home. Sheesh. That would make my mom too pompous and "feeling". hehe. Nangiinis lang. Nakakainis kasi yung feeling na yun. Hindi naman pang low-level ang Filipino eh. Actually, it is elegante. Napakasarap pakinggan. Makatang-makata nga ang feeling ko pag nakapag salita ako sa Filipino (hindi tagalog ah).
Dont you think what James Soriano wrote about the Filipino language is kind of a psycho game for all of us Filipinos? Its Buwan Ng Wika,a time specifically to regard our own language.Soriano's essay is a piece perfect to stimulate guilt and empathy so we could rebound our diminishing love for the language. I think the reason why people bash him is because he hit the spot. Filipinos are guilty of not loving his language. James Soriano is a clear image of a Filipino who has an unloving attitude towards his own language, and why we hate him is because he is like a huge slap on our faces as we, too, possess that attitude. If we say that Filipino IS the language of the educated and not only of the streets, then we should do what we ought to do and get passed with these bashing for words are useless if we are not going to do something.
Hay naku, kinahihiya ka ng bu0ng sambayanang Pilipin0. In short, di ka Pilipin0. Di mo ba alam na napakaraming buhay ang nabuwis para lamang sa bansang Pilipinas at sa lenguwaheng Filipino. Isa kana siguro sa pinakamababang tao na nakilala ko. Dapat lisanin mo na ang bansang to. Lakas m0ng manglait baka "sigalot, bulwak, pinukol" di mo alam ang ibig sabihin.
if you're not proud of who you are..you don't have the right to write on the "manila bulletin" basing on the name of the paper, "MANILA" capital ng philippines at tayong mga taga PIlipinas, nagsasalita ng Filipino.. it's not a street language.. isa yan sa mga pagkakakilanlan natin sa ating sarili. i admit, i love english. I'm an amateur writer of our english school paper, i've been struggling with filipino, yes but i have never been ashamed of speaking filipino infront of foreigners and professionals . hindi to katanggap tanggap . a 15-year-old girl saving her own language. :p
putang ina mo james soriano….
Teka lang po mga ginoo at mga ginang…Ni rerespeto ko po yung mga opinyon niyo po tungkol sa mga sinulat po ni ginoong Soriano. Alam ko po malaki po ang inyong mga hinanakit sa kanya ngunit hindi po ba parang sinasabi niyo na rin po na totoo yung mga sinasabi niya sa isang mababaw na pagbabasa. Isipining mabuti, sa isang ginoong tulad po ni ginoong Soriano, magsusulat po ba siya ng isang ganyang artikulo kung wala pong mas mababang kahulugan? Ako po'y isang estudyante rin po ng unibersidad kung saan po kasalukuyang nag-aaral si ginoong Soriano at masasabi ko pong marami nga pong mga elitista sa aming eskwelahan ngunit sa mas mababaw po ang kanilang pagiging elitista.
Hindi ko po prinoprotektahan si ginoong Soriano ngunit ako po'y namamahagi ng aking kuro-kuro sa kanya niya pong sinulat. Ako'y hindi po makakapaniwala na ang mga laman ng inyo mga kuro-kuro ang mismong mga bagay na gustong sabihin ni ginoong Soriano. Sa tingin ko po kung iinitindihin ng leteral ang kanyang mga sinulat, isa po ito mababaw na pagka-intindi. Si ginoong Soriano po ay kasalukuyang kumukuha po ng isang kurso kung saan marami pong mahirap na kurso po na hindi po kayang kunin ng kahit na sino. Isipin niyo po, lampas trenta ang kumukuha ng kursong ito sa unang taon ngunit mga higit kumulang 10 lang po ang nagtatapos sa kursong ito. Kasalukuyang nasa taon na ng pagtatapos si ginoong Soriano. Kaya po ako hindi makakapaniwala o hindi ko TATANGGAPIn ang mababaw na pagkabasa nitong artikulong ito.
Hindi ko po alam kung ano talaga ang nasa utak ni ginoong Soriano kung bakit niya ito sinulat at ano talaga ang kanyang gustong sabihin.
Ito po ang kuro-kuro ko sa artikulong ito.
Sinasabi niya lang po ang totoong nangyayari sa ating bansa ngayon.Huwag na po tayong makipagplastikan na sa tingin natin hindi nangyayari ang mga ibang sinabi ni ginoong Soriano sa kanyang artikulo na kung saan maraming taong mas gugustuhin magsalita at maging magaling sa pagsasalita ng Ingles. Kung hindi mo ito aaminin, masasabi ko lang po sa iyo ay isa kang hipokrito at wala kang karapatan kutyain ang artikulong ito! Hindi ba kayo nagtataka kung bakit hindi Filipino ang ginagamit sa pagtuturo sa mga eskwelahan? Hindi ba kayo nagtataka na parang kung saan kayo pumunta makakababasa, makakarining, o makakakita kayo ng ingles? Hindi ba kayo nagtataka bakit maski kayo hindi makasalita ng diretsong Filipino at laging hinahaluan ng ibang mga ingles na salita (aminin mo!)
Ito lang ang aking masasabi sa inyo mga ginoo at mga ginaang. Hindi talaga si ginoong Soriano ang tunay na nagsasalita sa artikulong iyan. Kung hindi Ikaw, Siya, Sila, LAHAT TAYO! Sa tingin ko hindi po ito isang artikulo tungkol sa sa ating wika, ito'y artikulo tungkol sa ating pagka-tao at ang ating pagkanasyonalisom. Isipin niyo pong mabuti, ni wala nga po talaga tayong isang wika sa ating bansa eh. Isipin niyo po ng mabuti hindi nga tayo lahat magkaka-intindihan maski gamit ang Filipinong wika eh. (kung iniisip mo na Pilipino lang ating wika, kinakalimutan ng iyong isipan ang mga iba pang diyalekto ng ating bansa, bastusan yon!) Ang aking pagkaka-intindi rito sa artikulo ni ginoong Soriano, unti-unti ng nawawala ang ating pambansang pagkakakilanlan. Isipin niyo na lang mas gusto pa ng ating gawin ang mga bagay na galing sa kanluran kaysa sa mga bagay na naka-ugat sa ating kultura at kasaysayan. Ang halimbawa rito ay ang basketball at ang football; mga larong galing kanluran ngunit hindi talaga naka-ugat sa ating kultura at kasaysayan. Tignan naman sa kabilang banda ang Philippine Dragon boat, isang larong masasabi nating galing sa Tsina ngunit ang konsepto ay maihahalintulad lang sa pagpapagalaw ng bangka. Tandaan na ang mga Pilipino ay tunay na mga "taong mahilig sa katubigan", at naka-ugat sa ating kultura at kasaysayan na tayo talaga ay magagaling sa mga aspektong tubig. Ngunit kung titignan ang nangyayari ngayon sa ating bansa nananlo ang PHILIPPINE DRAGON BOAT TEAM ngunit aminin natin WALANG PAKI ANG ATING BANSA sa kanila dahil hindi naman ito isang larong sikat sa kanluran. Mas gusto pa nga natin tularan at panoodin ang Basketball at Football na wala pa nga nakukuhang tropeyo para sa ating bansa at ang PHILIPPINE DRAGON BOAT TEAM marami na.
Ito lang ang nais sabihin ni ginoong Soriano sa atin at ginamit niyang tauhan sa kanyang artikulo ay ang kasalukuayng TAYO at hindi ang personalidad ni ginoong Soriano. Kung gusto mo subukan sa usapan Filipino si ginoong Soriano kung ako sayo hanapin mo siya sa Ateneo at makikipag-tastasan ka sa Filipino sa kanya at tignan natin kung hindi ka magtaka kung talaga siya ang taong iniisip niyong ayaw sa wikang Filipino.
Ang aking mga sinasabi ay aking opinyon lamang, at hindi ko prinoprotektahan si ginoong Soriano ngunit nililiwanagan ko lamang ang kanyang mga nais sabihin.
😀
ako'y sumasang ayon sayo G. Lavarias unang pgbasa q po s artikulo n akda n G. Soriano eto bay parang may halong kayabangan pero ng ulitin q ng tatlong beses ang pgbabasa neto,nakuha ko n qng bakit nya eto sinulat ito'y replika lamang ng kasalukuyan..kaya para sa akin sya lamang ay ngpapakatoto.
Tama kayo pareho. Kailangang basahin ng maraming beses para maintindihan ang context ng article. Galit ang marami, pero totoo naman. Sino pa ba ang nagsasalita ng tuwid na Filipino (or Tagalog)? Kung hindi Tag-lish, barok na Tagalolg. Manood ka nga ng TV, ano ang maririnig mo "sobrang salamat po talaga", "sobrang tumakbo sila", hindi ba masakit sa tenga? Ayusin nating magsalita ng Filipino, hindi kailangang makata, basta tuwid..ang sabi nga ni James Soriano…may sarili pala itong buhay….alam ba ng nakakarami yun?
tarantado ka ah! suntukan na lang tayo sa kahit saang plaza mamayang hapon! paduduguin ko lang yang makating nguso mo!
Grabe ka naman ginoo….kala mo kung sino ka magsalita ah…paano kaya kung basahin mo ng maigi ang artikulo…paano kaya kung mas palalalimin mo pa ang iyong pagbabasa… Kung gusto mo ng away huwag pumunta ka sa mga kanto kung saan may mga lasinggero roon papatulan kanila…Sinasabi niyon tarantado si ginoong Soriano pero di ba mas tarantado ka kasi dinadaan mo sa masamang paraan ang iyong opinyon… Kung ako sayo ginoo…pagnilayan mo muna ang artikulo at huwag itong basahin ng mababaw…Kung mabasa mo itong mas malalim ako'y sasaludo sa iyo…kung mababaw pa rin ang iyong basa..TUMAHIMIK ka na lang kasi ikaw ay mapapahiya lamang sa tunay na nilalaman ng artikulong ito.
korek..!!!!!!!basahin m muna ang buong artikulo at ulitin m eto isipin m ng mabuti ng malaman m tlga qng anu ang nilalaman neto hndi ung dadaanin m s masahol n paraan,,,,,,,,
whoah… i think … you're not a Filipino hindi kasi ganyan ugali ng pinoy… i dont think na ok lang 'yung sinabi nya, here .. "Filipino, on the other hand, was always the ‘other’ subject — almost a special subject like PE or Home Economics, except that it was graded the same way as Science, Math, Religion, and English. My classmates and I used to complain about Filipino all the time. Filipino was a chore, like washing the dishes; it was not the language of learning. It was the language we used to speak to the people who washed our dishes."
–Respect ang kailangan mo'ng pag-aralan, mukang yan ang wala ka… hindi ba tinuro yan sa "ENGLISH" subject nyo? how bad… but kahit sa dictionary try mo'ng tignan… milyon-milyong pinoy ang kalaban mo dahil sa article mo… That's it…
Godbless
See what Tagalog (a class legislated pseudo National Language) is teaching, mediocrity. Cursing and itching to punch the messenger in the face is as what a quote says: "Force always attracts men of low morality." It is a paradox that those wanting judiciousness are found wanting as well.
sa may-ari ng blog na ito. sa lahat ng nag-comment. at lahat ng mag-cocomment ng masama para kay James: kung pwede ay gamitin natin ang wikang Filipino. Mas mabuti pa nga ay kung magamit natin ang Katutubong wika natin. marami parin akong nababasang nag-Iingles kahit sa mga kanyang kagalit. Sa tingin ko, hipokrito tayong lahat. Minahal ni James ang tinuro sa kanya ng kanyang ina. Mahalin din natin ang itinuro sa atin. Ilokano man, Hiligaynon man, Waray man, o kung ano pang Katutubong wika. Iyan ang tunay na simbolo ng Buwan ng Wika, kaya hindi ito tinatawag na Buwan ng Filipino.
For the owner of this blog site, for everyone who has commented, or will comment: I would like to ask of you guys to use the Filipino language. What would be better, in fact, is to use our very own Dialect. There are still a lot of English words in the comments of some people, even so at comments bashing the article. In my opinion, we are all hypocrites. James loved the first language his mother taught him. Let's all love what we were first taught as well, may it be Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Waray, or any other Dialect. For it is in loving the first language we learned that we find the true meaning of the Month of our Language, all else it would have been called Month of the Filipino Language.
"but it is not the language of the learned"
I have nothing against him loving the language that his mother taught him to love. I have nothing against loving the other languages and dialects [yes languages for not all are dialects] that we have come to grow with. But I do take offense when he said that our National Language is not the language of the learned.
Dahil ang pagiging "learned" ay hindi nababase sa wikang gamit. Kung ang salitang Ingles ang sinasabing wikang ng mga "learned", paano naman ang ibang wika tulad ng sa mga Hapon, Instik at iba pang lahi? Ibig bang sabihin na kung salitang Hapon lang ang alam ko, at di ako marunong mag-Ingles, hindi ako "learned"? Pero maunlad ang bansa ko? Sa ganyang pag-iisip kaya hindi tayo umuunlad. Dahil sa pag-iisip na kung marunong ka nang Ingles, uunlad ka na maling pag-iisip po iyon. Dahil nasa paraan ng pag-gamit po natin ng ating natutunan o "learned" ang siyang mag-papa-angat sa atin o mag-papabagsak.
Hindi po Tagalog ang kinalakihan kong wika. Kapampangan po. But I have nothing against learning Tagalog if its our national language. I consider it my duty to learn it if it will help foster understanding and communication with my fellow countrymen. I am also proud of my Kapampangan heritage, but Pampanga is just a small part of our nation for me to be Kapampangan-centric [if there is such a word] so I have no problem learning Tagalog. If I could learn the other languages or dialects from other regions of our country, much better. But to call Filipino/Tagalog as "not the language of the learned" is like calling the language loved by my parents, Kapampangan, also, not the language of the learned. It's like calling my parents "unlearned".
I'm not bashing his article. I just do not agree with some of his statements. Sa mga nagsasabing kailangan naming basahin mabuti ang sinulat niya at ulit-ulitin ito ng paulit-ulit, I think what I quoted from his article, does not need multiple reading for you to comprehend what he thinks of our national language. Be that it is his opinion, I am also just stating my own opinion. And please, do try to read what he wrote in his last paragraph, as that, in my own opinion, is what made the tone of his article look "elitist" or "arrogant". What he said may be true, but it came of somewhat [again this is just my opinion] "arrogant".
Peace.
Hello tekamutz,
Thank you for your comment. I really have to agree with you on this. Right on the spot and that, without bashing the one who posted the article on MB.
Kudos!
We can be proud of our fluency in a foreign language. We spend years learning english in school so we are expected to master it actually. What disgusts us is James Soriano's depreciation of our own language.
basahin po natin ng mabuti o kaya ulitin nyu ang pgbabsa ng artikulong akda n G. Soriano at intindihin nyu ng malalim at maiintindihan nyu lahat qng bakit nya eto naisulat,,,at maliliwanagan kau..qng di nyu p rin maintindihan kelangan nyu ng bumalik s filipino 1 at pag aralan ang Pagbasa ng my komprehasyon…,wag nyo xang husgasan at laitin…..
Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit nya pinublish ang artikulong ito. Ito kaya ay upang laitin ang at ating sariling wika? Pero sa mga binitiwan niyang mga salita ay ganun na nga ang lumalabas. Nagpapasalamat siya sa wikang Ingles, nagawa na kaya niyang magpasalamat sa wikang Filipino na naging wika ng kanyang pagsilang? Ang mga tulad niya ay hindi maipagmamalaki ng mga Pilipino..
Kaya dapat ay sinolo na lang niya ang iniisip niya..
for once, he's not even a good writer/journalist. he's immature and arrogant. parang hindi pinag-isipan ng mabuti ung article nya. at parang wala rin depth. walang heart ung article. hayz. nakakalungkot ang mga ganitong klase ng tao. nakakaiyak kasi nawala na talaga ang pagmamahal natin sa bansa natin. wala naman problema sa pagsasalita ng english eh. nasa puso ang pagmamahal sa bansa. Jose Rizal wrote his books in Spanish pero questionable ba ang pagmamahal nya sa bansa? hindi. pero sa article ni James Soriano, makikita mo tlaga ang kawalan nya ng pagmamahal sa bansa. hayz. so sad.
Ang baba naman ng tingin mo sa mga "cousins and uncles and grandparents" mo. I'm sure you're parents are embarrassed and ashamed of you for writing this article. O pwede din na gusto mo lang sumikat. You've got your 15 minutes of fame. Sa masama pang paraan. Sabi mo, nakapag-aral ka pero mukhang wala kang napag-aralan sa pagsulat mo ng artikulong ito. Ano ba ang nangyari sa'yo nung bata ka kaya ganyan ang kinalabasan mo? What a waste!
mga kapatid basahin nyo ang artikulong ito:
http://philippinehistory.ph/tag/james-soriano/
Soriano:
I understand that your language of learning is in English, for we are infected with the imperialist culture of US. A colonial, commercialized, and fascist education and culture introduced to us more than a decade ago.
Alam mo kung bakit hindi language of the academe ang Filipino? Hindi lingid sa ating kasaysayan matapos ng Rebolusyon ng 1896, takaw-asong binili ng US ang Pilipinas dahil sa kanyang likas na yaman. At para mapakinabangan tayo ng lubos (kasama ang Yamang Tao, o manpower), dinisenyo ang edukasyon para makapagsilbi sa US (pati mga kursong kakailanganin nila, eg. accounting. At sa ngayon, mga nurses at DH). Kung gayon, ito ay sa Ingles, at ang mga nilalaman ng lahat ng aklat natin ay patterened sa western na pamumuhay. (Maraming mga dalubhasa ang makapagpapatunay nyan). Hanggang sa ngayon, dahil sa imperyalista pa rin ang US, at mahabang panahon ang nilagi ng wika at kulturang Ingles, hindi pa ito maiaalis agad, kahit matapos ang isang radical na rebolusyon.
Tama ka, ang Filipino ang wika ng masa. Pero sana ay huwag kang magpasalamat na proficient ka sa Ingles. Kung sa sariling pagyayabang lang, napakaraming tao ang profiecient hindi lang sa dalawang wikang Filipino at Ingles.
Tandaan mo na wika ay hindi sukatan ng katalinuhan, ito ay daluyan ng kaalaman.
Nagkataon lang na ang wikang Ingles ang wikang "superyor dahil sa pananakop ng imperyalismong US na naghahari na dahilan na ito'y naging superyor." Muli, babalik tayo sa kasaysayan, na ang US ang nagtatatag ng mga akademya, at ang wika ay Ingles, pati kultura. At ang "nakakabili" lang ng edukasyon ay ang mga may kaya at mayayaman. Kaya ito'y wikang elite. "Wikang ginagalang", "wikang superyor", "wikang nakatataas."
Babalik tayo sa kanina. Kung gayon, ang kalalabasan ay ang Pilipino bilang wika ng masa. Wika ng nauunawaan ng "nakararaming masang api sa kasulkuyang sistema kung saan binibili ang edukasyon", kung saan hindi rin nila matutunan ang Ingles. Kung saan ang isang batang anak ng magsasaka ay matututo rin ng Filipino (o kung ano mang lokal na wika), at dahil sa kahirapan, lalaki ring isang magsasaka, na hindi matututo ng Ingles dahil nasa sakahan lang ang buhay niya. Na hindi makapag-aral dahil sa kolonyal na edkasyon, dahil sa pagbebenta nito, o di kaya naman dahil sa hindi ito makatutulong sa kanilang lokal na ikabubuhay. Ang edukasyon sa Pilipinas ay nagsisilbi sa mga Imperyalista. (Ngunit wag nating kalimutan na kailangan nating pag-aralan ang Ingles para sa pambansang diskurso).
Remember, we are living in a colonial, commercialized, and fascist education and culture.
Muli, nauunawaan kita G. Soriano, at sana nauunawaan mo rin ang statement ko na sumasalamin sa katotohanang iyon.
Mr. James Soriano may have approached it differently in his writing and seeming abhorrence of the filipino language and equating it like a trash thing…(tama ba ingles ko..?), if only to awaken us to our senses../Sa aking pagbabasa ng kanyang sinulat ay para bang merong itong ibig pakasabihin sa ating mga Pilipino. Nais ko lamang itanong kung gaano nga ba kalalim ang pagmamahal natin sa ating sariling wika bilang pagkakilanlan sa ating pagka-Pilipino o tayo ay katulad pa din ng madami sa atin na nag-iisip na ang wikang ingles ay sosyal at ang wikang atin ay bakya..oo. di man natin aminin, pero parang ganon na nga ang ating kaisipan at sa ating mga sarili..na ang paggamit ng wikang filipino (tagalog..) ay para nga lamang gamit pang-utos sa katulong..o di kaya itoy mga salitang kalye na lamang…para sa akin, ito ay pagsasalamin sa marami sa atin, sa kasalukuyang panahon…Mr. Soriano's depiction and renting himself like a poison was intentionally to arouse our sensibility and find out it ourselves if we still pride ourselves as filipinos and that reverence to the language of our soul.
naiirita ako sa mga taong nagsasabi na basahin ng pauli-ulit ang materyal para maintindihang mabuti. kung ganun nga ang kailangan gawin then this article failed to communicate. dapat unang basa pa lang ng kahit sino, malinaw kung ano ang nais ipahiwatig ng sinulat. sa pagkakataong ito, kayabangan lang ang naiwan sa utak ng karamihan. oks lang naman na mahalin nya yung ingles. oks rin lang kung ganun ang point of view nya about our language. kaso hindi ganun kaganda yung pagkakasulat eh. oo tama ang grammar pero masakit basahin para sa aming hindi priveleged. nayabangan ako. may panlalait sa mga maliliit na tao. pwede naman kasing isulat yun nga may konsiderasyon. he wrote it like he's better than everyone else who doesn't speak english. better than his maids, driver and worse, his relatives in the province. james soriano, ang problema sa'yo hindi ka relatable sa lahat ng tao. konti lang kayong mga mayayaman sa pilipinas. mr. soriano hindi ka ganun kagaling magsulat. try writing without offending. pwede naman yun, eh.
Meh. You nailed it right there. I love opinions like the ones you provide.
JUZZCO MAKAPAG YABANG NAMAN TONG JAMES SORIANO NA ITO. ANG PANGET NAMAN PALA ! :pp
Your parents must have the same askewed mentality even worse yours. Millions of other Filipinos can speak decent English while keeping their mother tongue. We use English in schools for the simple reason that our educational system have no conviction to encourage developing learning materials in Filipino (Philipino).
So does it mean you are a "somebody" because Filipino is just your second language in your own country? and that you use it only to converse with people of "lower" economic class?
@ jake lopez…pwede ba tagalugin mo mga sinabi mo?.mala james soriano ka rin kung gagamitin mo ang wikang ingles sa pakikipagtalastasan dito.
It's not like he's boasting that he can speak English…
pTULAN BA YONG NAGPAPA-I,PRESS. pambasag ka naman ng trip, 'tol
I don't see anything wrong with what James wrote, in fact it is good because it is an eye opener to all of us.
Guys, dont be such hypocrites, totoo naman na Ingles ang pananalita natin sa paaralan, sa court room, kahit garil garil ang salita, Ingles pa din ang binabanatan, tanong ko nga bakit hindi managalog, mga Pilipino naman. Pag me artistang bulol sa Tagalog, like Sam Milby cute na cute tayo.. And James was merely pointing out in a satyrical way-that he thanks (or blames the educational system) for making English the mother language.
Meh. Another blind-sighted comment.
Wala naman akong nakitang mali sa sinabi niya. Makatotohanan naman lahat. Wag tayong maging emosyonal. Tingnan natin ang bawat anggulo ng kwento. Dapat pa nga nating ipagpasalamat na may lumabas na ganitong article, dahil may naimulat na nmang katotohanan satin.
Saying thanks that you need to know English to be learned and that Filipino is the language of the streets?
Hindi naman masama gumawa ng article para mamulat ang mga Filipino, dapat po sa tamang paggamit ng mga salita ..
Agree.
wow nman idol na tlgah kita,…gumagmit ka ng salitang tagalog taz wala kang reaksyon sa article ni James??binasa mo po bah???
salitang kalye daw oh….
BURN…
Sa palagay ko ay may pagka tama at may pagka mali din sa ibinaggit ni Ginoong Soriano dito sa kanyang isinaad. Unang una ay makatotohanan na madaming Pilipinong mas gumagamit ng Wikang Ingles bilang kanilang Inang Wika, ngunit ang Wikang Filipino ay hindi naman Wika upang gamitin para kausapin lamang ang mga taong sa tingin mo'y mas mababa sa iyo. Isang pagmumulat o pag bibigay pansin ang kanyang sinulat. Marami ngang nagagalit dyan sa kanyang artikulo ngunit sa tingin ko ay marami din namang natamaan sa kanyang sinabi. Hindi man natin aminin ngunit may mga nag isip diyan ng mga "oo nga o tama pala siya". Pansinin muna natin ang ating mga kilos o salita bago natin sabihing mali ang kanyang sinasabi, may magisip man na mali ang aking mga sinsabi ngayon ay natural lamang iyon dahil wala namang perpekto sa mundong ito. Hindi naman lahat ng paniniwala ko ay paniniwalaan din ng lahat, ngunit bago kayo humusga tignan ninyo muna ang paligid ninyo. Tignan niyo muna ang Pilipinas dahil ang nakikita kong katotohanan ay ang nakasaad dito sa artikulo ni Ginoong Soriano, na marami na ngang Pilipinong nangingibang wika ika nga.
It was the language of the streets: it was how you spoke to the tindera when you went to the tindahan, what you used to tell your katulong that you had an utos, and how you texted manong when you needed “sundo na.”
language of the streets?? haha… malamang gagamit ang tao ng Filipino dahil nasa Pilipinas siya. kung nasa Ibang bansa ka namn, sabhin nting nasa America ka, anong ieexpect mong gagamitin nila? "filipino"? malamang ingles! haha.
the mere incompetence of Pinoys in the English language is a problem (esp. to people engaged in a field where the use of English is really needed…seeing to it that it is the language of the world. But speaking "Filipino", I believe, theres no problem with that. especially if u need not to speak english. Jus in the case of tinderas.. do they have to speak in english if customers speak to them in Filipino? My point is, "theres no wrong in using "filipino"…. if u'r a pinoy, use Filipino. if you need to speak english, then do so." english and filipino are 2 different things. They are distict and should no one say that one must be higher. It depends upon ur field, ur place, and necesity. If u'r in the Phil. Its normal to speak in Filipino. especially that u'r a Pinoy. No one must undervalue "Filipino". Should no one say its jus for tinderas.. etc. our language nids respect. Its for everyone who values his real identity.
tama.. um. haha . tama justine
ikaw, anong say mo? hahaha
It was the language of the streets: it was how you spoke to the tindera when you went to the tindahan, what you used to tell your katulong that you had an utos, and how you texted manong when you needed “sundo na.”
language of the streets?? haha… malamang gagamit ang tao ng Filipino dahil nasa Pilipinas siya. kung nasa Ibang bansa ka namn, sabhin nting nasa America ka, anong ieexpect mong gagamitin nila? "filipino"? malamang ingles! haha.
the mere incompetence of Pinoys in the English language is a problem (esp. to people engaged in a field where the use of English is really needed…seeing to it that it is the language of the world. But speaking "Filipino", I believe, theres no problem with that. especially if u need not to speak english. Jus in the case of tinderas.. do they have to speak in english if customers speak to them in Filipino? My point is, "theres no wrong in using "filipino"…. if u'r a pinoy, use Filipino. if you need to speak english, then do so." english and filipino are 2 different things. They are distict and should no one say that one must be higher. It depends upon ur field, ur place, and necesity. If u'r in the Phil. Its normal to speak in Filipino. especially that u'r a Pinoy. No one must undervalue "Filipino". Should no one say its jus for tinderas.. etc. our language nids respect. Its for everyone who values his real identity.
I thought it was a challenge for the education and government system of this nation, as what I have heard from others talking about this article. It can be one pero ito ay isang hayagang insulto, hindi lang sa mga tindera na iyong nakasalamuha, driver, kasambahay, este, wala ka nga pala talagang galang, katulong pa ang ginamit mong salita, sa lahat ng filipinong matatas sa pagsasalita ng wikang Filipino, mataas man ang naabot na edukasyon o hindi, sa bansang Pilipinas na siyang yaman nito ang humubog sa iyong kamalayan, at SA IYONG SARILI MISMO… Dahil kahit anong galing mo man sa wikang Ingles, ang dugong nananalaytay sa iyong ugat, ay filipino pa rin..
You can't blame and hate the Filipino Language that much just because your brain can't handle it much. Isa ka lang atang Ingleserong low I eh. feeler much.
You can't go on blaming and hating the Filipino Language just because your brain can't handle it much. bat di mo kaya hasain both languages? Isa ka lang atang Ingleserong retard eh. LOW IQ, feeler much
"I spoke Filipino, but only when I was in a different world like the streets or the province"
Ang "street" at "province" ay different world para sa kanya? kasalanan yan ng nanay at tatay nya kaya siya naging elitistang bulok. Feeling ko walang pumapansin dyan pag umuuwi ng probinsya nila.
Sa isang kamay, may tama at punto ka sa iyong tinuran, at sa kabilang kamay naman…ay ang kawalan mo ng respeto sa iyong pinagmulan,,maano ngayon kung mahusay kang mag ingles…sa tingin mo ba mababago nito ang tingin sa iyo ng mundo? pilipino ka pa rin nilang ituturing..pilipinong gaya mo na may parehong wikang nilait mo…maaring makatulong sa iyo ang pagiging inglisero…subalit hindi nito kayang baguhin ang tunay mong pagkatao!..masama man sabihin ito….sa huling hininga ng buhay mo…ang huling wika na sasambitin mo ay pilipino!
James Soriano, I think what you need is more exposure outside your very tiny box. Travel the world and keep your eyes and ears wide open. When you return, try writing a blog again. This time would you still have the same perception about your own language? Perhaps, you will come to realise that in other places, English like Filipino, is also a language on the streets!
thumbs up!
i think you have to look at this articlein an objective way. He is allowed to give his views- he is merely trying to point out facts based on his own experience. I was a teacher in a school system that puts emphasis on being proficient in English . DI ba nga we meaure someones intellectual capability in their proficiency/fluency in speaking English? Masakit man minsan tanggapin – pero yon yung totoo – kaya yung mga nagrereact diyan – dont be fake – pretending to show "patriotism" by quoting Jose Rizal ""ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika…….." samantalang wala namang ibang pinagrap kundi makarating sa ibang bansa …..hmmm theres the disconnect .siguro wake up call nga ito sa gobyerno -siguro about time to promote Filipino as the language of the Pilipinos.
Madam Joyce,
I was brought up in a home environment where my parents and grandparents use English to converse with me as a toddler. My books, and songs I listen to then were all in English. We were fined in our English classes when we speak Filipino.
And yet, I never thought that a person's capacity or incapacity to speak English is a measurement of his/her intelligence. And if it is really true that it is a measurement of intelligence so be it. But one thing I am sure of – degrading one's own language / mother tongue is NEVER A SIGN OF WISDOM!
One of the factors that helped the U.S.A. government win World War 2 is that it invested in their own country’s indigenous peoples’ languages as Code Talkers.
Here in the Philippines, the Tagalists, K.W.F., and Imperial Manila are pushing the extinction of several Philippine indigenous minority languages, and the slow but certain displacement of other Philippine regional languages. All because of Tagalog language-centrism, and Imperial Manila! So, K.W.F. what are you doing about this?
There are part of this article na nangyayari nga mostly sa ating mga Pilipino. we speak english mostly rather than our own language. the only thing that I donnot like about this article is when Mr. Soriano says that Filipino is a language only used to people who are lower in economic class.. that just sad to know that even in our own country, our fellow filipino would look down on his own people. He even used the words "these people". For somebody like me that is living in Canada right now, I could accept the fact when other races would treat me as less of a person than they are, but I can never accept it if my own people (FILIPINO) would treat me that way. Just unacceptable for me. Pres. Aquino is always speaking in Filipino in most of his speaches, does that mean he is not learned and he is only talking to the "tinderas, katulog, driver and what you called people in the streets? Mr Sriano, you have to straightened your thoughts and your words because it is very offensive, unfortunately to your own people!
James "MALANSANG ISDA" Soriano
.. his article made Filipinos be more honor on what they have .. he must not born here in the Philippines .. in the planet of Apes, either ..
Daig mo JAMES SORIANO ang isang mabaho, malansa at HAMPOK NA ISDA! sige subukan mong magbayad sa jeep gamit ang ENGLISH MO!!!!
You know what you, you tagalogs are just losers and you find it hard to admit it even if it is already in front of your face. The reason behind that is because you tagalogs are pest in this country called the Philippines. You tagalogs are disgrace to the Philippine nation. You should all be nuked to death your fvcking tagalog beggars….
Take this…. http://www.scribd.com/doc/13411984/Satanic-Tagalog