The Impact of English as a Global Language on Filipino Language Practices

Abstract

A country’s national language is a national treasure that should be preserved and passed on from generation to generation. In some multilingual contexts, as in the Philippines, the national language is evolving, being mixed with English (Francisco, 2012) possibly as a consequence of globalization. In an effort to create an awareness of this trend and foster the preservation of a country’s national language, this research explores the impact of the emergence of English as a global language on the Filipino language. It further examines the perceptions of Filipinos towards the language modification as impacted by English. It operates under a qualitative critical research paradigm that utilizes semi-structured interviews, spot observations, and observations of Filipino media, especially those manned by the educated populace who are proficient in both Filipino and English. Findings indicate language modifications resulting in Taglish, some loss of proficiency in Filipino, and a lack of purity in the Filipino and English languages.