Romancing the King’s language

MANILA, Philippines - Our country boasts of being a predominantly English-speaking nation but, truth be told, a good number of Filipinos would not readily profess proficiency in the King’s language. One grapples with the appropriate preposition to use, the right subject-verb agreement or even the spelling of a commonly misspelled word. Having taught English for roughly half of my entire career, I still feel there’s a lot more to learn in terms of getting my message across the best way possible, whether in verbal or written form.

Then I came across this gem of a book aptly titled English Plain and Simple — No-Nonsense Ways to Learn Today’s Global Language by Jose A. Carillo. I gingerly leafed through the pages, nodding my head in agreement and marveling at how much easier the rules are understood when stated in a simple and straightforward manner. What a fun way to revisit and walk through the basic rudiments of using English!

Presented in an engaging, no-frills and refreshingly witty manner, it is definitely a far cry from the stiff and highly technical grammar and composition books we have encountered from our basic education levels and up until our professional years. With such chapters devoted to Dealing with Gobbledygook, Saying Goodbye to Clichés, A Sordid Affair with Corporatese, The Use of Taglish and Much more,  replete with anecdotes, little known facts and personal comments, this book is a must-read for anyone who wishes to polish his English usage. 

A sound grasp of this foreign language is a definite advantage, whether you are in the teaching profession, doing sales work or involved in government service, more so for those who want to make it in other lands. The book stresses the fact that there are no shortcuts to gaining proficiency in any language — it takes practice, practice and more practice. For those who are English-challenged, they can tap any of these options: speaking and observing yourself before a mirror, reading well-written English books and magazines, tuning in to English programs or simply conversing regularly with English-speaking people.

The author urges his readers not to give up and blame their non-proficiency on family and upbringing, the educational system and other external factors. The key is to look deeply into the problem and to find ways to surmount it. I remember the very first time I had to face a crowd of strangers and deliver a whole-day talk. I was scared stiff and I recall painstakingly noting down everything I wanted to say days before the scheduled seminar---my opening spiel, even the side commentaries for certain slides of my Power Point presentation and answers to possible questions from the participants.  I am no longer as OC (obsessive-compulsive) these days but this seeming complacency is born, not because of a surplus of confidence, but by a belief that what is shared can truly motivate people to rekindle their core competence.

When friends and colleagues ask for my help in their reports or correspondence, I actually feel uncomfortable when they ask me for the corresponding rule governing a particular usage. Growing up, I learned how to speak and write in my second language from a steady exposure to different literary genres and not because I regularly devoured grammar sources. In my mind, I contend that it’s right because it sounds right. Mr. Carillo’s collection of essays made me believe that a book on English grammar can actually be “entertaining linguistics.” I now refer to this book as my only source for correcting misuses of the English language.

One particular chapter spoke about how Taglish has eclipsed Filipino, our national language, in popularity. It’s interesting to note that this “de facto national language” started as a coping mechanism for ultra- rich Filipinos who Wanted to be understood by their lower income level peers who only spoke and understood Tagalog or a provincial dialect. Later on, its use became a fad among colegialas who sounded cute and stylish as they stringed English and Filipino words into their statements.

Today, Taglish has become more widespread so that it has become acceptable to hear it spoken even in formal events, and even more alarmingly so in social networking sites. No local TV program wishing to up its ratings would not resort to using Taglish as its medium . No candidate in his right mind would deliver a platform pitch in straight English in any campaign sortie as this could potentially cost him votes. He further intones how “Taglish” has run roughshod over many grammar forms for both English and Filipino And while the author believes that this has created a serious illiteracy among our populace, it cannot be denied that it has, to a certain extent, bridged a gap among social classes, allowing both sides to reach out and be understood.

My romance with the English language continues as it contains a rich trove of words, having approximately 850,000 words in all. It has the most number of words, with German coming in a far second with a 185,000 vocabulary list. For instance, the word “say” has no less than 152 words and phrases that are synonymous with it.  The beauty of this is that it allows us so much flexibility in using the appropriate word to correctly express what we want to say or to tailor-fit our messages according to our intent or purpose. At the other end of the spectrum, it can also be an excuse to misuse a word and then attributing it to the complexities of the language.

The author takes it a notch higher by saying that there is actually a very thin line that separates “legitimate persuasion and outright deception.” There are people who use the power of the word to convince people of their advocacy and there are those who would deliberately and scrupulously use the right words in the wrong context to persuade the public of their erstwhile personal motives. In this fever-pitch season of electioneering, we must guard ourselves against politicians who are driven by selfish goals, use sugar-coated speeches but in reality do not have the heart to serve.

Beyond the right choice of words, perfectly crafted and well-delivered talks, it is more important to say what you mean and to mean what you say. Truthfulness and sincerity should always be the overriding principles when we speak.

THIS WEEK’S WINNER

Ma. Victoria Cardenas-Faicol, 51,  is an English faculty member of the Grade School Department of San Beda College Alabang. She is a wife and mother of  three, a graduate of UP and DLSU. She also dabbles in book-writing (work-texts for school use) and gives talks on school leadership, test construction, dealing with stakeholders, developing communication skills and helping schools nurture a culture of excellence in the workplace.