The ConstructDiscourse, Society, Language, New Media, and I

55% of bloggers are 48% are students

I got these numbers from Angelo’s site, and he from Maoi Arroyo.

It is quite amazing how our discussions in my graduate class (taking up History and Development of the English Language this sem) would often lead to an observation of younger generations of Filipinos being able to pronounce English better (using Standard American) but they seem to write much worse. Three of my classmates are teachers handling high schoolers and college freshmen so I bet they would know.

Judging by figures above, those who keep blogs are students under the age of twenty, probably a range spanning from high school to freshpeople and sophomores. A batchmate’s thesis using a sample of compositions by UP freshpeople shows a weak mastery of prepositions. Undoubtedly, language scholars would point out that use of prepositions would be the hardest to master in the English language but I do remember being taught in grade school that unless spring never happens in temperate countries due to global warming, flowers bloom in May.

I will be a bit harsh by saying that even the newer graduates from my alma mater (English majors at that) do not have above par handling of the language. I do read some of the younger UP English majors’ blogs and I am quite disappointed by the way they write blogs. Sure you can blog using your own style, but keep in mind that using “cool” or “nice” far too often to describe things is a slander against the near million-word lexicon of the language they are dedicating a good part of their lives. “Cool” and “nice” comprising 63% of your vocabulary is just too Paris Hilton. I will not be linking their blogs to protect their ethos, I just hope that they would shift orientations in the soonest possible time, for our field and their own sakes!

Though I have to stress “Blame it not on the mentors!” College is somewhere you should start specializing. Communication skills are built and developed through the years of basic education. UP’s English Department is never close to a lackluster effort in delivering concepts of Halliday and Fairclough.

Blogging is a very good writing exercise. And I will definitely be recommending, if not requiring, my future students (when I get back into the academe) to use it as often as possible. However, I believe that in order to push our own skills to greater heights, people should be conscious of good writing. Writing in Leetspeak does not make one elite. It makes one forget standard spelling.

English majors should be the prime movers of using standard English especially in something as routine as blogging. Remember that blogs are linked to other blogs. Exposing one’s peers to good writing, influences them, or at least, exposes them to good writing. Ideas influence. And ideas are sent through language. Ergo, good messages are delivered through good language.