Check out the sidebar of this blog and you’d see a message to the Grammar gestapo. Some do find it ironic that, despite being a lecturer with the English Department, I would avoid discussions of grammar correctness and go around prescribing that people read style manuals and grammar guides.
To explain that bit, I would tell people how I adhere to a descriptivism as far as linguistics and language studies are concerned. Even with Systemic-Functional Grammar and the Communicative Approach, I still even have my own arguments to raise on the issue of standards. As far as clear cut rules defining what is correct and incorrect use of the language, I’ve thrown that philosophy out the window years ago.
Oh how I remember the debates we’ve had in our classes regarding the descriptivism versus prescriptivism. Yoda, in a prescriptivist’s point of view, is but a bumbling midget who should be trapped in carbonite forever. To a descriptivist, he’s a Master Jedi of an unknown race. Who knows if English is but a foreign language to him? His grasp of the language could probably then be considered admirable.
Still, I do acknowledge that there is use to prescriptivism but only to the point of linguistic. The best arguments for teaching a standard is still co-operation. A standard promotes a high probability of mutual intelligibility and comprehension between communicators. The best practical example of that would probably be in air traffic situations where understanding between air traffic controller and pilot is critical to the safety of lives and property.
Ia plurked about this blog called Grammar Pulis and that caught my eye. Quite ironic, I thought, a blog on prescription having a code-switched title. Still, the blog offers good information about some of the common errors and lapses people commit when using English.
I think Gege (Sugue, the Grammar Pulis) should point out the differences of the standards. I am assuming that, by being guided by the Chicago Manual of Style, she’s focusing Standard American English. For all practical purposes, a Filipino audience would find information about SAE more relevant. However, those who swear by Hart’s Rules will find several differences in some of the rules as there are key differences between SAE and Standard British English.
I started a similar project before with Exploring English with an effort to point out differences between standard and non-standard use. I never really had the time to populate content for that so it is now just a repository of lecture notes and readings for the classes I teach. As my exposure to both current uses of American and British englishes (take not of the lowercase and the plural ;p ), I decided that language change is one cruel mistress.
For example, take the “I” versus “me” issue (i.e. the differences in the subjective and objective cases of the first-person pronoun stating that “correct” usage should be “It is I” and “between you and me”). Even esteemed broadcasters/newsreaders and hosts/presenters on CNN and the BBC would not distinguish between the two anymore. So how do you account for that? Should the Brits then stop calling RP/the Queen’s English/public school English, “BBC” English?
To elevate the matter, I think to ask whether or not prescriptivism lives to this day is just restating the debates that still exist today. However, I think it is quite necessary ask the relevance of prescriptive grammar in the Philippine especially with the Internet and the World Wide Web as prime media.
Surely, there is room for a bit of prescription. Knowing good English does have its advantages in business and other professional efforts. Then again, it might be that you do not want to be laughed at by a mob of grammar fascists. You’d find plenty of them on the Internet.
I notice that when Filipinos would want to berate or troll other people’s blogs and pages, one of the most common points of attack would be the person’s use of English. How quickly one unleashes grammar holocaust on these people. Is this, again, a case of classism? Do we equate good English with mental capacities? Simple fact of the matter is, most of the time, we do.
Sure, we’ll laugh at the Bebigerls.
But will we murder these kittens?
Check out these other posts:
Isn’t this is a little bit of murdering kittens already?
I mean your being bias and attacking this little girls by means of using blogging because for me it is already clear than water seeing your post and your point here. Dude! If I were you before you judge would you please be more cautious on what were you saying here because your wrecking others life already this girls can’t fight you back and you know that. I think using them as your examples is already an insult for them that might give them a trauma be more professional on blogging Dude!, what if you have a son/daughter encounter a situation like this in the internet? would you be happy that they are being insult by a stranger? I guess not.
@Alex lol why become a stranger suddenly? why not reveal your true identity!
Okay me too I kinda like the game of being a mysterious guy too here.
Anyway my opinion about this matter is that this guy is somewhat a little bit mean on this little kittens, I think he already killed them just by posting them on his blog and giving them a bad reputation already. He use the power of blogging to kill the poor little kittens what a shame now it gives me a new perception about blogging and that is to use this powerful instrument to kill others reputation lol and the worst part is to give them a trauma about WWW. Shame! Shame! Shame!
hey dude! hit me up on twitter we are waiting for you already to have some twit talk lol and Rogie is already waiting for you and even Mr. Pro blogger ask me what were you blabbing about on your text messages early in the morning.
LOL!
You are being ridiculous. People have their own prerogative, even you. But the way you criticise other people in regards to their grammar or capacity to express their thoughts is unacceptable. It is somewhat racist that you generalised “Filipinos” based on what you observed from that blog.
If this is your way of increasing your blog’s popularity, I recommend you to start thinking of other way for it. This is just my friendly suggestion.
Good luck. Best regards.
putang ina mo! gago ka! pinagmamalaki mo ngayon magaling ka magenglish tang ina mo pala eh! bakit ka pa naging pinoy ko kung kapwa mo pinoy ginagago mo kupal mo tarantado ka! ano gusto mo palabasin kami mga taga-bisaya na hindi marunong mag-english e mga bobo hoy gago! bago ka magsalita ingat ingat ka sa pagsasalita mo wala kami pakialam kung professor ka pa at kung anong uri ng tao ka pa lechugas ka akala mo porket nag-aral ka magenglish akala mo sino ka umasta pumanta ka lang dito sa baryo namin gago ka tumba ka kaagad kung nakapag-aral ka gago pakita mo huwag ka mag-aangas sa internet ah porket may website ka akala mo kung sino ka na hindi ba pinoy ka rin? kaya huwag mo mamaliitin ang mga tao hindi marunong mag-english at hindi nakapagaral alam mo ang sitwasyon sa pinas kaya huwag ka magmalaki na akala mo american citizen ka gago ano ka ba greencard holder at ang angas mo umasta! putang ina mo! akala mo sa pageenglish mo nagmumukha kang mayaman puwes nagmukha ka lang lantutay na saging na bulok sa ginagawa mo pakshet ka! duguin sana titi mo na maliit na mabaho pa PUTANG INA MO!
from BISAYA CITIZEN
BISRAK MEN!!! \m/
While I concede to your point that in this country, we unfairly equate good English to good upbringing/mental capabilities, I think the real reason why Bebigirls are funny isn’t so much as their misuse of the English language. It was that they were being ridiculously arrogant while butchering English that made them so popular. Did you see the original blurb they had before that one you posted above? xD
I guess why I was so amused with that group is the same reason why I’m amused with others who misuse other languages so freely like Nihonggo for example (as Japanese anime here is very popular). It’s not just English; it’s just always funny whenever arrogance is misplaced.
@Jov. Language use is just one of the reasons many found the Bebigerls thing worth an insult or two. I guess this Plurk thread shows the many reasons why. Your reason is definitely one of them. You can probably find several similar threads on the same topic and they all echo similar sentiments.
The Bebigerls issue is just one of the popular memes that the Philippine blogging and microblogging spheres foregrounded for the past week and a common theme among theme is language use prompting my post.
I think you totally missed the point on the bebigerls issue. It actually goes beyond the blatant disregard for grammar and spelling IN BOTH LANGUAGES.
See, the blogs themselves are fine, in fact the girls themselves are probably ok people, if they didn’t embrace stupidity and promoted textese. So they say, it’s their blog, they can do whatever the hell they want, etc etc, that’s fine….but you will have to face the fact that when you publicly display such a disregard for braincells, you will be called on it, and you will be flamed. Who in their right mind proclaims pride in not being able to speak proper english? When you type like you text (on a full keyboard nonetheless, I’d totally understand if you were blogging from a celfone, really), then you are fair game. You are promoting a cultural disease that’s sadly turning our texting population into idiots. You are proud of your language you say, FINE, SPEAK IT RIGHT. It’s not cute (yes, that’s my opinion), and for chrissakes, if you’re going to be promoting products and whatnot by stealthily inserting links in your blogs, at least do it right and not make your products look like it’s being promoted by idiots who can’t spell or type properly.
Wait! You forgot The Helium Club!
@Ia. Yup. But I was gunning for a post on linguistic prescriptivism in the context of the recent Internet memes.
Decided to leave out The Helium Club but in hindsight, I think I shouldn’t have.