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Friday, August 9, 2013

Speaking in their Dialect Gets Expelled at School

Dialect according to experts are used in different ways but it is mainly a language spoken in a particular group area or a community or group of people. In the Philippines which is comprised with thousand of islands has more or less a thousand of spoken languages depending on their ethnic background or origin.

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Recently, social media users reacted differently when a news broke that Saviour's Christian Academy students in Laoag City Ilocos Norte expelled due to speaking Ilocano (a dialect in the Ilocos Region and the Cordillera).

My point of view 

It may be serendipitous if the school bans the usage of vernacular within the school premises for the students to have an avenue in practicing the students capacity and skills in the English language. However, to disgorge them from school is rather implacable. A school is a second home for every children. A place for them to explore the wonders of the world through their quest for knowledge in the guidance of their so called second parents. To dislodge them is as good as disowning your kids capacity to learn.

Dislodging the child as a course of action towards a minute mistake like speaking in vernacular inside the school premises is totally repugnant. A school should be guiding these children to be successful someday. They should be the stronghold of these children to be better. The school is totally responsible to every child's future. Such action is totally unacceptable.

English is a universal language understood by men but Ilocano is a dialect understood by the Ilocano's not only by their mind but also in their hearts. It is the language they have grown up using and it will be the language that they would bring in their death. English is learned and Ilocano is a langauge by heart of the Ilocano's. If this is true, why did the school penalize these kids? The teacher or school administrator should have talked to this students and have re-iterated the importance of the English Language and why they should be practicing it.

My main reason why i despise the action of the school authority is basically the idea of penalizing the students by simply speaking in vernacular language. Speaking in vernacular is not a grieve misdemeanor rather they should have a corrective action plan be in place. For me, English language is important which I agree but having good English skills doesn't define you as a person, it doesn't define your success and above all, it is not a social status or standard.

To wrap it up, these children doesn't deserve to be expelled using their native language. They should've just been reminded of that school policy. I have expected more understanding from these school since they are a Christian school. I always believe that the best way to teach the children is not through heated iron punch into their hearts but rather getting into their heart and understanding  is what makes learning more possible. In this way the learning would stay forever.

Practice makes perfect! That's totally true, but since English is our native language there will always be instances where we would need or accidentally would speak in the language that we have grown up with. Just like Singaporean when they are in Singapore they'll speak their natural language or Chinese or Koreans and that is totally acceptable.

I hope you get what I mean.

1 comment:

  1. hmmmm! mayy malilim reason to. my school before implemented the "english speaking zone" and have to take several sort of "punishment" when caught; reciting poeam in font of all the faculty, answer some general knowledge questions from roulette, etc. no fines! and obviously wla gnito! its simply overkill!

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