English Changes over Time

Everything in this universe is perpetually in a state of change, a fact commented on by philosophers and poets through the changes. Language, like everything else, joins in this flux.

English is a rich language spoken all over the world by natives and non-natives alike. As such, it is in a constant change of evolution. English continues to alter and develop with hundreds of new words arriving every year. Generation by generation, pronunciations evolve, new words are borrowed and invented, the meaning of old words drifts, and morphology develops or decays.

The English language has changed momentously over the last 1000 years and would appear odd as given to a speaker of Modern English who reads or hears an Old English being read for the first time. In fact, if the reader was not told that it was English, he or she might not be able to identify it as a form of English.

Look at the following passage in Old English and try to read it:

‘Fæder ure þuþe eart on heofonum
si þin nama gehalgod tobecume þin rice gewurþe þin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us to dæg
and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum

and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice.’

Do you recognize it? If not, try this one:

‘Oure fadir þat art in heuenes halwid be þi name;þi reume or kyngdom come to be.
 Be þi wille don in herþe as it is dounin heuene.yeue to us today oure eche dayes bred.And foryeue to us oure dettis þat is oure synnys as we foryeuen to oure dettouris þat is to men þat han synned in us.And lede us not into temptacion but delyuere us from euyl.’ 

Perhaps you recogniZe it now. Look at the next one:

‘Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debters.And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’

You have just seen a long evolution of the English language. The first is Old English and the extract is taken from the Bible and is part of the Lord’s Prayer. The second passage is from the Wyclif Bible (1348) and it is written in what is called Middle English. The third is from the King James Authorized Bible. You have no difficulty with that extract because it is written in Modern English.

Languages change for a variety of reasons. According to research, the needs of speakers drive language change. New technologies, industries, products, and experiences simply require new words. Plastic, cell phones, and the Internet did not exist in Shakespeare’s time, for example. By using new and emerging terms, we all drive language change. Moreover, the unique way that individuals speak also fuels language change. The vocabulary and phrases people use depend on where they live, their age, education level, social status, and other factors. Through our interactions, we pick up new words and sayings and integrate them into our speech. Teens and young adults for example, often use different words and phrases. Some of them spread through the population and slowly change the language.

English, clearly, is alive and thriving, and it continues to change in ways that were never thought possible. Language will never stop changing; it will continue to respond to the needs of the people who use it. Therefore, the next time you hear a new phrase that grates on your ears, remember that like everything else in nature, the English language is a work in progress.







Reference: http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/langevol.html
Images: www.google.com                 

BAD GRAMMAR IN GOOD SONGS

Are you a certified Belieber or a fan of Bruno Mars? How about a Lady Gaga fanatic? Well, if that’s so, then I’m sure you do memorize their hits. Let’s check some of their songs with these lines:

“Grenade” by Bruno Mars

Easy come, easy go
That's just how you live, oh
Take, take, take it all
But you never give
Should've known you was trouble
From the first kiss
Had your eyes wide open
Why were they open?

“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga

I want your love, and I want your revenge

You and me could write a bad romance

I want your love, and all your love is revenge

You and me could write a bad romance

“Boyfriend” by Justin Bieber

If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go

I can take you places you ain't never been before

Baby take a chance or you'll never ever ever know

I got money in my hands that I'd really like to blow

Most of the songs today contain incorrect grammar on their lyrics. Though most of the time, songwriters omit some words, listeners still manage to understand what does the song mean, but the point is, even a simple subject-verb agreement is not being followed, which is considered as a fatal error in the English language. Listed below are the corrections for the given examples:

·         From the first example, “You was trouble” should be “You were trouble” because “you” takes a plural verb.

·         The next stanza has a line, “You and me caught in a bad romance.” In this line, you will notice the incorrect usage of “me” and the lack of helping verb. Therefore, the correct line should be “You and I were caught in a bad romance.”

·         However, the last stanza contains two flaws- the first line and the second. The first line should be “If I were your boyfriend, I'd never let you go” because the guy supposes something, which is untrue. The second should be “I can take you places you’ve never been before,” and it is simply because of the use of double negative, ain’t and never.

With what has discussed, for sure, we are now certain and aware on what will this lead to. Most of us tend to memorize the lyrics of songs and adopt these incorrect grammar and usage since these songs are considered hits. In this observation, we noticed that songwriters commit grammar lapses because those lapses sound good and correct especially if it’s an upbeat song. They also tend to just base it to the rhythm and melody. Despite of this fact, we should always be careful and mindful in using the language appropriately.

LYRICS FROM: 

http://www.metrolyrics.com 

English proficiency: to write or to speak?

                There are various ways to learn the English language, yet many of us are still clueless on picking a technique that would propel us to master this morphing language. There are two common methods that we use in order to learn the confusing rules of English sprinkled with rigorous restrictions.

                The two methods I am talking about are: learning by reading or writing something and by speaking in English on a day to day basis. These two creatures seem to confuse us because of their different approaches on teaching us the complexities of the English language. 

                First of all, the use of any reading material provides us with the power to understand and interpret words that were once a stranger to us. Reading helps develop our skills mainly in the areas of comprehension, vocabulary, and creativity. These aspects when developed tend to create the persona of the “writer” in us since we learn various techniques that we can apply once we begin writing. Therefore, reading is a great way to establish not only the basic skills but also the art of writing wherein we could put our experiences or ideas into words.

              

         Moving on, speaking in English provides us control over our expanding social life not only with our countrymen but also with other foreigners. Speaking brings upon skills that we may use such as pronunciation, enunciation, and listening. Through speaking we learn to put together pieces of our incoherent thoughts into intricate passages that people may appreciate; as a result, we unlock the art of public speaking wherein our thoughts is being shared to everyone.

              We could see now that these two ways of learning English are way different from each other, so using it simultaneously would surely be difficult. To prove my point, it is evident that most of us are more comfortable in either being a speaker or a writer in English, but it is seldom that some people excel in both categories.  I am not saying that we could not attain mastery of both these techniques; instead, I think with proper motivation and discipline we could then master these two methods, which eventually would help us improve in our use of the English language. To end this post I would like to ask you my dear classmates. What do you think is the best way to master the English language, is it through speaking or the other way around that is reading and writing?

References:

http://www.ecenglish.com/101-ways-to-learn-english

http://www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-master-english-language.html

http://www.bridgew.edu/library/cags_projects/lthomson/web%20page/r-w%20classroom.htm

http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3126

http://www.talkenglish.com/ExtraLessons/SpeakingRules.aspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/

Images: www.Google.com

Word Games

 Our current generation, exposed to games with realistic graphics, has developed little interest regarding classic word games.

Only a few teens now feel the excitement and fun in playing word games such as Word Factory, Scrabble, and Super Text Twist.

Perhaps they feel that these games are old school and not of this generation's, that such games are part of the adults and parents' growing years and are hardly part of the "now". However, we cannot blame the technological advancements that has been (and still is) happening in our world.

These word games have been replaced by cognitive-driven games like Tetris and Bejeweled which, too, are classic games;

nonetheless, word games are of more use when it comes to practicality since words are used in our everyday lives and are means of communicating and expressing one’s ideas and feelings. These types of games may be considered boring since they just involve words unlike games that have captivating characters and plot and/or story lines.

Teens of today must not forget that the word games came first and have been helpful in our development. Yes, games like Plants Versus Zombies, too, help in reading, learning new words and as well as in developing cognitive skills… but it doesn’t have the fun and excitement that some players get from word games. Discovering new words is something helpful since it widens our vocabulary. Learning that the words you sometimes make up are actually real words, gives you the feeling of serendipity. The time limit that is often given adds to pressure and makes the players think faster and be more imaginative in processing and thinking of possible, existing and rare words.


Post by: Ernest Benjamin D. Arbado


References:
http://firsthour.net/screenshots/final-fantasy-13/final-fantasy-13-lightning-battle.jpg
http://firsthour.net/screenshots/final-fantasy-13/final-fantasy-13-lightning-snow-vanille.jpg
http://firsthour.net/screenshots/final-fantasy-13/final-fantasy-13-vanille-weapon.jpg
http://static-www.ec.popcap.com/www.popcap.com/sites/all/themes/popcap_2012/games/bejeweled_twist/screenshots/bejeweledtwist3.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1n2WDFWSS5OFoB88OvgwIGwMAmLABREy0slLQorXOUWmF2FcTRkLPc7suyDDEu7Iczoztuo0bQTglGN4tT4dOxhakpUlM6lN28jGlbJIVEMe9mjSDY86_8tG6vGULRNppgSIkpIpu34/s1600/fullscreen_tetris.png
http://www.qweas.com/downloads/games/puzzle-word-games/scr-super-texttwist.jpg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgRCHvClBZtUXBtn3zU2bxEM8kiGw0xg1DM61x0HnP-PblAOlq3-ui9IhF_huYJUvkJKgcK52FuI07sm_1lve7D8mQL7oh_cNY2WWjP1R1j1bAS6iL40tOyl8xhdCVPPYpBPJOTHqVWQQ/s1600/Word+Factory+with+Edge.JPG

The Power of Grammar over the Media’s Credibility

It is quite amusing how fast we can receive information today. With the help of the mass media, we are easily updated on recent happenings around our society. Undeniably, the media has a huge influence over their audience. Though sometimes, the people we rely on for information commit simple grammatical errors.

I’m sure everyone is familiar with Kuya Kim. We know him as the “The Weatherman” who obviously reports weather forecasts. In his reports, we usually hear this line:

“Ang pinaka- latest sa ating weather report ngayon ay…”

Something seems wrong in this sentence. The Tagalog word “pinaka” means “most” in English, so “pinaka- latest” equates to “most latest” which is a double superlative.

Let me share something that I’ve read from Jose Carillo’s English forum.

"There's a total brownout." 

(This one was said by Karen Davila [of the ABS-CBN TV network]. As she kept on saying it, I felt compelled to call the station. Luckily, I was able to get through. Within minutes she was saying "total blackout"—but in an embarrassed tone.)     

Karen Davila, another highly respected mass media personality, is guilty of idiomatic error.

Sadly, grammatical errors occur in my favorite newspaper as well.

It is quite disappointing how careless the media can be on their grammar.  As the cliché goes, “Nobody’s perfect.” For these people however, a simple mistake becomes a very big deal because it may question their reliability and professionalism. Moreover, they are expected to be more careful since they serve as the source of public information. The simplest grammatical error can cause vagueness and confusion to the information that they want to convey.

Sources:

momsterteacher.com/2011/09/

http://josecarilloforum.com/forum/index.php?topic=721.0

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=358204810923013&set=a.109924992417664.15891.100002004907058&type=1&theater

www. Images.google.com

English as a Queer Language

We'll begin with box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox is oxen, not "oxes"
Then one fowl is a goose and two are geese,
Yet the plural of moose would never be "meese,"

You may find a lone mouse or a whole lot of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not "hice."
If the plural of man is always men,
Why shouldn‘t the plural of pan be "pen"?

-English is a Queer Language, Unknown Author

For those who are not familiar with the word queer, these are the answers of Mr. Webster and the Google: It means strange, unusual, odd, or unique. From the meaning of queer, is there somebody who would agree with the title of the poem written above?

In my perception, English is a queer language because of its unique and unusual characteristics. Some of us may wonder why English is confusing, considering that it is practically the world's most common language. For instance, one cannot simply go on a business or talk to corporate people if he or she could not speak fluently in English. The same goes with travelers who go to different countries that they must speak in English to be able to communicate with various nationalities. 

We Filipinos are very fond of English and it somehow becomes our secondary language. Everybody knows a little English regardless of the age, gender, and educational attainment. However, does everyone realizes how strange English is? For example, we have he, his, and him for the masculine, so why not she, shis, and shim for the feminine?

Take a look at these pictures: 

        

                                  

See? That’s how odd English is.

Indeed, English is far from plain and ordinary. It is a complex language when it comes to pronunciation, intonation, word formation, figures of speech, and functions. In order to speak and write in English effectively, one must know the rules. However, more often than not, we get confused because most of us have different approaches to this particular language. We tend to do things that for us are right, but truly are wrong. One more other reason of our confusion is because of its broadness; unlike in Arithmetic that when you understand a certain formula, you can always get the correct answer from there. It differs from English language wherein you put your thoughts into words, thus must be in proper English form.  

We must conform with the rules for us to achieve accepted English writing. Moreover, one should use this language outside of a formal classroom setting to develop one’s proficiency in English. 

References:

http://www.burkhard-leuschner.de/fun/plural.htm

http://www.seiyaku.com/humour/english/index.html

http://www.google.com.ph/imghp?hl=en&tab=ii

Note:

The sizes of some photos that I have taken from the Internet are too large, for you readers to see them clearly. :) 

“It is the gap between thought and word which one must learn to bridge.”

That’s exactly my problem: putting my thoughts and ideas into words. If “words” meant actual talking, then I guess that wouldn’t be so hard for me. But, if it meant writing them down, now that’s probably going to be a bit of a problem. See, sometimes because there are so many ideas flipping around in my mind, I don’t know how to express them all into a decent paragraph. The minute I take a pen and try to write something down, my mind goes blank. Even if I do manage to come up with something, I doubt it would barely make any sense. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who experiences that though. Surely it happens to even the best writers.

Why, then, is it so hard to write?

According to a certain website (the link is down there), writing demands the integration of diverse cognitive, memory, linguistic, motor, and affective systems, each of which makes its own unique contribution to the writing process and the text that gets written. Writers must juggle all of these systems simultaneously. Basically, it requires one to think, be creative, think, get your thoughts together, think, and think, AND THINK, AND REALLY THINK ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

How do I bridge that gap?

  

The answer is, obviously, obvious: PRACTICE, PRATICE, PRACTICE! Contrary to what some people think, writing, like any other skill, is not something you’re just born with. It's an art that must be learned. Genes weren’t responsible for making great writers, practice is. Even news writers get their articles rejected. Even authors get writer’s block. But after all that, they pick up their pens, and get the story going. A writer cannot simply make do with a rushed article. They have to edit, fix, and proofread it again, and again. Get your stream of consciousness together, take out a pen, and start expressing your ideas into words. The next thing you know, BOOM, thy gap has been bridged.

Note:

I got the title from an article in one of my English journals back in high school. The name of the writer, and the journal, slipped my mind though. But I'll be sure to add it up soon. Wouldn't want to be accused of plagiarizing. :) THANKS FOR READING! :))

Sources:

http://www.chinaelg.com/download/10.010%20PDF-13%20%20WhyWritingIsHard-EmPOWER.pdf

http://www.youngwritersonline.net/showthread.php?t=7594

http://melaniward.com/category/write-that-sht-down/

Should we make fun of Chinglish?

Due to the fact that English is considered the universal language of the world and the medium used in communications, science information technology, business, entertainment and in others, there is a great demand for every country to learn the language.

China, having been categorized as one of the leading countries around the globe and having an uncontrollable growth of tourists nationwide, has this necessity to be knowledgeable with the language. As a result, Chinglish is formed. Chinglish is the term applied in any ungrammatical or nonsensical English in Chinese contexts, and may have unpleasant connotations, reflecting the attitudes of those who used it. Others call this cultural phenomenon “Chinese English”, “China English” and “Sinicized English”.

Here are some examples of Chinglish. Most of them are sign boards, instructions, restaurant menus and others.

Translations from Mandarin Chinese to English are undeniably shocking and surprising especially that these are used in public places and even in places where tourists often go. I don’t know if these are made intentionally or not, but it creates humor to everyone, to the tourists specifically.

Though very entertaining to foreigners, these grammatical and typographical faux pas are an embarrassment to government officials. That is why soon after the International Olympic Committee selected Beijing as the host country for the 2008 Olympics and prior to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China's top government officials deployed an army of youngsters to rub each city, correcting out all instances of Chinglish. The results were largely successful, at least until the Olympics and Expo were over.

The acceptability of mistake-ridden Chinglish translations has been widely debated. Many laugh at it and tend to point out that this is merely a great epitome how foolish Chinese people are. In my opinion and according to what a blogger named Sasha Small said, we should not make fun of Chinglish or to the Chinese people, and we should never look at it as an emergence of idiocy, for they have learned English in an imprudent way. Also, unfortunately, many English language textbooks in China contain basic mistakes, which totally decline Chinese people's understanding of English, and severe the problem of Chinglish. With this imperfect foundation of the language, it is no surprise that mangled Chinglish interpretations are so pervasive. Chinglish is a unique and intriguing phenomenon, which provides us with fascinating insight into the way the native Chinese people think about the language. Chinglish should be appreciated. It serves as a light-hearted reminder not to take mistakes and imperfections too seriously.

Correcting mistakes or errors is a good thing, but we should always be mindful of others’ feelings and emotions.

References:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-497544/Chinglish-Hilarious-examples-signs-lost-translation.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinglish

Sasha Small

Victims of Faulty Grammar

I was with my friends on a jeepney, and we were excitedly exchanging stories until something disturbing crossed my sight. 

The “No somoking” sign behind the driver’s seat amused all of us. I will be honest; the fact that the misspelled word proved illiteracy didn’t bother me at that time. It was pure entertainment for me.

After some time, I realized if someone noticed it and informed the driver. I’m guessing, no one is courageous enough to do it or people hardly notice it since it looks like it has been there for quite a long time considering the dirty-white color of what used to be a white cloth. 

Public advertisements and signage are some of the most common victims of faulty grammar.

Some people might notice these errors but some might not. Some might be too ignorant to think that these signs were approved by officials or anyone who has the power to do so that’s why their grammar is not flawed, or some might just ignore them; whatever the reason is, it all boils down to the minimal knowledge of the English language.

The Philippines is one of the leading English-speaking countries in Asia, yet some of us, Filipinos, still do not get proper training of the English language. Some are fortunate enough to be enrolled in schools that have regular english classes while others are not. 

Majority of the people who are not privileged to have proper training of the English language acquire knowledge of it through advertisements, public signage, and television shows; this being the reason why advertisers, actors and actresses, TV show hosts, others who post in public, and everyone should be cautious of their grammar. Also, correct grammar should be properly observed so as not to mislead the reader.  

 

Language - a barrier or not?

The emergence of English as the universal language in our society has a continuing effect on us. 

According to a columnist named James Soriano, Filipino was the language of the world outside the classroom. It was the language of the streets and not a language of the learned. It was how you spoke to the tindera when you went to the tindahan, what you used to tell your katulong that you had an utos, and how you texted manong when you needed sundo while English is the language for the learned.

Let us admit it. When an individual is good and fluent in speaking English, he or she can create an impression of being smart, more reliable and can make him or herself belong to a higher society. On the contrary, an individual who does not know how to speak English well can be typecast as a not clever and a dense person.

In my opinion, speaking in English does not make one resistant to idiocy. Language should not be the test of being classified as a learned person. Having English language as one’s mother tongue is a benefit. However, that does not imply that one is more intelligent than the other individual who does not speak the English language well.

A person can succeed regardless of his or her mother tongue; therefore, verbal communication should not be blamed. One can excel in life using any other languages. It is the fault of how the Filipino language is being taught to us; as a result, we are not competent to use it well in all aspects of our daily life.

Posting Postponed This Weekend (Aug. 4-5)

...to allow everyone to focus on reviewing posts and comments in preparation for the 1st long exam on Tuesday. Kindly check back on Sunday for my comments.

Good luck, everyone!

Update (Aug. 4): Going over all of your posts and comments now and noting errors I see along the way.  I need to be cryptic because I don't have all day.  Therefore, if you see "tense consistency" or "tense" in reply to your comment, go figure. ;) In any case, errors are pointed out in their order of appearance.  See you on Tuesday!


Update (Aug. 5):  Going over the entries and comments, I notice that you guys commit the same errors over and over, and so I realize it's rather pointless to comment on the grammar of your entries and comments from day 1.   After all, at the time, you didn't know any better because we hadn't discussed the common errors Filipinos usually make. (That last sentence implies that NOW YOU DO KNOW and therefore should not make the same mistakes from hereon.  It also means that should any of your comments appear in the test, you would know how to correct them. Wink.)  


Good luck!

English Language vs. Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education Program as Medium of Instruction

Medium of instruction is defined as the language used in teaching. In the Philippines, where there are more than 100 languages used across the country, medium of instruction has always been an issue. A lot of people argues of what language should be used in studying. This entry talks about two house bills discussing what medium of instruction is best for the Philippines. Would it still be the English language?

Back in 2003, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo commanded the Department of Education to return English as the medium of instruction in all public and private schools in the Philippines. Surveys conducted before affirmed that between 2003 and 2007, the literacy rate of Filipinos have been firmly decreasing. This is when the House Bill 5619 or Consolidated English-Only Bill also known as The Gullas Bill became popular. Cebu Representative Eduardo Gullas believes that this bill can help Filipinos raise their English proficiency and become more competitive because students' mother tongue will be used as the medium of instruction in their early years in school, from preschool to Grade 3 to be specific, but from Grade 4 to all levels of college, English should be the language of interaction. It also aims to modify the current Bilingual Education Program (BEP) of DepEd. BEP requires the use of Filipino language as the medium of instruction in academic subjects like Social Studies, Physical Education, Values Education, and Home Economics. According to Gullas, exposure is the key to mastery but the use of Filipino language somehow limits the learning exposure of the students in learning English thus, mastery is not attained.

On the other hand, previous studies found out that learning is faster and more effective with mother tongue as the primary medium of instruction. 70% of minority language students can hardly speak and comprehend English hence, it is hard for them to master their lessons. If they use language that is more familiar to them from preschool to Grade 6, however, it would be easy for them to understand what they are studying and can possibly appreciate their own cultural and language heritage. This is what Multilingual Education (MLE) is all about. MLE, also named as first-language-first education, refers to learning subjects including Math and Science with the use of students' mother tongue or first language. As they build a strong foundation in their mother tongue, they will be gradually introduced to different languages, specifically the English language.

In my own opinion, I actually think both Gullas Bill and Multilingual Education Program would be of great help to students because they can easily develop their skills, cognitive and linguistic skills to be specific, if they are taught in a familiar language. After building a strong foundation with the use of their mother tongue, they can eventually learn different languages like English. The English language is important because it helps one country to compete with other countries around the world. The only thing that hinders me from totally agreeing to Multilingual Education Program is that studying subjects like Math and Science would be difficult with the use of first language because there are mathematical and scientific terms that do not have counterpart in other languages. Lastly, I guess, acquiring English language would not be that easy because of the fact that students were used to their mother tongue as medium of the instruction for so many years. It would be difficult for them to adjust. How about you, guys? Which do you prefer? The English Bill or the MLE Bill?

Source(s):

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/197190

http://www.sil.org/asia/philippines/ovw_mle.html

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/special-report/06/09/08/legislators-push-english-medium-instruction