The intelligibility and acceptability of Internet Philippine English (IPE): Their implications to English language teaching in the new English varieties

• Main Authors: Gustilo, Leah, Tocalo, Abdul Wahid, Calingasan, King Arman
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2019
• Subjects: English language > Philippines; English language—Variation; Language and Literacy Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/1305
• Institution: De La Salle University

The English language which is known for its dynamicity due to language contact, business, creation and dissemination of knowledge, and many other factors has become even more progressive and flourishing due to the increased connectivity and communication among people through internet-aided communication. Netizens have used technology to serve their communicative needs, and, in the process, they create new forms and structures which aid in the lexicon development of a language. The present study investigated Internet Philippine English (IPE) words in online news where new words and structures are evident. Specifically, this study focused on the identification of IPE lexical items in online showbiz news and on the investigation of English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers’ understanding of the IPE words and their acceptance of these words in different domains of communication. A 50,000-word corpus, a sub-sample of a larger corpus of about 500,000 words, revealed forty-seven newly-formed IPE words. Our findings indicated that the newly-formed IPE words are highly intelligible as ESL teachers had common understanding of them. Familiarity, age, and co-text reinforced their understanding of words. In addition, the ESL instructors who belong in the younger generation were more open in accepting local new words in Philippine English. Essentially, the present findings shed light on the continuing development of a certain variety of English which plausibly creates its own standard. The present study proposes that a paradigm shift allowing the use of local forms and meanings be adopted as resources for teaching and learning in English classes. © 2019 Asian E F L Journal Press. All rights reserved.