1

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE

Language acquisition and language learning is indeed one of the most essential

part of children’s development as they grow up. In the context of Filipino children, when

one acquires his or her first language (L1), commonly, it is the native language of his or

her parents or the Filipino language. Subsequently, as children go on to their growth and

development stage, they also learn other language/s aside from the language they

naturally acquired. This is where language learning comes in. It could either be the

English language or another native language in their environment such as Ilocano or

Pangasinan, etc. which is learned either in school or in the physical environment as well

where these children are pretty much exposed to. Hence, as observed, the common

pattern for Filipino children in terms of language development would be: first language is

either the native language of their parents or the Filipino language itself and their second

language would either be another Philippine native language or the English language.

However, this is not always the case. Although, this is not a new or rare case

among language acquisition and learning studies, this case has still something to do with

the establishment of influences of first language in learning a second language. A three

year old Filipino child currently lives in Pasig City, Philippines together with his parents.

He is the first born child of my sister. With the usual pattern observation regarding

language acquisition and learning among Filipino children aforementioned above, this

child’s case is different. His first language is neither Filipino nor any of the native

languages of his parents which is Ilokano for his father and Pangasinan for his mother.

Rather, his first language is English.

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The child acquired the English language as his L1 due to his exposure to

different learning materials such as books, flashcards, videos and even toys that use

English as a medium of communication. The influence the parent on the child can be

active. They can play games, share video-cassettes and read books. Hayman, Johnson

& Mayers (1964) stated that parents can be effective active supporters of their children’s

foreign language learning without themselves having skill in the foreign language. To

conclude, the attitudes of the parents are very important for their children in order to

improve their English. Positive encouragement to learning in any field will lead to

statistically higher levels of achievement. Even though he is in the Philippines, his

parents also established a surrounding where people around him have to talk to him in

English. His parents talked to him in English most of the time. Even his nanny, our

relatives and even we, the immediate family, are all asked to speak to him in English. It

can be seen that the child’s acquisition of the English language as his L1 does not just

occur naturally from his environment but also because of the established environment

made by his parents.

Nevertheless, the issue does not just stop with the child having English as his L1.

Another major factor on the acquisition of the child’s L1 is the aforementioned

‘established’ environment of his parents where the people and even the things around

the subject should be in English. This could be related to what we call ‘language policy.’

Family language policy is generally defined as explicit and overt planning in relation to

language use within the home and among family members. Family language policy

provides a frame for examining child-caretaker interactions, parental language

ideologies (including broader societal attitudes and ideologies about language(s) and

parenting), and ultimately, child language development (King & Fogle 2016). According

to Schwartz (2010), the family is considered to be an extremely important domain for

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studying language policy because of its critical role in forming the child’s linguistic

environment.

Fishman (1991) added an early proponent of proactive language maintenance

research, called for a reversal of language shift (RLS) through efforts to retain ethnic

languages at the level of the family and the community. Fishman (2001) showed that the

desire to maintain and transmit the home language is not anti-modern and represents a

welcome alternative to complete globalization. Therefore, focusing on the nuclear

traditional family with children we can explore more closely the children’s language

socialization within the context of both minority and majority languages (Spolsky 2007),

in other words, the way in which “younger children ... through interactions with older and

more experienced persons, acquire the knowledge and practices that are necessary for

them to function as, and be regarded as, competent members of the communities”

(Garrett and Baquedano-Lopez 2002: 341).

Moreover, there is another instance when the child’s mother, my sister,

prevented her son to communicate with some men in their house because they are

talking using Ilokano language. My sister prevented her son to talk with those men

because according to her, her son might learn the Ilokano language and might affect her

son’s fluency in speaking English. This situation had actually brought us to another

concept – ‘language attitude.’ The situation depicted a certain attitude of my sister

towards Ilokano language. According to Billings and Giles (2004), the study of language

attitudes frequently resides at the core of interaction analysis. Social scientists have

approached this form of research from the perspective of both listener and the speaker.

While the findings have varied across variables of culture, dialect, accent, and context,

scholars have argued that determining the effects of language on social judgment is an

integral part of uncovering the communication process. Parents’ attitudes toward the

language and the people affect their children’s success in learning the language
 4

(Feenstra 1969; Lambert & Klineberg 1967). Many studies have indicated that parents

play an important role in maintaining their children’s language ability as well as in

participating for the success of school and learning. Wong (2000) found out that parents

serve an important language model for shaping children’s language behavior. Both how

parents behave and feel influence their children’s language learning development.

Oskamp (1977) comments that “a child’s attitudes are largely shaped by its own

experience with the world, but this is usually accomplished by explicit teaching and

implicit modelling of parental attitudes.”

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH QUESTION

Hence, the research questions that this case study aims to answer are the

following:

a.) What are the language attitudes of the parents towards Pangasinan, Ilokano,

Tagalog, and English?

b.) In what particular situations are these languages used?

c.) What is the family language policy of this family?

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The primary aim of this paper is to study the language attitude of the child’s

parents towards Pangasinan, Ilokano, Tagalog and English language. It also seeks to

answer the question, in what particular situations are these languages used and what is

the family’s language policy.

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1.4 SCOPE AND DELINEATIONS

This study is conducted primarily for the purpose of describing the language

attitude of the child’s parents on the aforementioned language. This study only focuses

on the language attitude on Ilocano, Pangasinan, Tagalog and English. The researcher

also has the purpose of identifying what particular family situations these languages are

used and brings out the family’s language policy.

This study is limited on the actual data gathered from the chosen participants

who is selected at purposive sampling. In describing the language attitude of the said

participants, the researcher are only up to the purpose of asking specific questions as

necessary data for the study. The conduct of this study is limited on the availability of the

real data provided that the respondent have also schedules. It only focuses on the

parents’ attitude towards a specific language in terms of the language learning of their

child.

The information that will be gathered will be later analyzed and evaluated through

descriptive research design. Moreover, as the researcher conducts a study on this

specific case of his nephew, personal judgments shall not be included, hence, the

information that will be collected will be used for pure descriptive analysis only.

1.5 METHODS/INSTRUMENTS USED TO GATHER DATA

The researcher will use the Qualitative method approach specifically the

Descriptive research design. These types of research have also begun to be

increasingly used in the field of second language teaching and learning. The interest in

such methods, particularly in qualitative research, is motivated in part by the recognition

that L2 teaching and learning is complex. To uncover this complexity, we need to not
 6

only examine how learning takes place in general or what factors affect it, but also

provide more in-depth examination and understanding of individual learners and their

behaviors and experiences (Nassaji 2015). The goal of descriptive research is to

describe a phenomenon and its characteristics. This research is more concerned with

what rather than how or why something has happened. Therefore, observation and

survey tools are often used to gather data (Gall, Gall, & Borg 2007 as cited by Nassaji

2015).

The main tool that will be utilized in the study will be an interview guide for the

child’s parents that will be developed by the researcher based on the objectives of the

study. Another tool that will be utilized will be a recorder used to capture the responses

of the chosen respondent. Perhaps the most frequent method used in FLP research is

the qualitative approach manifest in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The

importance of interviews cannot be over-emphasized because they provide a sensitive

method for understanding the processes taking place within the family. At the same time,

there is a growing tendency for methodological triangulation in FLP research, with

multiple methods required to explore the largely invisible processes and influences that

arise in the course of intergenerational language transmission within families

(Kopeliovich & Forthcoming; Okita 2002; Tannenbaum 2003).

2. DISCUSSION

Results for question numbers 1 and 2 were presented in a tabular form with two columns

presenting both parents’ perspectives followed by its respective discussions.

Results related to question no. 1

What are the language attitudes of the parents towards Pangasinan, Ilokano, Tagalog,

and English?
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Table 1. Parents’ Language Attitudes

LANGUAG FATHER’S PERSPECTIVE MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE

E
Pangasinan I cannot totally comprehend Wala pa rin siyang alam na

Pangasinan dialect though my wife Pangasinan since hindi naman naming

speaks and understands Pangasinan ginagamit ‘yan kapag nasa Manila

very well. It is for this reason that I kami at kahit kapag umuuwi kami dito

prefer speaking English and Tagalog sa probinsya. At isa pa, hindi pa siya

while at home especially that we naexpose doon since hindi naman nya

reside in Metro Manila although I am kami naririnig nag-uusap ng

not objecting or showing any Pangasinan dahil hindi rin naman

discomfort whenever my wife speaks nagpa-Pangasinan papa niya. Ok lang

Pangasinan in very seldom occasions. naman din sa aking matutunan niya

ang Pangasinan kaso gusto ko English

na muna para hindi rin mahirapan.

Ilokano This is my mother language that is Wala pa syang alam na Ilocano

why I am more than comfortable using masyado. Hindi pa siya naexpose

it every time that I discussed and masyado doon since hindi naman nya

conversed with our driver, kami naririnig masyado na nag-uusap

kasambahay and relatives who are ng Ilokano. Ok lang naman sa akin ang

Ilokanos. However, as parent I never Ilocano na matutunan. Mas madaming

intend by now to introduce it to our son language na matutunan nya mas ok.

so that he will not be too confused with Sabi nila matalino daw ang bata pag

many dialects. At the moment, I and madami syang alam na dialect. […]

my wife believe that English and

Tagalog dialects are more than

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enough for our son. But in the impulse

of moment, I inadvertently uttered

Ilokano expression which in some

occasions managed to memorize by

our son.
Tagalog Tagalog we used the same Nong una, English lang kasi gusto ko

considering that that is our national matutunan nya then later on nong

language and at the same time we nagbakasyon kami sa Abra hindi sya

reside in metro manila. Also, we makausap ng mga kalaro nya kasi

purposely used that for our son to hindi sila magkaintindihan. Kaya mula

learn to communicate within the non kinakausap na siya ng Tagalog

community and his immediate minsan sa bahay.

environment including his baby sitter

and his friends.

English Though English is not a measure of Gusto naming English para hindi siya

intelligence but a dialect; nonetheless, mahirapan sa school pag nag-aral na

I and my wife believe that a child that siya. English don ang universal

can speaks and understands English language. Ok lang naman na matuto

is a great asset and strong foundation siya ng iba pa.

advantage of a child’s early days of […] Mas madaming language na

their education. It is for this reason that matutunan nya mas ok. Sabi nila

I and my wife intentionally used and matalino daw ang bata ‘pag madami

utilized English language every time siyang alam na dialect. Pero gusto ko

the three of us discussed and talked. English muna matutunan nya para

[…] We did and continuously do that hindi matigas dila nya.

because we anticipated that it would

great help of him while he is enrolled

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in international school

Table 1 provides detailed information on the language attitude of both parents in terms

of Pangasinan, Ilocano, Tagalog and English language. Pangasinan does not give any

discomfort for the both parents and there were no signs of hesitation and reluctance for them to

have their child learning such language. However, the child has not been exposed yet to

Pangasinan as this language has never been used in the family as medium of communication.

For Ilocano, for the father’s perspective, he depicts comfortability in the language since it

is his native tongue. However, the father prefers not to teach it yet to their child so as not to

cause confusion to the child and he wanted to focus their child’s learning first using English.

Parents often view the children’s socialization into their culture through use of the home

language as a positive symbol of cultural pride and a tool that strengthens family cohesion. By

contrast, a language shift in the family leads by the children (Spolsky 2004, 2007), can be

expressed in the conflicting intergenerational talks about social, cultural and linguistic practice

(Caldas and Caron-Caldas 2002; Hua 2008) and has a negative effect on family relations if

adults and children speak different languages (Wong Fillmore 2000). Moreover, for the mother,

there was no objectification if their child learns the language since she views that a child is

‘intelligent’ if he can speak more than one language.

For the Tagalog, both parents consider it to be essential because aside from the fact that

it is our national language, it is the language mostly used by the community. Since their child is

not just enclosed in their house and has been interacting with other people outside home, they

also prefer the child to learn such language for common understanding.

Lastly, for English, both parents strongly believed that this language could help their

child in his foundation of Education most especially that they enrolled their child in an

international school. Therefore, they intentionally used this language as medium of

communication with their child. Recent research on family language policy (FLP) exposes the
 10

full complexity and non-linearity of relationships between parental language ideology and actual

language practice and management. On one hand, developmental psychologists suggest that

parents’ ideas motivate their practices, which in turn are strong determinants of the children’s

development (De Houwer 1999; Johnson and Martin 1985). In both monolingual and bilingual

contexts, children’s linguistic environments are shaped to a large degree by the parents’ beliefs

and attitudes, which constitute the primary environments of early childhood. Parental beliefs

about how children acquire language or languages (L1 or L2) and about their own roles in this

process appear to have a substantial effect on the parents’ linguistic behavior (language

practice and management) toward their children (De Houwer 1999; Spolsky 2007).

Results related to question no. 2

In what particular situations are these languages used?

Table 2. Particular situations these languages were used.

LANGUAG FATHER’S PERSPECTIVE MOTHER’S PERSPECTIVE

E
Pangasinan Never used. Never used even though this is the

mother’s native language.

Ilokano There were times when the father Never used.

utters various Ilocano expressions that

their child immediately imitates and

eventually memorized. However, with

the use of Ilocano as medium of

communication with the child, it was

never used.
Tagalog “Every time, he is playing with our “[Nong una English lang kasi gusto ko

neighbor who speaks Tagalog and matutunan nya then later on nong
 11

every time he has conversation with nagbakasyon kami sa Abra hindi sya

Ate Marites and Auntie Thelma.” makausap ng mga kalaro nya kasi

hindi sila magkaintindihan. Kaya mula

non kinakausap na siya ng Tagalog

minsan sa bahay.] Nagtatagalog kami

pag galit. Hahahaha! Ang yaya nya

talagang Tagalog pero ‘pag kami na

kausap, English na siya”.

English “[…] I and my wife intentionally used “English and Tagalog pero mas

and utilized English language every madalas English. Kapag tinuturuan

time the three of us discussed and namin siya or basta kinakausap namin

talked. By way of other learning siya English para masanay siya. Yaya

reference, I and my wife personally lang kumakausap sa kanya ng Tagalog

narrated nursery stories to him and kasi hindi makapag English.”

thereafter asked questions to him.

Also, we practiced him watching via

you tube English nursery stories every

night.”

In terms of the situations where these languages were used, Table 2 presents a

comprehensive summary of it. The Pangasinan language were found to be never used by both

parents in any situation when communicating with their child since both parents do not use it as

well when they communicate with one another.

Ilocano, on the other hand, was also not utilized in any situation in the family when

communicating. However, there were instances where the father uttered some Ilocano
 12

expressions and his child immediately imitates and eventually memorizes. Nevertheless, the

language was never used for communication purposes.

Tagalog is used, according to the father, whenever the child communicates with his

neighbor playmates and with his nanny and drivers. The same claim is true with the child’s

mother and she added that they sometimes used Tagalog whenever she reprimands the child.

English is the most commonly used language by the parents when they communicate

with their child. They used it in their daily conversations and whenever they teach educational

concepts. Aside from the fact that they wanted their child to learn English as foundation of

education, they wanted their child to get used in speaking such language at home so that their

child will not have any difficulties when he is in the international school where English is the

main medium of instruction. Cotton and Wikelund (2007) suggested that to solve this problem,

parents should try to increase their involvement in their children’s English learning and enhance

their communication with their children by discussing meaningful topics and sharing their

experiences, instead of placing great value on teachers’ schooling only and added that “schools

need to work in concert with parents to establish more effective home-school partnerships to

meet the different language needs and expectations of the parents and students and to provide

students with the necessary language and literacy experiences in a meaningful way.”

Moreover, the parents influence on the child can be both passive and active, and active

encouragement means better language learning. Parents’ attitude has a great role for their

children. They can reflect their positive attitudes towards language learning by actively

participating in a variety of ways at home and at school but they should be very careful about

not pushing their children, instead they should encourage and praise their effort.

Results related to question no. 3

What is the family language policy of this family?

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Question number 3 was not necessarily given to the participants for them to answer but

this is rather a question that requires ‘implicit’ answer based from the data that were gathered

from questions number 1 and 2. It can be seen based from the respondents’ answers that the

language policy of the family was to use English in daily communication. There is a minimal shift

of language use, from English to Filipino, in some circumstances such as talking to other people

who barely speak in English or whenever the parents got mad but nevertheless, the main

language used in the family is English. On the other hand, Ilocano and Pangasinan language

was never utilized in daily communication between the parents’ and the child. Family language

management refers to “efforts to control the language of family members, especially children”

(Spolsky 2007: 430). It starts with the parents’ decision about the language choice to be used

with the children. This initial decision is considered to be a crucial factor in L1 retention

(Fishman 1991; Spolsky 2007). At the same time, the absence of an explicit decision

concerning initial language choice in communication with the children may be interpreted,

according to Spolsky and Shohamy (1999), as an absence of a conscious and knowledgeable

FLP. Okita (2002) and Schwartzetal. (forthcoming) found that in reality bilingual family decisions

regarding initial language use do not always involve clear processes and arise at times

spontaneously, without discussion. However, in this case, parents’ awareness are present since

both parents have mentioned that from the very beginning, since their child was born, they have

already decided to use ‘English’ as the medium of communication for their child to be trained

until such time that he will be attending school.

Establishing such language policy could lead to a better learning of a child on a specific

language. In this case, both parents’ established an English speaking “policy” within their family

because they believe that this would help their child in his studies. Since it has been a practice

for the family to have such policy, it would also lead the child to a deeper and better learning of

the English language. It is no wonder that parent involvement with the schools gains importance

each year. This is an era of increasing concern about the quality of education and parents want
 14

assurance that their children will receive adequate preparation to lead rewarding adult lives. It is

known that parents’ positive attitudes toward English education increase not only their child’s

motivation but also their success on language learning (Tavil 2009).

3. CONCLUSION

In the context of Filipino children, when one acquires his or her first language (L1),

commonly, it is the native language of his or her parents or the Filipino language. Subsequently,

as children go on to their growth and development stage, they also learn other language/s such

as English. However, a three year old Filipino child who currently lives in Pasig City has a

different case as his first language is neither Filipino nor any of the native languages of his

parents which is Ilokano for his father and Pangasinan for his mother but rather English. Both

parents established a family language policy that the language they must use when

communicating with the child is English. Although, they exemplify positive attitude towards

Pangasinan and Ilokano, they never used it when communicating to the child. They use Tagalog

minimally for some instances such as when the child communicates with other people who

cannot really speak in English or whenever the parents will reprimand the child. They believe

that English serves as a foundation in education and they wanted their child to get used in

speaking such language at home so that their child will not have any difficulties when he is in

the international school where English is the main medium of instruction. Hence, this is an era of

increasing concern about the quality of education and parents want assurance that their children

will receive adequate preparation to lead rewarding adult lives. It is known that parents’ positive

attitudes toward English education increase not only their child’s motivation but also their

success on language learning (Tavil 2009).

4. REFERENCE LIST
 15

Caldas, S. & S. Caron-Caldas. 2002. A sociolinguistic analysis of the language preferences of

adolescent bilinguals: Shifting allegiances and developing identities. Applied Linguistics

23(4). 490–514.

De Houwer, A. 1999. Environmental factors in early bilingual development: The role of parental

beliefs and attitudes. In G. Extra & L. Verhoeven (eds.), Bilingualism and migration, 75–96.

Berlin & New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Feestra, H. (1969). Parent and Teacher Attitudes. Their Role in Second Language Acquisition.

Canadian Modern Language Review, 26, 5–13

Fishman, J.A. 1991. Reversing language shift: Theoretical and empirical foundations of

assistance to threatened languages. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Fishman, J.A. 2001. From theory to practice (and vice versa): Review, reconsideration and

reiteration. In J.A. Fishman (ed.), Can threatened languages be saved?,451–483. Berlin &

New York: Mouton de Gruyter.

Garrett, P. B. & P. Baquedano-Lopez. 2002. Language socialisation: Reproduction and

continuity, transformation and change. Annual Review of Anthropology 31(1). 339– 361.

Hayman, J. Jr., Johnson, J. Jr. & Mayers, A. (1964) Denver-Stanford Project on the con-11.

text of Instructional Television (ED 018168)

Hua, Z. 2008. Duelling languages, dueling values: Code switching in bilingual intergenerational

conflict talk in diasporic families. Journal of Pragmatics 40. 1799–1816.

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Johnson, J. & C. Martin. 1985. Parents’ beliefs and home language environments: Effects on

cognitive development. InI.Sigel (ed.), Parental belief systems. The psychological

consequences for children, 25–50. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

King K.A., Fogle L.W. (2016) Family Language Policy. In: McCarty T., May S. (eds) Language

Policy and Political Issues in Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education (3rd ed.).

Springer, Cham

Kopeliovich, S. Forthcoming. Family language policy: From a case study of a Russian Hebrew

bilingual family towards a theoretical framework. Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education

4(2).

Lambert, W. & Klineberg, O. (1967) 14. Children’s views of foreign peoples:A cross-Cultural

Study. New York: Appleton-Century-Crafts

Okita, T. 2002. Invisible work: Bilingualism, language choice and child rearing in intermarried

families. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Oskamp. S. (1977) 15. Attitudes and Opinions. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall

Spolsky, B. 2007. Family language management: Some preliminaries. In A. Stavans & I.

Kupferberg (eds.), Studies in language and language education: Essays in honor of Elite

Olshtain, 429–449. Jerusalem:The Magnes press, Hebrew University.

Spolsky, B. & E. Shohamy. 1999. The languages of Israel: Policy, ideology and practice.
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Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Schwartz, Mila. "Family Language Policy: Core Issues of an Emerging Field."

Researchgate.net, June 2010.

Tannenbaum, M. 2003. The multifaceted aspects of language maintenance: A new measure

for its assessment in immigrant families. International Journal of Bilingual Education

and Bilingualism 6(5). 374–388.

Tavil, Z.Müge. "Parental attitudes towards English education for kindergarten students in

Turkey." Kastamonu eğitim dergisi 17, no. 1 (january 2009): 331-40. Accessed november 27,

2018.

Wong, Fillmore, and L. (2000) 19. Loss of Family Languages: Should educators be concerned?

Theory into practice. 39 (4), 203-210.

5. APPENDIX

APPENDIX A

SEMI-STRUCTURED GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR THE INTERVIEW:

1. What are your language attitudes towards these languages?

a. Pangasinan
 18

b. Ilokano

c. Tagalog

d. English

2. In what particular situations are these languages used?

a. Pangasinan

b. Ilokano

c. Tagalog

d. English

APPENDIX B

Parental Permission for Participation of a Child in a Case Study

University of the Philippines – Baguio

PARENTAL LANGUAGE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ENGLISH, FILIPINO, ILOCANO AND

PANGASINAN IN RELATION TO THE FAMILY’S LANGUAGE POLICY

Description of the research and your child’s participation

 19

You are invited to participate in a case study conducted by Mr. Jan Karlo Thomas V. Ranchez.
The purpose of this study is to determine the specific language attitudes of the parents towards
languages such as Pangasinan, Ilokano, Tagalog and English, determine the specific situations
where these languages are used and identify the family’s language policy.

Your child’s participation will involve through recording spontaneous conversations using the
English language together with the parents.

The amount of time required for your child’s participation will not exceed to an hour provided
that sufficient data has been gathered already.

Risks and discomforts

There are no known risks associated with this research. OR There are certain risks or
discomforts associated with this research. They include distraction of the child to other things as
the researcher does the spontaneous recording.

Potential benefits

This study may help us to understand how parental language attitudes could be beneficial for
the language learning of a child. It may also show to us how language policy could supplement
a child’s learning.

Protection of confidentiality

The researcher will do everything he can to protect the child’s privacy. The child’s identity will
not be revealed in any publication resulting from this study.

Voluntary participation

Participation in this research study is voluntary. You may refuse to allow your child to participate
or withdraw your child from the study at any time. Your child will not be penalized in any way
should you decide not to allow your child to participate or to withdraw your child from this study.
 20

Contact information

If you have any questions or concerns about this study or if any problems arise, please contact
Mr. Jan Karlo Thomas V. Ranchez through these numbers 0921-524-9728 or (075)540-23-14
or through this e-mail: ranchezjankarlothomas@gmail.com

Consent

We have read and fully understood this parental permission form and have been given
the opportunity to ask questions. We gave our permission for our child to participate in
this study.

Parents’ signature over printed name:

_______________________________ _______________________________

Date: _________________

Child’s Name: _______________________________________

APPENDIX C

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTIONS

Interviewer: Jan Karlo Thomas V. Ranchez

Interviewee: Mr. Jason A. Cantil (Father)

Date of interview: November 3, 2018 (Saturday)

Place of interview: #282 Guico St. Poblacion, Manaoag, Pangasinan

Time of interview: 10:30 AM

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Interviewer: Uhm, so… good morning po, kuya. So ngayon po ay iinterviewhin ko po kayo ni
ate separately para po both perspective ng parents ay makuha ko about this study. Okay po
ba?

Interviewee: Okay lang, Thom. Sige *coughs*

Interviewer: Sige po, simulan ko na po. Uhm… Kuya, first question po, what are your language
attitudes towards these languages po… Such as… Pangasinan, Ilokano, Tagalog and English?

Interviewee: Ay, ano mauna? English na muna? Oh…

Interviewer: Pangasinan na lang po muna. Ay kuya, you can answer pala either English or
Tagalog. Kahit ano, okay lang po.

Interviewee: Sige, English na lang or halo… *chuckles*

Interviewer: Sige po. Pangasinan po muna, your language attitude towards Pangasinan

Interviewee: Well, sa totoo lang, I cannot totally comprehend Pangasinan dialect though my
wife speaks and understands Pangasinan very well. *coughs* It is for this reason that I prefer
speaking English and Tagalog while at home especially that we reside in Metro Manila although
I am not objecting or showing any discomfort whenever my wife speaks Pangasinan in very
seldom occasions lalo na kapag umuuwi kami rito at puro Pangasinan mga tao dito.

Interviewer: So kuya, never niyo po bang ginamit ang Pangasinan language when you speak
to Yiannis?

Interviewee: Never pa… Kasi gaya nga ng sabi ko, I cannot totally comprehend it that’s why I
am not using it but hindi naman ako nag-oobject sa language na ‘yan. Nothing against it.

Interviewer: Okay po kuya… Next po… Ilokano?

Interviewee: Ah Ilokano, yes. This is my mother language that is why I am more than
comfortable using it every time that I discussed and conversed with our driver, kay kuya Richie
mo or kay Jess, kasambahay, kina Ate Maritess and relatives who are Ilokanos. However, as
parent naman ni Yiannis, I never intend by now to introduce it to our son so that he will not be
too confused with many dialects... *coughs* At the moment, I and my wife believe that English
and Tagalog dialects are more than enough for our son. But in the impulse of moment, I
inadvertently uttered Ilokano expression which in some occasions managed to memorize by our
son lalo na kapag nagbibiro kami using Ilokano language... Minsan namememorize niya agad
tapos inuulit niya pero yung makipag-usap sa kanya using Ilokano, never…

Interviewer: Pero hindi naman po kayo against if ever matuto talagang magsalita si Yiannis ng
Ilokano language?

Interviewee: Of course… Kaso ‘yun nga lang, sa ngayon, English at Tagalog na lang muna
para hindi siya ma-confuse at tsaka para yung fluency niya sa English, ma-maintain. *laughs*
 22

Interviewer: Okay, salamat po. Kuya… Next naman po is Tagalog. Your language attitude
towards Tagalog?

Interviewee: Kasi Tagalog… Tagalog, we used the same considering that that is our national
language and at the same time we reside in metro manila eh talagang Tagalog doon. Also, we
purposely used that for our son to learn to communicate within the community and his
immediate environment including his baby sitter and his friends kasi ‘di ba hindi naman lahat ay
English speaking lalo na sina Ate Maritess mo…

Interviewer: So natuto si Yiannis magTagalog because of the people around him, kuya? Or pati
rin sa inyo?

Interviewee: Hati, Thom… Kasi… ayun nga, nakakarinig naman siya ng Tagalog kapag
nakikipag-usap siya sa iba aside sa amin tapos ayun, mabilis kasi siyang magmimic ng words
so naaalala niya… Ano ‘yon? Namememorize niya kaagad kaya ayun. Natuto siya sa iba tsaka
yung iba sa amin pero madalas English talaga kami ng ate mo sa kanya…

Interviewer: Sige po, kuya… Last po ay English, kasi kung tutuusin po, first language ni Yiannis
ang English, so ano po ang language attitude niyo towards it? Towards English?

Interviewee: Though English is not a measure of intelligence but a dialect; nonetheless, I and
my wife believe that a child that can speaks and understands English is a great asset and
strong foundation advantage of a child’s early… early… days of their education. It is for this
reason that I and your ate… my wife… intentionally used and utilized English language every
time the three of us discussed and talked, naririnig mo rin naman siguro… By way of other
learning reference, I and my wife personally narrated nursery stories to him and thereafter
asked questions to him. Then… Also, we practiced him watching via you tube English nursery
stories every night. We did and continuously do that because we anticipated that it would great
help of him while he is enrolled in international school, ‘yung sa Domuschula International
School…

Interviewer: So among all the language, pinaka-preferred niyo po talaga itong Filipino, I
mean… English as medium of communication sa inyong child… kay Yiannis?

Interviewee: Yes, kasi ayun nga, kumbaga foundation of learning din kasi sabi ko nga tsaka
based sa experience sa academe, medium of instruction ay English so kapag natuto na siya
agad, handa na siya when he enters school…

Interviewer: Okay, kuya. Punta na ho tayo sa last question… ‘Yung mga situations kung kalian
niyo po ginagamit itong mga languages na sinabi ko kanina…

Interviewee: What do you… what do you mean situations, Thom? Kung kalian kami nagsasalita
ng Ilokano, ganon?

Interviewer: Opo, kapag… Uhm… Sa anong sitwasyon niyo po kinakausap si Yiannis ng

Pangasinan, Ilokano, Tagalog and English?
 23

Interviewee: Ah… See… Never sa Pangasinan. Never pa siyang na-expose sa language na

‘yan. Kahit mother language din ‘yan ng ate mo… Never niyang kinausap si Yiannis ng
Pangasinan. Ilokano….

Interviewer: Ah yes, kuya… Ilokano naman ho…

Interviewee: Sa ilokano, kung kakausapin siya sa Ilokano, never din. ‘Yun nga… ‘Yung
instances lang na nakakapagbiro ako using Ilokano expressions tapos gagayahin niya… Pero
‘yung ‘yung kapag… conversations niya, never.

Interviewer: Kapag Tagalog naman po…

Interviewee: Every time, he is playing with our neighbor who speaks Tagalog and every time he
has conversation with Ate Marites and Auntie Thelma, ‘yun lang.

Interviewer: Lastly po, kapag English?

Interviewee: Parehas na doon sa sinabi ko kanina, daily conversations, yun talaga ginagamit
namin… Refer ka na lang ulit doon, Thom…

Interviewer: Okay po, kuya. I-refer ko na lang po. Salamat po, kuya…

- END OF INTERVIEW –

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SIGNATURE OVER PRINTED NAME OF INTERVIEWER

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTIONS

Interviewer: Jan Karlo Thomas V. Ranchez

Interviewee: Mrs. Jaryl Ann Ranchez-Cantil (Mother)

Date of interview: November 3, 2018 (Saturday)

Place of interview: #282 Guico St. Poblacion, Manaoag, Pangasinan

Time of interview: 1:25 PM

 24

Interviewer: Uhm, so… ate. So kanina po ininterview ko na si kuya Jason for the perspective
po ng father, ngayon naman po, iinterviewhin ko po kayo ate para naman po sa perspective ng
mother about this study. Ayos po ba?

Interviewee: Okay. *smiles* Ano’ng title ng study mo?

Interviewer: Wala pa po ate pero about po siya sa language attitude ng parents towards
Ilokano, Pangasinan, Tagalog and English language…

Interviewee: Ah sige sige… Go na...

Interviewer: Sige po… Uhm… First question po, what are your language attitudes towards
these languages po… Such as… Pangasinan, Ilokano, Tagalog and English?

Interviewee: Isa-isa or minsanan na?

Interviewer: Isa isa po, ate… Ay. Pangasinan na lang po muna…

Interviewee: Sige. Kasi si Yiannis… Wala pa rin siyang alam na Pangasinan since hindi
naman naming ginagamit ‘yan kapag nasa Manila kami at kahit kapag umuuwi kami dito sa
probinsya. At isa pa, hindi pa siya naexpose doon since hindi naman nya kami naririnig nag-
uusap ng Pangasinan dahil hindi rin naman nagpa-Pangasinan papa niya. Ok lang naman sa
aking matutunan niya ang Pangasinan kaso gusto ko English na muna para hindi rin
mahirapan..

Interviewer: So ate, never niyo po bang ginamit ang Pangasinan language kay Yiannis?

Interviewee: Hindi pa eh…

Interviewer: Paano ate kapag halimbawa natuto siya ng Pangasinan, okay lang ba sa’yo?

Interviewee: Okay lang naman din, ang sa akin lang, hindi naman sa… Di sa ayaw kong
matutunan niya ang Pangasinan… Mas gusto ko sana na English muna ngayong bata siya…

Interviewer: Ah okay po, ate… Noted po… *smiles* Next po… Ilokano?

Interviewee: Wala pa syang alam na Ilocano masyado. Hindi pa siya naexpose masyado doon
since hindi naman nya kami naririnig masyado na nag-uusap ng Ilokano. Ok lang naman sa
akin ang Ilocano na matutunan. Mas madaming language na matutunan nya mas ok. Sabi nila
matalino daw ang bata pag madami syang alam na dialect... Pero gusto ko English muna
matutunan nya para hindi matigas dila nya.

Interviewer: Pero hindi naman po kayo against if ever matuto talagang magsalita si Yiannis ng
Ilokano language? Kasi na-observe ko noon na ayaw niyo siyang ipasalamuha sa mga nag-
iilokano?

Interviewee: Hindi sa ayaw ko. Ayun nga… Baka kasi hindi na siya fluent mag-English kung
ganon kaya gusto ko English muna… Pero hindi ako against sa Ilokano… Natuto nga siya ng
ibang expressions eh pero hindi namin siya directly kinakausap na Ilokano…
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Interviewer: Ah… Sige po… Next naman po is Tagalog, ate…

Interviewee: Nong una, English lang kasi gusto ko matutunan nya then later on nong
nagbakasyon kami sa Abra hindi sya makausap ng mga kalaro nya kasi hindi sila
magkaintindihan. Kaya mula non kinakausap na siya ng Tagalog minsan sa bahay.

Interviewer: Ah…

Interviewee: Nagtatagalog kami pag galit. *laughs* Ang yaya nya talagang Tagalog pero ‘pag
kami na kausap, English na siya...

Interviewer: Sige po, ate… Last po ay English, kasi eto po kasi ang first language ni Yiannis.
So, ano po bang language attitude niyo sa English?

Interviewee: Gusto naming English para hindi siya mahirapan sa school pag nag-aral na siya...
English don ang universal language, eh…. Ok lang naman na matuto siya ng iba pa.

Interviewer: So among all the language, pinaka-preferred niyo po talaga itong English?

Interviewee: Opo…

Interviewer: Sige po… Punta na ho tayo sa last question… ‘Yung mga situations kung kalian
niyo po ginagamit itong mga ito… Itong languages na sinabi ko kanina… Mabilis na lang poi to,
ate… Kumbaga po, sa anong sitwasyon niyo po kinakausap si Yiannis ng Pangasinan, Ilokano,
Tagalog and English?

Interviewee: Ah sa Pangasinan, never. Sa ilokano, kung kakausapin siya sa Ilokano, never din.
‘Yun nga… ‘Yung instances lang na nakakapagbiro daddy niya tapos gagayahin niya… Pero
‘yung makikipag-usap, hindi eh…

Interviewer: Kapag Tagalog?

Interviewee: ‘Yun nga, kapag nagagalit kami, Tagalog minsan ginagamit namin na language…
Tapos ayun, para maintindihan din siya nung mga kalaro niya sa labas… Tsaka kapag yaya
kausap niya…

Interviewer: Lastly po, English?

Interviewee: Ayun nga, yun lagi naming gamit every time na makikipag-usap kami sa kanya…
Sa kahit anong sitwasyon na… English and Tagalog pero mas madalas English. Kapag
tinuturuan namin siya or basta kinakausap namin siya English para masanay siya. Yaya lang
kumakausap sa kanya ng Tagalog kasi hindi makapag English.”

Interviewer: Sige po, ate. Last na ‘yon. Thank you po… *smiles*

- END OF INTERVIEW –
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SIGNATURE OVER PRINTED NAME OF INTERVIEWEE

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SIGNATURE OVER PRINTED NAME OF INTERVIEWER