IS FILIPINISM HELPFUL IN COMMUNICATION?

Filipinos are recognized worldwide as people that speak English as a second language. To some degree, the majority of them are even considered fluent. English in the Philippines is the language of commerce and law, even the primary medium of instruction in education.

Last 2016, the Philippines was ranked 13th most proficient in English worldwide. In 2020, the country dropped 27th, and many thought it would go down. But the good news is that for this year, the Philippines climbed back up to the 18th spot.

Many might wonder why among Asian countries, the Philippines has always been one of the top countries proficient in English worldwide. Looking back at history, the USA colonized the Philippines around 1898, lasting 48 years. With that, the Americans introduced the English language as part of the constitution and education of the country.

In time, Filipinos added a personal touch to the English language, resulting in the coinage of the term Flipinism. Although "Filipinism" is an unfamiliar word, the words, phrases, and associated sentences are used daily. When communicating with fellow Filipinos, specific terms may seem correct and acceptable. But upon inspecting closely, they are grammatically incorrect, leading to transliteration and miscommunication.

An example I could think about is the word CR or comfort room. One time, my US boss asked me where I went. I immediately answered, "the comfort room," since he had been waiting for me for a while. That's when I realized he didn't understand what that was and asked me why I needed to be comforted. Of course, the conversation went on for a while to explain. But knowing my boss was a busy man and that his time was gold, I realized it was not efficient to use Flipinisms in my line of work mainly because I handle patient-client concerns all the time. So striving hard through familiarization and practice of the proper way of communication was key to my longevity.

To answer the question, "is Filipinism helpful in communication?" Yes and no. Yes, we might be able to communicate well using "Filipinisms" with our fellow Filipinos to contextualize things. But no, when it comes to work and business. We must be sensitive to the culture, words, expressions, and grammar of native English speakers. We must strive to communicate effectively to boost our productivity. And it all starts with humility in unlearning errors and, at the same time, diligence in practicing the proper way of English communication.