PURPOSIVE

COMMUNICATION

Communication in the Twenty-First

Century
 Communication and Globalization
Introduction
 This lesson focuses on the implications of globalization
on communication.
 Essays and expositions that will provide you with an
awareness of the role and status of English as a global
language, the notion of World Englishes, and the need for
standard forms in academic and professional writing.
 The importance of culturally sensitive and bias-free
language when communicating with people from
different cultures and discourse communities.
 Globalization
 Globalization has affected us in numerous ways.
Airfare has become cheaper, and one can travel
internationally more than one could in the past.
 Many Filipinos have decided to work or live abroad,
with some of them migrating to other countries.
 The free trade of goods and services all over the
world has brought multinational companies and
foreign investors to our shores.
 It is imperative to be aware of the differences between
our culture and the rest of the world’s cultures.
 The world seems to be shrinking continually because of
the advent of the Internet.
 One can communicate internationally in a matter of
seconds, whether one is sending an email, chatting in
social media, or sending a text message.
 One can read about different cultures, and have
access to films, academic papers, and the like from
countries around the world, and vice versa.
 One should know the difference between the kind of
English that we write and speak, and the kind of
Englishes that exist outside of the Philippines.
 World Englishes
 David Crystal (2003) begins the first chapter of the book
English as a Global Language with the assertion that English
is, in fact, the global language.
 “What does it mean to say that a language is global?”
 In asking this, he considers the implications of English having
this status, especially for its many users who speak different
mother tongues.
 In The Story of English, Robert McCrum, et. al. (1986)
discuss the “success story” of the rise of English. They also
provide a variety of examples that demonstrate the global
presence of English.
 It is now a more widely accepted fact that there are
many World Englishes, sometimes referred to as
“varieties of English” used in the world.
 All are equal in the sense that each is best suited to
the communication needs of its speakers.
 However, not all are equal in prestige. Some varieties
are more prestigious than others because of social
attitudes about the speakers of these varieties.
For example:
 The social variety of English called African American
English (AAE) “used by many (but not all) African
Americans in different regions of the USA,” certain
features such as ‘g-dropping’ in words like:
a. readin’ (reading)
b. walkin’ (walking)
c. singin’ (singing) are stigmatized” (Yule, 2010).

 This process of stigmatization follows “a regular

pattern whereby the social practices, especially speech,
of dominated groups,” such as African Americans, “are
treated as ‘abnormal’ by those dominant groups who
are in charge of defining ‘normal’” (Yule, 2010).
 Ruanni Tupas and Rabdy (2015), scholars, use the
term “unequal Englishes” to focus discussions of
“the unequal ways and situations in which Englishes
are arranged, configured, and contested.”
 It is important for writers from a postcolonial context
such as the Philppines, which has a conflicted
historical relationship with English, to be aware of
the political forces – not just economic ones –
guiding their use of the language.
 Two most well-known varieties of English are those
of the colonial superpowers: British English and
American English.
 There are many multilingual countries around the
world in which varieties of English have developed.
 This may be because English was initially
“transported” to that country by English-speaking
setters – as in the United States, Canada, Australia,
and New Zealand.
 It could also be that English may have been brought
to that country as a language of conquest by English-
speaking colonizers – as in South Africa, Hong
Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
 In the latter countries, English has a particular role as
official language, medium of instruction, or even language
of law and government.
 English is also studied as a foreign language in some non-
English speaking countries, such as Holland and
Yugoslavia, in Korea and Japan.
 In these countries, there is less exposure to English, and it
is often learned for career progression because it is the
language of international business.
 The idea, however, in writing, is to adhere to the Standard
English of one’s country because each variety, including
those of the United States and United Kingdom, has its
own peculiar or individual features.
 These features include differences in spelling,
punctuation, favored words and expressions, and
sometimes, grammatical constructions.
 Thus, two English speakers – one from the US and
the other from the UK – may become confused when
encountering the other’s unfamiliar accent and word
choices in a conversation and when seeing different
spelling and punctuation conventions in writing.
 Group Activity:
 Varieties of English
1. Think of more examples of the differences between
American and British English? Add examples to the
previous table, or create your own table of aspects and
examples.
2. Watch David Crystal talk about the topic in a video
posted by the British Council Sebia on YouTube. “David
Crystal – World Englishes” or access the video via this
link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_q9b9YqGRY
(accessed June 21, 2017).
 The table that follows gives an example of some of
these differences for American English and British
English.
Aspect American English (US) British English (UK)

Punctuation She said, “I’ll be at work by 8 a.m.” She said, “I’ll be at work by 8
a.m.”

Date March 2, 2017 2 March 2017

Spelling center, color, organize, program centre, colour, organise,

programme

Words elevator, pants, diaper lift, trousers, nappy

Expression/Local Idiom ruffled feathers (agitated) knickers in a twist (agitated)

Grammar Do you have that book? Have you got that book?

Pronunciation (irrelevant Vase /vãs/ - sounds like VEYZ Vase /va:z/ - sounds like VAHZ
in writing)
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 Philippine English
 Philippine English has its unique and idiosyncratic usages.
For example:
a. “comfort room” is a Philippine term for
b. “washroom,” “toilet,” or “lavatory.”
c. When Filipinos say, “There’s traffic,” they mean “There’s
heavy traffic.”
d. The word “salvage” in the Philippine context can mean
either “to save” or “to brutally murder, usually for political
reasons.”
 Matthew Sutherland, who writes about Philippine
English from an Englishman’s perspective talks
about the expression “for a while,” which he says
baffles foreigners because the expression does not
exist outside of the Philippines.
 The UK’s equivalent, he says, is “just a second” or
“just a moment” (quoted in Aguilar, 2004).
 Similarly, Sutherland notes that “for a while” is
frequently used in the Philippines on the telephone,
whereas in the UK, the more typical expression
would be “hold on” or “hang on” (quoted in Aguilar,
2004).
 Importantly, he mentions that these British idiomatic
equivalents would be just as baffling to those
unfamiliar with these usages.
 Filipinos might, in response to being told to “hang
on,” may very well ask, “Hang on to what?”
 Sutherland also notes that “every English-speaking
nation has its own set of English phrases and idioms;
English is equally idiosyncratic in, say, India,
Jamaica, Zimbabwe, or Singapore.”
 In other words, there is no wrong way of speaking
English as long as those who speak it understand
each other.
 Sutherland also says, “The many versions of English
spoken around the globe merely serve to make
English an even richer tongue.”
 It is a fact, however, that all varieties of English have
individual or peculiar usages – in the context of
academic and professional writing – to follow a
standard.
 This standard advocates the use of a consistent spelling and
punctuation system. It also avoids colloquial and informal
usages, eschewing these in favor of more widely
understood uses or explaining such usages for the reader if
it becomes necessary to use them in writing.
 The label for this variety is Standard English or –
depending on the region – Standard American English,
Standard British English, or Standard Philippine English.
 This is defined as consisting of “the conventional
vocabulary and usage of educated speakers and writers of
English” (Roberts & Turgeon, 1998).
 To use this kind of English means to follow a
spelling or punctuation system that is consistent with
the prescribed standard.
For example:
 Standard Philippine English follows Standard
American usages for spelling, punctuation, and the
formatting of dates.
In terms of grammar and diction,
 Standard English “does not include slang,
vulgarisms, regionalisms, and other constrictions that
are considered… unorthodox by those seeking a
language acceptable to a general audience” (Robert
& Turgeon, 1998).
 In general, then, writers should avoid local idioms,
expressions, and constructions like those examples
mentioned, and essentially, to use words that will be
clearly understood by English speakers from any
region of the world.
In summary,
 In everyday speech and informal contexts, one is free
to use his or her own variety of English.
 However, in more formal writing contexts, one should
be able to identify which features of this variety may
not be understood by other speakers of English and
 To use alternatives that will be understood by a wider
audience.
 Group Activity:

Philippine English, World Englishes, and Standard

English
1. Watch these two videos by Mickey Bustos on
YouTube. You may type in the titles below or access
the sites via the links provided.
“Filipino Accent Tutorial” by Mikey Bustos at
https://www.youtube.com/watch/v=3BBtS1ir4tA
(accessed April 3, 2017)
2. List examples of the following characteristics of
Philippine English:
a. Two pronunciation features
b. One grammatical feature
c. Two unique expressions from Philippine English and
their more commonly understood equivalents
3. Look up the meanings of the following examples in the
table from Philippine English, Canadian English, Australian
English, South African English, and Singapore English.
Then, provide alternatives that will be understood by other
English speakers from different regions of the world.
Usages Unique to a Variety of English More Widely Understood Alternative
1. Philippine English – “I bought some dirty
ice cream for you.”
2. Canadian English – “I’m going to write a
test today in English.”
3. Australian English – “That book has a good
oil.”
4. South African English – “She is coming just
now.”
5. Singapore English – “He always likes to
action in front of the ladies.
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