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Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Today's Print

English only, English also

“Fluency in this language, while it is an ideal life skill, does not make anyone a better person and should not cause anyone to feel either superior or inferior.”

THERE is no question that we must constantly strive to become better communicators in English to be globally competitive, among others.

The ability to speak in English correctly and confidently makes a person credible and authoritative in any field. After all, English is understood and spoken in many parts of the world. This is why English grammar and literature are in our curriculum, early on.

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But a statement by the president of Pamantasan ng Cabuyao, Librado DG Dimaunahan, on the university’s English-only policy drew flak especially since the announcement was, itself, made in not-so-perfect English.

“In line with our vision of developing globally competitive and world class students, the Pamantasan ng Cabuyao (University of Cabuyao) is now an English-speaking campus starting Feb. 03, 2025,” the statement read.

“All transactions/ engagements with officers, students, employees and workers should be communicated in ENGLISH, whether written or otherwise.”

And then, as a final warning: “For Strict Compliance.”

Journalist, editor, and University of Santo Tomas journalism professor Leo Laparan could not help himself from editing the announcement. He posted a photo of it with his corrections in red ink – and the resulting picture was, well, a bloodbath. Educator that he is, Laparan took care not only to mark the errors but also to explain why they were wrong.

“Before we implement policies such as this and demand our stakeholders to strictly comply, let’s make sure we can and are doing things correctly in relation to our policy (winking emoji). If we can’t, let’s stick to our pagmamahal sa sariling wika. Keri?” he said in a Facebook post.

“Sarreh, can’t tiis myself not to do this. You’re welcome, Pamantasan ng Cabuyao.”

Responding to the initial backlash. Dimaunahan clarified that students were only required to speak in English during official meetings or transactions within the academic context, and that the policy is for a limited engagement and does not require students to speak English during informal and unofficial conversations.

In a Zoom appearance, he repeated that they wanted their students to be world class and competitive. He conveyed these thoughts in Filipino.

But Laparan pointed out that these clarifications and adjustments were made after the criticism. Meanwhile, trolls have descended on his (Laparan’s) social media pages, attacking, mocking, smart shaming him.

***

Over the years we have been bumping into each other in our lecture/judging stints at DepEd presscons, Laparan has shown himself to be good natured, reasonable, and unassuming – but never one to back down from a good fight. He is the same TomasinoWeb adviser who resigned in protest last year after the UST Office for Student Affairs asked them to take down photos of students in their “Type B” uniforms entering a convenience store. The photos supposedly caused “public ridicule.” People have pointed out how said uniforms looked similar to those worn by 7-11 employees. Laparan said in an interview with The Varsitarian that he quit because the controversy was an insult to him as a journalist and was a form of censorship.

In this latest controversy on the EOP, trolls have been especially vicious, calling him names and even bringing up his past medical diagnosis. Laparan was amused at first, but later on realized that getting swept up in the exchange was toxic. The rabid commenters are missing the point, he said when I caught up with him via chat.

***

The point being, anyone who sets policies and imposes strict compliance must at least have some credibility in doing so. Imagine a corrupt politician extolling the merits of good governance and demanding that the corrupt be jailed, even killed.

The university could have introduced its policy in a less high-handed and more constructive manner. Improving students’ English at the college level is a tad late, but it is improvement nonetheless.

Pointing out errors is not being elitist or a perfectionist. We say we want to be world class, but we resort to smart shaming when turning in clean copy should be seen as a virtue. It conveys diligence and respect for the reader.

We have long suffered from this flawed inferiority — that just because one speaks good English, they are superior. Ikaw na matalino. Ikaw na sosyal. Nosebleed ako. But does human nature dictate that they must be resented or maligned?

The truth is, being knowledgeable and fluent in English, while it is an ideal life skill, does not make anyone a better person. It’s something like dancing or singing – some of us make a living out of it, some land good jobs because of it, some try but fail, some try and do improve.

In the end, it is always good to look into our own inadequacies, address them, and remain open to constructive criticism. We should also avoid the extremes of basking in arrogance and too much zeal, while resenting those who seem to be doing better than we are.

adellechua@gmail.com

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