how many filipino kids would prefer to speak english than tagalog?

2 Comments

1. Curious_Yank_in_South_Korea says:

   August 23, 2010 at 6:57 pm

   I don’t think your question can be literally answered, however, with knowledge comes understanding that those who can speak English have a better chance of success than those who cannot or choose not to. Certainly the "majority" of them want to speak English to some degree, and I agree that the younger generation of most nations, not only the Philippines, feel that foreign products, cultures, languages, etc., make them more diversified and stand out among the crowd.

   The Philippine Languages

   Filipino (formerly Pilipino) is based on Tagalog and is the official language of the Philippines. In spite of being the national language, only about 55 percent of Filipinos speak the language. In addition to Filipino are about 111 distinct indigenous languages and dialects, of which only about 10 are important regionally.

   English is generally used for educational, governmental and commercial purposes and is widely understood since it is the medium of instruction in schools. The Philippines are the third largest group of English speaking people in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom.

   Since English is widely spoken in the Philippines, it is common to hear Filipinos use a mixture English and Filipino words or phrases, known as "Taglish" (a mixture of English and Tagalog), in their everyday conversations.

   A steadily dwindling minority still speak Spanish, which had at one time been an official language.
2. Ellie says:

   August 23, 2010 at 6:57 pm

   Colonial mentality has definitely been around, especially with the younger generations, thinking that everything foreign is better (e.g. imported goods, American culture, English language). That depends on these kids’ social, family, economic background and such, though. The answer to this question is very objective. It just really depends on how the child had been raised.