INTRODUCTION
Background
Language death (Nelson D in Llamas
et.al., 2007) is a global crisis. Michael
Krauss, a linguist working on endangered languages calculates that a language
dies every two weeks that it is estimated that only ten percent of today’s
languages will continue to be spoken at the end of this century. This phenomenon happens because of the
following reasons: 1) language evolves into another language and 2) because
elder speakers do not pass such language to the younger generation.
In the Philippines, there is a
number of languages that are said to be endangered (Lewis, 2009). These are languages who have almost none or
only a very few speakers. It was an
observation that the recession or possible extinction of these languages is the
use of some regional languages (Patria, 2012).
An example given is the Isarog Agta in Camarines Sur has critically been
endangered because of the popularity of the use of the regional language
Bicolano in that locality. Another is
the threat to language decline of the Dupaninan Agta in Cagayan, Northern Luzon
by the regional language Ilocano. In
these instances, it was contended that multilingualism with all its advantages
like being a tool for quality education, a tool for inclusiveness in a region,
and a tool to combat discrimination, can also be a risk to minority languages. Because of the acquisition of other languages
- a regional language such as Bicolano and Ilocano, the national language
Filipino or an international language such as English, minority languages can
become moribund.
In the list of languages in
ethnicgroupsphilippines.com, the Cordillera languages are listed as
stable. It was estimated that there are
still several thousand speakers of languages like Ifugao, Kankanaey, and Ibaloi
in all their varieties. But it does not
mean that they are not vulnerable to extinction. It is noted that in some parts of the
Cordillera, it is Ilocano that is offered as the subject in Mother Tongue and
as a medium of instruction in Grade I. It
is in accordance with the Department of Education Memo 16 that recognized
twelve major languages or lingua franca to be used in it mother-tongue based
education. The use of Ilocano is an
immediate threat to the minority Cordillera languages as what has happened in
the earlier cited case in Cagayan.
However, no less than the UNESCO
Director – General has said that “(multilingualism) should not lead to the
extinction of languages” (Patria, 2012).
Anderson and Anderson (2012) contend that multilingualism is a tool to
ground oneself in cultural identity while transcending the global
community. One of the domains in which
this ‘grounding’ and ‘transcending’ happens is in the area of literature. Writing in mother tongue languages are very
much encouraged with the holding of events such regional writing workshops and
even national workshops that gathers writers in mother tongue languages. In the Cordillera, there is a regional
creative writing workshop which has already been for three times as of 2012. This workshop has given birth to a young
writers association that envisions itself to be promoter of native languages in
the region. The group holds workshop
among its members who come from different language groups and critique each
other’s work in the common language that they understand. The study will look into the influence of
these workshops to Cordillera language preservation or advancement with the
group as a case study.
Framework
It
has been said that writing workshops has a compelling influence in the language
preservation and/or advancement (Bautista).
But the “crucial element to language development” is the individual as “defined
and formed by the societal framework in which the multilingual communication
and learning takes place” (De Bot, 2000 as cited by Jessner). Thus multilingualism can be understood at an
individual and community level.
The
study will focus on the multilingual workshop as the structure in which
“communication and learning” of languages happen. It will further explore the influence of the
workshop to the individual participant and to the community.
Research problems
The study describes the attributes
of the multilingual workshop being held by subject respondents. It will further describe the influence of
these workshops to language development.
The specific questions are:
- What
are the characteristics of the workshops in terms of
- The
number of languages involved?
- The
languages used by participants to understand each other?
- What
influences towards language does the workshops have to the
- Individual
participants?
- Community
of the individual participant?
The
study hopes that this will inspire more workshops in the Cordillera languages.
Methodology
The research will follow the descriptive
design. It is qualitative and aims to
describe the Cordillera multilingual workshop and define the influences it has
to language preservation and development of minority languages in the region. The main tool is focus group discussion with
members of the target group followed up individual responses from other
members.
The respondents of the study are
members the Ubbog Cordillera Young Writers Association. The group has little over forty members but
the study chose the members actively participating in the workshops being held.
The focus group inquiry was done
when the members gather for their monthly meeting. Follow-up discussion is also held in the
social networking site of Ubbog on the problems of the study. The answers were validated through
observations in actual workshops that were held and personal correspondence
with concerned group members.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The Ubbog Workshops
Ubbog literally means fresh spring
water which is a metaphor to the group’s vision of becoming a source of
overflowing fresh literature in the Cordillera languages. The members are product of Cordillera
Creative Workshops held by the University of the Philippines – Baguio with the
support of the National Commission on Culture and Arts. The members hold regular workshops to critic
each other’s new work and find means of having their work publicized.
The
members are native speakers of different languages. Most members speak and write in Kan-kanaey in
its many varieties, a number speak and write in Ibaloi, and a few others who do
Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra works.
Aside
from the native Cordillera language, some members are purely lowland
Ilocano-speaking and one has a Hiligaynon mother tongue.
With
the diversity of languages used, works are self-translated in Ilocano, Filipino
or English which are the languages all members understand.
Influences
to Language Preservation/Development
Individual
At an individual level, the study
focused on the contribution of the workshops to improvement of writing style,
translation skills and confidence in one’s language.
The respondents agree that the
workshops contributed significantly to the improvement of their writing
style. This may be attributed to the
fact that in the workshops they are forced to read the work of others. In the guide to writing, Wiehardt tells that
reading will certainly develop one’s writing style.
Agreda (2012), a member of the group
and writer in a local newspaper asserts that writing in one’s tongue is
sometimes forbidding because of the lack of literary tradition. He found it advantageous that his native
Hiligaynon has some literary traditions that guide him in the process of writing. For writers in the Cordillera language, where
written literature in the native tongue is often scarce, they improve their
writing style considering writing styles of authors they read. It will eventually lead them into their own
writing style which is their contribution to the development of their own language.
The respondents also agree that the
workshops contribute to the improvement of their translation skills. It should be noted that translation skills is
an important subject in multilingualism (Jessner, 2006). It has influence on the enrichment of
vocabulary, and use of words with better judgment to name a few. The participants in the workshops necessarily
improve their translation skills because they need to translate their work so
as for others to understand. Inputs from
other members on the “right” translation of a word into another language help
the other groups members in improving translation skills. It helps that some members of the group are
either English or Literature majors thus they guide the other members with the
principles of translation.
The respondents also agree that the
workshops contribute much to their confidence in writing in their
language. Godinez-Ortega (2012) tells
that in the Contemporary Period of Philippine Literature, vernacular literature
or works from the regions is emphasized.
It is important therefore for a writer to be confident in writing in his
own language. Benosa (2010) noted that
there has been apprehension in mother tongue literature because some readers
tend to generally look down on literature written in the mother tongue as
compared to those written in more prestigious language such as English. The workshops would encourage writing in the
mother tongues thus building confidence in the vernacular literature. Benosa adds that writing in one’s language
will eventually let one feel great in writing, contributes to regional
literature which is part and parcel of the national literature, and contributes
to the continuity of a local language.
One of the respondents came with the following answer to the query on
the influence of the workshop to him as an individual:
“I came to learn about the richness not only of my language,
but of other, practically all, languages, especially of the Cordilleras. I have
gained deeper understanding of the similarities and differences of worldviews
contained/reflected in language; e.g. the variations (lexical varieties of
dialects of a languages, and cognates between different languages).”
The
foregoing quote probably summarizes the impact of the Ubbog workshops to the
members who regularly participates in workshops.
Community
The focus of the study is on the
making the public aware of the existence of the language of certain community,
e.g. Kan-kanaey Benguet, Ifugao Tuwali, etc.
The respondents agree that thru
their writing, they are able to convey to the reading public the cultural and
artistic attribute of their language. It
is well established that language is associated with the identity of a certain
community (Dyer in Llamas et.al.)
The respondents also agree that thru
the workshops they are able to absorb the cultural and artistic attribute of
the other languages they encounter in the workshops. Letting other participants be aware of your
own language and at the same be aware of the other participant’s language is a
demonstration of what is contended about multilingualism where it is a means of
grounding oneself in own cultural identity while transcending the globalization
trend (Anderson and Anderson). A
respondent summarized the respondents’ view by stating that the “mutual exchange of linguistic and
cultural knowledge has been helpful in enriching our imagination as creative
writers.”
The respondents also shared that the
workshops has created for a platform from which to launch publications of work. In 2011, the group came up with their own
book which is a collection of the works of the members most in the local
languages. Thru networks of other
members, they were also able to find other venues in which to publish their
work. It includes Sunstar Baguio in
which the group has a regular weekly column in which at times poems in the
native color are also published. There
are Cordillera vernacular poems translated in Ilocano that has found a space in
the Bannawag, the premier Ilocano magazine.
In 2012, they were able to come up with a journal that is circulated
mostly to high school students along the Halsema Highway and was made available
at a local bookshop. This published
works, though most are self-published, certainly have an impact in the preservation
of the native languages as they become written pieces that can be accessed by
the next generation.
A respondent summarized the impact of the
workshops to the community with the following answer:
“Writing, or literature---to be more concise,
as they say is always political; everything we write concerns the community, in
the writers’ hope of a social change, i.e. for the better if not towards the
artist’s ideal. Our every writing, I believe, start from ‘simple’ personal
yearnings, to the greater endeavor of contributing to the building of a truly
just nation.”
The
group hopes to expand membership especially in the languages where they have a
few personnel in order to make bigger the influence the pursuit of more
literary pieces in the Cordillera languages.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusions
The
study concludes that the multilingual workshops have a positive impact to the
preservation/advancement of languages.
First, the workshops contribute to the personal improvement of
vernacular writers who are an important element in the development of the
Cordillera languages. Second, the works
especially when published brings out to the world awareness of the native
languages. The impact to the individual
somehow is closely influential to the community impact and both are very much
necessary in the preservation and/or advancement of the different Cordillera
native tongue.
Recommendations
In
the light of the findings and the conclusions, it is recommended that groups
such as Ubbog be encouraged to sustain the workshops and even expand its
membership to include as much speakers in the various Cordillera
Languages. Abra, Kalinga and other
minorities which may not have been represented yet should be recruited to the
group. Publications should be encouraged
so as to ensure that language is seen in print which can help ensure in the
preservation of language. The printed
form can also serve as reference materials in schools.
REFERENCES
Agreda, J.
(2012) When Language Die Sunstar, Baguio
www.sunstar.com.ph May 17, 2012.
Anderson V. and
Anderson J. Pangasinan – An Endangered
Language? Retrospect and Prospect http://www2.hawaii.edu/~vanderso/Pangasinan.pdf
accessed on 13 August 2012
Bautista, C.F.
Philippine Literary Workshops and Contests.
www.ncca.gov.ph accessed on August 13, 2012
Benosa S (2010)
Why I write in my Mother Tongue Manila Times April 16, 2010 accessed from the
web http://bilingualpen.com/2010/04/16/why-i-write-in-the-mother-tongue/ on 13
August 2012
Department of
Education Memo No. 16, s. 2012.
Ginny Wiehardt,
G. Developing Your Writing Styl: What Can You Do for Your Writing Style Now?
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/crafttechnique/a/writingstyle.htm accessed on
August 13, 2012
Godinez-Ortega
C. F. The Literary Forms in Philippine
Literature. www.ncca.gov.ph accessed on
August 13, 2012
Jessner, U.
(2006) Linguistic Awareness in
Multilinguals. Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press.
Lewis, M. Paul (ed.),
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