Notable Notes: Language and Travel

Many of you my readers have been asking similar questions about my spoken language when I travel. So, here are a few of things I learned from my own travel experiences and of other travelers. Let this be a partial compilation! More will follow, I promise you that!

Most everyone everywhere in this country speak some form of English. Just don't be too quick to assume you can blab your way around that easily though. Unfortunately, like everywhere else in the world, you have to watch out where your "English" comes from.

Example? If you are a Brit, Aussie or one who speaks in any "Asian-English" version, you may encounter a stunned Pinoy who cannot immediately answer (if at all they will - because many will just smilingly shy away)! You may also be irked that they may be asking you to repeat what you say. Don't be offended. Smile, say it again, slowly!

American English is very commonly heard, spoken or mimicked especially by the younger set, so that's easier. Just the same, a Filipino may have that bewildered face, a frozen/stunned look or a creased eyebrow trying to fathom what you are blurting about! But don't give up!

Yeah, never give up! Just repeat what you said in a way and manner as you would speak to a senator (slow and clear)! If you can speak like in The Voice Of America News, the better! Things like "'aint", "dya", "gonna" or the 'double negatives' may not work out fine!

Why is that? It is because, Filipinos usually learn English from 'formal school' as early as prep (3years old?), not via a dialect of some neighborhood. As babies or toddlers, they learn a mix of English and their Filipino tongue like "Taglish" - but the "English Root" (if I may call it that) of their parents' Taglish is the formal kind of English learnt from school.

Confusing? Let's shorten it to this: many will not understand you, a few will laugh at you, some will roll their eyeballs if they hear you speak a sing-song "She aint goin nowhere".

Intonation, rhythm and stress in your words can sometimes muddle things up. Example? ALL Filipinos say "mountayn dyoo" (Mountain Dew). Compare that to how you pronounce the thing in California or New York that sounds like "moun'un doo". Lookup "mountain" on merriam-webster or doctionary.com. Pinoys are on the merriam side, exaggerating "ai"!

Having said that, Filipinos do speak English, but they may not necessarily immediately understand the other side of the conversation - you! If this happens, just point to the damn thing, show a picture or write it down! When all else fail, just ask for Coke hehehe!

Things like "loo", "john" or "WC" are not readily understood. Say "toilet". Or if you hear Pinoys say "CR", that's it! "Bloke" is usualy unheard of in this country, but "dude" is prevalently used by the yuppies! The reverse: many native English speakers don't understand Pinoy's asking "What's your viand"?! And that is pronounced "va-yand"!





Now there's a bit of an issue amongst Filipinos ourselves! Yes, all Filipinos speak Pilipino for we all learn that as early as the first grade, right? But NOT Tagalog and most especially NOT the Metro Manila Tagalog. Those are starkly different things. Examples? In the non-Tagalog provinces don't say "san'to?" because someone might answer you with "hindi"! Why? Because in Pilipino, that question should and must be "saan ito?" in fact it should even be "saan po ito?"! So your "san'to" might be misconstrued that you are asking if a thing is a saint. Now now, trying to be respectful? Don't shorten the "saan po ito?" to "sanpoto?" as the provincial folks might think you're looking for "puto" or "kutsinta" hehehe!

More? Well, don't say "ay dyahe" expecting everyone in the provinces would understand you. Its not in reputable and respectable Pilipino textbooks. Just say "ay nakakhiya yata". Don't say "tigalawa" its "tagdadalawa, don't say "tigasanka po" its "taga saan ka po" or more formally "taga saan po kayo" So Tagalogs, don't be too over and extra confident because you are NOT the national language. Pilipino it is - as learned in school, not Divisoria. In this case, not only intonation, rhythm and stress are important but diction too! When all else fail, read the first paragraph above. In fact, most folks in the Ilocos, the Muslim areas in Mindanao and the elderly of most provinces find English more convenient than your Tagalog!

We are still on the language topic but did you know there is also the "look" factor? Yes there is, and I have observed this many times when traveling with my friends from Metro Manila. Example? Hmm, one time I was roaming Dumaguete (a Cebuano speaking place) with friends who grew up in Metro Manila. One of them asked a tindera "limang itlog nga po" and the tindera paused a bit, looking stunned bewildered perplexed. Friend turns to me and says "hehe hindi yata ako naintindihan". I said "naintindihan ka nya, ulitin mo lang sinabi mo". She did, and all went well. When we were out of the palengke, the friends kept asking me why was that so! I said "natulala lang yung tinderang tisay, dahil mas mukha ka pang ulikba sa kanya, tapos patagatagalog ka. She was just stunned to hear you speak that way, eh mukha ka namang local sex worker in your pekpek shorts, tas kasama mo ako na mukhang DOM na Hapon"! Ganun!

So in this country, language or dialect is not the sole basis for communication. Other factors also come into play, sometimes.

Remember that!