Language attitudes towards oral and written Tagalog-English code-switching among public school learners and teachers

Date of Publication

11-2023

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in English Language Education

Subject Categories

Linguistics

College

Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education

Department/Unit

Dept of English and Applied Linguistics

Thesis Advisor

Ma. Joahna Mante Estacio

Defense Panel Chair

Jonna Marie S. Lim

Defense Panel Member

Jennifer Tan-De Ramos
Raymund Victor M. Vitorio

Abstract/Summary

In the context of the declining English language proficiency among Filipinos (Santos et al., 2022), this study investigates the language attitudes of public high school learners and teachers towards Tagalog-English code-switching (CS) in English classes in the Pobcaran District of Caloocan City. The research involves over 500 learners and 50 teachers of English using survey questionnaires adapted to the local context with the aim of exploring attitudes towards English as a second language, Filipino as the mother tongue, oral and written Tagalog-English CS, and code-switchers. Both learners and teachers generally hold positive attitudes towards English, oral and written Tagalog-English CS, and code-switchers. However, a slightly negative view is observed towards Tagalog as the mother tongue, suggesting a trend of subtractive bilingualism. This trend is characterized by a lower proficiency and vocabulary in Tagalog compared to English. A notable disparity between learners and teachers is observed in their language attitudes towards written Taglish in English class, with teachers expressing concerns about its overuse and potential negative impacts on language proficiency and adherence to conventional standards. The study also examines the relationships between the participants’ language attitudes and variables such as age, gender, grade level, academic performance, years in service, and school affiliation. Significant differences in language attitudes are noted when participants are grouped by their school. Learners and teachers of English from Caloocan City Science High School (CCSHS) display more positive attitudes towards CS compared to their counterparts from Caloocan High School (CHS) and Maria Clara High School (MCHS). This difference may be attributed to CCSHS's emphasis on STEM disciplines that highlights content clarity over linguistic purity. Furthermore, female learners demonstrate a greater acceptance of oral and written Tagalog-English CS, possibly due to their role as socializers in maintaining social distance. The present researcher also explores the predictive power of the mentioned variables using multiple linear regression with r-squared value as a primary measure—0.15 for learners and 0.21 for teachers. The findings indicate that the collective variables offer more predictive power than individual univariate analysis, though the predictive power remains modest. These results are significant as they lay the groundwork for more detailed investigations into the complexities of code-switching attitudes in public schools. While code-switching is a common practice among public school learners and teachers, a balanced perspective is necessary. Excessive reliance on code-switching might hinder the enhancement of English language proficiency, potentially affecting fluency, vocabulary, and grammatical accuracy. The findings of this study underscore the need for nuanced language policies that consider the multifaceted nature of language attitudes in educational settings.

Keywords: language attitudes, Tagalog-English, Taglish, code-switching, oral, written, multiple linear regression

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Code switching (Linguistics)

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Embargo Period

11-26-2023

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