Filipinisms- are words or phrases that are ususally grammatically incorrect or are almost always

results of transliteration.
I.
1. Can I speak with? (May I speak with) - To sound more polite/ask permission?
2. Come again? (I'm sorry I didn't get quite get that / Excuse me? / I'm sorry would you please say that again?) English trainers discourage agents to use this because they say that it could mean 'cum again')
3. It's for free! (It's free. / It's free of charge. / We're sending it to you for free.) - Filipinos have been used to saying
'It's for free'.
4. Hold your line/For awhile (Would you mind if I put you on hold for a second? / Please hold)
5. Open/ close the light/computer (Turn on/off the light/TV/computer)
6. For a while Used on the telephone to mean "please wait" or "hold on." A literal translation of Tagalog
Sandallang (correctly: "Just a moment").
7. Anything? (Is there anything I can do for you? / How may I help you?)
8. I'll ask her an apology. (I'll apologize to her. / I should make an apology.)
9. We take lunch. (We eat lunch. / We have lunch (every Sunday).)
10. We accept repairs. (This shop repairs cars/cellphones, etc.)
11. He was salvaged. (He was assassinated.)
12. She delivered her baby yesterday. (She had her baby yesterday. / Dr. Smith delivered her baby.)
13. It's traffic today. (Traffic is heavy.)
15. We were under Mr. Johnson. (Mr. Johnson was our teacher.) - Filipinos are used to saying 'That student is under
my class' so this filipinism has started.
16. My brother is taking up law. (My brother is taking law. / My brother is studying law.)
17. Where are you studying? (Where do you go to school? / What school do you go to?)
18. We have one participant only. (We only have one participant
19. I talked to her already. (I already talked to her.)
20. Actually, I like Jennifer Aniston. (I like Jennifer Aniston.) - Actually/basically has become Filipinos expressions.
21. As per Paul, all request forms should be signed by him. (As per Paul's instructions, all request forms should be
signed by him.)
22. Take home (Take it home / To go. / For take out)
23. As to the project (About the project)
24. I do apologize (I apologize.)

II.

Bring home

Cabinet

Canteen

Carnapping

Coupon bond

Course

Dirty kitchen

Spokening Dollar"

Duster

Ex.

Fill-up

Gets?

Go ahead

Holdupper

Hollow blocks

Live-in

Masteral

Mineral water

Middle name-Usually the mother's maiden surname

Pentel pen

Presidentiable

Remembrance

Sala

Salvage

Scotch tape

Senatoriable

Slippers

Toga

Xerox (Photocopy)

Chancing To make a sexual advance.

Chit A restaurant bill, or a card.

Colgate referring to toothpaste.

Coupon bond Bond paper, with the coupon diverging in meaning from accepted uses of the word, e.g. "a stub".
The word coupon is also used with that meaning in Philippine English. Coupon bond is pronounced /ko'pon bo'nd/

Eat-All-You-Can all-you-can-eat.

Green jokes Dirty jokes (subsequently, to be "green-minded" is to have a dirty mind, e.g. always giving
sexual connotations to everything). Loan translation from Spanish "chistes verdes." By contrast, it's
interesting that in standard usage the term "blue" means "obscene" or "pornographic" and is used in terms
such as: "blue jokes"; "blue films"; "blue movies"; and "blue stories."

Holdupper A holdup man, or stickup man.

Kodaki Take a photo.

Sounds Referring to music; especially when heard through an ear phone.

Step-in Stylish ladies' sandals minus the strap.

Aircon air conditioner; air-conditioning unit.

Already literal translation of na.
Batches use classes, teams, groups for people and batches for things.
Bottomless refillable
C.R. or comfort room restroom; toilet, washroom, mens room or ladies room.
Come again Pardon me?; could you say that again please?
Connected with working with

Fall in line Stand in line, form a line

Fetching picking up someone
For a while use Please hold; hold on (when speaking on the phone)
Go down Get off; Im getting off (from a vehicle)
Ill go ahead Goodbye; I have to go
Officemates Co-workers; colleagues
Ref Refrigerator; Fridge
Rubber shoes Sneakers; trainers; running shoes

Prepared by: Anthony I. Chan

DECODING THE SWITCH :
LOOKING AT CLASSROOM CODESWITCHING AS A GUIDE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
WHAT IS CODESWITCHING?
A RAPID AND MOMENTARY SHIFTING OF
ONE LANGUAGE TO ANOTHER WITHIN A SINGLE CONVERSATION
WITHIN A SINGLE SENTENCE
KINDS OF CODESWITCHING
(POPLACK, 1979 & 1980)
INTER-SENTENTIAL CODESWITCHING
NO, YOU CANT USE THAT LEARNING STICK. BAWAL YAN. NAKU, NIKA, ANG MALI MO TALAGA.
TAG-SWITCHING (TAG INSERTION)
SIGE, (OK) ILL BUY IT.
WHATS THIS, ANO(UH)?
INTRA-SENTENTIAL CODESWITCHING
DAPAT MA-MELT YUNGICE.

QUESTIONS:
WHY DO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS CODESWITCH?
DOES CODESWITCHING AFFECT LEARNING? TEACHING?
SHOULD CODESWITCHING BE ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOM?
WHY DO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS CODESWITCH?
STUDENTS SURVEY RESPONSES
EASIER SELF EXPRESSION, LOSS OF WORDS (17) (E.G. TRANSLATION PROBLEMS, NOT KNOWING THE RIGHT
WORDS)
INFLUENCED BY PEOPLE AROUND (3)
NATURAL ALREADY (HABIT)
EXPOSURE TO TWO LANGUAGES (4)
FLUENCY IN SPEAKING BOTH LANGUAGES
THERE ARE SOME WORDS THAT SOUND BETTER IN TAGALOG THAN ENGLISH AND THE OTHER WAY AROUND

TO MAKE THE PERSON SPEAKING TO MORE COMFORTABLE AND FOR HIM TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE
SPEAKER
WHY DO STUDENTS CS?
BEING NERVOUS
FORCE OF HABIT
NOT BEING REMINDED
DIFFICULTY IN COMBINING ENGLISH AND FILIPINO
UNPREPARED TO EXPLAIN A CONCEPT
TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN AN UNDERSTANDABLE WAY
COMFORT LEVEL WITH THE TEACHER AND CLASSMATES
DOES CODESWITCHING AFFECT LEARNING? TEACHING?
HOW CODESWITCHING AS A MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION AFFECTS STUDENTS ATTITUDE AND ACHIEVEMENT IN
A CLASS ?
CODESWITCHING IN RELATION TO LEARNING
THE TEACHERS OBSERVATION THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE WHEN STUDENTS USE ENGLISH OR
FILIPINO IN EXPLAINING CONCEPTS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO.
EFFORTS SHOULD BE MADE IN ORDER TO HEIGHTEN AWARENESS THAT CODESWITCHING HAS ITS RIGHTFUL
PLACE IN SPECIAL SPEECH SITUATIONS, LIKE INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS IN OR OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
THE SUPPOSED CONFUSION THAT CODESWITCHING BRINGS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.
CONTINUOUS STEPS SHOULD BE MADE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE AND ENRICH THE TEACHING OF BOTH FILIPINO
AND ENGLISH, SO THAT THE TWO LANGUAGES WILL NOT BE OVERTAKEN BY THE PREFERENCE FOR TAGLISH
OR ENG-FIL CODESWITCHING.
SHOULD CODESWITCHING BE ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOM?
YES TO CLASSROOM CS
FOSTERS A POSITIVE LEARNING AMBIENCE
MAKES CHALLENGING SUBJECT MATTER COMPREHENSIBLE TO STUDENTS
MAY REMEDY THE POOR LANGUAGE COMPETENCE OF INTERLOCUTORS
NO TO CODESWITCHING
OBVIOUS SYMPTOM(S) AND SOURCE(S) OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS (MYERS-SCOTTON, 1993)
A STRESSOR
A CLASH OF LANGUAGES (CANAGARAJAH, 1993)
SAFE-TALK (CHICK)
SURVEYRESPONSES

YES BECAUSE-THERES NOTHING WRONG ABOUT IT.

-NOT EVERYONE IN CLASS CAN SPEAK IN TWO LANGUAGES PROPERLY. (3)
-YES, BUT NOT ABSOLUTELY, FOR INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS.
-LEARNING IS EASIER AND MORE COMFORTABLE. (5)
EASIER LEARNING :-BETTER SELF-EXPRESSION (2)
-EXPLANATION IS EASIER TO UNDERSTAND (2)
COMFORTABLE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES(2)
IT SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN ALMOST ALL CLASSES EXCEPT FILIPINO BECAUSE WERE GONNA GET USED TO
IT.
NO TO CS BECAUSE
TRAINING FOR SPEAKING IN A CERTAIN LANGUAGE (2)
INFORMAL
PREVENTS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF FLUENCY (3)
GIVES CONFUSION
TEACHERS INTERVIEW RESPONSES
SHOULD CS BE ALLOWED IN CLASSROOMS WHICH USE ENGLISH AS THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION?
2 -STRICT NO (ENG AND LABORATORY)
3 -CONDITIONAL YES (MATH, PHYSICS, FILIPINO)
REASONS FOR NO
MAKES THE LANGUAGE ADULTERATED
DOES NOT ALLOW EXPERTISE IN A PARTICULAR LANGUAGE
IMBIBED TRAINING
DOESNT SOUND NICE
INDICATION THAT THE CONCEPT IS NOT UNDERSTOOD OR CANNOT BE EXPLAINED
CONDITIONAL YES:
FOR FEW MINUTES OF THE DISCUSSION, BUT NOT WHEN EXPLAINING
MINIMAL USE DURING GROUP WORK AND DISCUSSION
ITS THE ONLY THING THAT CAN HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THE TERM GIVEN TO THEM.
THEY (STUDENTS) USUALLY ASK FOR SOMETHING THAT IS ASSOCIATED IN THE CULTURE THAT THEY CAN
EASILY RELATE TO.

THAT CODESWITCHING IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM AIDS IN IMPROVED FACILITATION OF KNOWLEDGE

SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED; HOWEVER, IT HAS TO BE AVOIDED DURING FORMAL DISCUSSIONS WHERE
STRAIGHT ENGLISH OR STRAIGHT FILIPINO IS THE ASSIGNED MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION.
PROVISIONS FOR CLASSROOM CS
THE ENGLISH MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION SHOULD REMAIN AS THE LANGUAGE FOR FORMAL CLASS
DISCUSSIONS.
THE USE OF CODESWITCHING SHOULD BE ALLOWED ONLY DURING INFORMAL CLASS ACTIVITIES LIKE GROUP
WORK.
CODESWITCHING SHOULD STILL BE REGULATED TO DISCOURAGE INDISCRIMINATE USE.
.CODESWITCHING CAN BE USED AS A TEACHERS LAST RESORT IN EXPLAINING DIFFICULT CONCEPTS IN
CLASS.
END.
THANK YOU
"FILIPINISMS ARE WORDS OR PHRASES THAT ARE USUSALLY GRAMMATICALLY INCORRECT OR ARE ALMOST
ALWAYS RESULTS OF TRANSLITERATION."

AIRCON AIR CONDITIONER; AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT.

ALREADY LITERAL TRANSLATION OF NA.
BATCHES USE CLASSES, TEAMS, GROUPS FOR PEOPLE AND BATCHES FOR THINGS.
BOTTOMLESS REFILLABLE
C.R. OR COMFORT ROOM RESTROOM; TOILET, WASHROOM, MENS ROOM OR LADIES ROOM.
COME AGAIN PARDON ME?; COULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN PLEASE?
CONNECTED WITH WORKING WITH
FALL IN LINE STAND IN LINE, FORM A LINE
FETCHING PICKING UP SOMEONE
FOR A WHILE USE PLEASE HOLD; HOLD ON (WHEN SPEAKING ON THE PHONE)
GO DOWN GET OFF; IM GETTING OFF (FROM A VEHICLE)
ILL GO AHEAD GOODBYE; I HAVE TO GO
GO DOWN GET OFF; IM GETTING OFF (FROM A VEHICLE)
OFFICEMATES CO-WORKERS; COLLEAGUES
REF REFRIGERATOR; FRIDGE
RUBBER SHOES SNEAKERS; TRAINERS; RUNNING SHOES