How linguistic studies can help in nation building: the Philippines' case

Abstract

As 'Chomsky (1995) stated, language, its use and acquisition, has been studied in various ways. In early works, language analysis means prescribing a specific rule of syntax. This view does not respond to the idea of Universal Grammar, that all languages though distinct from one another, have similar syntactic rules that only differ in their morphological processes. Universal Grammar aims to adequately explain the mechanisms involved in the grammar of a particular language. Language analyses were made available not only to describe but also to help a nation understand its people. Language is deemed as the mirror of culture and society. And knowing one's language is knowing one's culture. The Philippines has at least 150 languages, with Filipino as national language. But the Philippine government still has problems reaching out to the different ethnolinguistic groups in the country. This problem hampers the further development of the different regions in the country. This paper will discuss the different theories in linguistic, its importance and contribution in language studies, particularly, in the Philippines. Background on the present language situation and current status of the government's program implementation will be presented. Also to be discussed are the different language studies done, and how these studies can help in the government's nationwide development programs.