Language ideological debates: national identity construction in the Philippines

Abstract

This paper explores the dynamics of national identity construction in the Philippines from the trajectories of a recent language ideological debate in the country. Specifically, the paper hopes to investigate how and why 'fixed' identities accrue to particular languages despite ideological changes in the debate. Positions emerging recently from President Arroyo's directive for the 'return' of English as the medium of instruction reveal historically constructed identities vis-a-vis particular languages. The same answers to the question - What does it mean to be 'Filipino'? - continue to proliferate. In the end, nothing new came out of the debate, as has been the case in most language ideological debates in the country since the institutionalization of bilingual education in the 1970's. This paper argues that a more nuanced approach to the issue of medium of instruction in the Philippines can only happen if we start re-valuing identities associated with specific languages through discussions of what different positions are actually arguing now. As identities are themselves rooted in sociopolitical and economic conditions, the issue of medium of instruction thus can be critically dealt with if the nature of such conditions itself becomes part of the discussion.