English-only policies in schools

A POLICY announced by the University of Cabuyao in Laguna instituting its campus as an English-using-only campus effective Feb. 3 created a stir not only among linguists but also non-linguists. To be fair, compelling students, teachers and staff to use English only on campus is not entirely new nor unheard of in the Philippines. In fact, when the policy was announced, and news of it proliferated on social media, it moved many to remember their days as students under such policies. Of course, because of social media, the policy announcement became much publicized and criticized. The post announcing the policy has been taken down since Feb. 5, and the Commission on Higher Education has already asked the university for an explanation about it.

The university argues in the announcement that it envisions its students to be "globally competitive and world class." While the policy did not exactly state that English is being equated with being globally competitive and world class, that is the fair-minded assumption one makes in reading that announcement. I am not writing this column to pass judgment on the university's policymaking and initiatives, but I would like to offer some points for reflection for Filipinos and how they should think about their languages, most especially those used in schools.

LANGUAGE SPEAKS