REFLECTI

ONPAPER

COLLEGEOFEDUCATION
Pol
ytechni
cUniver
sit
yoft
hePhi
li
ppi
nes

BACHELOROFELEMENTARYEDUCATI
ON

By

AngelMaeGabay

2020
 REFLECTI
ONPAPER

ARequirementPresent
edto
TheCol l
egeofAr t
sandLett
ers
Pol
ytechni
cUni ver
sit
yofthePhi
l
ippi
nes
St
a.Mesa, Manil
a

I
nPar
ti
alFul
fi
ll
mentoft
heRequi
rementsfort
hesubj
ect
Pur
posi
veCommunicat
ion

BEED2-
1N

Jul
y2021
I
NTRODUCTI
ON

Accor
dingt
oEncy
clopedi
aBr
it
anni
ca,l
anguagei
s"asy
stem ofconv
ent
ionalor

wr
it
tensy
mbol
sthr
oughwhi
chhumanbei
ngsi
nter
actasmember
sofsoci
algr
oupsand

par
ti
cipant
sin cul
tur
e."I
n ot
her t
erms,l
anguage i
s def
ined as a sy
stem of

communi
cat
iont
hatal
l
owshumanst
o expr
esst
hemsel
ves.I
tisoneoft
hemost

ef
fect
ivemet
hodsf
orexpr
essi
ngemot
ions,
ideas,
sent
iment
s,anddesi
res.Languagei
s

t
hemostpower
fulanddomi
nantsy
stem ofcommuni
cat
ion(
Haki
m,2021)
.Languagei
s

t
hecent
ralpar
tofourl
i
febecausei
tper
mit
sust
omakesoci
alt
ies,connect
ions,

f
ri
endshi
ps,
andr
elat
ionshi
psbyspr
eadi
ngourt
hought
sandi
deas.

Thewor
dlanguagecanhav
emanydi
ff
erentdef
ini
ti
ons.I
tcoul
dbear
ulei
nour

mi
ndst
hatal
l
ow humanst
o speakgr
ammat
ical
l
y(Cl
ark,1996)
,ori
t'
svi
ewed as

somet
hing phy
sical
l
ypr
esenti
nmat
eri
alf
ormsl
i
keaudi
orecor
dings,speech,and

wr
it
ings(
Gee&Hay
es,2011)
.Languagehasa'
voi
ce'andan'
att
it
ude,
'thi
siswher
e

l
anguagei
sident
if
iedassomewhatseenandhear
d."
Languagei
stheexpr
essi
onof

i
deast
hroughspeechsoundscombi
nedi
ntowor
ds,
"sai
dHenr
ySweet
,anEngl
i
sh

phonet
ici
an,and l
anguage schol
ar.The combi
nat
ion of wor
ds i
nto sent
ences

cor
respondst
othecombi
nat
ionofi
deasi
ntot
hought
s. 

Languagei
sanessent
ialcomponentofhumani
nter
act
ion.Humansar
etheonl
y

speci
eswhohav
eper
fect
edcogni
ti
ve,v
erbalcommuni
cat
ion,despi
tet
hef
actt
hatal
l

ani
mal
shav
emeansofcommuni
cat
ing.Languagehel
psust
oexpr
essourt
hought
s,

f
eel
i
ngs,andi
deaswi
thot
her
s.I
thast
heabi
l
ityt
obot
hdev
elopanddest
roysoci
eti
es.

I
t'
sanessent
ial
par
tofdai
l
yli
fe;
wit
houti
t,t
her
ewoul
dbenowayt
ocommuni
cat
eatal
l
.

I
tisahumanconst
ructi
nwhi
chwor
dsar
epr
oducedt
oimpl
yaspeci
fi
cmeani
ngby
pi
ctur
ingourpi
ctur
eoft
hewor
ldt
hrought
houghtandt
hennami
ngt
hings.

Language i
s al
so qui
te benef
ici
ali
ntr
ansf
err
ing cul
tur
alt
radi
ti
ons,l
ove,

sy
mpat
het
icat
ti
tudes,
andsoci
alambi
ti
ons.Mowr
er(
1954)emphasi
zest
hei
mpor
tance

ofl
anguageandt
husr
emar
ked,"
Languagemakesi
tpossi
blef
ori
tsuser
stohav
e

v
ari
ousexper
iences,l
ear
nthr
oughandf
rom t
hel
ear
ningofot
her
s,andt
hisIseei
sthe

essenceofeducat
ion.
"Cul
tur
esandt
radi
ti
onsar
epasseddownt
othenextgener
ati
on,

t
ochi
l
drenandst
udent
s,t
hroughl
anguage.Thenev
er-
endi
ngt
ransf
erofcul
tur
eand

l
egacyf
rom gener
ati
ont
ogener
ati
oni
spr
imar
il
yaccompl
i
shedt
hroughl
anguage,and

t
hecul
tur
alst
ream woul
dnotbeabl
etor
uncor
rect
lywi
thouti
t.

Thef
oll
owi
ngar
ethr
eekeychar
act
eri
sti
csofl
anguage:Fi
rstofal
l
,languagei
sa

r
ule-
gov
ernedsy
stem compr
isedofsy
mbol
sthatagr
oupofpeopl
eshar
es.A r
ule-

gov
ernedsy
stem i
ncl
udesspokenandsi
gnedl
anguage.Li
ngui
stsr
efert
othel
anguage

as"
rul
e-gov
ernedbehav
ior
"becausei
thasagr
ammarorasetofr
ulest
hator
gani
zesi
ts

"
proper
"use.Thebr
eadt
hofawor
d'smeani
ngandhowi
tint
eract
swi
thot
herwor
dsar
e

def
inedbyt
hesepr
inci
ples."
Languagei
srul
e-gov
ernedbehav
ior
"meanst
hatl
anguage

onl
ywor
ksi
fwef
oll
owi
tsr
ules.Languagei
susedt
ocommuni
cat
e;t
her
efor
e,wemust

f
ir
stagr
eeonwhatwor
dsi
mpl
y.Thi
sisar
ulei
nandofi
tsel
f:wemustusewor
dst
o

denot
ewhatot
herpeopl
ewhospeakt
hesamel
anguagehav
edeci
dedt
hewor
dsmean.

Secondl
y,l
anguagei
sunquest
ionabl
yar
bit
rar
ysi
ncet
her
eisnoi
ntr
insi
cli
nk

bet
weent
henat
ureoft
heobj
ect
sorconcept
sdeal
twi
thbyt
hel
anguageandt
he

meansbywhi
cht
hoset
hingsori
deasar
econv
eyed.Ther
e'snor
easonwhyv
ari
ous

cul
tur
esspeakt
he"
samewor
d"di
ff
erent
ly.I
tisent
ir
elyr
andom t
ochooseat
ermt
o

denot
eapar
ti
cul
arobj
ectornot
ion.I
tshoul
dbenot
edt
hati
flanguageswer
enot
sel
ect
edatr
andom,t
hegl
obewoul
dhav
eonl
yonel
anguage.Asar
esul
t,wemayt
hink

ofl
anguageasasetofar
bit
rar
yvoi
cesy
mbol
s.I
nli
newi
thSaussur
e,t
her
elat
ion

bet
weent
hesi
gni
fi
erand,t
her
efor
e,t
hesi
gni
fi
edi
s"ar
bit
rar
y,"i
.e.
,ther
e'snodi
rect

connect
ionbet
weent
hef
orm andt
heconcept(
cf.Bussmann1996)
.Ar
bit
rar
iness

r
efer
stot
hest
andar
dsof"
bei
ngdet
ermi
nedbyr
andomnessandnotf
oraspeci
fi
c

r
eason.
"Si
gni
fi
ersi
nlanguager
epr
esentt
hesi
gni
fi
ed.Thesi
gni
fi
er,ont
heot
herhand,

i
snotmeant
.Asound,mor
pheme,wor
d,phr
ase,sent
ence,orsi
gni
sanexampl
eofa

si
gni
fi
er.Thesi
gni
fi
edi
sani
tem,
act
ivi
ty,
qual
i
ty,
oramountt
owhi
chasi
gni
fi
err
efer
s.

Last
ly,l
anguageshoul
dbeseenasasoci
alphenomenon.Languagei
sasoci
al

const
ructt
hatexi
stsi
nourhumanci
vi
li
zat
ion;i
tser
vesasawayofnur
tur
ingand

cr
eat
ingcul
tur
easwel
lasf
ormi
nghumani
nter
act
ions.We,humans,engagewi
thone

anot
herasmember
sofacer
tai
nsoci
algr
oup,
whi
chhel
psusi
dent
if
ywi
thoneanot
her
,

connectwi
thoneanot
her
,andcooper
ate.Thi
sishow l
anguagei
singr
ainedi
nour

cul
tur
e.Languageexi
stsi
nthepubl
i
cspher
e,ser
vest
ofeedandbui
l
dasoci
ety
,and

est
abl
i
sheshumani
nter
act
ions.Weacqui
real
anguageasamemberoft
hecommuni
ty

per
manent
ly.

Thi
spaperai
mst
oexpl
oret
hesi
gni
fi
canceandv
alueoft
hechar
act
eri
sti
csof

t
hel
anguagei
nacademi
ctopi
cssuchast
eachi
ngandl
ear
ning.I
thasani
mpactont
he

educat
ionalar
ea,bot
hinst
ruct
ors and st
udent
s.Thi
s st
udy al
so di
scusses how

l
anguage char
act
eri
sti
cs ar
e car
ri
ed outand empl
oyed i
n pr
ofessi
onalset
ti
ngs,

par
ti
cul
arl
yint
heeducat
ionf
iel
d,wher
ecommuni
cat
ionessent
ial
.Theconsequences

ofchar
act
eri
sti
csofl
anguagef
orv
ocat
ionswer
eal
sodi
scussedi
nthi
sst
udy
.Fi
nal
l
y,

t
his academi
c paperwi
l
lexpl
aint
he aut
hor
's st
ance on t
he t
opi
cs,t
rends,and
si
gni
fi
cance.

REFLECTI
ONPAPER

ONTHEDI
SCUSSEDTOPI
CS

Academi
cSi
gni
fi
cance

Al
anguage i
sat
oolf
orcommuni
cat
ion t
hatev
ery
one uses t
otr
ansmi
t

i
nfor
mat
ionandar
gument
stoot
her
sint
hei
rev
ery
dayl
i
ves.I
tgoeswi
thoutsay
ingt
hat

l
anguagespl
ayanessent
ialr
olei
nmanyf
acet
sofourdai
l
yli
fe.Thei
rrol
eisnot

conf
ined t
o communi
cat
ion;i
text
endsi
nto manyf
iel
dsofknowl
edgeand human

sci
ences.Languagesar
ecapabl
eofexpandi
ngandenhanci
nghumanexper
ti
sef
ort
he

benef
itofhumani
ty.Thei
mpor
tanceofl
anguages,i
ngener
al,under
li
nest
henecessi
ty

f
orasci
ent
if
icandi
mpar
ti
alexami
nat
ionoft
hel
i
nkbet
weenl
anguagesandeducat
ion.

Al
anguagei
sat
oolf
orcr
eat
ingandpr
eser
vingi
deasasr
efl
ect
ionsofr
eal
i
tyand

exchangi
ngt
hem i
nthecour
seofhumani
nter
act
ion.Languagei
ssoci
albynat
ure;i
tis

i
next
ri
cabl
yli
nkedwi
tht
hepeopl
ewhocr
eat
eandusei
t;i
tev
olv
esanddev
elops

al
ongsi
det
heev
olut
ionofsoci
ety
.Thel
anguagecont
ainst
hreeessent
ialel
ement
s,

eachofwhi
chi
sinher
enti
nit
ssoci
alaspect
.Thephonol
ogi
calsy
stem,l
i
ngui
sti
c

sy
stem,
andgr
ammat
ical
syst
em ar
ethesecomponent
s.

Onl
ycombi
ningt
heset
hreecomponent
scr
eat
esal
anguage;t
her
eisnohuman

l
anguagei
ntheabov
emeani
ngwi
thoutanyoft
hem.Thephonol
ogi
calsy
stem i
sthe

under
pinni
ngofl
anguage;i
tdef
inest
hel
anguage'
sessent
ialcomponent
s'mat
eri
al

(
phonet
ical
l
y)appear
ance.Thel
i
ngui
sti
csy
stem encompassesal
loft
hel
anguage'
s
nami
ngel
ement
s,suchaswor
dsandst
abl
ewor
dgr
oups.Thephonol
ogi
calsy
stem i
s

t
hewhol
esetofr
egul
ari
ti
esdet
ermi
ningt
hecombi
nat
ionofnami
ngmeansi
nfor
ming

ut
ter
ances(
Scr
ibbr
,n.
d.)ast
heembodi
mentoft
het
hinki
ngpr
ocess.I
ncont
rast
,the

gr
ammat
icalsy
stem i
sthewhol
esetofr
egul
ari
ti
esdet
ermi
ningt
hecombi
nat
ionof

nami
ngmeansi
nthef
ormat
ionofut
ter
ances.

Eachoft
het
hreef
undament
alcomponent
sofl
anguagei
sexami
nedbyadi
sti
nct

l
i
ngui
sti
cfi
eld.Thesedi
sci
pli
nes,byof
fer
ingv
ari
ousmet
hodst
othei
rspeci
fi
canal
ysi
s

obj
ect
s,pr
ovi
det
her
elat
edl
anguage"
descr
ipt
ions"consi
sti
ngofor
gani
zedexposi
ti
ons

oft
hecomponentpi
ecesi
nissue(
Scr
ibbr
,n.
d.)Thus,
thesci
enceofphonol
ogyaf
fect
s

t
hephonol
ogi
caldescr
ipt
ionofl
anguage;t
hesci
enceofl
exi
col
ogyaf
fect
sthev
erbal

descr
ipt
ion ofa l
anguage,and t
he sci
ence ofgr
ammaraf
fect
sthe gr
ammat
ical

descr
ipt
ionofl
anguage.

Lear
ningi
nschool
sisachi
evedmai
nlyv
ial
anguage.Teacher
spr
ovi
del
ect
ures,

askquest
ions,moder
ateconv
ersat
ions,andassi
gnr
eadi
ngandwr
it
ingassi
gnment
s.

St
udent
sdoacademi
cact
ivi
ti
esv
iar
eadi
ng,wr
it
ing,sear
chi
ngt
heI
nter
net
,respondi
ng

v
erbal
l
ytoi
nst
ruct
ori
nqui
ri
es,l
i
steni
ngt
oteacherl
ect
uresandst
udentpr
esent
ati
ons,

engagi
ngi
nwhol
e-cl
assandi
nst
ruct
ionalpeergr
oupdi
scussi
ons,
remember
ingwr
it
ten

mat
eri
alandt
ermi
nol
ogy
,andsoon.
Pr
ofessi
onalI
mpl
icat
ionandUsage

Humans use l
anguage t
o conv
ey t
hei
rthought
s,f
eel
i
ngs,and knowl
edge.

Languagei
sthepr
imar
ymeansofcommuni
cat
ion.Languagemustbeut
il
izedcor
rect
ly

f
ort
hecommuni
cat
ionsy
stem t
ofunct
ioncor
rect
ly.Lear
ningaf
orei
gnl
anguagei
s

cr
uci
alsi
ncei
tal
l
owsy
out
ocommuni
cat
einav
ari
etyofsi
tuat
ions.Knowl
edgeofa

l
anguagemayr
evealagr
eatdealaboutaper
son'
scul
tur
e.Languagei
ssomet
hingt
hat

chi
l
drenandadul
tsmayl
ear
nthr
ought
hei
rpar
ent
sandt
eacher
s.Aki
dbegi
nsl
ear
ning

howt
otal
kinacer
tai
nlanguagef
rom t
hei
rhome,
andi
tgr
adual
l
yev
olv
esast
heygr
ow.

I
ngener
al,wemaysayt
hatcommuni
cat
ionorl
anguageser
vesasaf
ocalpoi
nt

f
oral
lthatsur
roundsus.Di
ff
erentcul
tur
esr
efl
ectv
ari
ousl
anguagest
hatsepar
ate

i
ndi
vi
dual
sfr
om oneanot
her
.Manyi
ndi
vi
dual
sspeakmor
ethanonel
anguage,whi
ch

maybeduet
omyf
ami
l
yhi
stor
yoradesi
ret
oacqui
real
anguageot
hert
hant
heonewe

speak.

To t
ransmi
tinf
ormat
ion successf
ull
y,wr
it
ten l
anguage r
equi
res t
he use of

handwr
it
ing,spel
l
ing,gr
ammar
,punct
uat
ionabi
l
iti
es,andsent
encesy
ntax.I
ncont
rast
,

spokenl
anguager
equi
resf
ourkeycomponent
s:phonol
ogi
cal
,sy
ntact
ic,semant
ic,and

pr
agmat
icski
l
ls.Thesear
ecl
osel
yrel
atedt
ocompr
ehendi
ngsoundpat
ter
ns,st
ruct
ure

phr
ases,under
standi
ng t
he meani
ng ofwor
ds and sent
ences,and bei
ng abl
eto

communi
cat
einv
ari
ousset
ti
ngs(
Fel
l
owes&Oakl
ey,
2014,
p.21)
.
Per
sonalPosi
ti
ononi
tsI
ssues,
Trends,
andRel
evance

Thegl
obei
squi
ckl
ygl
obal
i
zingandt
ransf
ormi
ngi
ntoagl
obalv
il
lage.Onour

pl
anet
,peopl
e communi
cat
einav
ari
ety ofl
anguages.A common l
anguage i
s

necessar
yto el
i
minat
ethecommuni
cat
ion obst
acl
est
hatexi
stbet
ween so many

count
ri
es.

Engl
i
shi
sthel
anguaget
hatconnect
speopl
eal
lar
oundt
hewor
ld.I
tisspokeni
n

about105count
ri
esacr
osst
hegl
obe.Engl
i
shi
sessent
iali
nmanyf
iel
ds,i
ncl
udi
ng

educat
ion,heal
th,engi
neer
ing,and busi
ness.Sev
eralf
act
orscont
ri
but
eto Engl
i
sh

becomi
ngt
hemostsi
gni
fi
cantl
anguagei
nthewor
ld.

Theseday
s,t
heEngl
i
shl
anguagei
sessent
ial
.TheEngl
i
shl
anguagecannotbe

r
eject
edordi
sregar
dedbecausei
tiscur
rent
lyspokenbyhal
fofi
tspopul
ati
on.I
tisnow

r
ecogni
zedasani
nter
nat
ionall
anguage.Theusageoft
heEngl
i
shl
anguageal
l
owsus

t
ocommuni
cat
eouri
deasandobt
aini
nfor
mat
ioni
nanyf
iel
d.I
tmayal
soassi
stf
orm

ourper
spect
ivesandcor
rectus.Ther
ewi
l
lbenof
oundat
ionf
orhi
ghereducat
ioni
f

Engl
i
shi
snotst
udi
ed.

Weal
lknowt
hateducat
ionandt
hef
utur
ear
einext
ri
cabl
yli
nked.What
everski
l
l

wehav
e,i
tist
hedegr
eet
hatcount
sint
heend.TheEngl
i
shl
anguagei
srequi
redf
ort
his.

I
tmaybef
easi
blet
oent
erl
ocall
evelempl
oyment
,butEngl
i
shi
sessent
ialt
oadv
ance.

The maj
ori
tyofwor
ldwi
de gl
obalmar
ketcommuni
cat
ion i
sconduct
ed i
n Engl
i
sh.

Engl
i
shhasbecomet
hewor
ld'
smosti
mpor
tantsecondl
anguage.I
tiswi
del
yut
il
izedi
n
near
lyev
erycount
ry.Peopl
ewhost
udyi
nanot
hercount
ryut
il
izeEngl
i
shasamedi
um

ofcommuni
cat
ionandl
ear
ning.

The l
ack ofEngl
i
sh l
anguage ski
l
ls makes ev
ery
one t
oday unsui
tabl
efor

educat
ion(
Scr
ibbr
,n.
d.)
. Al
thoughourmot
hert
onguei
sdeart
ous,wemustl
ear
n

Engl
i
sh.Lear
ningt
hel
anguagewi
l
lpr
ovi
denumer
ousoppor
tuni
ti
esi
nthef
utur
e.I
twi
l
l

al
soi
mpr
ovey
ourpr
ospect
sofabr
ight
erf
utur
e.
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SBN0-
07-
016524-
6