MUTUAL

INTELLIGIBILTY
Andres, Ian Dexter C.
Baldonado, Louisse Andrei Nicole A.
Dionisio, Aldrich A.
Pulongbarit, Guen E.
Santiago, Ralph Lauren S.
Sta. Ana Erica Mae SD.
Uycoco, Nicole C.
WHAT IS MUTUAL
INTELLIGIBILITY?
• As stated by Akbar, A. (2019),
Mutual Intelligibility is the extent to
which speakers from two or more
speech communities can understand
each other. (pg.4)
• It is a relationship between languages
or dialects in which speakers of
different but related languages can
readily understand each other without
intentional study or extraordinary
effort. (pg. 4)
• There are two kinds of criteria that
are used to distinguish languages
from dialects: social and political;
and linguistic. The first typically
view “languages” as prestigious,
official and written, while
“dialects” are mostly spoken,
unofficial, and associated with
groups lacking in prestige
(Chambers & Trudgill, 2004). p2
FLOW
• The characterization of language
1 and dialect is not successful

• Degree of Mutual Intelligibility

2

• Non-linguistic criteria may play

3 a role
EXAMPLE
• According to Rosero, M. (2016), In linguistics,
mutual intelligibility can use different criteria. If
speakers of the two speech varieties can have a
conversation and understand each other, they are
using “dialects” of a single language. In contrast, if
speakers of the two speech varieties converse and do
not understand each other, they are using two distinct
languages.

• Cebuano, Ilocano, Mashalenyo, Waray, among

others, are languages and not merely dialects. On
the other hand, the Tagalog varieties spoken in
Batangas, Rizal and other southern Tagalog areas
are dialects of the Tagalog language.
SHORT
SKIT
 APPLICATION OF THE
CONCEPT
• Tagalog
Tagalog is spoken in several provinces in the
Philippines. It has several well-known dialects like
Tagalog-Laguna and Tagalog-Batangas.
• Englishes of Southeast Asia
Another good example of dialects are the
varieties of English used in Southeast Asia like
Philippine English and Singapore English.
Speaking with each other in English,
Southeast Asians still understand each other.
(Pelagio, 2019) pg. 6&7.
References:
• McFarland, C. (2004). The Phillipine language situation:
Bloomfield. (1926) Mutual Intelligibility, World Englishes, Vol.
23, No. 1, pp. 59.
• Rosero, M. (2016, September 7). The Philippine Linguistic
Situation. Retrieved from: https://blog.senti.com.ph/the-
philippine-linguistic-situation-18a69f14a1b7.
• Pelagio, E. (2019). Philippine Language and Dialects. Retrieved
from:
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/UNGEGN/docs/Training/
Manila/day%202/03_PELAGIO_Philippine%20Languages%20a
nd%20Dialects_KWF.pdf
• Akbar, A. (2019). Mutual Intelligibility. Retrieved from:
https://www.slideshare.net/AllahAkbarAkbar/mutual-
intelligibility?fbclid=IwAR3jD-
1pQj7muiMYpQuLuC1iyO2nbkFpJ6WlH1ksFfxpTh5iWekfVeN1
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