Three studies on Philippine English across generations : towards an integration and some implications / Andrew B. Gonzales.

Three Studies on Philippine English Across Generations is valuable in four ways. The monograph provides provisional answers to two questions: (1) what are the features of the English spoken and written by Filipinos? (2) Has there been a deterioration in the English spoken and written by educated Filipinos over the years? It attempts to explain the variance in the results of studying five generations of Filipinos on different language skills. Its characterization of the five generations makes for delightful and instructive reading. It shows how a mentor working closely with students under a guiding vision can break down an immense undertaking into small chunks. Thus, in describing the English of five generations, as related to teaching methods and practices, the mentor studied Philippine English phonology (Gonzalez, 1984), grammatical competence in English (Romero, 1988). This consolidated version of the three studies signposts not only the most important findings of each study, but also the current state of knowledge about Philippine English and language teaching in the Philippines and then highlights the implications of such knowledge for the practice of English language teaching in the ordinary classroom of today. ---Ma. Lourdes S. Bautista from the Foreword.