Prejudice towards regional accents of Philippine English

Abstract

This study examines linguistic prejudice towards the accents of three regional varieties of Philippine English: Cebuano English, Ilocano English, and Tagalog English. Data were collected using a verbal-guise technique taken by 982 listener-judges, who were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Results showed an overall more favorable attitude towards Tagalog English. Cebuano English and Ilocano English speakers were judged as less socially attractive and less competent compared to their Tagalog English counterparts. In the multilingual Philippines, where languages in the periphery, i.e. languages other than English and Tagalog, face negative stereotypes, the results indicate potential linguistic prejudice towards accents that individuals view as deviating from the standard, i.e. the Tagalog English accent as ‘the’ standard of Philippine English. The findings are discussed in light of the ongoing observation of the development of Philippine English in the Schneiderian model of postcolonial Englishes.