Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This entry provides a comprehensive overview of Philippine English, tracing its colonial origins from the United States occupation (1898–1946) to its contemporary status as a localized, distinct, and vibrant variety of World Englishes. It examines the major domains of use of Philippine English, including print/mass media, formal education, the business process outsourcing (call center) industry, and Philippine literature in English. The chapter details the phonological, lexical, and morphosyntactic features of educated Philippine English, noting its presence in major lexicographical works like the International Corpus of English (ICE-PH) and the Oxford English Dictionary. Furthermore, it engages with critical theoretical frameworks—such as Schneider’s Dynamic Model, Kachru’s Three Circles Model, "Unequal Englishes," and translingualism ("Pinoylish")—to critique the Manila-centered and elite focus of traditional scholarship. It highlights how localized forms (such as Bislish and Hokaglish) illustrate the multifaceted, fluid, and multilingual sociolinguistic realities of Englishes in the Philippines today.
Recommended Citation
Martinez, Julius C., and Isabel Pefianco Martín. "Philippine English." The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of World Englishes, edited by Kingsley Bolton, 1st ed., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., 2025, pp. 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119518297.eowe00248
