Hi Readers,
Starting to learn about Philippine English is enlightening. ( it appears to be the most obvious, but since it's staring straight at me, I just glaze over it ). The term makes me extra aware of my translating process.
Among the pros of inventing idioms unique to the country is its enriching value ( adding to the English Language or in a negative? sense bastardizing the language ). In Philippine English et. al., the literal English translation makes more sense when it's placed in the context of the original Tagalog saying. It only sounds odd or funny to Native Speakers following the English standards of their country.
When I was in 3rd grade, I used to say "Open the lights" or "Open the TV" because the Tagalog saying is "Buksan mo ang ilaw" or "Buksan mo ang TV." But if you literally open the light or TV, you'll end up breaking them. It takes a bit of time for the Native Speakers listening to such a request to put it together and understand the message. The Native Speakers then correct my Philippine English: "Oh, you mean, TURN ON the lights/TV."
Sometimes it's scary when I don't recognize the difference between Philippine English and American English. Being in the middle of these 2 cultures, I constantly translate. In translation, my main priority is understanding first for communicative exchange. Hearing the Tagalog and translating in English ( and vice versa ), I immediately look for the equivalents of idioms from each country. At times, listening and vocalizing is easier than explaining through the written word. In most cases, this ability is advantageous when working with ESL learners/writers.
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