From Multiply 014: Why EL?

To all the people who ask me why I took EL instead of courses requiring Math and Science skills, here is my late response to you.

It doesn’t only take root from my love of languages. It’s more like an addiction to knowledge and my twisted idea of being as unique as I can in this boring world.

Bacon once said that the conquest of learning can be achieved through languages. I find this very true, being someone who’s not satisfied with the limited amount of books translated into English. At least if I get to master a lot of languages, I can delve deeper into different subjects especially those which are controversial like for example, the Bible. I’ve long been wanting with all my heart to read the original Bible, the scrolls themselves in Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek. As a human being who believes in the existence of a Supreme Being, I have the right to know and to scrutinize my faith, starting from the tangible resources which are available in the world, i.e. the authentic texts.

Right now, as I have learned a little Latin (a dead language which drags a lot of people to death…just kidding) I feel like continuing it on my own if my school won’t offer higher Latin courses. (Thanks to Umberto Eco for motivating me to learn that dead language, thanks also to my childhood fascination with mythology, in this case, Roman mythology, I didn’t feel forced at all to attend classes coz I have a goal after Latin 10--- to read Pliny’s accounts and Vergil’s Aenid in Latin. That is, if I find the means and the time.) Latin, I believe, shall be a great help once I find books on the Christian doctrine written in Latin. (I’d also like to read St. Jerome’s Vulgate Bible.)

There, I’ve answered the question with my primary reason, that is, because of my insatiable thirst for knowledge.

Second, I wanted to take up something different in college. I wanted my college life to be livelier. (But it’s still hellish not having enough time to read novels, watch anime and going on gimmicks because of my duty in the office, darn it! I’m living such a dull life!) So instead of pursuing Mathematics or Physics or Microbiology, (I hate Bio but I know microbiologists make oodles of money hahaha!!!) I ended up choosing EL before the UPCAT. I got the result of the entrance exam after finishing one year’s study of EL (and GE subjects) and I felt like I did the right choice because my grades are as follows:

Language Proficiency- 99

Reading Comprehension- 98

Math- 98

Science- 95

And I didn’t have one bit of regret because I can proudly say that I’m multilingual now. (I speak Filipino, English, Chinese (Fookien and Mandarin), Japanese (no formal training so don’t expect much, please), Spanish and French.) I mean, if I go to any country, I have the means to survive. (I’d like to learn Swahili next haha. Just to mingle with Africans but I’m still looking for a way to do it…)

I don’t know if people really are impressed when they learn I’m an EL student but here are the usual reactions:

1.    “Wow, e di magaling ka magSpanish?”
2.    “Sige nga magSpanish ka nga.”
(When I ask them what they want me to say, they’d reply “anything” which is kinda difficult so they’d ask me to translate “I am beautiful”, Beieve it or not, 99% asked me to translate that sentence!!! And I’d say “Yo soy fea” hahaha!!! BAHALA SILA!!!)
3.    “That’s interesting!!!”
4.    “Wow, e di pupunta ka sa Europe na?”
(You bet I am, that is, if I have a scholarship. I want to continue my studies there. And when I’m there, ligaré con los chorvos HAHAHA!!!)

Third, a minor reason actually, is so I can go around the world without the need of interpreters. And people will marvel at me for being able to speak Chinese, too, which BTW, is considered as one of the most difficult languages in the world. I guess, I’d feel a sense of pride, too.

But the biggest reason why I chose EL and never shifted to other courses is because I’m enjoying the discovery of grammar rules, how I can connect words from one language to the other, etc.

And I want to make something crystal clear. I’m an EL student but it doesn’t mean that I don’t like the Filipino language. People may think that EL students are kinda elitists because they prefer Euro languages over Filipino. The Chinese are known to be ethnocentric thus they look down on the Filipino language. But it’s the language I grew up with (er, together with Chinese and English books) and the language I can use in my daily life especially here in my own country.

Kinda ironic coz I write in English. But if you know me, I rarely speak English, Filipino still is my preferred language in conversations.


Sep 27, '08 11:50 PM
for Miracle's network