Assessing Cultural Appreciation through Filipino Language Use in a Philippine Higher Education Institution

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of the Filipino language on cultural-language awareness and appreciation among undergraduate students of a Philippine private higher education institution. Through a quantitative-descriptive research design involving 246 undergraduate students, results suggest that students use the language to a very great extent to express their everyday thoughts, emotions, and cultural identity. Awareness and appreciation of Filipino traditions, values, and practices likewise yielded a high overall score, confirming that the language is a vital tool for awareness and cultural appreciation. Furthermore, the contribution of sociohistorical contexts to shaping students' accommodation strategies indicates that different sociohistorical contexts influence accommodation strategies. Therefore, the findings revealed key challenges and opportunities, including the tendency of many students to revert to the translanguaging of Tagalog and English for ease and the perception of English as more prestigious in professional and formal settings. However, opportunities were specified as using the Filipino language strengthens national identity and fosters pride. The strong positive correlations between the extent of Filipino language use in interpersonal and intergroup communication and the level of awareness and appreciation of Filipino traditions, values, and practices indicated that as the use of the Filipino language for identity expression increases, there is a corresponding rise in the promotion of cultural awareness and appreciation for Filipino traditions.