"Linguistic Community: Comparative Analysis of Colloquials of the Ilocano and Tagalog

People in the TAPS Alicia Community"

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter includes the introduction, background of the study, statement of the

problem, theoretical framework, significance of the study, scope and delimitation, and definition

of terms.

A. Introduction

Colloquialism is an informal language that we use every day. It is used by a specific

geographical region. It is developed by the speakers in certain regions. When it comes to writing,

colloquialism works by using similar terms or phrases in an informal but authentic way. The

colloquial language has very much evolved throughout the years and still continues to evolve,

especially with the use of technology. Filipino colloquialism most likely nowadays uses the

linguistic technique of reversing sections of a word or crossing. A very broad concept of

language, colloquial language encompasses all the linguistic structures and forms of variations in

informal language usage. Colloquialism, also known as colloquial language, is an all-

encompassing concept used by linguists to reflect informal contact and all forms of informal

language, such as slang, vernacular, vulgar, and jargon (such as when happening in an informal

situation). This research aims to explain the language function of colloquial words used by

students of TAPS Alicia and to find out the word formation processes and the list of colloquial

words used by students of TAPS Alicia.

 In the Philippines, colloquialism is widely employed in everyday communication. Its

widespread emergence is visible, particularly on social media platforms. There are a total of 120

to 175 languages and dialects spoken in the Philippine archipelago (Bashir, 2018), and among

them is Tagalog, which is the most widely spoken native language next to the Philippines’ lingua

franca, Filipino. Ilocano and Tagalog are both members of the Western-Malayo-Polynesian

group of Austronesian languages, with Ilocano, spoken by approximately 9 million people in the

northwest of Luzon Island in the Philippines, acting as the region's lingua franca. Ilocano is

considered to be a member of the Cordilleran subgroup and holds a direct daughter position

within the family. Ilocano has certain lexical similarities with its adjacent languages as a result of

borrowing rather than genetic kinship (Yamamoto, 2017).

There are currently 90 million people living in the Philippines, speaking about 170

languages. Nearly every language spoken in the nation is a member of the Austronesian language

family. Only two of these languages are regarded as official in the nation; at least ten of these are

regarded as important, and a minimum of eight are regarded as co-official. Ilocano and Tagalog

are regarded as two of the nation's primary languages. The original Ilocano-speaking group

originally from the north of Luzon, the Ilocano people, are currently found in central Luzon. In

the meantime, the majority of people in Metro Manila and Calabarzon are Tagalog, and a

significant plurality in Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Central Luzon Zambales) and

Mimaropa (mostly in the coastal Marinduque area). Cultural characteristics set Ilocano and

Tagalog apart from one another. The Tagalog are noted to be patient, hardworking, adventurous,

and economical, whereas the Ilocano are generally regarded as being neither frugal nor

ostentatious.
 The Tagalog, the largest ethnic group in the Philippines, are mostly located in the

metropolitan area of Manila and make up the majority of the population in the Luzon provinces

of Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Batangas, and Nueva Ecija, to mention a few. The majority of

the country's major regions can understand and speak Tagalog, which is presently the official

national language. The Tagalog people have benefited much from their physical location atop a

major Spanish metropolis; they currently hold a significant interest in most areas of industry and

commerce and have gained more from Westernization than most other communities. In addition

to a wide range of industrial, forestry, ranching, and herding activities, there is also worldwide

marketing, foreign relations, and political involvement. Ilocano is the third-largest group of

Filipino ethnic people. The Ilocos region, a narrow coastal plain in northwest Luzon, was home

to them when the Spanish first discovered them in the 16th century. They eventually had a large

influx of migrants from neighboring provinces, Hawaii, and the southern Philippine island of

Mindanao as a result of their population proliferation. The Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian)

family of languages includes all languages spoken in northern Luzon, to which they are closely

related. Approximately 10 million individuals spoke Ilocano (Iloko) at the beginning of the

twenty-first century.

Tagalog and Ilocano are considered two of the major languages in the country. The group

that speaks Ilocano originally lived in the north of Luzon, but nowadays, Ilocano people can also

be found in Central Luzon. Ilocano and Tagalog have cultural traits that make them distinct from

each other. According to Torres and Medriano (2020), the linguistic diversity of the Philippines

arises from natural processes broadly relating to language change, the divergence between

linguistic communities caused by a lack of communication, and the converse convergence

caused by a high rate of communication between communities. Ilocano and Tagalog are two of
the most important. They are both important regional languages and have a great deal of cultural

influence. Within the TAPS Alicia community, a unique combination takes place whereby both

languages coexist and interact, giving rise to community-specific colloquial speech. The

linguistic diversity of the Philippines arises from natural processes broadly relating to language

change, the divergence between linguistic communities caused by a lack of communication, and

the converse convergence caused by a high rate of communication between communities.

According to Fatah and Salih (2022), colloquial language is a very broad and comprehensive

linguistic notion that encompasses all the forms and linguistic units of informal language

variations. So, the majority of human daily interaction is in the form of colloquial language.

B. Statement of the Problem

This research aims to compare and analyze the colloquials of the Ilocano and Tagalog

People in the TAPS Alicia Community.

Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

1. What cultural and historical factors influence the unique characteristics of colloquial among

the Ilocano and Tagalog people in the TAPS Alicia Community?

2. What is the language function of colloquial words found in the conversation by students of

TAPS Alicia?

3. What are the word formation processes of colloquial words found in the conversation by

students of TAPS Alicia?

 C. Theoretical Framework

According to Yule, slang, or colloquial terminology, refers to words or expressions that

younger speakers and other groups with distinct interfaces use in place of more formal terms.

Words used in colloquial speech are also formed using a distinct procedure from other word

forms. Internal communication inside a social group is intended for non-members who do not

understand the language; the term "slang" dialect originates from the Norwegian word

"slengeord," which means "insult language" or "unofficial language variants," rather than "raw

seasonal nature." Colloquial speech is defined as using straightforward terms and expressions

that are not considered conventional in the speaker's dialect or language. A phrase that is not

commonly used outside of a certain group—youth groups, college groups, jazz groups, etc. is

called colloquial speech. A term that is used inside a certain community or group is called a

colloquial word.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

 Linguistic  Interview  Research paper
Community  Collection of data  Linguistic insights
 Research tools  Analysis and  Recommendations
 Relevant Literature interpretation of data  Participation in the
Review  Presentation of community
results/findings

D. Significance Of The Study

The particular research focuses on the analysis of the colloquial of Tagalog and Ilocano

People in the TAPS Alicia Community.

The study's findings can help the following people:

Students. The findings of the research will help the students to enhance harmonious

relationships with each other.

Staff/Personnel. The findings of this research, help to promote a cordial environment among

them.

Parents. Parents could utilize the research as the basis for them to foster better and closer

relationships among them.

Future Researchers. The findings of the study will be used as a source of information and a

guide for future researchers who wish to conduct the same tracer research study or any other

study.

E. Scope And Delimitation

This study "Linguistic Community: Comparative Analysis of Colloquials of the Ilocano

and Tagalog People in the TAPS Alicia Community" was conducted during the school year 2023-

2024. This study focuses on the analysis of Colloquials of Ilocano and Tagalog people in the

TAPS Alicia Community. The result of this study is limited only to the students, staff/personnel,

and parents of TAPS Alicia.

F. Definition Of Terms
Colloquialism. Colloquialism is a term or expression that originated in a certain historical period

or location. It is also an informal mode of communication/writing.

Colloquial. A casual and conversational style that is better suited to oral communication than

writing.

Language. A language is a communication system made up of sounds and written symbols that

people in a specific country or region use to converse or write.

Linguistics. Linguistics is the scientific study of language, with a focus on the methodical

analysis of both specific language qualities and language characteristics in general.

Communication. Communication is the process of sending or exchanging information from one

location, individual, or group of people to another.

Lingua Franca. A lingua franca is a language used to facilitate communication and commerce

between individuals who speak different original languages.

 CHAPTER II

This chapter covers some literature and studies that are linked to the study on the analysis

of colloquials of Ilocano and Tagalog People in the TAPS Alicia Community. In order to

substantiate the current study, the researchers used some necessary materials like the internet

which guided, contributed, and directed the conduct of the research in obtaining useful pieces of

information from articles, journals, dissertations, studies, and theses.

FOREIGN RELATED LITERATURE

Words can be invented and used over the already existing ones, and modified, or

pronounced in unconventional ways by interlocutors that may not be immediately understood by

people outside of the social group in which the colloquialism stirs. Therefore, communication is

made more enjoyable and inventive by the innovative ways that people can convey their

personalities, wit, and language proficiency through slang and colloquialism. The phenomena of

slang in language is intricate, challenging, and unavoidable due to historical, social, and cultural

currents in the existences of this or that language group that lead to the creation of well-known

colloquial phrases, acronyms, and slang. (Izmaylova et al., 2017).

SYNTHESIS: Cultural, social, and historical events and the existences of social groups instigate

the emergence of slang language and colloquial phrases, in which typically speakers use these

inventions and formulations as their diverting way in innovating communication, making

interactions more creative, and these become as the ‘secret codes’ of a certain social group, and
an incentive to better express their social identities. Therefore slang is a shorthand for an actual

depiction of language’s dynamism and a sign of human freedom, which contributes to its

enrichment.

According to Namvar (2014), the use of words and expressions commonly referred to as

slang language or colloquialism are not regarded as standard language and is mostly prevalent in

the experiences of the younger generation, where the expressions are evaluated as a measure of

the speaker’s social identity. These are regarded as colloquial expressions or words used in

everyday communication in both online and real life context.

SYNTHESIS: Colloquialism and slang language have become a basic part of communication

among younger generations and their culture. Slang is an everyday word or phrase that is always

changing to build or fortify the social identity of the speakers or their cohesiveness in a group or

fashion trends of society in general.

Hardini & Sitohang (2019) state that there is a requirement that should be followed by

language, and it is to enable both parties who use it, both the speaker and receiver, to understand

each other and understand what is being conveyed. In this case, the style, the context register, the

politeness of a person, and the situation of the language which the use of it is in an informal

context are reasons triggering the presence of language variation. (Harared 2018)

SYNTHESIS: In this study, there are factors that give rise to the presence of language variation

through slang language and colloquialism, but they all fall under a common purpose which is
rooted in enable parties within communication to use language as a method of understanding one

another and what is being conveyed which can manifest in diction, utterances, behavior, and the

context of interactions.

Another function of language is language enabling the knowledge, information, concept

about something that can be transferred to others. Therefore, the understanding between each

other, either it is their feeling, utterance can emerge by the use of language (Suhardianto, 2016).

SYNTHESIS: Language is a method in which people get to understand each other and convey

their feelings and utterances in a creative way because another function of language is a language

that fosters the knowledge, information, and concept about a subject with its capability to be

transferred to the others which can be later adapted by speakers.

This research aims to identify colloquial expressions in Boris Pasternaks' novel "Dr.

Zhivago" using a qualitative method. The study found 314 colloquial expressions, including

single words, clipped words, constructions, and verb adverb combinations. The research found

that single words were more dominant in constructions, while clipped words were more

prevalent in single words. Constructions were more dominant than clipped words, and verb

adverb combinations were the most dominant of all types. The researcher found 314 colloquial

expressions in the novel. There are single words with a total of 127, clipped words total of 1,

constructions total of 40, and verb adverb combinations total of 146.

SYNTHESIS: The study concluded that the novel does not contain short picturesque words for

technical terms. The research also found that single words were more dominant in constructions

than clipped words. The most common verb adverb combination was verb adverb combination,

which was the most dominant type in the novel. The findings can be used to answer the research

problem and provide insights into the colloquial expressions in Boris Pasternaks' novel.

Eleventh-grade students and an English teacher at a senior high school in Bandar

Lampung participated in the study conducted by Hasanah (2020), which aims to analyze whether

colloquial words can help students improve their speaking skills in the context of communication

and how colloquial words help students improve their speaking skills based on teachers’

assessments in everyday classroom activities. The qualitative methods of rubric analysis,

interviews, and class observation were employed in this study. The researcher questioned the

teacher throughout the interview portion about their thoughts on the pupils' usage of colloquial

language. Regarding their experience rating students during class activities, the teacher was also

questioned.

SYNTHESIS: This study investigates the impact of colloquial words on students' speaking

skills. Results show that colloquial words significantly improve pronunciation and vocabulary.

Teachers' daily assessments reveal students' confidence in pronouncing colloquial words. The use

of mobile phones and social media also affects students' use of colloquial words, as they use

short and ungrammatical structures. The study concludes that using colloquial words in

classroom communication is beneficial, as it helps students avoid complex vocabulary and

compact English language patterns.

 Fattah et al.'s (2020) study on colloquialism and the community of practice highlights the

importance of community of practice in colloquial language studies. The study aims to identify

the characteristics and morphological forms of colloquial language and explain the notion and

criteria of community of practice. The study hypothesizes that community of practice is a

prerequisite for conducting colloquial language studies. Most studies on colloquial language

either ignored or were not familiar with the concept, its traits, dimensions, frame, structure, and

functions. The term "colloquial" refers to the total set of utterances in a familiar, informal context

where interlocutors feel relaxed and free from social or academic pressure. Epoge (2012, p. 134).

The study concludes that the majority of studies on colloquial language disregarded community

of practice considerations. Accuracy in data collection is achieved within the community of

practice, rather than from randomly selected participants. The study emphasizes the importance

of community of practice in language studies, particularly in colloquial language studies, for

accurate data collection and findings.

SYNTHESIS: The community of practice is crucial for conducting colloquial language studies,

as most studies neglect it. Data collection accuracy lies within the community of practice, rather

than random participants. Identifying a community of practice is challenging, as individuals may

be part of multiple communities simultaneously. Involving the community in language studies

ensures accurate data collection and results.

A study by Mustafa et al. Al. (2015) aimed at looking at the most common word

formation process among Malaysian Facebook users. Determining the reasons behind the use of

these characteristics in Facebook communication as well as describing the prevalent word

production processes utilized by young adult Malaysian Facebook users are the key goals. This
study examines how Malaysian Facebook users represent the process of word development. The

data in question is quantitative in nature and was mostly derived from a qualitative framework

via an examination of the status updates shared by the younger generations in Malaysia. As part

of document analysis, this study critically focuses on analyzing and identifying the typical word

formation features among Facebook users. This study examines the language preferences of

Facebook users. It examines the linguistic aspects of cyberlanguage (FB), such as the creation of

new words, more precisely. Through Facebook, the younger generation communicated with

vibrancy and vividness through their creative expression. The new word structure is used in a

more strong, colorful, and inventive way than its full spelling equivalents.

SYNTHESIS: The study's conclusions demonstrate the spelling changes that research

participants made on Facebook. These individuals use blends, emoticons, and symbols, as well as

abbreviations (clipping, acronyms, and combinations of letters), demonstrating the casual

language used by adult Malaysian Facebook users.

The study by Jalalpour and Tabrizi (2017) examined the translation of colloquial and

slang expressions from Persian to English in two works by Jamalzadeh, Yeki Bud, Yeki Nabud,

and Sar o Tah e Yek Karbas. The researchers used Newmark's (1988b) framework to determine

the type and frequency of translation procedures and their effectiveness in preserving the

colloquialism of the source texts. The study found that translators applied six procedures:

synonymy (51%), paraphrase (26.5%), literal (8.5%), descriptive equivalent (2.5%), couplet

(2%), shift (1%), omission (5%), and mistranslation (3.5%). The cotranslators, Moayyed and

Sprachman, were more consistent in preserving the tone of the original text than Heston.
SYNTHESIS: The researcher found no specific criterion for using specific translation

procedures for colloquial expressions, with procedures varying based on translators' taste,

knowledge, and faithfulness to the source text. Six procedures were used: synonymy, paraphrase,

literal, descriptive equivalent, couplet shift, and omission. Formal equivalents overweigh

informal ones, indicating failure in reflecting the informal style.

Lestari (2020) bases their study on the identification of issues that account for students'

low motivation to learn English. The study aims to demonstrate how students translate in

colloquial expression among sixth-semester students at IAIN Metro. To address the research

topics, this study use analytical documents and descriptive qualitative analysis. The study's

findings came from 16 sentences that students translated accurately and naturally using

colloquial language. The author employs interviews, documentation, and observation to get the

data. An English instructor in class A of the English Education program at IAIN Metro Metro

participated in this study. For the English to Indonesian Translation course, the instructor is

Trifita Handayani MPd. Ultimately, an analysis of the data leads to the conclusion that students

have translated in a variety of ways. Of the 16 sentences that the 10 students had translated, the

analysis revealed that 28 (18%) had been translated in a highly natural way, 40 (25%) in a less

natural way, 47 (30%) in a less natural way, and 45 (28%) in an unnatural way. As a result, a

large number of pupils interpreted the sentences less fluently. 38 (24%) translated the sentence

accurately, 54 (34%) translated it less accurately, and 68 (42%) translated it incorrectly. These

numbers represent the accuracy level. As a result, a lot of students mistranslated the sentences.
SYNTHESIS: The study analyzed the naturalness and accuracy of 20 students' translations

during the sixth semester of the IAIN Metro. The results showed that students translated

sentences with minimal unnatural words, grammar, and inappropriate language. The majority of

students translated sentences accurately, but some had distortions or omissions that disrupted the

message's integrity. This suggests that students' naturalness and colloquial expression in

translation were less natural.

As per the research conducted by Sikandar et al. Al. (2022): The study investigates into

how slang impacts students in Pakistan who use English as both their primary language of

instruction in higher education and as a second language. The aim of the research was to

investigate the factors that contribute to their usage of slang language. The findings indicated that

their informal or substandard language use is determined by their exposure to the society they

live in or interact with, as well as by constant fluctuation in language. The works of Wardaugh

(2011), which focus on the relationship between linguistic variety and society, provide

background information for the study. A purposively selected sample of seventy undergraduate

English majors from a government university is used in this quantitative study, which employs

an explanatory research design. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the information

gathered from the survey completed by the students. The results show that, given the

interdependence of language and society, formal language use is influenced by the ongoing

linguistic variety brought about by societal factors.

SYNTHESIS: The survey revealed that students are frequent and often ignorant users of slang,

creating new and adopting old terms based on their interests. They also have a lack of knowledge
about using slang words in academic texts, implying they are unaware of the differences and

consider them part of their vocabulary.

Trudgill (2002) claims that linguistic distinctiveness can be seen through vocabulary,

including jargon or slang, pronunciation, morphological procedures, and syntax building. The

use of words and expressions, also termed slang, is not considered standard language and is

mostly central to the young generation's experience, where the expressions are measured as an

indicator of the speaker's social identity (Namvar, 2014).

Slang and colloquial expressions have gained popularity among the youth in different

societies. These are the words or phrases most youngsters use while communicating, whether in

ignorance of the formal words or deliberately to cope with the new trends of the environment

they live in (Godley, Carpenter, & Werner, 2007). A constant use of slang is seen among users of

language on social networking sites and text messaging, including the use of different emojis to

express feelings rather than expressing them in words (Mehmood, 2013).

Slang usage has more to do with the internet and gadgets. Youth often indulge in making

errors in their language delivery, producing jargon, making mistakes in punctuation, using

emojis to express feelings, etc. They are emulating language elements that fascinate them, like

people belonging to different communities that share the same social networking platform to

converse about almost everything (Tait, 2019).

SYNTHESIS: The emergence and proliferation of the use of slang and colloquial expressions

have a big impact on the youth. Slang and colloquial expression have become pervasive in

modern communication, starting with social media platforms, which young people use as a base
to express themselves freely. This highlights the evolving nature of language as time passes,

influenced by technology and cultural shifts, as well as the power of social interactions.

According to Rezeki et al. (2019), Slang is an informal register of language (words,

phrases, and usages) used by members of special groups such as teenagers, musicians, or

criminals to establish group identity. Slang is commonly used by the millennial generation. Slang

was frequently used in daily conversation by the Millennial generation. In reality, when the

millennial generation communicates using slang, some of them do not fully comprehend the

meaning of the slang word itself. They usually used slang because they heard it from other

people or were influenced by movies or songs. The millennial generation nowadays tends to use

slang language.

As mentioned by Siringoringo et al. (2022) Slang is used in an informal setting, and

people typically use it to communicate with their friends or society; however, it is impolite to

communicate with elders in this manner. Slang is sometimes created by people spontaneously,

usually to describe how they are feeling, or new words that have been created to express

specialized meanings.

Olimjonova (2022) Slang that was created based on word formation processes, functions,

and social factors that influenced the existence of slang. Slang language is important to use in the

community because it allows us to have a better understanding of a culture. We can learn a lot

about a culture if we learn slang idioms and avoid miscommunication. We will understand what

people are saying better if we learn slang expressions in their native language.

NATIONAL RELATED LITERATURE

 The study examined the placement of thesis statements in argumentative essays of

Tagalog, Ilocano, and mixed Tagalog-Ilocano tertiary ESL students from a premier state

university in Central Luzon. The results showed that participants from the three groups,

particularly the Ilocano and mixed Tagalog-Ilocano, had different approaches to writing

argumentative essays. The study suggests that Filipino tertiary ESL learners, particularly from

the language and regional groups studied, may not present knowledge and ideas according to the

typical academic or deductive pattern. The study also supports the notion that Western

supremacy in Philippine English writing is gradually losing, as students' writing relates to all

cultural resources they bring to the table. The distinct cultures of Tagalog and Ilocano can be

reflected in the discourse organization in their argumentative essays. The Tagalog are known for

being unadventurous, while the Ilocano are known for being adventurous. The majority of

Tagalog participants wrote their thesis statement in the beginning, while the majority of Ilocano

participants had their thesis statement in the middle, end, and implied. The study's findings may

lead to more research on rhetorical patterns at the micro level, considering the rhetorical

conventions of different cultures across nations. Future studies should involve more participants

and validate the results by asking them to write at least three argumentative essays with an

interval of three to four days between each essay.

SYNTHESIS: Contrastive rhetoric studies reveal that culture influences rhetorical patterns. A

study comparing 55 tertiary students' argumentative essays found that Tagalog and Ilocano

students preferred different placements for thesis statements. The study found that Tagalog

participants preferred the deductive pattern, while Ilocano participants preferred the middle
pattern. Mixed Ilocano and Tagalog participants preferred the inductive pattern. The study

highlights the interplay between culture and language use in argumentative essays.

The implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) will

necessitate clear guidelines for spelling and grammar. While such regulations exist for several

Philippine languages, it is necessary to identify the places of agreement and divergence between

the norms and usage in order to avoid confusion. This study conducts an objective investigation

of the levels of agreement, in terms of grammar and orthographic principles, between reference

books and actual usage, using web-mined text corpora for three important Philippine languages:

Filipino, Cebuano-Visayan, and Ilokano. A collection of linguistic rules on grammar and

orthography was compiled from standard reference books for each of the aforementioned

languages. Spelling variants can be further sub-categorized into specific language rules, such as

dash usage, which may show disparate usage preference rates. Future studies should focus on

identifying these sub-categories for a more refined analysis of actual language usage.

Euphonious pairs should be investigated to connect them with spelling variant prevalence.

Historical corpora can help understand usage preferences over time. The automatic extraction

technique has limitations, such as not covering all variants and weighting edit operations

differently. Computational linguistics technology can extend the scope to cover more cases.

SYNTHESIS: This study investigates the agreement between reference books and actual usage

of three Philippine languages, Filipino, Cebuano-Visayan, and Ilokano, to ensure clear guidelines

for spelling and grammar in MTB-MLE. Future research should explore sub-categories and

historical corpora.
 The study "Morphological Analysis of Filipino Slang Words" by Temporosa (2022)

examines Pinoy slang neologisms found in Benedict Mique Jr.'s movie Momol Nights. The

research reveals that the most common word-formation processes in Pinoy slang are borrowing,

acronyms, coinage, multiple processes, conversion, and blending. The study also categorizes

Pinoy slang words into five types: fresh and creative, flippant, imitative, acronym, and clipping.

The diversity of word-formation processes and types of Pinoy slang words can help understand

language creativity, facilitate better understanding, and educate students and netizens on correct

internet usage. The researchers used morphological analysis to analyze the word formation

processes used in creating Filipino slang words, using George Yule's Word Formation Process.

Slang words are part of everyday life and can be seen on various platforms, making

conversations interesting and novel. The most numbered slang type from the movie is an

acronym, with 34%.

SYNTHESIS: Language evolves, creating new vocabulary like slang words. Slang words

represent the language of the masses and youth, appearing on social media, books, TV shows,

and movies. They are formed through various processes, including new, borrowed, acronym,

blended, or clipped. Slang types include fresh, creative, flippant, imitative, and clipping. The

movie's most numbered slang type is an acronym.

Linguistic theories and constructs are largely derived from monolingual language use and

processing. Measurements of linguistic skills and proficiencies are mostly based on monolingual

competencies. Language documentation practices mainly focus on documenting a single,

ancestral code, and much is still left to be done on documenting the language use of multilingual
speakers and communities. For example, while dialect is a technical linguistic jargon that refers

to a lect or a variety in a specific geographic area, for the layman, the term has negative

connotations and can thus be problematic when used as a label.

SYNTHESIS: However, the sociolinguistic settings that underpin many multilingual

communities, especially small-scale ones, are very fragile. The Philippines is considered a

language hotspot, which means there is a relatively high level of language endangerment coupled

with a high level of linguistic diversity. Linguistic diversity is not simply a linguistic issue as

there are political and cultural ideologies that are associated with it.

The linguistic styles such as code-switching, the language of religion, polite expressions,

and positive tone reflected the distinct ways of expressing ideas. Moreover, the other linguistic

elements, including deictics, the generic pronoun ‘all,’ and addition and reiteration, strengthened

clarity and inclusiveness in the discourse. In conclusion, linguistic features in the conference

messages were instrumental in constructing a clear, interactive, inclusive, religious, polite, and

positive linguistic identity. Language, as a form of expression, links identity. Language gives

shape to the images of identity. It serves as a site of identity construction. Reference in cited that

some aspects of identity are constructed for humans while others construct themselves through

linguistic development and language use, which is called linguistic identity.

SYNTHESIS: This study explored the structure of the conference messages, examined the

linguistic features that characterized a certain group of writers, and explained how identity gets

constructed using linguistic features. The messages are revealed to be structured in an

introduction-conference details-closing structure, which resembles a linear writing pattern. The

linguistic features characterized such as the lexical bundles provided immediate clues that serve

as essential means in facilitating discourse processing and producing with ease.

Filipinos are wordsmiths, which is why jargon and colloquialisms exist. These

colloquialisms, which incorporate terms from English and Spanish, are used in informal talks.

These colloquialisms are classified as Textspeak, Swardspeak, Conyo, and Datkilab and are

widely used on social networking sites. These colloquialisms complicate the Filipino language,

confusing those who are unfamiliar with it. To standardize and understand these colloquialisms,

machine translators were created utilizing Google Tensorflow's sequence-to-sequence model and

Moses, a high-performance machine translation tool. Two machine translation approaches, the

TensorFlow sequence-to-sequence model and Moses' phrase-based statistical machine

translation, were employed to address Filipino colloquialisms. Moses produced higher

translations on test data, with the highest BLEU score of 79.91, whereas TensorFlow only scored

14.67. Despite its lower scores, TensorFlow achieved 85.88 BLEU on training data, nearly

matching Moses' 95.27. Both techniques demonstrated naturalness in translated sentences, but

Moses provided more natural translations. Future research should involve adding more examples

from various colloquialisms, increasing training time, investigating sequence-to-sequence model

setups, creating a customized GUI for translators, and integrating with other natural language

processing tools.

SYNTHESIS: Filipinos use colloquialisms, jargon, and terms from English and Spanish in

informal conversations. To standardize and understand these colloquialisms, machine translators

were created using Google Tensorflow's sequence-to-sequence model and Moses' phrase-based
statistical machine translation. Moses produced higher translations, but TensorFlow achieved a

higher BLEU score. Future research should include more colloquialism examples, longer

training times, and integration with other natural language processing tools.

CHAPTER III

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

This chapter refers to the method by which the research was undertaken. This section

shows the research design, respondents of the study, data gathering instrument, data gathering

procedure, and data analysis.

I. Research Design

This study aims to explore descriptive research design used as a research method that

describes the characteristics of the population that is being studied. The research design is

interested in how a given event is understood, interpreted, experienced, and produced (Glesne,

2016).To compare the colloquialisms between the Ilocano and Tagalog in the community of Taps

Alicia, the researchers will collect data using qualitative methodologies. In order to make

inferences about two groups, the comparative study design compares them (Richardson, 2018).
 As a primary approach, qualitative research involves gathering and analyzing non-

numerical data, such as text, video, or audio to better understand ideas, opinions, or experiences

in a way that uncovers complex details about a situation (Bhandari, 2022, cited in Ugwu & Eze,

2023). This fragmented understanding and varied ways in which qualitative research is

conceived, synthesized, and presented have a myriad of implications in demonstrating and

enhancing the utilization of its findings and the ways and skills required to transform knowledge

gained from it.

Thus, the practice of qualitative research has expanded to clinical settings because

empirical approaches have proven to be inadequate in answering questions related to human

subjectivity where interpretation is involved. This encouraged the researcher to stay focused on

the established research goals.

II. Respondents of the Study

The research will aim to identify the colloquial words and expressions used by the Grade

11 senior high school students in a face to face interview and questioning. There will be three

strands in this study. Participants will be recruited by the researchers through simple random

sampling technique. There will be a total of two-hundred eighty-four respondents that will take

part in the study, consisting of 16-17 year old, female and male respondents, since some of the

students are a part of the linguistic community and use Ilokano and Tagalog to communicate.

Inclusion criteria will include 16-17 year old, Grade 11 students of TAPS Alicia, while exclusion

criteria will comprise of not Grade 11 students and 16 below.

III. Research Instruments

In order to collect data relevant to the study, the researchers will conduct an

unstandardized interview with the respondents. In a one-to-one unstandardized or non-directive

interview, the researchers will gather information by posing general, open-ended questions

related to the research topic to the participant, who responds by having a discussion about a

particular subject. The interview proceeds in accordance with the participant’s responses; there is

no set answer to the questions. (Moyle, 2002.) An interview guide may be used, however it

usually consists of themes rather than particular questions. The researchers will use a simple

random sampling technique in order to draw samples from the population of Grade 11 students.

There will be a total of two-hundred eighty-four (284) respondents who will serve as a part of the

data-gathering process. This instrument will be used by the researchers in order to collect the

functions and Ilocano and Tagalog words of the colloquial language of Grade 11 students of the

Top Achiever’s Private School.

IV. Data Gathering Procedure

Interviews serve as a major method for gathering qualitative data which allows the

freedom of the respondent’s experiences, perspectives, and opinions. The said interviews will be

audio-recorded with the respondent’s consent. Moreover, this audio will be encoded to the paper

without any paraphrasing or falsification. Observation will be conducted to gather live data from

the respondent’s actions, behaviors, and their way of communication. Additionally, this will be

documented mainly by taking down notes and video recordings. Analyzing something entails

disassembling it into its component pieces, inspecting and comprehending them, and then

reassembling those parts in a form that makes sense to you.

V. Data Analysis

The data of this study will be collected through interviews, observations, and analyses of

conversations among Grade 11 students of TAPS Alicia. The data of which the researchers will

gather focuses on identifying colloquial words and expressions used by the Ilokano and Tagalog

speakers within the Grade 11 community, and how the students of TAPS Alicia use the colloquial

manner in their daily conversations. The method that will be used is Qualitative Descriptive

Research. Qualitative descriptive research generates data that describe the ‘who, what, and

where’ of events or experiences from a subjective perspective (Kim et al., 2017, p. 23).