Cebu Normal University Osmea Bouleverd, Cebu City

The Syntactic Similarities and Differences of the Chabakano and Spanish Language
A Research Proposal Submitted to

Ms. Janice Gabayan

Faculty of the English and Literature Cebu Normal University Cebu City

By Batomalaque, James Rocamora, Mariah Jamie Ubas, Juraphiel

CHAPTER I PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

RATIONALE

People travel, and so does language. According to Wikipedia, language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication. Language is found and spoken in many places and countries. Language may vary according to a group of people in a certain place. It may also vary according to its culture. Thus, language is very broad, complex and unique. One of the languages is Spanish, also known as Castillan, is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century, and gradually spread into other places or countries in Latin America, Mexico, Spain, some parts in Italy and other parts in Europe.It was also used in the Philippines during the Spanish colonization, where most Spanish words are still used nowadays. Of course, it was a great spread to our languages here in the Philippines. And because Spanish spread its strong and influential language, it gave the birth of some local languages here in the Philippines. One of those is Chabakano. Chavakano or chabakano originated from the Spanish word chabacano, which means poor taste, vulgar, common, or coarse. During the Spanish colonial period, it was called by the Spanish-speaking population as the lenguaje del calle (language

of the street), or lenguaje de cocina (kitchen languagein Spanish to refer to the Chabakano spoken by Cinese-Filipinos of Manila, particularly in Ermita) to distinguish it from the Spanish language spoken by the peninsulares, insulare, mestizos, or the elite class called the illustrados. Chabacano sometimes referred to by the linguists as Philippine Creole Spanish. Most Chabakano words are common with Andalusian Spanish, but there are many words borrowed from a Native American language called Nahuati, which arent found in Andalusian Spanish. Chanakanos grammar is mostly based on other Philippine languages, primarily Ilonggo, Tagalog, Cebuano and Zambuangeo. Chabakano language spread in Cavite (particularly in Ternate and Ermita) and Zamboanga.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The goal of this research is to enumerate and analyze the similarities and differences of the Chabakano and the Spanish language in a syntactic point of view. Moreover, it will answer the following questions below:

1. What are the common syntactic structures of the Spanish language? 2. What are the common syntactic structures of the Chabakano language? 3. What are the syntactic similarities of the Chabakano and Spanish language? 4. What are the syntactic differences of the Chabakano and Spanish language?

THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

This study on the effectiveness was primarily anchored on the linguistic independence Theory develop by Jim Cummings (11979). He is also called: Iceberg Theory which states that skills in the first language (L1) will aid in developing skills in the second language. While some researchers had been conducted on this topic with the syntactic relationships of Spanish and Chabakano for both oral and written language skills, the main objective of this study was focused on the inter-language similarities and differences of Chabakano Spanish. Similarly, the Second Language Acquisition Theory states that when a student is acquiring a second language (L2) in his native language, there are certain norms in pronunciation and syntax that may differ from those of the second language and interfere with his or her use of the new language. On the other hand, native language literacy and cognitive development in the native language will help a person to learn and make a new language by transferring of concepts and structures from one language and applying then to the new one. This study is also anchored on the idea that proficiency in second language refers to ones competence in communicating and conveying ideas realistically, meaningfully and effectively in a given situation whether written or oral. Likewise, considerable affective/emotional factors play a very vital role in the proficiency of the sec0ond language. This particular factor is known as Emotional Intelligence. The insights are shared by noted language experts, behaviorists and educators who believe

that language proficiency is not only competence at one certain aspect , like grammar and structure alone, but also in other language components (Krashen, et. a,l1989). The theory of Second Language Acquisition of Krashen (1988) says that acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target languagenatural

communication wherein not only with the firm of utterances but with the message they are conveying and understanding. According to Hatch (1983) in his findings, a learners capacity in Second Language Acquisition is relatively in terms of cognitive skills and styles. Personal and general factors have social, cognitive and affective aspects. Social aspects focus on the relationship between the learner and the other speakers of his own language (Bailey, 1983). Chomsky (1964), adheres to the principles of theory of construction in which a child discovers the theory of his language with only small amounts of data from that language. The child uses language universals that he acquires at birth to construct hypotheses and test these features of his own language. This means that from a foreign language, a person can get small amount of structure on it, to make a new language in addition to his native language. The interactive theory reality in language acquisition, Wells (1929) considered the importance of the social environment in which language is acquired and the interaction that takes place between children and adults. A child acquires language through hid innate competence, his exposure in school through which can modify his use of language-and later make another language. Bloomfield (1972) says that the tendency of language throughout the early centuries of human civilization, a tribal groups broke up into subdivisions and migrated,

was to split again and again into dialects that in time become mutually incomprehensible.

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

LANGUAGE

Spanish Language

Chabakano Language

Syntactic Structure

Syntactic Differences

Syntactic Similarities

SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS

This study is confined in Cebu Normal University and in Angar Basak, LapuLapu City, from November 2011 March 2012. During the investigation of this study,

three (3) citizens from Angar Basak, Lapu-Lapu City and some students from Cebu Normal University were the respondents of this study. The Syntactic Differences and Similarities of Chabakano and Spanish based on grammar, vocabulary, and word formation are the target of this investigation.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is intended to provide information to the public about the Syntactic Differences and Similarities between Chabakano and Spanish language. Specifically, the results of this study will be beneficial to students, local residents, future researchers, and local history instructors. Students. This study will help the student especially language students because it will help them know the Syntactic Differences and Similarities of Chabakano and Spanish language. Local Residents. They will know that Spanish and Chabakano language has the similarities and differences of their respective grammars in a syntactic way. Future Researchers and Local History Instructors. If they will study the syntactic differences and similarities of Chabakano and Spanish language, then this output will be very useful to them because it will give them some information, which aid them in understanding the history and the culture of both languages.

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

Nunan (1999) articulates contemporary views on learning when he states that education must focus on the learners emphasize their participation in the learning process. Research conducted shows that opportunities to use the second language are rare. Traditionally, the focus of research in Second Language Acquisition has been primarily on issues such as language pedagogy, contents of pedagogical instruction and ways to improve those (Shamas, 2006). Second Language Acquisition researchers have long been aware that second language learning is often associated with affective factors and have been recognize as important predators of second language performance (Wei, 1999).

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

RESEARCH DESIGN

This is a qualitative survey research which made use of the descriptive method to gather pertinent data and information which were analyzed and understood as to what extant affect factors influence second language learning. To gather data on the grammar structures of Spanish and Chabakano, with its syntactic similarities and

differences on their respective language, an interview of the respondents was done. The interview utilized a prepared set of questions of formal, informal, and intimate topics that further measure the respondents fluency, linguistic competence and organization of ideas. RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

This study was conducted at Cebu Normal University (CNU), a premier teachereducation university in Cebu City providing teacher-education training in both Bachelor of Elementary Education and Bachelor of Secondary Education. There are three colleges in the university. These olleges are the College of Teacher Education (CTE), the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and the College of Nursing (CN). A large part of the universitys population is basically comprised of students coming from different towns of Cebu and its neighboring islands.

RESEARCH RESPONDENTS

Students who had took up the Spanish subject, Mr. Crisanto Toledo, a Spanish professor, and three (3) people who use Chabakano as a medium for communication were the main subjects of the study. This research made up of an interview: formal, informal, and has intimate questions to further measure the respondents ideas about the research. Five (5) students who had took up the Spanish subject and Mr. Crisanto Toledo were chosen as respondents with the assumption that they have more knowledge of

using Spanish language, whether it is written or spoken. The three (3) people who lived in Angar Basak, Lapu-Lapu City were selected as the respondents with the knowledge of using the Chabakano language, whether it is written or spoken.

RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

To determine the eligibility of the respondents for this study, an interview was used wherein there were three types of interview namely: formal, informal and the intimate type of interview. The interview for cognitive style presented questions that would tell if the respondent had the knowledge of certain language.

DATA GATHERING TECHNIQUES

This study made use of an interview requiring about three minutes of each person/respondent interviewed. The interview was admonished in the respondents time. To gather the information, the answer of the respondents were profiled after each respond were assured that the use of their respective answers will be strictly confidential and will truly be utilized for the purpose of the interpretation of the studys results.