Francisco is 2024 Danilo T. Dayag Memorial Lecturer

The Linguistic Society of the Philippines has announced that the featured speaker for the 2024 Danilo T. Dayag Memorial Lecture is Dr. Agnes C. Francisco of Cavite State University. To commemorate the event, Dr. Francisco will give the lecture entitled The Ethnolinguistic Vitality of Isnag, Isneg Yapayao, and Itneg Tingguian in Ilocos Norte: Assessing Determinants of Language Maintenance and Shift.

This hybrid lecture is FREE and will happen on March 16, 2024 (Saturday) at 10 AM to 12 PM. Here are ways to participate:

Onsite

Natividad Fajardo-Rosario Gonzalez Auditorium, 18/F Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall, De La Salle University, Manila

Online

Via Zoom: Meeting Link

Meeting ID: 258 806 2425

Password: DEAL

Via Facebook Livestream

Official Facebook Page of DLSU Department of English & Applied Linguistics (wait for updates on the day of the event)

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The Ethnolinguistic Vitality of Isnag, Isneg Yapayao, and Itneg Tingguian in Ilocos Norte: Assessing Determinants of Language Maintenance and Shift

Dr. Agnes C. Francisco

Abstract

This study aims to assess the ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) of indigenous communities in Ilocos Norte—Isnag in Carasi, Isneg Yapayao in Dumalneg, and Itneg Tingguian in Nueva Era. Espoused by the concepts of Giles, Bourhis, and Taylor (1977) on objective EV, and Bourhis, et al.’s (1981) subjective EV, contributing factors towards the overall vitality level of the three L1 communities were identified. Findings revealed that the Isnag and Itneg Tingguian remain strong as speakers prefer to use their L1 in both controlled and non-controlled domains. Isneg, on the other hand, is likely to veer away from its maintenance due to its limited roles in the different communicative domains. The demographics of the L1 speakers, particularly on the absolute number of speakers and their distribution, remarkably indicate high objective vitality. Nonetheless, these L1 communities highly regard that continuous support from the government, socio-political prestige, and socio-economic status are great indicators of language vitality. Continued institutional support, particularly on media and education, helps shape the cultural repertoire of these cultural minorities, which in turn, poses higher level of self- assurance and esteem for the speakers to maintain their language and their community. The perception of these L1 speakers that their language will be maintained in many years to come seems relevant. While their objective vitality was found to be medium, availability of resources in the community at present and in the near future such as cultural activities, actual language use in different domains, socio-economic resources, and high sense of ethnic identity and belongingness encompass the L1 speakers’ belief on the vitality and maintenance of their language despite a high degree of pressure from the Ilocano-speaking community. Owing to such positive linguistic beliefs, the likelihood for these communities to survive, together with their language and culture, is not far from reality. The effort from the speakers themselves could eventually help their L1 to survive.

Bionote

Dr. Agnes Catalan-Francisco is Associate Professor V of Cavite State University (CvSU), Main Campus. She finished her PhD in Applied Linguistics at De La Salle University, Manila; her Master of Arts in Education with specialization in English Language Teaching at Philippine Normal University, Manila, and her Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English, minor in Social Studies at Mariano Marcos State University, Ilocos Norte.

She is currently the Director of the Knowledge Management Center of CvSU, a faculty of the Department of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences, and a lecturer at the Graduate School and Open Learning College of the same university.

She is particularly inclined to researches in sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, Philippine languages, and contrastive rhetoric.

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About the DTD Memorial Lecture

The Danilo T. Dayag Memorial Lecture is co-hosted by the Linguistic Society of the Philippines (LSP) and the Department of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL) of the Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education, De La Salle University.

The DTD Memorial Lecture was established on March 17, 2016, and is managed by the Department of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL) to honor a distinguished scholar, linguist, mentor, and longtime LSP board member and PJL editor.