Report on Tollefson's Revolutionary Language Policy

• The article by Tollefson illustrates how language becomes a gate-keeper and how language is used in the stratification of society particularly in the Philippines.  It also shows that there's not much change in the language policy of the Commonwealth era towards the Marcos administration towards the Aquino administration.  Indeed, there has always been a compromise between the "elites" and those in government as to what language policy should be enforced in the country.
• Tollefson operates from a Marxist point of view in this article--essentially, he sees language policy as a big deal as to why the Philippines has not progressed (i.e. took off) from its current state of poverty.  It is also essential to note that critically, those in power would not want lose that power by letting loose those who are displaced by the language barrier; giving people equal access to opportunities by changing the language policy (i.e. giving other Philippine languages official status) makes those who are good in English (most of whom belong to the "elites") lose their edge over others.   It 'sis also true that language and language skills are basically "commodified", and this process has been perpetuated in the guise of BPO's and tourism.
• However, from another vantage point, we have agreed in our discussion that changing the language policy alone will not solve the inequalities prevalent in our country.  For T iollefson, it seems that it is, but we believe it isn't.  To date, no country in the expanding circle of World Englishes (Kachru's) that made significant strides by making English an official language really made it to the top economically by changing their language policies alone.  China, Japan, and Korea did not give English an official status in their countries yet they made great economic progress.  Indeed, it is not by resolving the language policy alone that the woes of the Philippines might be reversed.  Though, we think it might be the first step.
• We (Prixie & Oliver) decided not to vote for the son of the president of the administration succeeding Marcos because instead of providing a solution, the problem was perpetuated by making a compromise with the elites.  :-D