Philippine English and commodity formation

Abstract

AbstractThis article aims to expand the scope of Philippine English studies by investigating the viability of Philippine English as a resource for the contestation of the global–local interface, a perspective that remains understudied in Philippine English studies. We do this by analysing the language of t‐shirts that creatively reappropriate global brands into the local domain, demonstrating the dynamics of t‐shirt production and consumption in the Philippines. Our analysis shows that the use of Philippine English in these products can be viewed as a commodified resource for the expression of local sensibilities amidst the dominance of global consumerism. However, while this reappropriation can be viewed as a form of local expression, it is not devoid of ideological complexities. Although the linguistic market of pop culture provides people with opportunities to contest the global–local dichotomy, it may still tacitly reflect or reinforce structures of linguistic inequality.