Understanding inequalities of Philippine English in job interviews

Abstract The job interview is an illustrative encounter where inequalities in relation to Philippine English can be apprehended. Drawing on the reported experiences of ten job gatekeepers from various institutions, this study examines the complex ways job candidates are accepted and rejected on the basis of their spoken languages. The findings are as follows: First, there are normative varieties privileged by gatekeepers in the job interview. Access to these languages is shaped by social class and ethnolinguistic membership. Consequently, candidates were rejected because they could not speak languages that gatekeepers regarded as legitimate. It is also found that interview decisions were influenced by local and global markets, which are themselves outcomes of globalization and capitalism. Based on these findings, two suggestions are made to further understand the ways Philippine English (re)produces inequalities. The first is a rethinking of its emancipatory effects and the second concerns the politics of recognition in Philippine English studies.