Learning a language, by itself, is a complex process. The components of language include a lexicon, phonological sounds, as well as grammar. Language is one of the key elements that sets humans apart from different animals. It is, by definition, "a form or manner of verbal expression." ("Language," n.d., Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The group dissected four different articles relating to language with the purpose of studying the message being shared by each one. The articles are as follows: Pedagogy: Teaching Practices of American Colonial Educators in the Philippines by Isabel Pefianco Martin, Technology and Language Learning: Exposure to TV and Radio News and Speaking Proficiency by Taher Bahrani and Shu Sim Tam, Literature for the Twenty-first Century: Developing Multimodality and Entrepreneurial Skills through Literature-Based Assessments by Melissa Shamini Perry, and English as the Language of Trade, Finance, and Technology in APEC: An East Asia Perspective by Dorothea C. Lazaro and Erlinda M. Medalla. 

      To start off, the article Pedagogy: Teaching Practices of American Colonial Educators in the Philippines by Isabel Pefianco Martin shared how the Filipinos tend to forget their own language, which is also a reflection of their culture. It talked about how the American colonizers were creating their own cultural clones by implementing colonial pedagogy in the Philippines. The group was able to identify new ideas such as how colonial pedagogy was one of the first steps as to why Filipinos started to forget about their past. The article imparted how English was introduced during the American colonization as well as its teaching methods, such as reading American literary pieces that promoted the American colonization. 

      As Filipinos, we have our own language which is Filipino. Each and every language is equal because its purpose is to reflect the culture of the country it represents, but truth be told, our language isn't as widely used as compared to other languages, which is why smaller countries, such as ours, result to learning a secondary language. The second article was Technology and Language Learning: Exposure to TV and Radio News and Speaking Proficiency by Taher Bahrani and Shu Sim Tam, which shared how exposing oneself to news over the television or radio had a correlation to one's speaking proficiency. The research led to an experiment that successfully proved its claim. It made the readers realize that listening to television and radio news could actually unconsciously help a person improve their language proficiency. 

      Another way to improve one's skills in a language is by reading. Reading literary pieces plays a huge role in language learning, but the article Literature for the Twenty-first Century: Developing Multimodality and Entrepreneurial Skills through Literature-Based Assessments by Melissa Shamini Perry argued about how literature could be used to develop twenty-first century skills such as creativity, innovation, critical thinking skills and et cetera. The article used Shakespeare's Macbeth to ask students to design its merchandise. The students were able to come up with fascinating ideas and designs that they generated from the literary piece. Literature actually plays a deeper role. It shares the stories of various cultures, people, ideas, and the like. It can influence people for the greater good and it can be used to foster creativity and feed one's imagination. Literature-based assessments develops multi-modality and entrepreneurial skills. The article above not only shares a method of language learning but also how this form of learning languages can be used to learn other skills.

      English, as we know it, is also the most widely used language among all the countries in the world. Majority of the countries have English as their first language whilst others have English taught in schools in order to prepare the nation's citizens to become globally competitive. The article English as the Language of Trade, Finance, and Technology in APEC: An East Asia Perspective by Dorothea C. Lazaro and Erlinda M. Medalla talked about how English is dominating the world for almost a third of the world is able to understand or speak the English language. English is being used for cross-border communication these days whether it be for trade or any other reason. Learning English is said to have a lot of advantages because it prepares a person to be globally competitive. This is why in order for a nation to develop, they must encourage the internalization of English as a second language, because it is the language of trade. English became the de facto lingua franca of diplomacy which means that English became the medium of communication for those who do not share the same native language.

      The four articles relate with each other in a way that it talks about language, learning a language, and English as a language. The articles were strategically ordered in a way that it first, explained how the English language came to be in the Philippines through the colonial pedagogy during the American colonization. It shared how the Americans imposed their teaching methods onto the Filipinos. On the same page as learning the English language, the second article talked about how language proficiency can be developed through listening to television and radio news. It imparted a new method of learning which was efficient and helpful to those people who want to learn a new language. Sure enough, reading literary pieces is the standard method to learn a new language, but the third article also shared how these literary pieces can be used to develop new ideas and concepts allowing its readers to attain new skills. It develops multi-modality and entrepreneurial skills which are pertinent to the dawn of the twenty-first century. Last but not the least, the fourth article emphasized the importance of the English language for it is the language that serves as the medium of communication to the world. To reiterate, these articles showed how English was imposed in the Philippines, how it can be further enhanced through news, how literature not only serves as a form of language learning but also serves other purposes, and to exhibit the importance of the English language in the present time.

      As Filipinos, it was helpful to know how the Filipinos came to be what we are today. Learning our roots is part of gratifying our culture. It helps to learn about how colonial pedagogy has affected the development of Filipinos for it shows the reason as to why English had a huge influence on the Filipino language.

       As time goes on, we are required to be able to compete globally with other countries. This includes being able to speak different languages. Mastering a language is never easy; it may take up to years, but the article proposed a solution that is not commonly used in order to improve one's proficiency. It will definitely be useful for the youth especially because of globalization. It is not only relevant to language learners, but also to educational institutions as a method of teaching a language more effectively and efficiently.

      The article about how literature breeds new skills is pretty much self-explanatory. It helps us in a way that it promotes a holistic type of education regardless of the the field of expertise you want to specialize in. It provides a more concrete example of the world. It opens new doors, connects bridges, fosters new ideas and concepts. In a way, it does encourage us to start appreciating the benefits of reading literary pieces.

      With the knowledge that English is the most widely used medium serves as some sort of motivation to enhance our English proficiency. Being able to see how our trials in learning the language now will end in full bloom once the time comes, makes us more motivated and inspired to focus on learning the language more thoroughly. We would like to be able to live comfortably in a globally competitive and dynamic world, which is why valuing the education given to us in our schools is essential. It opened our eyes to see the value of what we're doing now and how it can help us in our future endeavors.

      To end, it would be nice to put it out there that learning a new language is both a skill and a challenge. It is never easy but having learned more than one language is an accomplishment by itself. Learning a language enables you to open doors to new possibilities, new cultures, connecting with new people, attaining new insights, and so much more. A common misconception is that learning a new language only allows you to communicate, but the truth is that the whole process of learning a new language can also help you develop new skills. It gives out a wide array of possibilities and it will definitely help you in the dynamic world. With that said, we'd like to ask about you. Having read this entire essay, are you up for the challenge?