ANI 2024 Showcases Insights on Navigating Language and Literature in the Digital Age

By Bea Faye Eumague and Andrea Ross Sedero

Exploring how technology bridges the teaching and preservation of Philippine language and literature, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology’s (MSU-IIT) Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan fronted ANI 2024: Ika-8 na Simposyum sa Pananaliksik at Pagtuturo ng Filipino at Panitikan via Facebook Live on Wednesday, November 6.

With the theme, “Digital Filipino: Transcending Technology Towards Research and Teaching Language and Literature”, the event featured four distinguished professionals in the field from various academic institutions in the Philippines.

Department Chairperson Dr. Danilyn Abingosa welcomed participants in her opening message, highlighting the symposium’s primary aim of ‘harvesting’ and sharing insights on new trends in language and literature studies. “Hindi lamang [para] sa mga estudyante kundi maging sa mga guro at iskolar mula sa iba’t ibang institusyon sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng serye ng mga lektyur,” she added.

Dr. Rosario Reserva, Director of WE CARE, and Dr. Marie Joy D. Banawa, Dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), also delivered meaningful messages during the event, voicing out their strong support for ANI’s advocacy.

Hannah A. Leceña, MAEd, a faculty member from Philippine High School for the Arts in Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna, and author of Jonas: Nobela Sa Wikang Sebwano (2022), delivered the symposium’s first lecture entitled, “Pagtuturo ng Malikhaing Pagsulat Sa Panahong Digital.”

Her discussion explored the evolving process of teaching creative writing in the digital age, emphasizing the need to understand students’ contexts—who they are, what they read, the formats they prefer, and their motivations for reading literature. Leceña asserted that today’s literature is inseparable from the digital landscape, stressing the need for fellow teachers to keep pace with these shifts.

Teaching creative writing, she suggested, is more than just assigning topics; it is a collaborative journey, akin to climbing a mountain together, where the teacher guides students through each step of the creative process.

Johnel T. Lumacao, MA, a Special Science Teacher 4 at Philippine Science High School (PSHS) - Southern Mindanao Campus, presented the second lecture of the symposium entitled, “Mga Paraan sa Pag-aaral ng Machine Translation (MT),” delving into the development and challenges of machine translation in the Philippines.

Covering topics such as the history of MT, its current state in the Philippines, and various methods in studying MT, Lumacao outlined a comprehensive approach to understanding MT. He discussed the limitations of current MT systems, like Google Translate and ChatGPT, which can capture basic lexicon but struggle with semantics, providing only literal translations. Lumacao also highlighted significant challenges in MT research, including the lack of parallel corpora, funding, and the complexity of the Filipino language.

Addressing the implications for education, he noted MT’s potential to assist in translating vast amounts of documents; however, he warned that this convenience can also lead to a decline in interest in traditional translation, diminishing the creativity put into the work of translation as a whole.

When asked if MT could replace human translators, Lumacao argued otherwise, citing that translation is both an art and a science. He emphasized that machine translations lack the creative artistry and contextual depth that only expert human translators can provide; an irreplaceable value of human evaluation in translation.

Prof. Janus Ruel T. Cabazares, MA, a faculty member of the Departamento ng Agham Panlipunan at the University of the Philippines (UP) - Mindanao, discussed the third lecture of the symposium. A researcher in language and culture, cognitive linguistics, and semantics, his presentation was entitled, “Linggwistikang Antropolohiya sa Pilipinas sa Panahon ng Automatang Pangwika: Pagtalakay sa ilang mga Direksyong Tinatahak ni Paul Kockelman.”

Drawing on the work of the linguistic anthropologist, Prof. Cabazares shared how artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models like ChatGPT, impacts the study of language and culture in anthropology by blurring the line between simple tools and active participants in meaning-making.

He highlighted Kockelman’s idea of “mediators”—tools that do more than relay information by actively shaping meaning—and suggested that AI challenges these traditional boundaries, prompting questions about the nature of AI-generated language and how this technological shift has reshaped research approaches in the field.

Gretchen Lyn Shien Ramas-Gabutan, MA, a Filipino teacher and coordinator for the Special Program in Journalism (SPJ) at Tangub City National High School, presented the last lecture of the symposium entitled “(Bis) Di (Dak) Tika: Pagtawa Bilang Protesta.”

She emphasized that in Filipino culture, laughter not only helps people cope during tough times but also serves as a way to protest and comment on social issues. The rise of digital media has further enhanced this purpose of humor, making it a powerful tool for expression and critique.

Platforms like Facebook have provided a space for the Bisaya community to express their identity, culture, and share their daily experiences. Ramas-Gabutan specifically cited the page Bisaya Funny Quotes as a prime example of how media has helped showcase and reflect the character, values, and culture of communities, in this case, the Bisaya people.

Beyond entertainment, she added that the page has become a platform for social commentary, addressing various aspects of the Bisaya community’s identity and culture. It critiques social behaviors through creatively-written candid remarks and by maintaining a sprinkle of humor, their posts remain lighthearted yet also real at the same time.

Asst. Prof. Loi Vincent Deriada, Director of ANI 2024, closed the symposium with a message, voicing out the need to adapt to the digital times in order to provide space for the field of teaching, learning, research, and extension to thrive.

“Ang patuloy na pakikipag-ugnayan ng Departamento sa pagbibigay serbisyo sa publiko ay isang commitment upang sabay na uunlad ang bawat guro sa alinmang nagpapadalubhasa sa wika at panitikan sa usapin at konteksto ng mga pananaliksik at pagtuturo,” he added.

He stressed that this is a crucial time for using language to document and preserve our culture, with literature reflecting the community's resilience and hope.

“This is what ANI wants: ang bigyan ng katuturan ang mga wika at halaga ng wika, bigyang imahe sa lantad na pananaw ang panitikan. Asahan niyo po, sa susunod na taon, ang ANI 2025 dito sa MSU-IIT, buhay po ang wika, buhay po ang panitikan. At maaasahan na itong ANI ay hindi gawain kundi pagbibigay buhay sa halaga ng wika at panitikan,” Asst. Prof. Deriada emphasized.

With insightful lectures from experts, ANI 2024: Ika-8 na Simposyum sa Pananaliksik at Pagtuturo ng Filipino at Panitikan echoed the importance of embracing technological advancements to enhance research and teaching, while also improving the preservation of language and literature.