English and identity performance in Filipino vlogs

ABSTRACT

Using Moody’s framework for understanding the authority and authenticity of performative English in popular culture, this article describes and analyzes the features and uses of the English deployed in the YouTube vlogs of the top three Filipino content creators in 2021. The article also looks into how the performance of English in the vlogs contributed to the identities which were also performed by the vloggers. From the analysis, it is evident that the vloggers use both exonormative and endonormative varieties of English. These varieties are also deployed translingually with their linguistic features blending and interacting with the features of Tagalog-based Filipino, the country’s national language and other semiotic elements like non-verbal cues and sounds used as special effects. Their flexible use of English also contributes to their identity performance as vloggers and this may provide them greater opportunities to negotiate further their self-expression and representation in their vlogs.

KEYWORDS:

• Popular culture
• vlogging
• authority
• authenticity
• identity performance

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.