English language as smart-shaming in the classrooms

Smart-shaming is a social and academic phenomenon, evident in the classrooms, which are supposed to be a safe learning spaces for the students’ intellectual pursuit while the English language, a medium of instruction and connotes intelligence in the Philippines, becomes the correlating arena for such behavior. This research aims to investigate smart-shaming in the Philippine classrooms, with a particular focus on how proficiency in English language is often used as a tool for marginalization and ridicule. Drawing on the qualitative data gathered from the interviews, survey, and classroom observations, this research examines the smart-shaming words used in the classrooms, the root causes of smart-shaming, and how it affects the students’ engagement and social skills. The study identifies specific words that are being used in smart-shaming such as “bida-bida” (acting like the main character), “edi wow!” (term used to invalidate someone's intellectual perspective), “ikaw na! or ikaw na magaling!” (sarcastic term for ‘you're the best!’), and “sipsip!” (teacher-pleaser) that are commonly used to denigrate classmates who speak using the English language in the class. Furthermore, the study identified the root causes of smart-shaming including students’ own feelings of insecurity, social pressure to academic expectations, and a general disdain for those who excel academically. The research also explores the effects of smart-shaming on students’ engagement and social skills, finding that those who are targeted by smart-shaming may be less likely to participate in class discussions or engage with their peers, leading to lack of intellectual and social development.