Analysis of English Literature in India and the Philippines in Terms of the Use of Native Expressions : Similarities and Differences

Abstract

Non-native English literature is highly important as one register in which the varieties of English are used and developed, and non-English expressions used in them are strong markers of the local cultures. In this paper, the use of such expressions by Indian and Filipino authors in their English works is analyzed, after a brief contrastive description of the history and present situation of English and its literature in these two countries. Non-English expressions extracted from 64 works are analyzed in two ways: the authors’ techniques for their use, and their semantic and functional categories. The results show the fairly high similarity between both literatures, indicating the existence of common areas which tend to be conveyed in non-English expressions. They also suggest that among such areas, the authors’ techniques for using these expressions are largely dependent on semantic and functional categories. Meanwhile, the differences reveal the strong impact of the historical differences in the role of English and its literature in the respective countries.