LET Review · General Education English · Topic 2 · 2 of 16
Communication and globalization
How globalization and ICT reshape communication, the uses and risks of social media, Philippine OFW, BPO and online examples, and the habits of a responsible digital citizen.
What the board asks
Items on communication and globalization rarely ask for dates or statistics. They ask you to name a concept, to tell two close terms apart, and to apply a concept to a classroom, school or community scenario. Expect a teacher, a learner or a Filipino worker in a short situation, followed by "which concept applies?" or "what is the best action?".
- Globalization: growing interconnection of countries and peoples. Three dimensions: economic (goods, services, money, jobs), political (governments cooperating through agreements and groups such as the United Nations and ASEAN) and cultural (ideas, media, food, music and values spreading and mixing).
- Global village: Marshall McLuhan, 1960s; a world drawn together by electronic media. "The medium is the message": the form of a medium shapes how we think and relate, not just the content.
- Lingua franca: a common language between speakers with different mother tongues (often English). Code-switching: moving between languages within a conversation; a normal multilingual skill.
- Synchronous / asynchronous: real-time contact / contact at different times.
- Cultural effects: homogenization (cultures grow alike), hybridization (cultures blend into something new), glocalization (a global product adapted to local conditions).
- ICT: digital tools for creating, storing and sharing information. Digital divide: the gap between those with access and skills and those without.
- Social media functions: information, connection, advocacy, business (also learning and entertainment).
- Risks: misinformation, disinformation, clickbait, phishing, privacy loss, digital footprint, cyberbullying.
- Digital citizenship: responsible, ethical and safe use of technology. Netiquette: polite online behaviour. Plagiarism: presenting another person's work as your own.
- Laws by name and number: RA 10173 is the Data Privacy Act of 2012; RA 10175 is the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Exam alert. Four pairs are swapped most often. (1) Misinformation is false but shared without intent to deceive; disinformation is deliberate. (2) The global village is about connection, not equality: the digital divide still leaves people out. (3) RA 10173 is the Data Privacy Act and RA 10175 is Cybercrime: the numbers are one apart, so memorize them as pairs. (4) A passive footprint is collected without your posting; an active one is what you share on purpose.
Must-know contrasts
| Pair | How to tell them apart | Typical scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Misinformation / disinformation | Intent: unknowing sharing versus deliberate deception. | Learners forward an outdated warning (mis); a page invents a story for clicks (dis). |
| Synchronous / asynchronous | Same time versus different times. | A live video call versus a recorded lesson and discussion board. |
| Homogenization / hybridization | Cultures become alike versus cultures blend into something new. | Worry that local customs vanish versus a Filipino artist mixing hip-hop with Filipino lyrics. |
| Hybridization / glocalization | Mixing of cultural forms versus adapting a global product to local tastes. | New music style versus rice meals on a foreign chain's menu. |
| Active / passive footprint | Shared on purpose versus collected without posting. | A comment you write versus your browsing history and location. |
| Global village / digital divide | Connection in principle versus unequal access in fact. | "Everyone can join tonight" versus a barangay with no signal. |
Common traps
- Absolute words. Options that say "always", "never", "all" or "no longer" about globalization or social media are usually wrong. The defensible answer recognizes both benefits and risks.
- The popularity trap. Many shares or reactions do not prove a post is true. Check author, source, date, evidence and other reports.
- The "just delete it" trap. Deleting a post does not erase a digital footprint: others may have copied or saved it.
- The silence trap. In a cyberbullying scenario, doing nothing or joining in is wrong. The best action supports the victim, preserves evidence and reports through the proper channel.
- The "English only" trap. Code-switching and mother tongues are not signs of weakness. English is a lingua franca, not the only valid language of communication.
- The "ICT is social media" trap. ICT is broader: banking apps, video-conferencing tools and learning management systems are ICT, and a printed wall calendar is not.
How to read a scenario item
- Find the actor and the setting. A teacher, a learner, an OFW, a BPO agent, an online seller? The role often points to the concept.
- Find the key detail. Is the false post shared knowingly or not? Is the call live or recorded? Is a personal detail exposed? One detail usually separates the right term from its neighbour.
- Name the concept before you read the options. Decide "this is disinformation" first, then look for it, so that attractive distractors do not steer you.
- For "best action" items, choose the response that is protective, proportionate and proper. Verify before sharing; share only needed personal details; report through official channels; support the target. Reject extreme options such as retaliating, shaming or ignoring.
- For teacher items, prefer the option that builds the learner's own skill. Teaching learners to check a source beats simply telling them what is true; offering printed modules alongside online ones beats assuming everyone is connected.
Worked item. A Grade 9 learner in Cebu forwards a message saying a store is giving away free phones to the first thousand people who share it. The teacher finds that the post comes from an unknown page with no date. Best response? Guide the learner to check the source, date and other reports, and to hold off sharing. Reading the clues: the actor is a learner, the key detail is an unknown source with no date, and the concept is checking for misinformation or disinformation before sharing. Options that praise the number of shares, or that suggest sharing and deleting later, fail the "verify before sharing" test.
Philippine contexts to recognize
- OFWs: ICT keeps families in touch through video calls and messaging; online groups of Filipinos abroad share job advisories and warnings about illegal recruiters. The social media function is mainly connection and mutual support.
- BPO (business process outsourcing): work done in the Philippines for clients abroad, often across time zones. Key skills: clear communication, courtesy and cultural awareness.
- Online communities: groups around shared interests that unite people across distance; their risk is that rumours and scams spread quickly, so claims must still be verified.
- Disaster communication: agencies and local governments use social media for fast advisories, which is a strength, but unverified posts can mislead during emergencies.
Before the drill, test yourself: define each term in the "Must-know contrasts" table in your own words, and give one Philippine example for each.