With each passing year and the advancement of communication technology, globalization is increasingly becoming a reality. People are no longer separated by geographical or cultural barriers, and the use of English (the universal language) is widely encouraged throughout the world. Language is seen as an indicator of success in countries where English is not the native language: if you speak it fluently, you are considered smarter and more articulate. Opportunities to live, study and work in other countries open up, and as a result, in this era of globalization, less importance is placed on learning and speaking your native language. And with the loss of the native language also comes the loss of a solid cultural identity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Why is cultural identity so important, you may ask. Well, studies have shown that this issue rears its ugly head especially when dealing with the native language in the Philippines. The country has a long history of colonization, particularly by Spain and the United States. Therefore, the use of Tagalog and other Philippine languages ​​had already been discouraged for a long time, and this idea that the use of our native language is not important continues to be present in modern social spheres. As a result, new generations of Filipinos have been exposed to Tagalog less and less, which in turn suggests that we have a weaker sense of cultural identity. Having lived in the Philippines for most of my formative years, I feel like I have personally dealt with this issue. And from my personal experience, I would have to agree. Growing up, I was mostly exposed to Western media: movies, TV shows, books, and the like. In fact, consuming this media is what led me to learn English, so at a relatively young age I already spoke and read English quite well. In contrast, the only time I used Tagalog was at home. My parents made sure to speak to me in the language, to make sure I understood it and could speak it colloquially, but the usage ended there. In almost every other social situation I found myself in, I used English. I would talk to my friends in English, I would order food in English. In school, I always performed better in English classes than in Tagalog classes – truth be told, Tagalog was the only subject I consistently struggled with. My disconnect with my native language was then exacerbated by the move to Singapore. Before, Tagalog was still something I was exposed to: people around me spoke it, and I saw advertisements using it, among other examples. Except now in this new country my exposure to the language was really only limited to interactions with my family. Over time my understanding of Tagalog has deteriorated to the point that I can now only remember how to pronounce some words and phrases, and reading it proves to be a great difficulty. I can still understand most spoken Tagalog, but it's clear that I've forgotten some of the most crucial parts of language fluency: speaking and reading Tagalog. My complicated relationship with my native language then influenced how I saw myself in the context of Philippine culture. I feel separated from the culture of my homeland, even when I lived there and now that I live elsewhere. I've recently found myself dreading the thought of living there again - I feel like I'll have trouble assimilating, connecting with the culture and people and so on. If I had been more exposed to Tagalog when I was younger, or made more of an effort to learn it.