Non-Standard English and Register Variation in the Academic Writing of Students at a Philippine State University: A Qualitative Portfolio Case Study

Abstract

This qualitative portfolio case study examined non-standard English (NSE) and register variation in the academic and professional writing of 150 engineering and human ecology students at a Philippine state university. It aimed to identify recurring NSE and register-related features, interpret them through sociolinguistic, interlanguage, and academic-literacy perspectives, and determine context-sensitive pedagogical responses. The researchers analyzed 662 usable outputs from five course-based writing activities and conducted five focus group discussions, using descriptive frequency counts and thematic analysis. Recurrence was defined as occurrence in at least 5% of analyzable outputs for an activity and in at least five unique writers. Findings revealed three major analytic groups: digital-register forms, grammatical and formulaic instability, and recognized spelling variation across English standards. Among counted features, 55 of 143 outputs used “with regards to,” while 23 of 130 used “If I am … I will.” Digital forms were treated as illustrative rather than recurrent because form-level counts were unavailable. The study found that repeated forms did not automatically establish vernacular membership, digital causation, or first-language transfer. Results support contrastive register instruction, explicit form-meaning teaching, guided revision, and consistent application of recognized English conventions in multilingual academic writing, while avoiding simplistic deficit interpretations of students’ legitimate linguistic variation.