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In the Asian region, the
Filipinos are known to be the most competent in English. Thousands of Koreans,
Japanese and other Asians come to the Philippines every year to study English
as a second language, spending at least R30,000 a month on living expenses and
tuition fees alone.
In recent years, however, competency in English among Filipinos has
significantly declined. According to a survey by the SWS last March, the
English proficiency level of Filipinos has decreased over the past 12 years or
so. In December 2003, almost three fourths of the population could understand
spoken English. In 2006, only 65 percent of Filipinos are proficient in this
skill.
The deterioration of English communication standards in the Philippines is
also manifested in the low acceptance rate among call center job applicants.
Several foreign companies have opened thousands of call center jobs in the
Philippines, with the notion that Filipinos are good English speakers. Sadly,
less than a tenth of applicants pass the companies’ English proficiency tests.
Filipino college students, who had presumably studied English since first
grade apparently, have no mastery of basic English grammar rules.
Recognizing the urgent need for Filipino adults to undergo further study in
the English language, both public and private sectors have come up with
various English training programs in recent months. Local government units,
often in cooperation with the Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority (TESDA), now offer English training to help increase the chances of
job applicants to qualify for call center jobs and for employment abroad.
Rossana Llenado, founder of AHEAD Professional Network (AHEADPro), notes the
steady demand for English courses. "People want to learn English for different
reasons. Many fresh graduates want to get into call centers for high salaries
so they study American English. Some enroll in review classes for English
tests like the TOEFL and the IELTS. Some professionals take English lessons to
improve their writing skills and get promoted. And there are those who want to
learn English for personal reasons like communicating with their foreigner
spouses better," Llenado said. |
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According to Llenado,
effective language courses address the specific needs of learners, "It is
ideal to have separate courses for call center applicants, for outbound
professionals, and for those who are interested to learn conversational
English. People learn English at different levels for different purposes. A
good English program takes into account the individual requirements to each
learner," she explained.
AHEADPro, a sister company of the highly popular AHEAD Tutorial & Review
Center, hires graduates of the Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle
University and the University of the Philippines to handle their English
language courses. It maintains relatively small class sizes of 20 to 30 to
ensure more effective learning. This November, it introduces a 20-hour
comprehensive English program. Scheduled after office hours, the program
accommodates professionals who want to be more proficient and confident
English communicators. Interested parties may call 426-0034 to 36, 396-1999,
or 0917-5009099, or visit www.aheadph.com for information.
Llenado said she hopes to help Filipinos become experts in English again
through her programs. "It’s a competitive world out there, and we can’t
afford to be left behind," the educator said.
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