English Proficiency in the Philippines Deteriorating!

[shooter_mcgavin]

It's not only in the Philippines really. Even in the US, English is deteriorating.
:/

Asian Flush

It's probably due to America's Public School System being an absolute joke. My sister had a job editing and proof reading High School essays from other countries and told me how poorly written they were. But the US still pretty much dictates the world so they can have the luxury of having a poor education system for the next decade or so since they still dominate most industries like technology.

Philippines, on the other hand, relies heavily on English as a competitive advantage especially in the IT Services/BPO industry against India and China. The advantage and proficiency of English is a trait the Philippines cannot afford to relinquish at the moment.

Which reminds my of a hilarious story of my friend who is a manager at an IT Company. He was brought up by his mom to speak in English but when he started going to school he picked up a bit of Tagalog. Every time he used Tagalog on his mom, his mom would always reply by calling him "stupid". I actually have no point to this but I thought it was a pretty interesting story.

[peppersquad]

Yung maling gamit ng past tense napaka-laganap sa facebook.

Please use your past tense correctly! :-P

^fixed that for you

And yes, a big part of this issue can be attributed to the negative perception that someone speaking in English means he/she is "trying-hard", "conio", "pa-sosyal", etc.

[kelunji]

All well and good. Perhaps now we can focus on the things that matter like Science and Mathematics.

[eugenel]

I do really think we should focus instead on science instead of English. Look at Japan and South Korea, they are both first class countries because they're putting emphasis on teaching science(and technology). Do they focus on English? No. Not at all. I had a Korean classmate who wasn't really good in speaking in English but he's really good in math and science. That former Korean classmate of mine improved and became proficient in English while he was here in the Philippines.

First class economies succeed because their citizens are innovators. We need to put a lot of emphasis in innovation when teaching science especially chemistry and physics. That way, our people could invent and innovate a lot of things that in the end will benefit the whole nation.

[eugenel]

And just to add:

The Filipinos think that when you speak English, you're a high class individual. Filipinos who speak in English when talking to fellow Filipinos receive some kind of special treatment. That is because of the mentality of the Filipinos that only the "upper class" can speak well in English.

That is why middle-class and lower-class Filipinos make fun of themselves by saying, "Nosebleed ako. Puro english e". They must remove their mentality that English is only for the rich people. I really can't believe that most Filipinos can't speak English fluently even after high school or even college! It's like they don't listen to their teachers and when you ask them why they'll say, "English is a very hard subject". The truth is it only takes a little amount of will to be good in English.

[Fenix]

^fixed that for you

And yes, a big part of this issue can be attributed to the negative perception that someone speaking in English means he/she is "trying-hard", "conio", "pa-sosyal", etc.

Haha! That was intended. It's one of the most common mistakes. I'm glad you noticed.
Yup, pati yung tamang pronunciation ng "f" ska "v", pag-ginawa mo sasabihin maarte ka.

[watertowater]

And just to add:

The Filipinos think that when you speak English, you're a high class individual. Filipinos who speak in English when talking to fellow Filipinos receive some kind of special treatment. That is because of the mentality of the Filipinos that only the "upper class" can speak well in English.

That is why middle-class and lower-class Filipinos make fun of themselves by saying, "Nosebleed ako. Puro english e". They must remove their mentality that English is only for the rich people. I really can't believe that most Filipinos can't speak English fluently even after high school or even college! It's like they don't listen to their teachers and when you ask them why they'll say, "English is a very hard subject". The truth is it only takes a little amount of will to be good in English.

True. Like, noong bata ako, I used to think of English as just a language, interchangeable with Tagalog. Spoiled kasi ako noon. Pero nga, when I grew older, na-expose na ako sa mga masa, and I learned that many people thought of English as a bragging right rather than a way to express yourself.

[section8]

True. Like, noong bata ako, I used to think of English as just a language, interchangeable with Tagalog. Spoiled kasi ako noon. Pero nga, when I grew older, na-expose na ako sa mga masa, and I learned that many people thought of English as a bragging right rather than a way to express yourself.

Not for me, man. I live here in Memphis TN where there are no Asians unlike California. I speak English (and speak English well) as a matter of survival, not as a bragging right.

[kuroihikari]

I agree with Fenix. As an aside, more than grammar, what Filipinos should consider improving is their pronunciation. I'm not perfect myself, but for the average Filipino common mistakes such as the inability to distinguish 'v' and 'b', 'f' and 'p', 't' and 'th', 'th' and 'd', 'i' and 'ee', 'u' and 'oo', 'o' and 'a' ('cat' and 'cot'), etc., causes more communication problems with foreigners than incorrect grammar.

[Taga-dagat]

Dunno, my Italian pal says we're very good at this. He also added that the worst English speakers here can be at par with the good ones in their country.

Anyway, I think our generation still has the good grasp of the language. We can adjust well enough. What I'm only afraid of are the young guns of today. Their skill... uhh... hmm...

[watertowater]

Alam niyo, sa previous school ko na P-M Calamba, ang mga kaklase ko ay hirap na hirap sa English. Like, when they did speak in English, they spoke like the Vietnamese prostitute in Full Metal Jacket.

"Me so horny. Me love you long time."

[paenggoy]

And just to add:

The Filipinos think that when you speak English, you're a high class individual. Filipinos who speak in English when talking to fellow Filipinos receive some kind of special treatment. That is because of the mentality of the Filipinos that only the "upper class" can speak well in English.

That is why middle-class and lower-class Filipinos make fun of themselves by saying, "Nosebleed ako. Puro english e". They must remove their mentality that English is only for the rich people. I really can't believe that most Filipinos can't speak English fluently even after high school or even college! It's like they don't listen to their teachers and when you ask them why they'll say, "English is a very hard subject". The truth is it only takes a little amount of will to be good in English.

You have to consider the possibility, though, that your message challenges the one you posted prior to that.

[eugenel]

You have to consider the possibility, though, that your message challenges the one you posted prior to that.

It was just that I noticed I was straying away from the topic, which is "English Proficiency in the Philippines Deteriorating".