Philippines: Proficiency in English just keeps on declining

[Francis M. Hult]

Manila Standard Today

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news04_april19_2006

Proficiency in English just keeps on declining 
By Michael Caber 

THE Filipinos’ English proficiency has declined further compared with the 
findings of two previous surveys on the same subject in 1993 and 2000, a study 
says. 

Filipinos’ English-language skills are falling precipitously, and most notably 
their ability to speak English competently, says the study commissioned by the 
European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and made by the research firm 
Social Weather Stations. 

The latest SWS survey found a big drop in the number of Filipinos who could 
read, write, speak and think in English, though it noted that self-assessed 
English proficiency was higher in Metro Manila, in urban than rural areas, 
among upper than lower classes, among the younger than older age groups, and 
among those with higher education. 

The latest survey says 5 percent of the Filipino adults polled claimed they 
made full use of the English language; 35 percent said they made fair use of 
the English language; 27 percent said they made partial use of the English 
language; 19 percent said they made almost no use of the English language; and 
14 said they were not competent in any way when it came to the English 
language. 

SWS made its survey of 1,200 respondents nationwide on March 8 to 14, and then 
revealed the results at the launch of the so-called English is Cool campaign 
at the Shangri-La hotel in Makati yesterday. 

The group says some two-thirds or 65 percent of the Filipino adults surveyed 
said they understood spoken English; another 65 percent said they read 
English; about half or 48 percent said they wrote in English; about a third or 
32 percent said they spoke English; a fourth or 27 percent said they thought 
in English; and 14 percent said they were not competent in any way when it 
came to the English language. 

In September 2000, 77 percent of the Filipino adults surveyed said they 
understood spoken English; three-fourths or 76 percent said they read English; 
61 percent said they wrote in English; 54 percent said they spoke English; 44 
percent said they thought in English; and 7 percent said they were not 
competent in any way when it came to the English language. 

In December 1993, 74 percent said they understood spoken English; 73 percent 
said they read English; 59 percent said they wrote in English; 56 percent said 
they spoke English; 42 percent said they thought in English; and 7 percent 
said they were not competent in any way when it came to the English language. 

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Fe Hidalgo said her department has allocated 
P581 million to implement its English-proficiency program among teachers, 
saying the results of a recent English-proficiency test among them was not 
very encouraging. 

Her department is now looking at the factors contributing to the decline in 
the Filipinos’ English proficiency. 

But Hidalgo said “this culture of Taglish that has emerged in the last few 
years has contributed to the problem.”