Philippines: Improving our English

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From the Manila Times: Improving our English

In her first State of the Nation address in 2001, President Arroyo made
proficiency in English the major policy goal of the Department of
Education. She did so for a good socioeconomic reason: she considered
developing proficiency in English among Filipinos as one solution to the
countrys problems of poverty and poor economy. Opponents of the policy
succeeded in making it fail. Mediocre English has dire consequences. Many
of our OFWs would not get the high-paying jobs abroad. Our country could
not attract as many outsourcing investors as we would like. Filipinos
would be second-rate resource speakers in international forums and trade
expositions where participants from other countries often make investment
decisions. Filipinos who are unable to express themselves well in verbal
or written English will reflect badly on our global competitiveness..

The recent survey of the Social Weather Stations shows that in the last 12
years Filipinos have deteriorated in all aspects of English proficiency,
particularly in their ability to speak the language. In a December 1993
survey about three-fourths of Filipino adults said they understood spoken
English; now only 65 % say they do. In 1993, 73% said they read English,
now only 65% say they do. In 1993 about 60% said they wrote in English,
now only 48% can claim that boast. More than half in 1993, or 56%, said
they spoke English, now only about one-third, or 32%, say they do. In
1993, 42% said they thought in English, this has dropped to 32%. Only 7%
said they were not competent in any way in English, now that figure is
double14%. Here are more appalling data. Out of 100 Filipino college
graduates who apply for call-center jobs in Metro Manila, less than five
get hired. Only 19 out of every 100 public-school teachers teaching
English have the confidence and the competence to teach that subject. In
2003, 81% of public-school teachers failed to earn a score of 75% or
higher in the English SAT test. In 2004, only 7.9% of Grade 6 graduates
got a score of 50% and above in the English, Science and Math test given
by the education departments National Education Testing and Research
Center.

How do we correct this anomaly? English should be made the medium of
instruction in all subjects in all schools. More time should be allotted
to English in the primary grades and much more in the higher grades.
Sadly, however, the quality of English language teaching at these levels
has deteriorated because the teachers are not good enough. The Department
of Education is right in taking the initiative in launching a program
designed to upgrade the quality of English teachers through special
training. Informally, the news media, besides being the channel of news,
have become surrogate teachersand educatorsin English. The advent of
online newspapers and the Internet has given impetus to a faster diffusion
of English.

The Manila Times, recognizing this role, has taken the initiative in
upgrading the English quality of its staff. It has started a section
calling attention to errors in language in its previous issues. The Monday
column of Jose A. Carillo, "English Plain and Simple," is highly
instructive on grammar and syntax and provides a good guide on how to
avoid common grammatical mistakes. It would take a determined effort of
all government agencies, including Congress, the civil service, the
courts, government departments, business and industry, the media and the
publishing business to promote the learning and development of good
English.

This imposes on the education department the formulation of a language
agenda that will focus on the teaching and mastering of English in our
public schools. Malacanan, the Department of the Interior and Local
Governments and the House of Representatives can do something to help.
They should end their obsessive and costly efforts to hastily revise the
Constitution and use the billions they are spending on it to increase the
education department's budget for English instruction.

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