Why do people keep on saying that people in the Philippines are losing their English profficiency?

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Fhel Ivanyl D

Well, as we all know Filipinos tend to copy others, so if you have heard the new generation of English in the movies which is I call "Street English" for example "Wanna" and "Gonna" which is supposed to be want to and going to. The Filipinos are good in copying others, so they will use this language too. But at least we are better when it comes to speaking English than the other races.

Mr.Troglodyte

Improper English handed down and taught, only gets worse as the next generation passes it on to the next generation of students.

What most seem to forget or don't understand is that the Filipino kids now are being taught by Filipino teachers who were taught English by Filipino Teachers, who were taught by Filipino teachers, who were taught by Filipino teachers, who were taught by Filipino teachers, who were taught by Filipino teachers who were taught by...

Well what I am trying to say is this, the English was taught by Filipinos who learned the English as a second or third language...
and therefore the kids today are being taught (10th hand) English...

The system has to decide which English they want the teachers to learn, teach and speak....

They have to decide...
1. Filipino English=uses Roman letters but pronounced with the Filipino alphabet. and spelled the Filipino way..

2. American English=Spelled, and pronounced as in America

3. UK English=spelled, and pronounced as in the UK

DECIDE.... and teach it....

Many times the "English word" is spelled with the Filipino "sounds" of the letters, and so you get a word that is spelled in "Filipino English" . Not spelled in English....You may use the Roman letters but you do not use English spelling...

This of course causes problems with pronunciations of the "English" words when you see "English" and not "Filipino English"

In response to some of the other answers....learning in quantity does not make it a good thing over quality.

The Japanese for example have several alpahbets including "Roman letters" but when they use the "Roman" letters they do not call it English.

Anathema Device

I do believe that we are losing our proficiency in English. Even researchers who have PhDs write unintelligible reports, and I'm not just talking about bad grammar.

More than not having teachers who are proficient in English, I believe this is because most Filipinos don't read anymore. For me, reading greatly helps in widening our vocabularies and in making us understand grammatical rules.

By the way, Asianna, "you're question" is grammatically incorrect, honey. It should have been "your question". Oh, and I just want to point out that I'm Filipino.

-----------------
Deliberate? Really? Now why would you do such a thing?

hugh

I am Filipino myself but I must admit, the teaching standards are not the same as before. Even college graduates, teachers, nurses are having a hard time passing toefl and ielts. The review centers are making a load of money because the foundation of the language is weak. Children are left to the house help who can't even converse in Tagalog, what more in English.

Noypi

Nationalism I guess is taking its hold again among Filipinos once more,a little stronger this time.patronizing its own rich heritage and language.I think it's one of the reasons why, 'coz among the new generation of kids these days for instance when youth gathers together they'd always laugh at someone who is trying hard to speak english or even taglish 'coz it sounds social or elitist(as they say it) though I don't see anything wrong with that trying hard since after all,it is not even our mother tongue and when we were born we atleast knew one or two dialects depending from where our parents are from.

So,what's wrong if we don't get that language well instead we should encourage everyone for every bit of intention they have to learn a foreign language like english.

I think changing our point of view at learning english differently will help a lot. that won't necessarily curtail our patriotism to our mother land yet an advantage that will take our country off from the rest of the world.

Teachers too at the primary and secondary level should undergo comprehensive grammar review and pronunciation drills. A lot of them mispronounce simple english words.

Going to the very root of this incompetency is the key.

exodus

Pls visit this site:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/13/business/english.php

artsupremo

This is true. This is because the medium of instruction in the elementary and High Schools are now in Tagalog . Originally, the medium of instruction are in English.Students in school don't strive to speak ENGLISH IN THE CAMPUSES BECAUSE THEY THINK Tagalog should be given more emphasis.

fakebobjones

The divide is getting greater. The kids who are in private/parochial schools have great proficiency but the public schools are getting worse. The other thing to remember is there is a certain level of Filipino English, that is to say, English that would not be considered grammatically correct in other countries but it completely acceptable here.

To answer your question, I think people are saying this due to the recent report of 3/4 of teachers in public school could not pass an English proficiency test as well as the fact that call centers have been complaining they cannot fill their open jobs due to lack of fluent English.

asianna

Do you really have to ask???

Mister, you can't even spell proficiency correctly.

It's either you're Filipino or you're Filipino.

Even some the people who answered you're question are obviously from the Philippines.

People, you don't have to announce who among you are from the Philippines, I could tell just by looking at your grammar and spelling.

Anathema Device, that mistake was deliberately done.

I'm not saying that all of you have poor English.
Filipinos are said to be one of the hardworking employees worldwide but how can you employ someone who can't speak and write decent English?

We had Filipina applicants and they were asked to write an essay for a job and they failed miserably. They submitted a diploma, their academic records stating that some of them even graduated with honors in a reputable university.

It's either the standards in the Philippines is low or they lied and cheated their way to a diploma.

duh_bluegirl

1. you spelled "proficiency" wrong.
2. i know kids whose english is really terrible. they are already in the honors' section in their school, and they can't even construct a simple sentence in english.

Mekunami

I don't know what's their basis for this.

For me, that's not true because most teachers speaks in english when teaching their subject matter! Anyway find some country whose majority of the people could speak tagalog and english other than the philippines; if you could find one! I bet they can't learn tagalog and engish at the same time when they're in Garde 1! I myself am a Filipino and I'm proud to say it!

annabelle p

I don't know why but probably because education in the country is not faring well and the English language takes a back seat to Pilipino as a medium of instruction in some schools.

looking 4 a summer job

We are losing our proficiency in english. It is not just speaking in english which matters, but speaking well. It is also comprehending english written and verbal.

If you take a look at YAP alone, you would find some problems with the written sentence. Not just the due to the spelling problem, but the sentence construction.

I am also a victim of this syndrome, which I will call the SMS or texting syndrome, where in we type the words in CDB function. Another contributor to the problem is on the use of auto correction when using WORD or OUTLOOK mail.

eleanor n

the "text generation" could be partly blamed. the ingenuity of young people to fit a paragraph in 1 small screen (cellphone), it's awesome!!! "texting " has become a lifestyle. so unconciously, even when we are doing job/school related reports, we shorten our words.

curlylips

Admit it, Filipinos have weak spoken and written English. You even spelled proficiency incorrectly.

Some of the people who answered this pathetic question wrote incorrect spelling and grammar. You could tell who is a Filipino simply by reading their answers.

Is melanie marquez around?

jamiehappy97

The people who say that are wicked creeps. Agree?

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