The Global English Expansion
I briefly remember the first time I recited in front of our classroom during a Public Speaking subject, I was tasked to recite a short story about Florence, the Nightingale. I still remember the words as if it were only yesterday. After finishing the task, our then professor told us about the importance of learning the English vocabulary and consider it as our second language if we wanted to succeed in the corporate world. Eight years after my recitation, I find myself discussing business matters with Italian suppliers in Treviso, Italy and I will not forget the surprised look on their faces: They were amazed at how a middle-aged woman like me, who comes from a developing country, can communicate with them in English more fluently than any of their agents combined. For that, I take pride in my education dating back in high school. My school wasn’t included in the top 20 schools in Metro Manila but they sure give importance to the quality of their teaching, especially the English Language.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Karlene C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
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Cross-Cultural Communication
The global communications expand rapidly, and the competition grows by the day. Learning a different language can be of good merit but English is truly the most acceptable universal language. The words are easier to comprehend, the numbers are easier to pronounce and the length of letters are easier to write. Our main language is called “Tagalog” and this has been used all over the country (though some remote areas are still using their main dialects) and English is being taught to all schools from Luzon, the Visayas to Mindanao. Not only does it help us in communicating outside of the country, but learning English as our second language (3rd to some regions after their regional dialects) has also equipped us in communicating with some foreign people who travel within the country. We have a lot of tourist spots and are globally famous, and even though some areas have little education about the English language, the locals are manageable to communicate with the visitors properly. I believe this is a great thing, this way both parties, locals and foreign visitors, can communicate properly and avoid any misunderstandings.
Also Read: How long does it take to get a TEFL job?
Career Opportunities
As a developing country, a large portion of our citizens choose to work abroad to provide for their families, and with the little knowledge of English grammar, they are well equipped to travel and communicate freely and soon develop these skills further on. I’ve seen how the language barrier has affected most people and I truly believe that learning English and being able to communicate with it properly, you are not only equipped to the modern world, but it gives you the confidence to talk to people and express your mind freely. Some countries still think otherwise, they prefer that foreigners learn their language before stepping foot into their country, but this doesn’t reflect good civility impact to visitors for that matter. If you are joining a global competition such as the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant, isn’t much more pleasant to be able to express yourself wholeheartedly than rely on an interpreter who may or may not express your thoughts the way you wanted it to be?
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To sum up, I consider English as our Global language and children should have the privilege to learn it, but I am not imposing English as the superior language among all languages. Each and every language (dialects) has its own characteristics and uniqueness, it just so happens that the English language is much easier to learn and widely accepted globally.
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