Let me state a fact: The Philippines is the third largest English speaking nation in the world, next to the United States and the United Kingdom. Unlike in India and other third-world English speaking nations which have big population, the Philippines is controlled and compelled to take English with equal importance as the mother tongue. For the less nationalist few, English, in fact, is even more important – it being the Philippines’ official language. This lets Filipinos earn higher knowledge and ability to read, write, listen and speak English. All academic curricula from the low class government school to the most famous private school are loaded with subjects taught in English; thus, a Filipino is always guaranteed of an A-1 English curriculum from Physical Education to Physics subjects. Being a primordial right of the citizen, education is accorded to almost ninety-five percent of all Filipino children from age five. It is basically like children’s blank minds are loaded with stuffs in English, so you can never imagine how much more education is accorded to a Filipino who spends more for it by enrolling in an international school in the Philippines. I will tell you that he will have the makings of a President, leader of the Senate – or even a U.S. city mayor. But of course, it will always depend on the enthusiasm and upbringing of the society, particularly the family and the Filipino himself. Individual differences lead to different input and output levels of knowledge. Nevertheless, even if coming from a mediocre private school, a 15-year old can speak publicly in English with too much confidence and articulation. And talking about life after school, Filipinos are confronted to deal with all business matters in English. This simply means that every business centers require an applicant to read, write, listen and speak in English even just for a low-paying job. This enforcement, plus the other inherent positive values molds an “able” Pinoy who, even not English major or Education graduates, turns out to be superb teachers of English in Thailand. These Pinoy teachers provide decent education and more, as they seem to understand the fragile factor in Thailand’s education system, i.e. students are hungry of an education with a twist – something which some other teachers can’t give. The truth is Filipino teachers teach with their hearts and they are now slowly creeping up on those slots abandoned or shamed by some so-so “blond-haired and blue-eyed” native or European teachers. They have been so keen and founded a concrete stance to teach English not only in Thailand, but also in Japan and U.S.A. – eventhough both of these countries seem to have a market so impossible to be penetrated by non-native teachers of English, moreso by “coffee-skinned” Filipinos. Now, let me share a reality: There are three types of Filipino teachers in Thailand. First is the “able Pinoys” whom I have introduced above. These are the Filipino teachers who have a credible knowledge base. They have earned considerable degrees of profoundness of the English language. They can be Masteral, Bachelor Degree Holders, English major or Education graduates. They are the ones who forced or were nourished in an intensive environment where English is viewed as a natural language. These Filipino teachers have a great deal of perspectives. They can view their tasks in a wider framework, trying to spend most of their time to become even more productive. They can formulate unique approaches to amaze the discriminating eyes. Some of them are even endowed with qualities, physical and intellectual, that turn market demand 360O. Like their counterparts elsewhere in the world, they have started to rake in a bit of success – humbly perfecting their crafts in the most unselfish and undamaging way. The second type of Filipino teachers is the “leveled Pinoys”. They are bachelor degree holders who did not grow up in an environment where English has been conceived as a natural language. They are not to be blamed because an ordinary Filipino would not really care so much honing his knowledge of the English language. It is enough for him to have a degree and, as long as he can read, write, listen and speak English more than his Thai students, he very well knows that he can survive teaching in Thailand. This type of teachers can actually come from provinces wherein strong regional accents influence their speaking skills. And like some European, African and Asian teachers of English, they confuse the students in learning the correct stresses and enunciations. But, in the long run, because of their education, they will improve as they very well know how to recognize faults and turn them around. Another type is the “gutsy Pinoys”. They are teachers who, even not bachelor degree holders, have managed to sneak into the Thailand education system. They are full of guts proving, but actually feigning, that they can manage the task with gusto; because, in the first place, they don’t really know, at least in the beginning, even the basic rules of grammar and phoneme. When you let them read and write in a complex structure, you will see them grumbling and making excuses to get away with it. They are the ones who have the tendency to dent the truth and disturb others in a damaging proportion by being asslicks. They are insecure due to maleducation and probably misdemeanor, but not individual differences, I am sure. They are actually thorns that need to be pricked out from the esteem being built up by the good-hearted and educated Pinoys. They need orientation and warning to make them improve and change.When Paula Norman talked to me in the beginning, I swore to myself that I would not be writing anything about the academe of Filipino teachers in Thailand. I have long been dreaming to complete a write-up about my banner image and some interesting articles about the competitiveness of the Philippines as a business hub; but my excruciating schedule would not really permit me, as I need to work on some researches. It just seemed that there was a need for this article. I must accept that I was strickened by what Paula Norman said in her “Right Angle”, “I don’t believe that ‘able’ Pinoys only sit and wait for something fruitful and intellectual to happen.” She also averred that, “If you know you are ‘able’ enough to spark a change, then you don’t have to wait for someone to break the grounds for you!” There was indeed some tension that built up lately. I am just thankful to Paula and Phil in how they have managed that tension and gave in to some little requests, particularly taking out that banner comment which was posted recently in this section. PINOYS, we really just have to wake up! Wake up a hundred times?I will be leaving again; and because I am really a stupid workaholic, it might be long again that I can update my column. I am just hoping that this article is worth reckoning. I am still posting that article regarding “Fascinating Philippines” and I promise to return with more next time. Let me greet my former co-teachers: Marcela, Alma, Maureen, Estrella, Irish, Darwin, Ronn, David, Tom and E, plus Ajarns Toffee, Chadsuda, and Walapa. I hope you all have good days always!
Source:http://ajarn.com/Filipino/home.htm
written by: Ginoong Woody
Filed under: Uncategorized
