Manila Standard: Proficiency in English just keeps on declining

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Manila Standard Today
Wednesday, April 19, 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."
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see http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=news04_april19_2006

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