We are Filipinos. We have been learning and speaking English ever since we were kids. We hear it every day on TV and on the radio. We read advertisements and other signs all around us in English. We have lots of English blogs on the Net. We even have ESL (English as Secondary Language) Tutorial facilities almost everywhere which makes our neighboring countries like Chinese, Japanese and Koreans come to our country to study English.
But according to statistics and some studies, only about 45% of the Filipino population can really speak and write in English with no or minimal flaws.
Although we are known as the third largest English-speaking country, most of the Filipinos may still revert to “carabao” English once in a while. I once heard a woman who spoke to her child,
“I told you do not go out. But you go out. Now look at.”
Apparently, there are grammatical errors in that sentence but nevertheless, to us, Filipinos, it is already understandable. And perhaps even Americans can also understand what that sentence is trying to convey. So you may ask, what’s the use of improving our English skills? And why is it important to master American English just as what this blog promotes?
The answer is simple: American English is the lingua franca of the 21st-century world. Trust me, it pays to master American English.
However, please be aware that this blog is not an exhaustive grammar reference. It will not help you if you do not already speak English, and it will not make your English flawless on a pedantic Ph. D. level. I also commit grammatical errors at one point or another. I'm sure you can find one in this post.
As I am learning to become more proficient in the English language, I’m going to share with you guys what I have learned. This blog will try to help you:
• Enhance your written and oral English Skills.
• Find a better job (Call Center jobs has become a trend nowadays. And it is a must that you speak and understand American English very well in order to get in.)
• Get a job abroad (especially in an English-speaking country)
I am a Filipino but I have a number of American friends here and abroad. I have learned that Americans will open up to you only to the degree that you can speak their language: English the way they speak it – American English that is.
So join me in my quest to polishing my American English skills. ^_^
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(Audio CD)