The English Language: The Problem and Its Background
Chapter I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction
Adapting in the world that we are living in is a challenge for every one of us since the world is dynamic and fast changing. Our way of life as well as the things that we are using every day tends to be more complex due to the booming international progression of technology and education of which mostly English language is the medium. We are well aware that English is the most frequently used second language in the world and also the universal language that makes it a prerequisite for competing in our modern world. Academically, it is also a big challenge for our aspiring professionals to learn English and be proficient in it for the success of their career not only to their own countries but internationally.
Language proficiency is commonly defined as a person’s ability to speak or perform in an acquired language. In order to evaluate an individual’s abilities, the Test of English as a Foreign Language was established by the Educational Testing Service and is administered worldwide to measure the ability of people to employ college-level English in terms of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. (http://oupeltglobalblog.com)
In the article “English Proficiency is the Key to Landing a Job”, Pepper Marcelo stated that it used to be that the Philippines’ biggest competitive advantage in the global job market is the proficiency of our skilled workers in the English language. This advantage, however, is fast being eroded by rising competition from other countries coupled with declining mastery of the English language by our college graduates. ( http://planetphilippines.com)
To pull this gap, our country is trying to produce quality efficient professionals from different schools. Education Secretary Jesli Lapus noted that there was continuous improvement in the performance of students in the National Achievement Test (NAT) within the five-year analysis particularly in English subject. “We
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction
Adapting in the world that we are living in is a challenge for every one of us since the world is dynamic and fast changing. Our way of life as well as the things that we are using every day tends to be more complex due to the booming international progression of technology and education of which mostly English language is the medium. We are well aware that English is the most frequently used second language in the world and also the universal language that makes it a prerequisite for competing in our modern world. Academically, it is also a big challenge for our aspiring professionals to learn English and be proficient in it for the success of their career not only to their own countries but internationally.
Language proficiency is commonly defined as a person’s ability to speak or perform in an acquired language. In order to evaluate an individual’s abilities, the Test of English as a Foreign Language was established by the Educational Testing Service and is administered worldwide to measure the ability of people to employ college-level English in terms of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. (http://oupeltglobalblog.com)
In the article “English Proficiency is the Key to Landing a Job”, Pepper Marcelo stated that it used to be that the Philippines’ biggest competitive advantage in the global job market is the proficiency of our skilled workers in the English language. This advantage, however, is fast being eroded by rising competition from other countries coupled with declining mastery of the English language by our college graduates. ( http://planetphilippines.com)
To pull this gap, our country is trying to produce quality efficient professionals from different schools. Education Secretary Jesli Lapus noted that there was continuous improvement in the performance of students in the National Achievement Test (NAT) within the five-year analysis particularly in English subject. “We