| Two days ago, I came across an article ( "Signs that we're not a thinking nation") of William M. Esposo in his column "As I Wreck This Chair". I was enjoying my burger at a fastfood center when the following lines struck me:"We are all engrossed with strengthening our English proficiency when in fact our people will learn better when taught in the language they are familiar with. We don’t even have teachers who can speak passable English so you must wonder what kind of lessons they can teach our children." That is a SWEEPING statement ! Who is this Esposo? Does this being really know what he is blabbing about? Where did he get the stupid idea that "we don't even have teachers who can speak passable English so you must wonder what kind of lessons they are teaching our children"? Does he know that here in the North, there are English teachers who can even beat those who are in Metro Manila? In Laoag City alone, we have 2 outstanding teachers in English awarded by Metro Bank. Let him know that I am a Teacher-Mentor in English and I have travelled to hold seminars on Mentoring which focuses on English Proficiency, I have taught in New York, I have worked as a newscaster and radio presenter in Honolulu while I was studying at HPU, I was a columnist in a Fil-American Newsmagazine in the Bay Area, particularly in Hayward, I have worked as a script translator for "Unsolved Mysteries" for ABC in CA BUT I decided to come home to teach English to my own people. I grew up here in the Philippines. I have been speaking English since I was a kid. My grandma was an English teacher, I have a number of relatives who are English teachers. I am sure the name of Avelina Juan Gil is familiar. She has authored books in English and American Literature. Aunt Ching Juan Chee Kee of Ateneo hails from Laoag City. My grandpa, Guillermo J. Blanco ( an ichthyologist)) was an author of a lot of Science books. He was also a poet with the pseudonym, Billy White. I have been teaching English for 25 years and I don't want to be included in the pool of teachers who will "idiotize the nation" as Esposo wrote in one of his articles. We use English at home. I am sorry if I sound full of braggadocio now but Esposo ought to know that THERE ARE teachers who speak passable, if not, excellent English! NO TEACHER SPEAKS PASSABLE ENGLISH? Are you kidding? |
