Learning a Second Language

"Wow English! Nosebleed!"

This is the most common expression of the young learners today. I don't know who started this but I am pretty sure that he does not like English.

The Philippines prides itself as one of the most fluent English speaker in Asia. Yes! We should be proud of it.

But this comes down to the most common question there is, "Why do we need to study English? We're all Filipinos!" Then why do we really need to learn it now?

"English? Who needs English? I'm never going to England!"
- Homer Simpson

As a child, I was never into English. All I know is we study it in our school and that's it. But things changed when I transferred school in Grade 4. I was really amazed how good I was in English! Well, "thank you" in my previous school who taught me how to speak in English. It permanently became my favorite subject when I turned into Grade 6 when my teacher praised me on how I speak the correct pronunciation of the words given. Until in college I tried my best to study the language although I didn't see yet the importance of learning this language. Not until I started applying for a job. It was crazy. I thought I was a good speaker of the English language until a call center company turned me down and sent me into a language training school. At that 2-week session, I met several people who speaks fluently in English. I admired those guys. So I tried my best to land a call center job. After the rigid 2-week training I applied in a call center company again. Luckily I got in. I thanked that company for giving us the training.

-:Hello? Hello?:-

In my three months in the call center, learning the English language did not stop. In fact, I improved a lot! Thanks to the native speakers who kind of honed my English speaking ability. After three months of non-stop English speaking routine, I left the company...but my so-called "neutral accent" remained.

-:Good Morning Class!:-

In October 2009, I decided to apply in my alma matter to become a teacher. So with my resum� on my hand and my "neutral accent", I went to the school and applied. Good thing I was hired. I gave my "neutral accent" a huge credit because if I had not learned how to speak English properly, I am still a bum now. And so here it is, hello world! Welcome to the teaching world! I entered into teaching because I wanted to share to them the importance of the English language. That eventhough we are Filipinos, we still need to learn how to speak in English correctly because in the world out there, people may tend to laugh at us because we cannot construct a simple English sentence. We need it because if you are going to apply for a job, English is the language.

-:English!:-

My message here is for my students who take English for granted. Learn it well today so that when you go out on the real world, you'll at least have a weapon.


Valcrist
02/16/2011