Language proficiency program launched for Davao public school teachers

DAVAO CITY (PNA)—The Davao Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Council has launched a program on language proficiency for teachers in public high schools here so they can produce students employable in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.

ICT Davao vice president for industry development Bert Barriga said such program will be included in the high school curriculum. It will provide training for the teachers based on the required need of the recruitment companies.

He said it is important that the graduates have the ability to communicate well. “We need to develop this type of talents,” he said.

Barriga said that considering that Davao is a preferred hub for BPO operation because of the abundance of manpower, developing those talents will increase the number of graduates to be hired.

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CNN Hero of the Year urges students to volunteer as teachers

MANILA (PNA)--CNN Hero of the Year Efren Peñaflorida proposed on Friday morning that colleges and universities urge their students to volunteer as tutors to out-of-school youths.

Recently arrived Hollywood, California, where he received the CNN award, Peñaflorida told President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the need to rescue vulnerable young people from a life of crime.

He related how his pushcart (kariton) classroom had grown from 20 to 200 volunteer teachers. Today, he added, the program teaches more than 2,500 students every Saturday.

“We are not governed by a curriculum. We are not an alternative teaching program. We teach primary children, ages 4 to teens, who have lost interest in school for one reason or another,” Peñaflorida explained to the President.

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Two Filipino youths win web debates

MANILA—Two young Filipinos won the recent CNN/YouTube Debates and their prize includes a free trip to Copenhagen, Denmark to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Paul Darwynn Garilao and Alfonso Orioste Jr., both graduates of De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila, won the CNN contest a week after another Filipino, Efren Peñaflorida, was hailed as the CNN Hero of the Year.

Garilao and Orioste will be part of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) and attend the live debate sponsored by CNN and YouTube. CNN news anchor Becky Anderson will host the live debate that would include leaders from 193 countries.

“Once again, we have proven the bayanihan spirit online,” Garilao said. “Filipino consumers—wherever they are—massively voted for our video. Based on our count, more than 600 Facebook users linked the video and shared steps on how to vote. At least 12 bloggers also campaigned for the video and shared their thoughts on climate change.”

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Some employers worry language courses may lead to higher costs

SINGAPORE—While some employers are welcoming latest efforts to improve the English language standard of foreign workers, others are concerned that sending staff for classes will result in higher costs and disruptions to working hours.

Most companies that MediaCorp spoke to said on Thursday that upgrading the English language proficiency of foreign workers will help staff in terms of career development. But some are worried about the costs of these courses.

They said if the course fees are too expensive, the S$90 rebate offered by the government for skilled workers will not be sufficient to convince companies to enrol their workers. Others, like restaurant operators, said classes may disrupt their scheduled work shifts.

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White House starts campaign to promote science and math education

WASINGTON, D.C.—To improve science and mathematics education for American children, the White House is recruiting Elmo and Big Bird, video game programmers and thousands of scientists.

President Obama announced on Monday a campaign to enlist companies and nonprofit groups to spend money, time and volunteer effort to encourage students, especially in middle and high school, to pursue science, technology, engineering and math.

“You know the success we seek is not going to be attained by government alone,” Mr. Obama said kicking off the initiatives. “It depends on the dedication of students and parents, and the commitment of private citizens, organizations and companies. It depends on all of us.”

English department offers modern Greek class

For many students and community members the Greek language seems difficult and out of reach, reflecting the cliché “It’s Greek to me.” However, learning the language is no longer a dream but an obtainable goal.

For those interested in learning to read, write and speak the Greek language, the English department at Shawnee State University will offer a Modern Greek class for the spring semester 2010.

“Many students want to take the class to learn how to read the Bible in it’s original language, Greek, while others are interested in learning the language to gain a competitive edge in their careers," said Dr. Stylianos Hadjiyannis, the professor who will be teaching the course.

According to Hadjiyannis, a native of Greece, thousands of words in the English language have been borrowed from Greek. The language is based on phonetics and the English alphabet, making it easier to learn.

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“Mediocre” schools in the United Kingdom warned

The annual report of education watchdog Ofsted says that school improvement in England is being held back by a “stubborn core of inadequate teaching.”

But the chief inspector Christine Gilbert hit back at local authority leaders who had accused Ofsted of “feeding fears” over child safety. She said criticism of children’s services was justified if it “saves just one child from abuse.”

The report also raised concerns over maths and English in primary schools. Chris Keates, leader of the NASUWT teachers' union, attacked the focus on negative aspects of the report. “This regular ‘talking down’ of teachers and state schools is not only totally unfair, it is grossly inaccurate,” she said.

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Bangladeshis swamp English language service

A service using mobile phones to teach English in Bangladesh has been overwhelmed by users since its launch on Thursday.

The Janala project, developed by the BBC World Service Trust, provides short English lessons by mobile phones.

It had expected 25,000 users on its first day but received more than 100,000—four times the number who use similar services in the country to check cricket scores. By last night, the service had taken more than 375,000 calls.

“'It’s technically very basic—you call a number and you hear a recorded voice,”' the project's manager, Sara Chamberlain, said from Bangladesh.

''It's the lowest common denominator when it comes to technology [but] our service provider has called to say they need to expand the capacity.''

The service offers 250 three-minute recorded lessons on pronunciation and conversational English, augmented by a website and text message testing. It is hoped to reach 6 million Bangladeshis by 2011, as part of Britain's nine-year English in Action program.

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