I really don’t know where I should post this, but these are just random ramblings of mine that I wanted to share. These, of course, are just my opinions and they are open for anyone to agree or disagree with. I certainly will welcome other views.
On what I feel is the Pinoy’s much overrated ability to speak English... I grew up and studied in an exclusive boy's school where I encountered in my early years a “strictly-speak-English” rule in the campus. As a consequence, I and my other classmates grew up confident in our ability to speak the language well—a confidence further bolstered in later years when I attended college at the State U. where I was promptly labeled “ingglisero” by others. In my later years, I would encounter that fallacy touted by many—that we Pinoys, given our general English literacy, have an advantage over other Asians in the then just-developing overseas labor market. More years later, after having enjoyed a stint as a Pinoy expat in Boston, I realized that although my English proficiency was better than my other Asian co-workers, it was not an advantage to me nor a hindrance to their advancement; this was mainly because it was performance that mattered and also because our bosses, aware that English was a second language to us, made the necessary allowances for it.
Which brings me back to the idea that the Pinoys’ English speaking ability is overrated... The Japanese can hardly speak English, but we are years behind them in progress. I feel that culture is the more important factor. The Japanese work ethic has been praised by many; it is culture-driven, I believe. Their sense of morality (where people commit suicide or resign in shame) is legendary. Most of our Asian neighbors have cultures that are millennia-old versus ours that’s only centuries-old, and this gives me hope for our country. I believe that maturity (both political and social) is still our hope for our future.
As for English proficiency... I believe it is fine, from the standpoint of being competitive in creative writing, but the goal of a language is after all, the communication of ideas, so I think that as long as this is accomplished, we Pinoys should do just fine.
On English as a language... In the course of my studies, I have had the opportunity of taking a few units of other languages as well and I feel that English is probably one of the most confusing languages there are. It has so many grammatical rules with just as many exceptions, so I believe that true English proficiency can be easier attained by speaking it every day among native English speakers (who, by the way, do not stick to the rules all the time). Other languages like German and French, although less familiar to us, are in comparison more abiding by their grammar rules and thus easier to learn. - I recall a friend of mine who spent many years in Japan and prided himself with his Japanese fluency. I admired him for his adaptability until years after when it was my turn to try to learn the language did I realise that his was the Japanese equivalent of Carabao English - but then again, he managed to communicate with his Japanese associates and that I believe is what learning a language is for.
