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Many Japanese travel to Philippines to study English

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A diversity in accents is a wonderful thing......in my opinion.

Let me learn a bit more standard Japanese before I take on different accents and dialects. I’d advise those Japanese studying English to do the same.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Amusing to see all comments of socalled native speakers who seem to know it all.

There are thousands of these native speakers with the status of English Teacher strolling around Japan.

Clear is also that after decades their presence leads to nothing. Deportation is the only option:)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I always think USA speaks Amerikan English, the English toffs BBC English, British people working class English, aussies a mix of British English and American sitcom English, Kiwis English Mate and Philippines pigeon English.

I'm Scots and neither an English toff, or working class. My accent is clear and people have no difficulty in understanding what I say to them - unless of course they don't understand English. :)

What I find really disconcerting in Japan is when you DO find someone who speaks good English it tends to be a Sesame Street American accent - patronising and almost child-like, and exaggerated to the point of parody. My Japanese is about the level of a four year old so I can't really complain, but to hear a Japanese woman sound like she's speaking to a Muppet about the letter B is just weird.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The technical support people from India and Philippines speak the worst afflicted English....in my opinion.

Try dealing with a call centre in Glasgow. You might change your mind.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I got a CELTA certificate before I came to Japan just to say I had some kind of training. It was a good course. No easy but doable with a little effort. All classroom work. None of this online malarkey!!

Never needed it!

Mentioned it but never asked to produce it.

Anyhoo...I got a friend back in Scotland whose Japanese wife has a beautiful (smooth) Scottish accent. OK. I'm biased, but it does sound nice.

Any Japanese thinking of study abroad?

Go to Edinburgh. Gorgeous city, great pubs, food...eh...OK, I guess.

Come back to Japan and everybody will complement you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Dont worry about accents when learning English or be self conscious of yours. Most people don’t care as long as you’re able to communicate & express yourself.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

One of the main reasons why South Koreans are generally better in English than Japanese is because of the Philippine exclusive English schools specifically catered to Koreans, a program that started in the 1990's. Yearly, there are 1 million Koreans visiting the Philippines and most of them are studying 2-week or 4-week intensive English courses, some of the schools were even inside gated subdivisions and gated/guarded communities/villages.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Well there goes any chance of Japanese kids being able to speak decent English in the future.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Spinningplates.

First and foremost. Thanks for clearing it up.

Wow! I was given a bunch of malarkey about the Celta degree. I was told it was long and intensive and had to go to the U.K.

4 weeks $2500.00? I spent 3000 hours in modules with MEG for a TESOL certificate for half that amount.

I also attended training and seminars as much as I could.

Thanks again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If someone has money to spend, then you can go to any country to learn English. I learnt English without any contact with native speakers or expensive travels abroad and was able to get it done. So it is entirely possible as long as the purpose of learning is clear and you are interested to learn, not just for stupid Olympics purpose.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Traveling to the Philippines to study English is purely an economic decision. Let's not forget that Japanese look down on other Asians and still consider the white native English speaker and his accent superior, and could a student afford it, he would prefer to study in the UK, Canada, USA, Australia or NZ.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Philippines?? Good lord!! Well, Filipinos have indeed taken over the service industry from the Indians and also in the sales and marketing sector in the Middle East. All by focusing on English language. Don’t go by the accent used by Filipina hostesses here lol. Just hope their teachers back in the Philippines are up to the mark. Although not sure if that’d matter in the end.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

If you haven't seen this before, please do - it is a great example of how incomprehensible a native English language accent can be and hilarious.

Ruari has a certain way and mannerism about him, for sure. It's a curious mix of Derry and Donegal. But even in those two counties, there's many different accents about.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

As this video shows, the Irish accent is the clearest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuEJRSmRx0c

If you haven't seen this before, please do - it is a great example of how incomprehensible a native English language accent can be and hilarious.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Phillipines or any other countries other than the US or England is a major mistake.

I disagree, despite my excellent standard RP British English.

Firstly I know plenty of people from the Philippines with excellent English, or rather, I mean an accent that is easy for me to understand.

Anywhere that English is used as a fluent or native language it is a valid form of English. If you learn one form of English only (in Japan's case American English) you are in for a shock when you go anywhere else. Years listening to American accented English are not going to help you in a meeting with Singaporeans or Indians. The same with standard British English (although arguably British English is the internationally more useful version).

English is the international lingua franca, it has many versions and it is good to learn that there is not one correct version. The sooner you tune your ear to different versions the better.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Japan has had from the end of WW II to learn conversational English

and it hasn't. I don't believe that will change until we have a large population

of bilingual 'hafu' in powerful positions and all the old geezers are gone.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Slickdrifter

"If you are certified with CELTA degree or DELTA is it?

How do you English guru's feel about them going to P.I.?

It might hurt the business here in Japan a bit."

I think it's great that students are going to the Philippines.

CELTA is just a 4 week course anyone with $2500 dollars and 4 weeks to spend on location can get. It's just a glorified TEFL certificate. (The 'industry' won't like to hear that, LOL).

The Companies in Japan will answer the 'threat' the way they always do. Decrease salaries for 'native' speakers and undercut each other for student's.

Ultimately if Japanese students feel good about it, then great.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@JeffLee A wise person does not learn a second foreign language in the streets. Its best learned in a classroom setting.

And it's not only the Japanese who are coming to the Philippines. There are more South Koreans who speak better English by going to the Philippines.

In essence, it's basic competition. If you have something better to offer, then please do compete and let the target market decide where they want to learn proper english.

If it remains there are less people going to your classrooms, then you should go to the Philippines to learn how to teach proper english.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

At least Japanese manufacturers are able to communicate in native English at Philippine.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

And what would be wrong with that?

Personally I'd love it if the kids here would learn that there is a hell of a lot more to English than "Merican"

Me family hails from many a corner of this here globe and when we git together ya'll have a hard time understandin'

Damn it's hard to write accents in English!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I think this is a great development. The number of Japanese studying abroad has drastically fallen, so it's good that an affordable option like this has emerged. The schools on Cebu combine what sound like good quality lessons (according to a friend who went), cheap living costs, and a holiday environment.

My kids do sports, so they don't have holidays, but I wouldn't mind them doing something like this if they did. I could possibly even afford it.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

You want kids learning Cockney or what?

And what would be wrong with that?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Disillusioned,

So, Japanese study English 4-8 times a week for 6-10 years, plus cram school classes, but they have to travel abroad to learn how to speak English? You don't have to be a genius to realise that, this means their English education is absolute crap!

Sshhh!

It's because it's such utter crap that gaijin like thee and me can make a good living here. Don't rock the boat!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The same would go for the UK. I wonder how someone learning English in the Home Counties would fare on a trip to Belfast or Glasgow. I’d say the variations are more dramatic. I’d also say it’s great listening practice.

Ya' ya got that on' right matey!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

And please.....you think a kid should be learning English in 'Merica, with all the damn different accents, I guarantee that Filipino English is a hell of a lot easier to understand than THIS

The same would go for the UK. I wonder how someone learning English in the Home Counties would fare on a trip to Belfast or Glasgow. I’d say the variations are more dramatic. I’d also say it’s great listening practice.

I heard there are no dramatic differences in the Aussie accent - it’s more a case of how ‘Australian’ people speak. The posh Aussies sound pretty close to British RP to me.

Perhaps Australia is the best bet if you don’t mind sounding like that.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Accent, as long as it is intelligible, is the least important component of English language communication. The days of snobbery with Thames Estuary or received speech English are thankfully very much on the wain in the international community.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

There are only 2 countries where a student should go if he or she wishes to study English abroad. Those are the UK and the US. And no, I am not a citizen of either.

Damn...screwing the Canadians are we? You want kids learning Cockney or what?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_FtnOTLkSs

It does not matter one bit the "where", no one gives a damn if they have an accent or otherwise.

And please.....you think a kid should be learning English in 'Merica, with all the damn different accents, I guarantee that Filipino English is a hell of a lot easier to understand than THIS;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03iwAY4KlIU

Or this....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAiHqOgEaEM

Need I continue?

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I have no scouser accent and speak more like the plummy BBC carpark attendant.

I do. I sound like I’ve crawled out of a Dock Road alehouse.

I’ve been told my Japanese sounds polite and quite refined. A lout in my native language but a bit posh in another.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I support the premise of allowing news presenters with local accents.

Me too, but I’m almost ashamed to admit that I do l like the plummy accent for BBC newsreaders. I certainly don’t sound like that and nor would I ever want to, but it just feels natural to have the news read that way.

Maybe I’m showing my age.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I spent years teaching English in Japan some of it good some bad.

As long as student needs are being met. It is great they can travel to P.I. My last trip to Cebu I ran into some English teachers that really knew how to present the study of the English language in new and creative ways. I even got invited to observe a class as a guest teacher. I brought what I learned back with me and tried to relay the approach to my English company I was on contract with. I was laughed at by other teachers and my co-teachers. Japanese and so called native speaking teachers really dispelled what I thought to be effective and very useful ways to get students to over come the hesitancy to speak English.

When I applied those techniques learned in Cebu with private students. Out of the 6 key techniques I applied in class. I noticed my talking time really reduced and my students talking time increased. I do not teach anymore full time. I can admit I am no teaching guru. I have no real teaching certifications other 3000 hours of online TESOL with MEG. Training I sought out on my own with groups like EJT seminars and Davids House of English. How do other teachers feel about this? If you are certified with CELTA degree or DELTA is it? Not sure. How do you English guru's feel about them going to P.I.? The one negative that I can only think of that will come out of Japanese student going to P.I. is. It might hurt the business here in Japan a bit. Like I said. If a student is seeking to further themselves and improve their English skills. Why does it matter where and from or whom the studies are being taught? As long as it is safe place for them to grow and learn.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

the English toffs BBC English

Some toffs are a bit upset that the BBC had gone a bit plebby by allowing newsreaders with regional accents to lower the tone. The plummy accent isn’t too popular these days ( although I kind of miss the Angela Rippon accent ).

By the way, it’s ‘pidgin’ English, not the bird ;)

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I think native English speakers sometimes forget that English is now a truly global language.

Add 'conveniently' (say between 'sometimes' and 'forget' ) and you're spot on.

In quite a few (most/all?) anglo nations English native speakers are now being outperformed by ppl (kids at school and/or their parents at work) who either speak English as a second language (at home) or grew up speaking a language other than English. A so called 'proper' English accent -whatever that means- is basically the last thing that's left (for some).

Having said that, I must, in all fairness, say that the vast majority of educated/open-minded anglos I have met were absolutely fine with that and had no problem being managed/corrected by non native-English speakers. Not sure Germans, French, Italians, Norwegians, Russians etc would be as "welcoming" ( i mean, in their own language/country).

Re J traveling to the Philippines to study English, I tend to think that 'something' is better than nothing. I know quite a few J who used the Philippines (or SG, HK, even Malta) as a platform -couple of months at an English language school- before heading to Canada/the US/UK/Oz etc on a year-long working holiday visa. Not a bad idea.

Plus some J (beginners, shy, little/no experience abroad etc) may also be less inhibited in a non-anglo/caucasian environment at first.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I always think USA speaks Amerikan English, the English toffs BBC English, British people working class English, aussies a mix of British English and American sitcom English, Kiwis English Mate and Philippines pigeon English.

Me...JapaneseEnglish.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

What is surprising about this article and the comments is that no-one has mentioned China. Hong Kong has a long history of English use, varying from very good to appalling, I agree.

When I visited Dalian though I was truly suprised to meet Chinese with near-perfect English who had never been abroad. The classrooms at the university were quite intense, a pressure-cooker environment. It sure gets results, but perhaps most Japanese students do not really want to study so hard, and perhaps their pride might not, but... enough of that.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

while the top five were all Scandinavian countries

I’ve worked with Danish people and their spoken and written English was outstanding. I remember our long-suffering Japanese translator being absolutely delighted by the quality and precision of their English as it was so easy to translate to Japanese. She said Danish engineers write English at a higher level than Japanese engineers write Japanese.

It’s an interesting observation on the standard of written English. She says that that Japanese education puts little emphasis on writing with clarity and logical structure. It’s no wonder the English they pump out is often borderline gibberish. I receive and have to read material written in English from many countries, and the Japanese can give the worst of them a run for their money in my experience.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

This anxiety about Japanese people picking up a Filipino accent makes me wonder about some of the people involved in this discussion. Just how long do you think Japanese people are staying in the Philippines, and how short of a time do you think language learners pick up an accent in? Most of these programs are short, at most 2-week programs that fit neatly into a Japanese school break or holiday. If you want to worry about Japanese students somehow destructively picking up a Filipino accent, then you may as well worry about Japanese people coming back from their trips to France with a Parisian accent, or wonder why Japanese people who spend years getting eikaiwa lessons from smiling blond Chads can't speak with a perfect American accent. And of course, you might also wonder why those same blond Chads hanging out for years at the HUB on Dotonbori can't speak perfect Kansaiben.

M3M3M3Today  12:08 pm JST

I think native English speakers sometimes forget that English is now a truly global language. The average Japanese person is more likely to be learning English in order to communicate with other non-native speakers such as Chinese or Korean customers rather than North American or UK native speakers. Whether or not they speak with a heavy Filipino accent will go largely unnoticed.

This is a great point, an excellent point, really. But we can take it even further. There is no linguistic basis for saying an accent is "right" or "wrong". Even if someone speaks with a heavy Filipino accent, if they are understood without effort then their English is by definition correct English. The language no longer belongs to people with WASP ancestry, it belongs to anyone who uses it successfully.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Phillipines or any other countries other than the US or England is a major mistake.

No, ignoring and discounting Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a major mistake. Not to mention the Republic of Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia etc.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I think native English speakers sometimes forget that English is now a truly global language. The average Japanese person is more likely to be learning English in order to communicate with other non-native speakers such as Chinese or Korean customers rather than North American or UK native speakers. Whether or not they speak with a heavy Filipino accent will go largely unnoticed.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

And sorry I forgot Canada in my list of countries best to study English

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Naturally cheerful ?  Keep your dollars in your pocket and see how much natural cheerfulness you will get.  Japanese people are much more natural cheerful than in most other nations so i don't think that is a reason for them to choose the Philippines.

The Philippines are a developing nation, if not for tourism they would suffer to survive. It is not safe to send over youngsters there without proper parenting supervision or in international secluded compounds.  I have been and will go to the Philippines again, regularly, on business. Not for holidays. I do not feel safe in Manila nor in Cebu for that matter. I would not think of sending teenagers unaccompanied to the Philippines, specially not Japanese youngsters lucky enough to grow up in a very safe environment but which makes them more vulnerable abroad.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Sorry, but the Philippines would be the worst place to study English; they don't even speak English properly and their native accent horribly distorts English pronunciation.....in my opinion.

-So Americans are speaking English properly? (Insert spelling and grammar checks here.)

While some people in the Philippines may not be fluent (due to poverty, of course), MOST people are still. And most schools there have good English teachers.

If you’re an American, guess who answered your complaint when you called customer service.

Though Techinical support is a whole new story, have to agree on that. :-P

England, of course, by definition. The hint is in the name of the country and the language.

-While that is accurate, the article clearly stated the purpose of the Japanese students going to the Philippines so answering the rhetorical question was not necessary.

I see some Japanese people stuggle to keep a living here; and worrying that their children will not have the best education is adding to that. Learning English abroad is something that ordinary/middle-class parents have to think about, financially speaking.

I do agree however, security is an issue that the government is still working on.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Phillipines or any other countries other than the US or England is a major mistake.

When you get education because of "price" then you pay the price at the end. Both the US and England, the basic foundation for the English language is having difficulty trying to teach the "basic" English language to immigrants and other foreign nationals such as the Filipinos. The basic problem being "pronunciation".

Languages are based upon "sound" and "pronunciation"is the key to its being used and understood.

Japanese people "think" that they are learning English when they learn from people that speak "more" English than themselves, yes.., maybe.., and learn some simple use of possibly grammatically correct phrases and sentences, somewhat better than many, but not correct pronunciation of English words for meaningful usable "communication". Even those we call "native" speakers and users of English in the USA and England "differ" in pronunciation of and use of words.

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

Think it's a good development.

According to Education First, the Philippines ranks 13th out of the top 15 non native English speaking countries in the world, in terms of English proficiency (Malaysia ranked 12th and Singapore 6th, while the top five were all Scandinavian countries).

6 ( +6 / -0 )

There are only 2 countries where a student should go if he or she wishes to study English abroad. Those are the UK and the US. And no, I am not a citizen of either.  Certainly NOT to Australia, NZ where they speak Australian and NZ , little to do with English.  As for teachers, it is logical and natural to have native speaking English teachers.

But what would help a lot in  Japan is to stop dubbing all foreign content on tv and other media, movie theaters and to subtitle. That will increase drastically the language feeling and understanding because it is the best way to pick up on content and context.

Going to the Philippines to study English is madness.

-12 ( +6 / -18 )

Simian LaneToday  09:49 am JST

You’d massively struggle to find any Filipino who speaks English as well as I do.

Speaking English and teaching English are two entirely different skillsets that really have very little to do with each other beyond a minimum threshold of English ability. On any given Friday night you can walk into a gaijin bar in Japan and find the room stuffed with native speakers of English who can't teach for toffee, meanwhile there are plenty of good, skilled JTEs who just need some technique training getting their confidence constantly undercut because they mix up 'a' and 'the' once in a while. Filipino TESOL teachers should be judged by the results of their individual classrooms, not the country they were born in.

Native speakerism is for the lazy and the inept.

12 ( +14 / -2 )

Philippines seems like a bad choice. I remember going to a market on the outskirts of Manila and didn't hear English at all and had trouble communicating with shopkeepers. A Filipino work colleague, with an international background, always used to speak Tagalog, not English, to her friends and family on her phone.

The USA seems like a bad choice. I remember going to a market on the outskirts of Miami and didn't hear English at all and had trouble communicating with shopkeepers. An American work colleague, with an international background, always used to speak Spanish, not English, to her friends and family on her phone.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

I think it's a great idea, not only do they get to learn English from another speaker but also they can experience a whole new culture

8 ( +8 / -0 )

@Halwick: the world is no longer centered on the USA or its "standard" English.

@gokai_wo_maneku

Oh really? Obviously you live in an anti-US vacuum.

In international commercial aviation, airports and maritime waters around the world, English is the standard spoken language. In the business world, English is still the most widely spoken language. These are just a few examples.

A diversity in accents is a wonderful thing......in my opinion.

@plasticmonkey: Not when the accent distorts English and renders it unintelligeable, which leads to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. The technical support people from India and Philippines speak the worst afflicted English....in my opinion.

I can't say their accent is a wonderful thing.

Don't know whether you watch NHK World News, but some of the better English-speaking Japanese announcers speak grammatical English very well, pronunciation very clear, obviously educated in either the U.S. or UK countries.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

You’d massively struggle to find any Filipino who speaks English as well as I do.

There are lots of Filipino nurses in th Uk who speak very good English and are perfectly capable of communicating with not only native speakers but others who speak English as a second language.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Some folks seem to think that Manila IS the PI. There are plenty of great ESL schools in Cebu, and the people are a hell of a lot friendlier and it's a hell of a lot safer too!

The teachers in Cebu that I met are all highly trained, college grads, and know more English than I do, and they are pretty too!

9 ( +11 / -2 )

they don't even speak English properly and their native accent horribly distorts English pronunciation.....in my opinion.

My snobby sister-in-law with her strained RP ( my wife didn’t bother removing every last trace of her accent ), says the same thing about American English. Not my opinion - I love the Texan drawl in particular.

She also thinks my regional UK accent makes me sound like a lout.

I’d love to hear some Japanese people speaking with my mother’s beautiful Irish lilt.

A nice mix would be good.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

You’d massively struggle to find any Filipino who speaks English as well as I do.

-3 ( +7 / -10 )

This discussion is just a reflection of the greater failing of EFL education in Japan, which is that the potential success of a teacher or a teaching program are judged by the national origins of the teacher/program, not the methods used or the expertise leveraged.

The Philippines aren't a good place to study English or a bad place to study English. They're just a place to study English. Whether or not a student succeeds there will come down to the individual program they enroll in and their personal drive, not the random tourist experience of some gaijin in the peanut gallery. I've seen students head off to the Philippines and come back with amazing leaps in both English ability and confidence. I've also had students who only had anything to say about the beaches come back with no noticeable improvement whatsoever.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Philippines.. um really, we have one of ours offices in the "better" part of Manila, sure wouldn't want my kids going off there alone or even in small groups, and the English, barely acceptable, thats not even starting to get into the issues of different work ethics and so on..

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Philippines seems like a bad choice. I remember going to a market on the outskirts of Manila and didn't hear English at all and had trouble communicating with shopkeepers. A Filipino work colleague, with an international background, always used to speak Tagalog, not English, to her friends and family on her phone.

Indeed, the last couple of decades has seen Tagalog resurgance in the country.

I once met a Japanese woman had studied English in Singapore. Seems like a better choice.

3 ( +13 / -10 )

So, Japanese study English 4-8 times a week for 6-10 years, plus cram school classes, but they have to travel abroad to learn how to speak English? You don't have to be a genius to realise that, this means their English education is absolute crap!

20 ( +25 / -5 )

Can you tell me which country's people speak English "properly"?

England, of course, by definition. The hint is in the name of the country and the language.

Then of course you have to deal with the Brummie accent, the Cockney accent, the Lancashire accent, the Georgie accent, etc., etc., all by definition 'proper' English and all just as discombobulating to the hapless English language student as any Tagalog, Indian, Aussie or 'standard' (it isn't) American accent.

A lot of the people the Japanese will be wanting/needing to talk to during the Olympics (and in real life the rest of the time) will not be native English speakers, or even 'standard' English speakers, so learning to deal with a variety of accents is a Very Good Thing and should be encouraged in school.

8 ( +16 / -8 )

 It has become MAGA=for whites only

You have no idea of what you're talking about.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

I'd read that in the 60s American animation companies such as Hanna-Barbra outsources celling to the Philippines precisely because their American-oriented accent allowed a more accurate depiction of, say, Fred Flinstone than would illustrators in other low-wage countries. So this is not a new thing.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

These kids never get a vacation

9 ( +9 / -0 )

In USA, in west coast, doctors are usually Chinese or Phillipinoes. They are interested in attending universities.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Nobody want to say it: the USA is going downhill. It has become MAGA=for whites only. People don't feel safe or welcome there. The Philippines and Australia are much more welcoming.

@Halwick: the world is no longer centered on the USA or its "standard" English.

2 ( +12 / -10 )

they don't even speak English properly

English is one of the official languages of the Philippines. Can you tell me which country's people speak English "properly"?

their native accent horribly distorts English pronunciation.....in my opinion.

A diversity in accents is a wonderful thing......in my opinion.

8 ( +17 / -9 )

Sorry, but the Philippines would be the worst place to study English; they don't even speak English properly and their native accent horribly distorts English pronunciation.....in my opinion.

But I can understand the proximity and low cost Philippines offers. If you want to speak English with a Tagalog accent, then so be it; you get what you pay for.

On the other hand, with Japan getting its caregivers, nurses and service workers from the Philippines, maybe it is a good thing to send Japanese students there to study English in the Philippines so when they return to Japan and interface with the Philippine expats there, they can understand their Tagalog-accented English.

10 ( +27 / -17 )

Now if only the Ministry of Education would send some of their Japanese English teachers to the Philippines to learn how to speak English we might get somewhere.

18 ( +19 / -1 )

Yeah I figured it was either a predictive text thing or a too early on a Sunday morning thing.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@Haaa...yeah, you are correct, my mistake! lol!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Guam is closer and cheap. I wonder if they are experiencing an increase in students.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Do you mean myth that they don't come from countries other than the US?

17 ( +18 / -1 )

Hopefully this will also help to dispel the stupid myth among many Japanese "English" teachers that "native" speakers come from countries other than the USA too!

1 ( +10 / -9 )

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