Advantages of studying English in the Philippines

  • Intensive Training
    English study programs in the Philippines tend to include a high ratio of 1:1 lessons that provide more personalized learning program for students.
  • All in One Packages
    Our member schools provide a range of high-quality services inclusive of accommodation, meals, laundry etc. so that students can focus on their studies and enjoy their experience in a safe and comfortable environment.
  • Affordable Costs
    Students can take advantage of the low cost-of-living in the Philippines that makes course fees as well as daily living costs more affordable.
  • Exotic Experience
    The Philippines is a unique and exciting destination featuring some of the most beautiful beaches in the world as well as very friendly and hospitable people.

Differences between English schools in the Philippines and other English Speaking Countries

The difference in the Philippines is that each student can have a very high ratio of private 1:1 classes every day which can cater specifically to each student’s English level and learning goals. In other countries, there are typically only group classes which have around 20 students so each student has less chance to talk or interact with the teacher.

Also, schools in the Philippines are able to provide a full day of classes, even up to 10 hours of classes per day, while in the other countries there are often only 3 to 4 hours per day. The English schools in the Philippines also include accommodation and 3 meals a day in the total package so that students can experience a total immersion program.

History

The roots of the study abroad industry can be traced to growing demand in South Korea in the 1990’s for employees with strong English communication skills. This led South Korean entrepreneurs to seek new possibilities for high-quality but cost-effective methods to acquire English proficiency.

As the Philippines was already a popular destination for tourism, it was known that Filipinos speak English very fluently and use English for all aspects of daily life. This, combined with the naturally attractive settings as well as convenient transportation routes, resulted in the recognition that the Philippines was an ideal place to establish English study abroad centers.

During the 2000s a number of schools opened and saw steady growth of students through positive word-of-mouth from graduates who gained not only improved English but a unique and interesting life experience in an exotic and enjoyable location.

By 2010 the positive reputation had spread beyond South Korea and saw an influx of students from Japan as well as the establishment of Japanese-managed schools designed to cater more specifically to students coming from Japan.

By 2015 the word had spread across Asia and all schools started seeing an increase of students from other Asian nations such as Taiwan, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. This led to a very positive shift towards greater diversity of nationalities at the schools as well as efforts to promote the Philippines beyond Asia as a top global study abroad destination to compete with the traditional destinations such as the USA, UK, Canada and Australia.

By 2018, the global industry is starting to take notice and the recent increase of students from a range of countries including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan is a testament to the effectiveness and quality of English education in the Philippines.

English Skill of Filipino teachers

English is an official language in the Philippines and, though most Filipinos speak a local language (in addition to Tagalog there are many local languages) at home, English is the language used in schools for all subjects. So, a university graduate in the Philippines has used English as the language of study through their whole education. It is also said that Filipino English is close to American English due to the history of being an American colony.

Filipino English teachers can be found teaching all over the world. Recently, the Spanish Ministry for External Affairs and the Japanese government decided to hire Filipino teachers for state-run English education programs. English teachers at English Philippines member schools are all University educated with many having completed a degree program in Education. In addition to this all schools provide TESL training, including from accredited training providers such as the Cambridge Assessment English CELTA program and other TESL courses.

Certainly many global companies such as IBM and Microsoft have located their call centers to the Philippines due to the high proficiency of English and reasonable human resource costs and it is for the same reasons that the ESL business is growing in the region. According to a survey conducted by the American company [Global English] which is selling an online business English conversation software, in 2013, the Philippines ranks first for having an excellent business English skills* (BEI: Business English Index) based on 137,000 global respondents.
*http://static.globalenglish.com/files/reports/Business_English_Index_2013.pdf