English proficiency in the country is seen to increase further as more Filipinos receive training geared towards employment in the business process outsourcing sector. Moreover, the industry’s growth is also creating a halo effect as government agencies are ramping up training for potential BPO employees. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and some universities are working with BPO providers and IT companies to help improve English proficiency, along with other necessary skills required by companies in the IT industry.

Some examples of programs are the Advanced English Proficiency Program (ADEPT) developed by TESDA and the Business Process Association of the Philippines (BPAP), which aims to train tens of thousands of students. Other similar employment training programs where tertiary schools are involved include the Service, Science, Management and Engineering (SSME) of IBM; Oracle Academy; Cisco Networking Academy, among others. These training programs all require English as a primary mode of teaching, which further helps students to improve their English speaking skills.

Senator Manuel Roxas III also stressed that need for students to improve their English proficiency, though he emphasized that learning English is better done if students are taught in their native language first. (more…)