such as the Philippines, and then planning to study or emigrate to other countries. “Most ELT students see their stay in the Philippines as a training period,’ he underlines, emphasizing that low costs and the highly skilled English teachers in the Philippines are the principal attractions.
This assertion is backed up by OJ Kim, Director of agency chain IAE Global, which is based in Korea.
“The Philippines has become one of the major destinations for language studies among Koreans,” he says. “It is used as a destination before [students] start courses in major countries such as Canada and Australia. This means many students are using schools in the Philippines to improve conversation skills for up to three months before flying out [to their next destinations].” Kim estimates that up to 10,000 Koreans head to the Philippines for this purpose each year. Visa figures reveal that there were over 5,000 Koreans studying in the National Capital Region alone in 2005. Such is the dynamism in the Filipino market that the Department of Tourism (DOT) is helping to improve ESL Tour packages. Maria Rica Bueno, Chief Tourism Operations Officer for the department’s Asia Pacific Marketing Team, explains, “We started developing the Philippines ESL Tour Programme in 2004.”
[Bueno] details reasons for the popularity of the Philippines as an English language learning destination: the fact that English is widely spoken (by 93.5 per cent of the population, according to the DOT website); the country’s location; the affordable costs and ability to combine English language tuition with tours and excursions to the country’s natural and cultural attractions.
For the full article, please visit Language Travel
Excerpts taken from Language Travel Magazine, September 2006, Issue 143
The international education marketplace is widening every year. English language study and/or tertiary study in countries such as the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and China is an increasingly popular option for students looking to achieve their academic goals overseas. Amy Baker reports.
911 Language Inc was established in 2001 to respond to the growing demand in the Asian market for effective English education,” relates Rob San Miguel, Head Teacher at 911 Language, based in Quezon City in the Philippines. 911 Language represents one of the many relatively newly established institutions aiming to attract students from other countries who are looking to improve their English language skills; often as a prerequisite for their further study plans.
San Miguel underlines a trend that is taking place in Asia – the biggest source market for English language schools in countries such as the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. Many students are brushing up their English language skills first in an Asian country,