ESL In Cebu City Philippines

There are many ESL schools in the Philippines, many are top notch academies. Why come to Cebu City?

Cebu offers a few advantages for the foreign student. First, Cebu is home of the second largest airport in the Philippines. With direct flights to many Asian countries, it is very convenient to travel to Cebu. Second, Cebu City hosts a diverse culture with international resorts, restaurants, and nightlife second only to Manila. In addition, there are several world class malls including Ayala Center and SM Mall in Cebu.

Cebu offers a central location for easy weekend travel to many tourist venues. Bohol with its Alona beach and day tour of the famous chocolate hills is only a four hour ferry ride or a quick flight away. Boracay, Malapasqua Island, and Bantayan Island are also exotic locations within easy reach of Cebu.

If night life interests you, there are many music venues and discos in the City. Pump, a haven for Hip Hop lovers, Vudu, features House music and attracts an upscale clientele. Juliana a Korean owned Club features a variety of music and draws a huge crowd on weekends. There are many other clubs and entertainment venues for your weekend or evening enjoyment.

Restaurants include many international cuisines including Korean, Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese. Cebu is truly an international and multicultural city, and it is not so large to be intimidating or difficult to get around.

Consider Cebu City as a prime candidate for your ESL study in the Philippines. You won't regret it.

English Pronunciation

Many ESL schools utilize the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to teach and reinforce English pronunciation. My first hand experience teaching Asians English tells me this is not practical. Why?

Ok, first most second Language students from Asia travel to the Philippines or other destination for a limited time. The average stay is 8 weeks. many stay 4 weeks, and a few study abroad for 32 weeks or longer. Secondly, the majority of these students do not know the IPA. So with this in mind, should I spend the time to teach the IPA, or use a direct hands on method to show tongue and mouth positions?

I used to teach remedial speech in middle school in the U.S. The method to get speech impaired students at this level to get proper tongue position is to reinforce correct position through direct interaction using diagrams, animations and most importantly modeling behavior. (Monkey see Monkey do).

Mistakenly many ESL students think pronunciation is solely a speech skill, it is not. It is first a listening skill. If you can't hear it properly, you will never be able to model it or repeat it.

My technique:

At the beginning of each class I use a self made tongue twister to drill my students. First, I have to say we have fun with it, and even in a one on eight class it is effective. Every one gets a turn to say the phrase on the board.

First I model the pronunciation several times, then I introduce any new vocabulary in the sentence. Sometimes I point out homophones and homonyms (words spelled the same or differently, have different meanings, but sound the same; or spelled the same in the latter subset homonym).
Dipththongs and blended letters and words I usually correct and teach as each student takes a turn saying the phrase.

I show them and instruct them on tongue position using my techniques from remediation teaching. I have seen remarkable improvement in the majority of my students within one or two weeks. My students are all adults 20-55, so teaching them pronunciation is exactly like remedial speech instruction, IE: unlearning old habits and replacing with new behaviors.

Term	Meaning	Spelling	Pronunciation
Homonym	Different	Same	Same
Homograph	Different	Same	Same or different
Homophone	Different	Same or different	Same
Heteronym	Different	Same	Different
Polyseme	Different but related	Same	Same or different
Capitonym	Different when capitalised	Same except for capitalisation	Same or different

The Dreaded "R" Sound

The r sound is one of the most difficult sounds to make for ESL students. In American English, the /r/ sound is rhotic. When speaking with the General American Accent, Americans use a rhotic /r/, which means we say it in all parts of the word, (beginning, middle, and end) including when it occurs after a vowel sound. This is one of the major differences among accents of English. I tell my students, where you see an /r/ written, pronounce the /r/ sound. The key is to remember that vocalic /r/ has 5 different positions, as it is controlled by vowels, which modifies it's shape each time. ie: or, ar, er, ir, ur.

The /r/ sound and the /l/ sound are difficult because they are both "liquid". This simply means there is no hard place to put your tongue tip (except for the L at a words beginning, "la") and as you say the letter your mouth and tongue are moving. I spend time at the beginning of every class doing rudimentary pronunciation practice, usually by means of a "tongue twister". Invariably when we practice the /r/ sound we end up making faces at each other and making weird noises as I attempt to demonstrate and teach the /r/ sound.
Here are some tips.

• I tell my students: Sweep the roof of your mouth(front to back) with your tongue saying 'ah'. When I say stop, keep your tongue in that position and continue vocalization. Then Bring the tip down slightly. The tip doesn't touch any part of the mouth at this point.
• make a bowl or cup shape with your tongue with a flexing action as if your making a muscle.
• the cup shaped sides of your tongue touch the side of your mouth just above the back molar area.
• the front of the tongue can be up or down just not touching
• say "sh," then stop, but maintain the tongue position, and then drop the tip of the tongue slightly relax your jaw and say /r/. This can lead to say, "sh...r" (sure)

Pronunciation: The "r" Sound

Minimal Pairs

ray	lay	way	fire	file	marrow	mellow
reed	lead	weed	steer	steel	crew	clue
rain	lain	wane	tear	teal	bereave	believe
rash	lash		trier	trial	berated	belated
rind	wind		pyre	pile
rest	lest

Challenging Words

rhyme	ear	wary	retrieving
care	ire	ritual	irrelevant
rail	wire	ogre	relentless
rare	flare	peril	rollover
roar	hair	wristwatch	labyrinth
roll	arrow	infringe	occurrence
war	really	rowing
strip	heirloom

In Phrases

rest and relaxation	not a care in the world	violent behavior
live and let live	a calendar girl	All's well that ends well
road rage	without rhyme or reason	twenty-seventh
get your wires crossed	rest assured	anniversary
101 West Redwood Road	random access memory	liven up
road rally	verifiable evidence	wide variety

Dialogue

A: What's wrong?

B: Nothing. Just rehearsing my lines.

A: What for? Are you performing in a play?

B: It's called "The Grapes of Wrath."

A: Never heard of it.

B: Really? It's the most popular play around.

A: Are you memorizing or just trying to remember?

B: I'm trying to concentrate.

B: Sorry.

How to Learn English

Many Asians today clamor to learn English, why? English is the most widely spoken language for business and education around the world, that's why. Demand is high, and many schools are available as well as online sources for instruction. What is the best way to learn English?
There are probably as many answers as teachers and students. Joking aside, English is a difficult language to learn if you are an Asian. There are some fundamental differences in the way western or Latin based languages approach grammar, syntax, and pronunciation.

The best way to learn any language is to immerse yourself in its total experience. this is called a holistic approach. simply put, surround yourself with English speaking native speakers. One way to accomplish this is to live in America, the UK, or Australia. Live there fro a year study and speak English everyday. Obviously, we all can't do this. It is simply not feasible for us to interrupt our lives and go live in an English speaking country.

Thankfully there are economical alternatives to going to the U.S. The Philippines offers a great opportunity to study in Asia, in an English speaking country with an abundance of qualified native speakers available. Here you can surround yourself with people speaking English everyday. One can practice their English just by going shopping or taking a taxi. In addition, the Philippines offers many tourist venues and boasts a tropical climate to make a stay here like a working vacation.

Learning English is a practiced art, and yes language is an art as well as a skill. We not only have to learn grammar and vocabulary, we have to visualize ideas and concepts in English to become proficient. In addition, we have to train our brains to think in English as well. This process is called assimilation. Idiomatic expressions, figures of speech, and phrasal verbs simply have to be internalized by either memorization or repeated usage.

Living in a culture of English is the fastest way to accomplish this. There is no substitute for practice and using all your senses to assimilate English in a native speaking environment.
So consider the Philippines as a language learning destination. The Philippines is close (a few hours from Korea by plane) economical, and English is spoken by nearly all the local citizens.

ESL Plus

The Academy of Teaching and Training Inc. is a division of ESLplus Inc., one of Canada's leading provider of ESL camps for school aged international students from around the world, private tutorials in all subject and all levels, foreign language classes and one-on-one settings, homestay and corporate training. Get certified to teach ESL (English as a second language) globally! ESLplus Foundation TESOL Teacher Certificate Program now available in the Philippines in key locations in Baguio City, Laguna and Manila. Fulltime and part-time schedules available. Foundation TESOL Teacher Certificate Program. Our TESOL program is hands-on, in-class and interactive, plus practicum. Advanced TESOL / TEFL - Qualifies you to teach English overseas and in the Philippines

Schools In The Philippines

American Institute for English Proficiency

http://www.aiepro.org/

The American Institute, located in Makati City/Manila, is the Philippines' leading service provider of English training and career development.

Cleverlearn English Language Institute

http://www.celi.com.ph/

Welcome to Cleverlearn English Language Institute (CELI), a place to pursue English learning beyond traditional boundaries.

EA Communications and Language Center

http://www.eacom.ph

The Center specializes in the conduct of intensive workshops and coaching sessions to prepare candidates for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT).

English Language Academy

http://www.elaphilippines.com/

ELA—English Language Academy. Probably one of the finest English Language Academies in the Philippines. A friendly place of study, run by a team of local people plus skilled and qualified native English teachers.

Harvest Christian School International

http://www.hcsinternational.org/

Offering ESL Courses (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced) and English Immersion Courses, Pre-School, Grade School and High School Courses, Business Courses and Performing Arts.

International Language Academy Manila

http://www.ilam.ph

The International Language Academy Manila (I.L.A.M.) is a school established to effectively teach the art of communicating using the English language.

John Harper International Communications Institute

http://geocities.com/johnharpernaga

John Harper ICI Naga, the only institute that puts more emphasis on speaking English. Offers the following courses: English as a Second Language, English for Kids, Reading Comprehension, English Proficiency Test Review, (IELTS-TOEFL-TSE-TOEFL)

Paradise English

http://www.paradiseenglish.com/

We have a school on Boracay Island in the Philippines which has one of the worlds most beautiful beaches. Students live and study with Canadian instructors. This is a total Canadian ESL school but located in the Philippines. Same education for less.

PIMSLEUR Global Academy of Languages

http://www.pimsgal.com/

Make English REALLY your second language!

St Dominic College of Arts and Sciences

http://www.stdominiccollege.edu.ph/

English Language Proficiency Programs. IELTS Review. TOEFL Review. American Accent/Speech Power. English for Professionals/ Corporate English. Tertiary Level English Readiness Program. English Proficiency Programs for Foreign Students.

Philippines Information

GENERAL INFORMATION The Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands covering a land area of 115,739 sq. m. (299,764 sq. km.). Main island groups are Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Capital is Manila. Time Zone is GMT + 8 hours. CLIMATE March to May is hot and dry. June to October is rainy, November to February is cool. Average temperatures: 78°F / 25°C to 90°F / 32°C; humidity is 77%. POPULATION There are a total of 76.5 million Filipinos as of the latest national census in May, 2000. Population growth is estimated at 2.36 percent annually. Luzon, the largest island group, accounts for more than half of the entire population. LANGUAGES Two official languages --- Filipino and English. Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education. Eight (8) major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense. Filipino is that native language which is used nationally as the language of communication among ethnic groups. Like any living language, Filipino is in a process of development through loans from Philippine languages and non-native languages for various situations, among speakers of different social backgrounds, and for topics for conversation and scholarly discourse. There are about 76 to 78 major language groups, with more than 500 dialects. RELIGIONS Some 83% of Filipinos are Catholic. About 5% are Moslem. The rest are made up of smaller Christian denominations and Buddhist. UNIT OF MEASURE The Metric System is used in most trade and legal transactions. ELECTRICITY 220 volts a/c is the common standard. 110 volts a/c is also used, especially in major hotels. CURRENCY The Philippines' monetary unit is the peso, divided into 100 centavos. Foreign currency may be exchanged at any hotels, most large department stores, banks, and authorized money changing shops accredited by the Central Bank of the Philippines. International credit cards such as Visa, Diners Club, Bank Americard, Master Card, and American Express are accepted in major establishments.

The International TEFL Corporation

The 4 - week TEFL course in Cebu, Philippines, provides participants with an Internationally recognized certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The course has a very practical emphasis and features a high proportion of actual teaching practice hours in the classroom. The course is externally validated and moderated by the BOAA (Board of Academic Advisors). Teachers are assessed on their understanding and practical application of the course content through teaching practice and the compilation of a teaching journal. These two are assessed separately but the final grade awarded amalgamates both sets of grades with a slight weighting towards teaching practice. Cebu is a wonderful place to begin your TEFL experience. A city of numerous white sand beaches, crystal blue waters and swaying palm trees will surely provide an ideal atmosphere for leisure and study.

ESL Tour in the Philippines

Philippines ESL Tour Program

ESL Tour Program is a tourist activity in which the study of English as a second language forms part of a structured tour package. The study of English becomes more exciting and fun through dynamic and creative ways of learning where participants get to interact, practice and use English more often in real-life settings thru games, outdoor activities, excursions and immersions. Aside from learning the English language, participants get to see the beautiful sceneries of the Philippine countryside and immerse with the local culture.

Why study English in the Philippines?

The Philippines has the following advantages as your alternative destination for the study of English not too far away from your home country:

* English is widely spoken in the Philippines. It is used as the business language as well as the medium of instruction in schools and universities. 93.5% of Filipinos can speak and understand English well.
* The Philippines offers the same quality English education at a much affordable cost.
* The Philippines prides itself with rich natural and cultural resources that fascinate visitors.

1. Entry Requirements

Visit the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in your country to apply for a tourist visa. For prior information, you may refer to the Philippine website at www.dfa.gov.ph.

Requirements for tourist visa:

1. Completed application form
2. Passport size photo
3. Passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond the maximum stay being applied for )
4. Return airline ticket
5. Proof of financial capacity
6. Waiver of exclusion for minors 14 yrs. old and below
7. Any other documents as may be required by the consular officer
8. Visa Fee - $30

2. Special Study Permit (SSP)

The Philippine Government, through the Bureau of Immigration (BI) requires all foreign tourists who wish to enroll in a non-degree course for less than one (1) year (which include short English courses) to secure a Special Study Permit (SSP) upon arrival in the Philippines.

Requirements for SSP Application

1. Letter of request prepared by the applicant enrollee
2. Affidavit of support prepared by the applicant enrollee or by parent/guarantor duly notarized by an attorney together with a bank certification (with English translation) in dollars and a minimum deposit of $800.
* Parent or guarantor stating financial support for the applicant enrollee (for applicant below 18 years old)
* Self support stating the applicant enrollee's financial capacity to shoulder related expenses (for applicants 18 years old and above)
3. Photocopy of passport reflecting the applicant's valid stay
4. Birth Certificate
5. Certificate of Acceptance from the school. Note: The school must be authorized by BI to accept foreign students. A list of BI-authorized schools may be secured from the Philippine Embassy in your country.
6. Any other document as may be required
7. SSP Fee - P3,730 or $68 (approximate)

2. Procedure for SSP Application:

1. Prepare all the required documents.
2. Present documents to your preferred school or Philippine tour operator to check if all documents are in order.
3. Submit application with supporting documents to the Bureau of Immigration or thru the school or tour operator. SSPs are issued within one (1) week upon application.

3. Visa Extension

Holders of tourist visa are allowed to stay in the country for a maximum of 59 days. Extension may be applied with the Visa Extension Section of the Bureau of Immigration.

Requirements:

1. Completed application form
2. Photocopy of photo, data, and latest arrival pages of the passport
3. Visa extension fee - $ 65 (approximate)

• Nationals who enjoy 21-day visa-free stay may apply for another 38-day extension. Visa waiver application fee is $37 (approximate).

How long are the English courses?

The duration of English courses vary depending on the need and/or objective of the student. Modules may range from one (1) week to one (1) month depending on the level of proficiency of students. In 1-week modules, English lessons are conducted daily. Excursions, immersions and other outdoor activities are integrated in the program to provide the students opportunity and conducive venue for practical application of what they learned in the classroom. For 1-month program, overnight out-of-town tours are arranged during weekends. In-depth English courses for more than a month can be arranged by the schools.

What are the costs?

Costs of English courses are dependent on the duration of the course, number of enrollees, type of instruction (group or one-on-one basis) and facilities/amenities provided by the school. Refer to insert for indicative fees.

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Where do I get more information about ESL tours offered in the Philippines? How do I avail of these packages?

For information about ESL tours, you may get in touch with the following:

Office of Product Research and Development
Planning, Product Development & Coordination
Rm. 412, OPRD, DOT Building
T.M. Kalaw, Manila , Philppines
(632) 524-2423, 523-1930, 524-4315
E-Mail: rcbueno@tourism.gov.ph

ESL Philippines

Welcome to ESL Philippines. This Blog is dedicated to providing up to date information on studying English as a Second Language in the Philippines. We will post current news on as many schools and English learning opportunities as we can. In addition I will give tips and lesson strategies for teachers and students. Asian language speakers share common difficulties when it comes to learning English. We will try to provide helpful educational Language strategies to assist the beginning and Advanced student of English.
As this blog grows, I hope that everyone interested in learning English as a second language will find something of value here. Enjoy!