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WITH
help from logistics company United Parcel Services, some
of the nation’s best and brightest students and teachers
at the University of the Philippines in Diliman can now
take advantage of an award-winning language courseware
and an internationally recognized test as they work
toward academic excellence.
They
recently received computer-assisted English proficiency
training and testing program under the United Parcel
Services-Promoting English Proficiency (UPS-PEP)
project.
UPS is
the world’s largest package delivery company and a
global leader in supply chain and freight services. The
PEP project is an initiative of the American Chamber of
Commerce of the Philippines and the Makati Business
Club. It aims to develop a world-class Filipino work
force with English proficiency that meets high
international standards through a three-part program of
advocacy, refresher training and certification: PEP
engages in an information, awareness and advocacy
campaign to highlight the critical importance of
English-language proficiency for the success of Filipino
workers.
PEP
emphasizes refresher and spoken English training for
Filipino professional workers, students soon to enter
the labor force, and teachers using a blended approach
of classroom teaching and computer-aided instruction.
Finally,
PEP promotes the certification of Filipinos using
internationally recognized tests, such as the Test of
English for International Communication (TOEIC), and
encourages employers to adopt higher standards of
certification for the hiring and advancement of
employees.
“This
initiative is important because it’s one way to raise
the bar as far as English language and proficiency are
concerned,” according to Associate Professor and
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Jose Wendell P.
Capili. “It’s time we Filipinos regained our edge in
English proficiency.”
For
Capili and his fellow teachers and school
administrators, English communication skills are
essential in and out of the ivory tower of academia.
Sadly, a nationwide survey conducted by the Social
Weather Stations Inc. in 2006 showed that, compared with
1993 figures, fewer Filipinos understand spoken English,
read, write and speak English, and think in English.
A 2006
survey conducted by the Personnel Management Association
of the Philippines confirms this fact. The survey showed
that poor spoken English is one of the reasons many job
applicants fail to make it past the initial interview.
As a result, many entry-level positions in accounting
and finance, sales, certain IT and engineering
positions, and customer service go unfilled.
The
UPS-PEP Project aims to improve English-proficiency
levels at UP Diliman by: providing 600 freshman and
sophomore students with DynEd English Language Learning
Solutions in a laboratory setup; and certifying 50
teachers and graduate students using the TOEIC. Overall,
the project covers five schools—two high schools and
five state colleges—in Metro Manila: Las Piñas East High
School, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa,
Parañaque
National
High School,
University of Makati and UP Diliman. Its purpose is to
train 2,000 students and 300 teachers.
DynEd
courses have won an impressive list of over 40 major
awards. They have been approved by Ministries of
Education in several countries, including France, Turkey
and China. Schools, companies, training organizations
and government agencies around the world use these
courses successfully. |
