A Filipino Perspective

I just want to give a comment in connection with the remarks of an Australian teacher named Ajarn X a few months back and that of Paula Norman of Right Angle. I admire their straightforward and neutral remarks, and I agree with them. Ajarn X was right, and what he/she did when he/she found errors is to privately tell the problem to the concerned teacher because I know he/she wants to help that erring teacher to improve. Otherwise, Ajarn X would have started telling others about the problem until the concerned teacher learns about it from the 1000th person who come to hear it, if the intention is to insult or humiliate. We are Christians and we are familiar with what the Bible says that "a criticism coming from a loving friend is far better than the smile and nod of an enemy". I also found some grammatical error on Ajarn X's comment, which proves that everyone commits mistakes, including native speakers. But let us not dwell on that issue for now.

Native Speakers are not the ones to be blamed because on the alleged discrimination against Filipinos because they are also victims, although they are the ones enjoying the positive benefits and we, the non-native speakers (or non-white skinned), are reaping the negative effects. As Ajarn X mentioned, it is the parents who need the enlightenment on this issue, because they believe that native speakers are the only ones qualified to teach English to their children.

So my fellow Filipinos, why don't we take the situation as a form of constructive criticism and a challenge to prove our ability? It is actually true, and I admit, that many Filipinos (even those who had English as their major) have lousy English. We, however, can improve if we are humble enough to take criticism. And remember, there are few thousands of Filipinos who are teachers in the US, teaching English and other subjects to American children. This proves that we are one of the best teachers in the world.

Why don't we use our friendly "pakikisama" technique and befriend our employers, the Thai parents, and prove to them that we can do more than what a native speaker can. I know a few Filipino teachers who stayed in the same school for two or more years because of this, and the Thai parents really loved, and cared for, them, because these parents realized the truth. The parents even referred these teachers to other parents for private tutorial appointments. After all, those parents are our (including the native speakers’) employer, not the school or the agency. So let's stop barking at the wrong tree.

I find that this Filipino Section is actually advantageous in many ways. The following are some of them:

(1) It gives the prospective employee a chance to scrutinize the contributor whether he/she is really qualified to teach English or not because writing English should be much better and easier than speaking it, and if we find lots of errors in written comments, there is much bigger possibility of finding errors when the writer speaks the language. So I would say that this section is one of the best place for employers to find the right person they need. May I, therefore, suggest that contributors conclude their comments with one contact information on how to get in touch with them just in case someone is interested to employ them?

(2) This is one of the many ways one can prove his/her ability in connection with the English language, and this might be the right place for him/her to find an employer. So why not use this section that way. And be careful not to commit mistakes even when you are angry or disgusted with the so-called "discrimination" that is taking place. Angry people usually commit mistakes, so may I suggest that do not compose your comments when you are angry. And be sure to re-check your comments for errors (or maybe have someone you trust proofread it) before sending them to Ajarn.

Finally, I want to thank the people behind the Filipino Section and Ajarn as well. You are helping people in many ways. Don't be discouraged when you receive negative comments from your readers. This only proves that your are doing a great job and accomplishments. As the Filipino saying goes "Ang punong maraming magagandang bunga ay binabato ng mga hindi nakakaabot at hindi marunong umakyat na walang ginawa kundi magmukmuk".

Warm regards,
thaifil@gmail.com