Today, nowhere is language without tongue - everyone knows that. Especially without English - it just so happened that it was he who was chosen internationally. If you go abroad, it’s far from the fact that they will understand you in Russian. But in English, not even in an English-speaking country, there is already a chance to agree. Therefore, it is completely unsurprising that schools and / or English courses are springing up like mushrooms after rain everywhere. And the speech, of course, is now not only about Russia, but about all countries. In the Philippines, there are many English schools. About where the language is best taught, we tell further.
Meet the Philippines
To begin with, we briefly introduce the reader to the course of what the Philippines is. Surely, many have heard only the name, but they don’t even know where this state is located, let alone some of its characteristics!
So, the Philippines is located in Southeast Asia, and this is an island (strictly speaking, a whole group of islands - more than seven and a half thousand pieces!). In terms of population, the state is in the first dozen - occupies the twelfth place, and lives there, according to the data of the year before last, a little more than one hundred million people. The Philippines, with its capital in Manila, is a presidential republic and simultaneously possess two official languages. One of them is, of course, Filipino, and the second is English, so God himself said to go to learn English in the Philippines: without immersion in the language environment, everyone knows that it’s impossible to really learn the language.
The climate in the Philippine Islands is marine, tropical: summers are hot and long, followed by a small period of rains, and then cold and dry winters (of course, not so cold as in Siberia - the average annual temperature is about 26 degrees). The Philippine archipelago is a paradise for tropical birds and reptiles, so you need to be careful so as not to meet the latter face to face.
The Philippines previously belonged to Spain; the name of the state comes from the name of the Spanish king Philip II. In general, the Philippines is very, very many years old - it is believed that people lived on these islands before our era.
Why philippines
Yesterday we met with the state. It remains to answer one more question: why do I need to go to study the English in the Philippines? If you leave for an English-speaking country, then why not choose Britain, for example?
Of course, you can go to Britain, and to the States, and anywhere. But English courses in the Philippines have many advantages. Here are just a few of them:
- A trip to the Philippines is a great opportunity to combine business with pleasure: not only learn (or improve) English, but also have a wonderful rest in an exotic hot country. Great Britain is good at anything, but you won’t find exotic things there, and the foggy Albion can’t boast of anything. And the nature of the Philippines, animals, plants of this state will not leave anyone indifferent. In addition, the islands always have something to do - diving, surfing and other no less exotic ways to have fun are always available for vacationers.
- There are plenty of English schools in the Philippines, and courses too, so everyone can choose their own classes to their liking. In addition, there is an alternative among teachers: they teach classes both native speakers (such courses will be more expensive) and Filipinos.
- Compared to Britain and any European countries in general, living in the Philippines is quite cheap. Prices in this country are quite low both for housing and for food - and this is important, given that it will take several months to live in the selected country.
- After the Philippines got out of the yoke of the Spanish, they became dependent on the Americans, where they were fifty years. And therefore it is not at all surprising that more than half of the entire population of the archipelago (to be more precise, 60 percent) is fluent in English. This, in turn, creates excellent conditions for practice - after all, even children in schools from the first days of training are actively studying English.
- Learning English in the Philippines is possible both for a long time and for a short time - up to 30 days. It has already been said above that the variety of language courses in this country is impressive. So, when choosing a short duration of study for a period of less than a month, residents of our country do not need to apply for a visa. And this is also important!
- Thus, there are many advantages to learning English in the Philippines. And if you have chosen this particular country as the place of your trip, it remains only to determine the school for your studies. But before talking about the existing options, we mention the disadvantages of staying in the Philippines and studying there - otherwise it will simply be dishonest.
A bit about the cons
The first minus is the cost of training. Language courses in the archipelago cannot be called cheap, and even if you choose a native speaker as a teacher, the price will increase at all. Theft also flourishes in the Philippines, especially among tourists, so when you come here you need to be doubly vigilant and attentive. On the beach, you certainly do not need to take anything of value with you. Another nuisance is that in the Philippines there are many storms, which often entail dangerous consequences in the form of various destructions - you should also be prepared for this.
Features of teaching English in the Philippines
Learning English in the Philippines is very interesting, and that's why. Firstly, any language school (there are twenty of them in only one Manila) offers its students a variety of programs - from basic for beginners to specialized for those who want to hone their skills and perfect their knowledge of the language. Secondly, all students are objectively distributed into groups according to the level of knowledge at the very first lesson. The cadets write a test, which shows what kind of training anyone has. It includes testing four areas of knowledge: listening with subsequent answers to questions, talking with the teacher, writing text and reading aloud.
After the groups are formed, the training begins directly, and here one more interesting detail is hidden: it is conducted for the whole day, taking from eight to twelve hours. A real dive! But you need to understand: this is not just boring sitting at the desks, it is also visiting all kinds of workshops and electives. In addition, students of English courses in the Philippines have the opportunity to meet several tutors during their studies - after all, each new lesson (lecture, master class) is taught by a new teacher. Accordingly, if a student has eight, for example, classes per day, then he will communicate with eight different teachers. Like in a school where different teachers conduct history, biology and literature. The only difference is that in the Philippine language schools all teachers teach English, but everyone is responsible for some particular aspect of it.
The fifth feature of teaching English in the Philippines is - and now all lazy people should be delighted - that there are no homework in the language schools of this state. It’s just that the amount of information given to students per day is already enormous, so they are allowed to rest at least in the evenings.
The next interesting point: most of the Filipino language schools strive to ensure that students have the opportunity to practice in different situations outside the classroom. They achieve this by organizing all kinds of excursions either after classes or on weekends. Thus, not even two, but three birds with one stone are killed at once: the cadets have practice, they saw the sights of the city, and in an informal atmosphere talked to each other, which contributes to the establishment of friendly relations. In general, a plus from all sides.
Documents required for a visa
If the selected language courses are supposed to last longer than one month, Russian students will have to make a visa - for three, six, nine or twelve months. The documents will need the following:
- Valid passport (at the same time, it must be valid for at least six months after the expected date of return to your home country).
- Application for a visa, which is personally signed by the applicant.
- An invitation to study from a language school or courses.
- Copies of all passport data pages.
- One 4.5 by 3.5 cm photograph.
- Confirmation of the reserved hotel / rental apartment number.
- Copy of round-trip air tickets.
Where is the best place to learn a language in the Philippines?
The Philippines is a large state, but there are not so many cities with a really good level of learning English. The list of the best settlements for this purpose includes, of course, the capital of the Philippines - Manila, in addition, places such as Cebu, Quezon City, Davao, Iloilo, Boracay, Subic. Next, we’ll look at some of the best English schools in the Philippines at the points above.
Platinum Course in Cebu
The official name for this 24-week program is the Platinum ESL Course. It involves learning English every day (except weekends, of course) for nine hours. Of these, six hours are allotted for individual lessons and three hours for group lessons. Thus, students should attend 45 hours of classes per week.
The courses are perfect for those who want to learn the language as quickly as possible. New groups start every Monday, classes begin at eight in the morning and last with a lunch break until six in the evening.
The above courses are organized by a language school called 3D Academy, which received accreditation back in 2002 (by the way, it then became the second school in all the Philippines, which obtained official permission to conduct such classes). The school specializes in English as a second native language, and students from Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan usually become its students. The school provides a hostel for the needy.
Groups are staffed from six to eight people, age restrictions - from eighteen years. The cost of the course is from seven hundred and eighty dollars.
Travel English in Davao
The Davao Language Academy in Davao offers everyone an eight-week Travel English course, starting every Monday. Groups are completed with a minimum of up to four people, however, there may be exclusively individual lessons (that is, a group of one person). Classes are held from Monday to Friday, eight hours a day from eight in the morning until five in the evening (an hour break for lunch is provided).
The school was opened relatively recently - only four years ago, but has already managed to gain popularity among cadets, including due to the friendly staff of the institution. By the way, even children can learn English in it - cadets are accepted starting from the age of eight. The main stream of students is Japanese, the cost of training is from a thousand dollars.
Standard English in Boracay
Compared to previous courses, this one is quite easy and energy-efficient: there are only five lessons per day, twenty-five per week. Four hours a day are allotted for group exercises, one hour is taught individually; classes begin at nine in the morning and end at five in the evening. The course aims to fill the gaps in the most important areas in the English language and is designed for people from eighteen years of age and older. The duration of these English courses in the Philippines is up to a year, groups are staffed from eight to twelve people. Tuition starts at six hundred and six dollars, with housing provided by the school - from seven hundred and forty-five dollars.
A language school called Paradise English Boracay Language Institute is located on Boracay Highway South. It was opened in 2005, and since then many students from all over the world have passed through it, including from Russia. Most often these Germans choose these English courses in the Philippines.
Intensive English in Subic
The JWE Language Training Center in Subic offers English courses in the Philippines at a ridiculous price, starting at just two hundred and fifty dollars. At the same time, even five-year-olds can learn the language - it is from this age that cadets are accepted to school. Groups are formed small, numbering up to five people. The courses are designed for a year, thirty classes are held per week - six per day. The programs of the courses are different - there are basic ones for beginners, and there are in-depth ones - for those who want to perfectly master the language and communicate daily with its native speakers.
Classes at the school are special in that, unlike the rest of the above, they also have evening classes - after six hours. Thus, the school day begins at nine in the morning and ends at nine in the evening. The school was opened in 2011, the bulk of students come from South Korea and Taiwan.
Intensive Manila Program
You can not ignore the capital of the Philippines. There stands out from all the language school American TESOL Institute Philippines Inc. It offers everyone an intensive English course. However, you can call it intense with a stretch - it is stretched for a year, but only five lessons pass in a week - the load is minimal! Especially when compared with previous schools.
Lessons last from ten in the morning until five in the evening with an hour-long lunch break. Groups are staffed by a maximum of ten people, children from the age of eight can start training. The cost of the course is ridiculous - from two hundred rubles. Most Filipinos themselves study here.
English in Philippines: reviews
Of all the above courses, the highest marks are at Cebu language school. Former cadets call the time spent there, "an unforgettable experience in a wonderful country." They respond positively both to the quality of education, and to the location of the school - it is convenient to get there, and about leisure activities organized by the administration.
Also high marks and good reviews about English in the Philippines in Subic. Former students say they would like to return to this incredible country and celebrate amazing teachers of language courses.
These are only a few of the best language schools in the Philippines, but in reality they are not an example there anymore. Everyone can find the institution to their liking. Many new discoveries to you, and let knowledge get easily!