In the Philippines, English is an official language. It is used as a medium of instruction. Yet, most Filipinos learn English as an additional language because they have various mother tongues. The diverse linguistic backgrounds of Filipinos create a challenge for both English teachers and learners of English as an additional language. As all linguists continue to think of innovative ways to teach English to speakers of Filipino languages, the Philippine context presents some particular factors that must be taken into consideration today. This study explored the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) to the teaching of English as an additional language in the Philippines. Results show that English teaching and learning in the Philippines has been successful in general but has areas for improvement. Results are based on data collected from eight individual written interviews conducted with English educators, linguistic leaders and experts of Teaching English to speakers of Other Languages in the Philippines. The study also presents some practical recommendations for English language education policies in the multi-lingual societies of the Philippines.
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Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
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