Stakeholders are calling for stronger interventions and collective action to improve English language proficiency among Filipinos, warning that persistent learning gaps could undermine their readiness for future jobs and opportunities.

At a media roundtable organized by the British Council on Tuesday, National Teachers College (NTC) Vice President for Academic Affairs Edizon Fermin said the Philippines should treat English proficiency both as an “economic strategy” and as critical “infrastructure” to sustain and enhance its competitiveness in a global economy driven by English.

“It’s time for us to examine our national policy on languages of learning, given that we are a multilingual nation,” he said.

“While there are existing provisions to develop Filipino as the national language, why can’t we establish a clearer national strategy for English as well?” he added.

In 2022, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that at least 76 percent of Filipino students fall below the minimum level of reading proficiency.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) likewise reported that nearly half of Filipino learners are already behind in reading by Grade 3, with the gap widening further by age 15.

Fermin said these findings may reflect not only what students are able to learn, but also the language in which they are expected to learn.

Structural challenges

British Council Country Director Lotus Postrado noted that challenges in enhancing Filipino learners’ proficiency and competency are likewise “structural.”

“Our curriculum is not following the natural way of learning of humans,” she said.

Citing the findings of the 2024 British Council-NTC scoping study on English as a subject in basic education, she said students were taught “in reverse” in early years of learning.

“Students are being asked to read and write English without being kept comfortable in terms of speaking and listening to it. So, we found learners that are really able to recognize the words but not able to actually use it,” she said.

The study also found that among the teachers selected as respondents, “majority are below the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) B2 for reading,” indicating that more than half can only read straightforward texts on subjects related to their fields and interests with a satisfactory level of comprehension.

CEFR is used to identify language ability and has six levels, from A1 for beginners, B2 for upper intermediate up to C2 for users who are proficient in the language.

While B2 level is good communication skill, Fermin said good teaching is to “be at least a step ahead of everyone.”

“If you’re just at B2 level, which is the target proficiency in basic education, then how can you really move things up?” he said.

“The question now is, how are these teachers being prepared? Ultimately, we found out there’s no national assessment system for the English proficiency of our teachers,” he added.

In the same forum, British Council Head of Exams Mike Cabigon warned that lack of proficiency in English could translate into real economic consequences for a Filipino.

One recruitment firm, he shared, had once tapped the organization to help look for Filipino nurses willing to work abroad, but later deferred to another country because “some nurses aren’t able to meet the English language requirement.”

“They felt initially that the Philippines is where they could get everything they need,” he said.

“It’s just a sad fact that they are considering other countries now because they cannot recruit the volume that they were expecting from the Philippines because they cannot meet the English language requirement,” he added.

The British Council, he said, would continue collaborating and providing necessary support to the Philippine education system.

Fermin underscored that English should no longer be considered as a mere subject but a “pathway” where learners access knowledge and, eventually, skills and job opportunities.

“The urgent truth is that English proficiency is no longer our birthright, even if it is a second language for Filipinos. It is built, and right now, we’re not building it well enough,” he said. (PNA)