Budget English Teachers|花小钱学英文

Budget English Teachers

　　The Philippines is fast becoming the world's low-cost English language teacher, with rapid increases in overseas students coming to learn English or study at English-speaking universities. Besides the US, there are a lot of other countries where students can go to learn English, such as Canada, the UK, or Australia. The key reason people are switching to the Philippines is that it's much cheaper. In the competitive market for language students, this means the Philippines is attracting people from countries such as Iran, Libya, Brazil, and Russia. "We have very competitive rates compared with other countries," says English teacher Jesy King, citing her school's fees of US$500 for a 60-hour class, which is about a third of the price of an equivalent course in the US or Canada.

　　Filipinos speak with a clear American accent partly because the Philippines was a US colony for five decades and partly because so many people there have spent time working in call centers that cater to a US market. These centers train their staff to sound indistinguishable from Americans, so callers never realize that the person they're speaking to is on the other side of the world. "I have a background in call centers, so I've learned to adopt an American accent. It's one of the prerequisites when you join," says King. Her school, the International Language Academy of Manila, attracts students from all over the world. The majority are from Asia, especially Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, but in the past few months, she's also taught people from North Africa, South America, and the Middle East.

     1.     What is the main reason students are choosing to study in the Philippines?

(A) It's much cheaper than other countries.

(B) It's a safer environment.

(C) It's much faster to get a degree there.

(D) It's closer to vacation spots.

     2.     If people want to work at call centers in the Philippines, what do they have to do?

(A) Learn to use the computer proficiently.

(B) Learn how to talk like an American.

(C) Learn about various kinds of high-tech products.

(D) Study English for at least a year.

     3.     Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

(A) The Philippines has become one of the most popular tourist destinations.

(B) Most call centers in the US are located in the Philippines.

(C) There will soon be too many students in the Philippines.

(D) The Philippines is ideal for people who want to improve their English.

花小钱学英文

　　随着国外学生到菲律宾学英文或就读以英语授课大学的人数激增，菲律宾正快速成为世界上花点小钱就可以学英文的地方。除了美国之外，学生们还可以前往其他许多国家学英文，例如加拿大、英国或澳洲。人们之所以改去菲律宾的主要原因是价格低廉许多。在竞争激烈的语言学习市场里，这代表了菲律宾正吸引来自伊朗、利比亚、巴西和俄罗斯等国家的人。英文老师洁西․金恩表示：『与其他国家相比，我们的学费相当有竞争力。』她指出她所任教的学校，总共 60 小时的课程收费 500 美元，是美国或加拿大同样课程的三分之一。

　　菲律宾人说得一口清晰的美式英语，一部分原因是该国曾被美国殖民 50 年之久，另一部分原因则是许多当地人任职于以美国为市场的客服中心。这些客服中心训练员工讲得一口连美国人都听不出口音的英语，因此来电者根本不知道与他对话的服务人员是在地球的另一端。金恩表示：『我有客服中心的背景，所以我学过如何使用美国口音。这是进入这一行的首要条件之一。』她所任教的马尼拉国际语言学院吸引了来自全球的学生就读。大多数学生来自亚洲，尤其是日本、台湾和韩国；但在过去几个月，她也教过来自北非、南美和中东的学生。

答案： 1.   A   2.   B   3.   D

 

　　商业流程外包（BPO）近年来在菲律宾的崛起十分惊人，自 1997 年接起第一通电话，如今在菲律宾此产业雇用了 63.8 万人，营收达 110 亿美元，约占菲律宾国民生产毛额的百分之五。2011 年，菲律宾甚至在语音相关服务方面超越了印度。菲律宾预估 2016 年时，BPO 产业将带来 70 万个工作机会，营收将达 250 亿美元。

　　而在电话中心业务方面，菲律宾的优势在于受过训练的员工口音清晰易懂，也熟悉美国俗语，这正是美国消费者要的。以下连结可供各位读者们实际听听看菲律宾人的地道美式口音。（数据源：YouTube）