Upholding English Proficiency for Communicative Competence

    In every competition, we must understand each others ideas. To be able to understand things, we must communicate well. To be able to communicate precisely, there's a need for a proficiency in language.

     English is the "lingua franca"  all over the world. That's why it was set as the universal language around this globe where we stand. So it is a must that all of us must know how to speak English. It is a weapon for us to empower a friendly communication with other countries.

   English can be defined as a contact language used between speakers who do not share the same mother tongue(s) or cultural backgrounds. It is a global phenomenon,

with a much wider range of people using English now as an additional language than native

speakers. Indeed, over 80% of interactions in English worldwide are now estimated to be between non-native speakers (see Graddol 2006). In this respect, native speaker competence may no longer be relevant as a model to imitate or a «golden standard»   to      reach (see Seidlhoer 2004).Indeed, when ELF is usedfor education, the focustends to be on effective communication rather

than «correctness» (see Mauranen et al 2010).

[http://www.academia.edu/459366/English_as_a_lingua_franca_in_education_-_Internationalisation_speaks_English]

     Well, people will now have to think twice before mocking Pinoys' use of the English language.

The Philippines was named the world’s best country in business English proficiency, even beating the United States, according to a recent study by GlobalEnglish Corporation.

GlobalEnglish has released early this month the results of its annual Business English Index (BEI), the only index that measures business English proficiency in the workplace.

For 2012, results showed that from 76 represented countries worldwide, only the Philippines attained a score above 7.0, "a BEI level within range of a high proficiency that indicates an ability to take an active role in business discussions and perform relatively complex tasks."

“This is particularly interesting because the Philippines, a country with one-tenth of the population of India, recently overtook India as a hub for call centers. Over 400,000 Filipinos are now employed in call centers, roughly 50,000 more than in India,” the study said.

The Philippines, which scored 7.11 and the lone country in the intermediate level, were joined by Norway (6.54), Estonia (6.45), Serbia (6.38) and Slovenia (6.19) in the top five.

GlobalEnglish noted that a country’s business English capability is an indicator of its economic growth and business success.

[http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ph--world-s-best-country-in-business-english.html]

This only portrays that even though it is not an English speaking country, it has a capability to have high proficiency in English language.

          Now, Filipinos are no longer underestimated by foreign countries. We can go abroad and to any international place we want because we have the capability of speaking English fluently. We can communicate with other people out there. From there, competition is more prone. We can only survive if we have high percentage of being an English proficient. Of course, how can we live there if we are not suited even with their language only? With the use of English language, we have the power to stand and talk with self-esteem.

     Throughout the globe, English is highly accepted. Being proficient of it boost more confidence and it feels like we belong. Having a well-rounded communication, through English languag, results to a healthy competition. Upholding English proficiency for communicative competence!