Call Centers and the English Language

Call center companies are sprouting like mushrooms not only in Metro Manila but all over the country. And with the growth of the Call Center industry in the country, it is but normal to see their ads everywhere. You'll see them in MRT/LRT stations, buses, ad boards in the streets and even in underpasses in Makati area. They have also taken over the advertisement pages in your favorite broadsheet or local newspapers. They even proliferate in your favorite job boards online like Jobstreet and JobsDB. However, after all those numerous ads they show each single day, how come each call center company is still looking for 200 new agents and even sometimes others look for up to a thousand new agents to fill out their seats?

The answer: Declining English Proficiency in the Philippines.

I've been with the call center industry for a few years now with 2 call center companies. And during those years that I've worked for this industry, I've seen new comers and I can really say that the new graduates these past few years aren't as proficient in English as was required by the call center companies back then.

I am not going to say I am very fluent in English. Heck, if I am to rate myself, I'll give me an 8 (Of course during an interview, I'll say I'm a 9 if the interviewer asks me about my English proficiency. lol!)  Sad to say that most of the new comers rate even lower than me in terms of fluency in English. What's surprising is that they even come from great universities here in Metro Manila while I was a graduate from a little college in the North. Added to that, I was with one of the top call center companies in the country which was known to accept only 2% of their applicants. Do you get the picture?

I just started with my 2nd call center company recently but I've applied to various companies before then to check which one will give me the best offer. And I can't believe what I've seen or heard during those interview sessions. There are some companies where they interview applicants by groups of 5 or 10 where you get to hear other applicants struggle in terms of pronunciation, sentence construction and grammar. There are even companies where the interviewers actually suck (excuse my term) in the use of the English language as well.

Oh well, I hope there would be a big change in our educational system. And I'm hoping they again enforce English Only on subjects that are supposed to be taught in English. That way, students will be compelled to speak the language. As they say, "With practice comes perfection."

My tips for those who'd like to hone their skills:

1. Read English books - If you don't like educational books, then, read English pocketbooks.
2. Watch American movies
3. Watch US TV series
4. Practice, Practice and Practice

**This is a repost from my other blog: http://usappinoy.blogspot.com

Closing Spiel: Again, this is Yallit and thank you for visiting. Have a Nice Day!