Hello from Manila

フィリピンに短期留学中のHさんよりお便りをいただきました。tokyoeigo在学中も在校生で一番というくらいコツコツ勉強されていました。フィリピンでも誰よりもがんばっていると思います。帰国後に再会できるのを楽しみしています!


How have you been?

I have been staying in Manila in the Philippines for studying English. I plan to stay for a total of two months. And at the time of writing this letter now one month has passed. What kind of image do you have of Manila? Are you worried about safety? Manila in a broad sense refers to Metro Manila which is as large as Tokyo’s 23 wards. Among them, there are various cities, and I am staying in BGC (Bonifacio Global City) in Taguig City. If you come here, your image of the Philippines may change. Tall office buildings and condominiums are lined up and construction projects are underway everywhere now. There are many fashionable restaurants and shops that are familiar in Japan on High Street. The city is grid shaped and along the road there are trees, it has a very beautiful landscape. Also, BGC is the safest city compared to other regions. It seems like there would be no problems for a woman to walk alone at night.

When I walk around town or go to a shopping mall, I think there are a lot of young people in the Philippines. The average age in the Philippines is 25 years old and in Japan it is 45 years old, so it is about half! The liveliness of the city makes me realize that this country is in the middle of growing.

Most importantly about the English classes, Filipino teachers teach me so kindly with enthusiasm. Most classes are one-on-one. I’ve been exhausted after classes because I have never listened and spoken English so much in my life. I haven’t been able to tell other people what I’m thinking yet, but I’m trying to talk anyway.
Below is a list of what I thought was important for learning English in the Philippines.

・Pronunciation
I have been repeatedly pointed out by Filipino teachers during class. In particular, I found that my pronunciation of the letter “s” was not correct. .

・Reading aloud
In order to pronounce correctly, I must speak aloud several times. There are pronunciation classes at the beginning and end of the lesson, but everyone else speaks loudly without embarrassment.

I already understood that correct pronunciation is necessary to improve my listening skills, but I tend to be neglectful in my daily learning while in Japan. The teachers gave me a detailed explanation of the shape of the lips and the position of the tongue in front of me, so I recognized that my pronunciation is different. For the remaining month, I will study hard to improve my communication skills in English.