New English Language Test

Tim, you're not the only one to have made that broad-brush statement recently. Philippine politicians are renowned for making this claim including Aquino (again!) a week or so ago!

K took the IDP IELTS Test at a "pop up" centre in the Ariana Hotel in Dipolog a week ago yesterday, so she will know on Friday whether she must re-sit or not.

Her English is fluent, as she worked in the local film industry as a "talent manager", but nerves got the better of her and when asked at interview what toys her child likes she forgot the word "Ipad" and broke down and cried. At least she cried in English, not Bisaya!

Since she had to produce her Passport and have an ID photo taken for this test I really don't see why all future tests are to be in Manila or Cebu.

Just another expletive deleted rip off by that expletive deleted cow Theresa May.

If she passed that test it may be valid for a UK visa application up until 5 November 2015.

What Timmers said has some degree of substance behind it. I saw from my wifes family that some were very good and some not so. My wifes mother cannot speak English. But she can say a few words.

I get the impression the younger generation are more likely to speak English. My wifes nephew has been taught English from first going to school a few years ago.

The other thing I notice is that whilst the Filipinos here speak very good English, their Thai counterparts are nowhere near as good.

My wife laughs at many of the eastern europeans she encounters whos English is far poorer than her own.

Would it not be fairer to say that as a rule Filipinos speak better English than many of their South East Asian counterparts.

Other than Malaysians and Singaporeans, the answer would be "yes".

There must be some truth in this table, surely....

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-most-english-language-speaker-map.html

Erm.... which Philippine government official produced that? The legend for the map and the table beneath it are supposedly for English speakers. But they contain different values and neither would be accurate as far as the Philippines is concerned. But the higher number would be the one recognised by the President!

And this sort of reporting leads one to suppose that the speaking of English is intrinsic, these days.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20066890

And this. I guess they have it wrong?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-chavez/what-asia-can-learn-from-_b_4572991.html

And this kind of reporting? Filipinos tops in Business English.

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

That is what I have understood, yes.

Oh, bless her. She'll be fine, I'm sure. I'm not sure remembering the word iPad is a deal breaker!

My wife recently came away from her test in a foul mood, convinced she'd messed up but she passed no problem. The level they need to get is relatively low for people who can speak the language pretty well anyway.

It's stressful for people to have to pass this thing though - particularly when they keep moving the goal posts like they do. This was her second test, and she'll have to do another one in a couple of years time because they've changed it again. Yet she passed an English test before she even came to the UK.

Thanks. I see the price of the test has increased by at least 2000 pesos, which is not negligible.

A mutual friend has suggesed that she if she need to "re-sit the test, she should spend a week on a refresher course in Subic then take it in Manila.

At the moment she only needs A1 level. She won't need a refresher course!

As Graham says she won't need to resit it however there are free study materials that anyone can use for as long as they need inside the British Council in Manila

Thanks for this info

Yes, contrary to what one or two have said on here, many Filipinos have a head start on many of their foreign counterparts in other countries but they (Filipinos) dont know that and they actually perform better at these tests than they think they will.

Hello! After passing IELTS, do I still need to ask UK NARIC to assess it or do I only include the certificate from IELTS when I submit my visa application requirements?

No need for UK NARIC Assessment once you've passed the IELTS. You will be given a certificate and a reference number as to which your scores can be seen online.