Online ESL teaching an emerging market for Filipino entrepreneurs

CEBU, Philippines - Filipinos could take advantage of the fast growing ESL (English as Second Language) money-making opportunity not just by attracting non-English speaking nationalities to study in the country, but utilizing the Internet as channel to teach English.

Economist Bernardo Villegas said that there are a lot of ways to seize the opportunity in making money through ESL. In fact, some innovative Filipinos are now making money out of teaching English—virtually.

The over 100 thousand Koreans who are living in the Philippines, is another market to tap. However, there are also thousands of Koreans who want to learn English without having to stay or travel to the Philippines. This opportunity should be taken advantage by the Filipinos who are known for its English fluency.

“Some entrepreneurs used the Internet to teach thousands of Koreans in English,” said Villegas.

On the other hand, in an earlier interview with Jae hee Jung, head for the Department of Tourism and English at the Hallum College in Korea, he said that the Philippines is now threatened by other countries such as Australia, and New Zealand, in terms of attracting ESL students from Korea.

Although the Philippines is more attractive, and the Filipino’s natural charm for teaching is a good come-on but the rising cost of charge for ESL in the Philippines has slowly discouraged some Koreans to consider the Philippines as ESL destination for Koreans.

According to Villegas, Filipinos should start making the Internet as the effective tool to teach English to Koreans, by charging minimal rate, and be competitive with other ESL destinations.

“Your government should control the rates for ESL services, otherwise you lose the opportunity to other countries,” said Jung in an interview.

The Korean professor added that Koreans’ like to come to the Philippines, Cebu in particular, not only because for its good ESL service, but also because Cebu is considered by Korean’s as “Hawaii” in Asia.

If the increasing rates of ESL services will not be addressed immediately, the Philippines may be able to see declining Korean ESL students, and this would also affect the number of Korean tourists coming to the Philippines.

In the past, a two-month ESL program for instance only costs US$1,000, now the rate has gone up to US$2,000, same as the rate of Australia, and New Zealand.

Also, he said the influx of more Korean capitalist investing into ESL in the Philippines, should also be regulated, in order to standardize the ESL service here.

Jung said the reason why more Korean investors are putting their money to set up ESL facilities here, because of the attractive rates, and it has become more profitable business for them.

Record showed that at present, Cebu registered 10 thousand (or less) tourists, who are taking up ESL in Cebu a year. Most of them are Koreans.

Villegas believes that Filipinos will be able to provide ESL services to Koreans, and other non-English speaking nationalities, through offering virtual ESL portal. He said this is a good entrepreneurial concept that Filipinos should consider in investing in.