Work your way to English excellence at John Robert Powers

Despite being one of the most widely-known English-speaking countries in Asia, the Philippines is home to Filipinos who, even after being taught English throughout elementary and high school, still lack proficiency and fluency in the language.

“Traditional English classes teach us only the basic rules,” says John Robert Powers’ English director Grace Saqueton. “Students graduate knowing what a verb or a noun is, but they’re not comfortable speaking the language because there’s no room for practice.”

This is where JRP’s English Learning Program (ELP) comes in. A combination of teacher-led classes and other interactive sessions, the ELP helps individuals master not only technical English know-how, but also allows them to apply what they’ve learned in order to become effective communicators of the language.

Saqueton, a former instructor in the academe, saw firsthand how the Filipino’s grasp of the English language has weakened. “The Philippines being one of the best English-speaking countries is not completely true anymore,” she pointed out. “And a lot of it stems from the Filipino’s notion that his study of the language in his earlier years is enough. I used to handle Information Technology and Engineering students, and they would often say that they don’t really need English classes because the nature of their work won’t require them to be fluent in it.”

However, she continues, many of them discover that the issue isn’t so much knowing the difference between an adjective and an adverb, but becoming comfortable in using the language in everyday situations—not just within the four walls of the classroom.

“When I became an instructor at JRP, many young professionals would come up to me saying that they need to improve on their communication skills because they want to be able to speak up during meetings or that they need English to talk to their clients.,” shares Saqueton. “It’s nice to have students take the initiative to study English at JRP, because they know they need it to succeed and advance at work.”

What the ELP promises is room to really use the language and review its technicalities in practice. “At JRP, we build on the four macro skills in mastering the English language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Apart from the essential teacher-led classes, we also have conversation clubs and online grammar cafes to enhance learning.”

The conversation club serves as the venue for students to apply what they’ve learned in their teacher-led classes. “Every meeting, we give students different topics to discuss. They can share anything about it and a facilitator is there to monitor their conversations,” explains Saqueton. “When pointing out mistakes such as lapses in pronunciation or grammatical errors, the teacher adjusts to the students’ personalities—some are okay with being corrected at once, while others prefer to get feedback only after the session.”

One of the innovations of JRP’s ELP is the online grammar café. “Students are given an access code which they can use to go into virtual classrooms. Classroom lessons are then enhanced through videos, and they can also download helpful visuals and take grammatical exercises available online.”

The ELP likewise offers specialized courses, such as Business Writing and Creative Writing, for those with specific needs; as well as free online Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) review and free Test of English for International Communications (TOEIC) exams for those enrolled in specific levels.

“What sets JRP’s ELP apart is our holistic approach to learning the language; we don’t only teach grammar rules and usage, but more importantly, applying these principles through interaction to become an overall effective communicator,” concludes Saqueton. “After all, it’s excellent communication that sets one off on the path to success.”

 For inquiries, call JRP Makati at 892-9511, JRP Quezon City at 927-0465, or JRP Alabang at 659-0052, or visit http://www.johnrobertpowers.com.