What Allan Rono Says

From Allan Rono, debate teacher and educator for twenty years. He says:

"Communication is inextricable from human life. It is one big way by which we proclaim our existence as well as our ideas, both bright and idiotic. Good grammar is important because it's a channel for clear exchange of ideas. I think it was George Bernard Shaw who said that the biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place... Communication is complex enough even if we know the same language. What more if one has bad grammar?

How many times have we laughed out loud at beauty contestants struggling to sound senseless? Although almost never the individual's fault, having bad grammar raises a red flag. I openly blame elementary teachers who were too lazy or much worse, incompetent to teach proper grammar in the primary years. If good grammar is not established in the early years until about 8 years-old, or corrected till about 11 years-old, then the langauge skills at that point begin to fossilize in whatever state. Re-learning or unlearning grammar after this can only happen at the affective level.

English proficiency is important anywhere. In the Philippines, it seems to be the corporate measure of professionalism. Sadly, many in the corporate sector don't seem to have a good grasp of English. This runs the entire gamut from the ordinary employees to the bosses. However, I will not say that English is the measure of one's intelligence. We can all be intelligent in our native tongue. English provides a bridge between inter or cross-cultural relations whether it be in the business setting, the academe, or whatever cultural situation you may find yourself in."