FOR South Korean students, the Philippines is now a haven as far as learning the English language is concerned, The Korea Times has reported.
Based on data by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, South Koreans who were issued student visas increased by 500 percent from 2004 to 2008. In total, 102,134 South Koreans went to study in the Philippines during the period. Last year alone, 29,155 South Koreans were granted permission to study short-term courses in the country.
Leonisa Mojica, director of the Center for Language Learning at De La Salle University, said most of them enrolling in the courses have "little knowledge and can hardly speak English". When asked why South Koreans prefer to take English courses in the Philippines, Mojica said it’s probably because the tuition "is cheaper" compared to fees in other countries, plus the fact that the teaching mode has great appeal. Besides offering one-on-one and classroom English courses, many Philippine schools are offering online courses for those who want to learn English on the Internet.
