The number of Taiwanese traveling to the Philippines to study English has surged to 10,000 annually over the past five years, according to the Global Career Development Association, a Taipei-based civic organization focused on developing people’s global career potential.
There has been a tremendous rise in the number of people going to the Philippines to study English in recent years, from 1,000 people in 2012 to 10,000 this year, association president Wang Hsing-wei (王星威) said.
The surge is explained by the proximity of the Southeast Asian country and the relatively cheap tuition there compared with English programs in North America, Australia or New Zealand, Wang said.
The majority of English language schools in the Philippines offer one-on-one teaching in an English-only environment and long, intensive classes that often last eight to 12 hours a day, he said, adding that they are predominantly located in the city of Baguio on the island of Luzon, and in Cebu City, on Cebu Island.
Wang said two groups often choose to study in the Philippines: students who are taking winter or summer holiday courses to sharpen their English skills and professionals who need reach a certain level of proficiency in a short amount of time.
About 20 years ago, South Koreans were the first to travel to the Philippines to learn English, Wang said.
Even with 10,000 Taiwanese nationals enrolled in the Philippines annually, Wang said he believes that there is still room for growth.
The number could increase to 20,000 over the next five years, he said.
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