I am from the Philippines and, next month we are going to celebrate the National Language Month. My country is comprised of 7,107 islands and of about 150 different languages. I say languages and not dialects because a dialect means a variety of the same language that in one way or another two speakers of different varieties of a certain language can still understand each other. Whereas languages is like comparing Japanese and Chinese whose speakers will not understand each other no matter what. And that is exactly what is going on in our country.

Based on the law of the Philippines, whatever a Filipino speaker's native language is among the 150 languages available, his/her second language will always be English. This is the reason English is considered as one of the two official languages of the Philippines together with Tagalog which has the most number of speakers visavis other languages.

Please click here for more interesting facts about our national language.

I am an English Second Language (ESL) teacher to Japanese students for more than three years now. I teach via Skype at the comfort of my own home. Teaching English online is just my part time job though but it is something that I really enjoy doing. I enjoy imparting knowledge to my students not only in English but also in other subjects or discipline. In addition to that, I also receive knowledge from my students who are from different walks of life and of different specialization. It is fun to teach English online because not only I earn from what I do but also I get a chance to speak with different people which is something I consider as a learning experience. Continue here.

Ranked fourth in the world in terms of the number of English speakers, the Philippines is a country where English is not considered as second language but first language. English is labeled as the language of the "learned" while our native tongue is regarded as a colloquial language or a street language. It is offensive as it may sound and it is something that any Filipino cannot take pride in because it considers Filipino a mediocre language to English.

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During a heated argument with someone, we sometimes yell at him and call him "animal."

But what did animals do wrong to be regarded as evil?

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The news about the Chinese boy who sold his kidney online was heard from different parts of the world. It is a sad thing but he is not to be blamed. He is merely a victim of adult people who took advantage of his immaturity.

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The quote is usually associated with long distance relationship between two lovers. Of course, it is not constrained in that kind of relationship alone. It can be associated with relationships between family members and friends and sometimes with a favorite pet or a valuable object.

There are times that we refer it to someone who passed away which I think is tougher. We realize how special and important the person was to us. Accompanied by this feeling is regret. We regret for not being able to show him how much we love him. This is my own version. You may follow my blog.

A picture is a record of an extremely brief occurrence. Looking at a picture, I become nostalgic. I may feel different emotions wrapped in the picture: happiness, sadness, longing, despair, etc. It is like an exercise of the emotional memory.

Someone said that if his house was burnt and he needed to save important things before everything turns into ashes, he would choose to save the photo albums after saving the lives of the people. His message means that all other things can be replaced but not the picture. This, of course, has changed in the present generation since we now typically keep a soft copy of the pictures online. Thanks to the advent of the present technological innovation.

Once again I wrote a blog about it. Please click on the link to access my blog The Fun in Photography.

If you are afraid to see a doctor preempting any diagnosis of what you are feeling, then you are not alone. We are on the same boat

But it's one thing that you and I must learn to conquer and overcome. Please click on my blog to read my story.

Blogging is a product of modern journalism. Every blogger should be responsible for his expression of opinion. Although ethics is merely a way to promote just and responsible living, it is important that our actions are governed by good nature.

Please click on the link about my opinion on responsible blogging.

Skype is simply amazing. It's an excellent alternative to costly international calls through mobile and land line excluding urgent situations.

I learned that EC members use Skype to converse with one another. It's an innovative way not only to practice their English in conversation but also a way to make friends. I wrote a blog about how I utilize Skype.

Link to my article.

I love poetry and I write poems too. I recently wrote a blog about how I perceive motherhood. I think being a mother is a remarkable task. Kudos to all mothers.

Poem for Mother's Day is the title of my blog.

Just a draft. Thank you people in the chatroom who answered my survey. This will be posted on my blog once completed.

Usually, when one says "English as a Second Language," he pertains to the functionality of English; therefore studying grammar and syntax. I would like to think of "English as a Second Language" as a cultural instrument.

Although considered as the universal language or lingua franca, English is not the language that is most widely spoken. This is because languages such as Spanish and Mandarin are concentrated in areas where the population is colossal.