Stupid is as stupid does

Have you been south of Dauin? LOL

 

I get that people may not speak as good English outside the bigger cities. I prefer that though. I would rather speak simple broken English than get into a slog of a conversation. Even better if I could just grunt and gesture. Sometimes I wish I didn't even speak English. Maybe I'll pick up sign language.

 

That is not true. Only those who go to school know english. Go into any poor province and you will see most dont speak english and if they do it is not very good.

 

Which part of my post wasn't true? I didn't say that everyone speaks English. I said that I would bet the most of the locals here could speak better English than Tagalog. Maybe you didn't learn English if you didn't go to school, but maybe you didn't learn Tagalog either.

 

Though I would not normally agree with liannastar (the whole if you don't like it leave thing pi$$es me off), but I do agree that English is not most folks preference. I've done much time in the "village" when dating the wife and it was kids that spoke English mostly. Adult females seem to speak more English than males which I assume is due to them spending more time in school...just my theory. Others I think are a bit nervous but after some drinks their English does get better.

There have been many places we've visited where the staff prefers to speak in Visayan to the wife than speak to me in English (nose bleed...an odd terminology to me).

Tagalog is also taught in school, our son is in private school so I am well aware of his curriculum. If kids watch TV growing up (and now youtube and such) they will be exposed to Tagalog and pick it up.

Getting around just speaking English is really not an issue but with the wife's pushing I am working on learning Visayan.

 

FAR too big.

 

How would the locals speak better English than Taglog? That part is not true. Its not really their official langauge. Maybe they want it to be, but wanting and reality is far apart.