Designated as a training and assessment center

     TAU propels English Language Education

Text by Mr. Jerome L. Duque

Photo by Ms. Carmina Sahagun-Melchor

To respond to growing concerns about students’ deteriorating language fluency and to lay out the foundation for national implementation, Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU) launched its localized version of the project “Building the English Competitiveness of SUCs through English Proficiency.”

This was affirmed after the Leadership Governance and International Standards (LGIS) Qualifications Assessment Authority awarded TAU the approval certificate as an assessment and training center on 28 March.

Committed to serving the university and its partners, TAU is expected to provide training for 500 students under the tutelage of 21 instructors. The four-month program is divided into six phases starting from accreditation to post-training audit. Two months will be allocated for the training of trainers and students which will be commenced and ended with pretest and posttest, respectively. 

Using the LGIS portal, instructors will monitor students’ progress in oral, written, reading, and understanding of the English language. They are also tasked to use assessments as baseline for further interventions in 12 modules.

Project proponent and Director of External Linkages and International Affairs, Dr. Christine N. Ferrer, thanked the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the opportunity “to invigorate TAU’s curriculum with a renewed emphasis on English as an international lingua franca in business, science, and the internet.” CHED provided P4,500,000 for the funding of the said project.

The awarding ceremony was also graced by TAU President, Dr. Max P. Guillermo, LGIS President and CEO, Ms. Loda Grace Dulla, LGIS Project QA and Accreditation Officer, Dr. Rey Anthony N. Napay, and the project leader and Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Ma. Theresa B. Nardo.

LGIS Qualifications Assessment Authority is an independent certification and accreditation institution regulated by a number of international organizations including Pearson UK and the Australian Corporate Training Center.

Although the Philippines is still recognized globally as one of the largest English-speaking nations, there had been a string of reports showing a downward trend in students’ English competency, especially in reading comprehension.