Welcome to ILOILO

(Photo Credit: http://www.thehappytrip.com )

What makes Iloilo City special? There are a number of reasons for this question to be properly answered, and they may or may not fully be itemized in this blog. Why don’t we find out?

Okay, here goes nothing…

How do we get to Iloilo?

• Air Travel:
  • There are direct flights from almost the major cities in the Philippines to Iloilo. You can also directly land in Iloilo without going to Manila(the country’s capital) if you come from Singapore and Hong-Kong.
• Land Travel:
  • If your flight is scheduled to land in Kalibo or Caticlan, Aklan, you can take a bus or van for a give or take five hour drive to Iloilo City.
• Sea Travel:
  • If you prefer traveling on a ship, there are ferries and big shipping lines that can cater to your needs.

Alright, let’s say you are here now. Are you ready to explore the nooks and corners of Iloilo City?

 

The Sights

Old Colonial Structures  to new edifices and sights

©Iloilo Wikipedia Page

For the people who are into old structures and facades, Iloilo City has a plethora of those being “the Heart of the Philippines”. Cultural and traditional manifestations in the architectural aspect of Iloilo are evident in the old houses and buildings found almost in every district of the city. Some may have found their “new” looks, but others are kept intact by the families or custodians.

 

ST. ANNE PARISH in MOLO

© Iloilo Travel Guide

Entering the church, you’ll see statues or images of a total of sixteen(16) female saints aside from the prominent image of its patron St. Anne. The interior colors of the church are also verging on the light pastels which are softer hues compared to the other churches found in the city or even in the province. These images, statues and colors earned the church its moniker- The Feminist Church.

 

JARO METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL and the NATIONAL SHRINE of OUR LADY of the CANDLES (Locally known as Jaro Cathedral)

© Anne Ko

This church located in Jaro district is known for the Marian image in front of the church which is visited by local and foreign pilgrims. This is the only image of the Blessed Mother in the Philippines that was crowned by Pope John Paul II when he visited the country in 1980. What makes this image special is that belief that it grows taller making it more interesting to Catholics and non-Catholics a like.

 

LIZARES MANSION

©Iloilo Travel Guide

The facade of this mansion reflects a mixture of American and Spanish architectural styles making it one of the city’s most beautiful heritage mansions.  Presently, the mansion is inside a school compound, but this is not the best news. Every December, the Lizares Mansion captivates the everyone’s eyes by transforming into a magnificent sight with thousands upon thousands of Christmas light adorning the entirety of its facade. Consequently, it is the best time to visit this.

 

CALLE REAL (The Royal Street/ JM Basa Street)

© Choose Philippines

This busy street has been a commercial and entertainment district of the city since 1930. Structures built during the late Spanish era which survived the war are lining up this street. Located at the very heart of Iloilo City, many of the main events throughout the year find their start up in this area.  The world famous Iloilo Dinagyang Festival(more on this one in later blogs) opens here every year.

 

ILOILO MUSEUM of CONTEMPORARY ART (ILOMOCA)

©Spot.ph

As one of the newest addition to the delights of the city of love, Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art is one place you shouldn’t miss visiting if you are an art lover. This place has five areas which feature different types of arts. The crowd favorite is the Hulot Exhibit which is for exhibitions of local and international artists. Some say it’s the Gallery which is for rotating shows. Others prefer the Adoracion Valencia Gallery on the third floor which houses the personal collection of ILOMOCA’s primary donor. Just check this place out when you are here.

 

ILOILO RIVER ESPLANADE (the Esplanade)

© John Michael Magbanua

This peaceful promenade along Iloilo River is a spot for all health enthusiasts. You can jog, do aerobic exercises, walk with friends, and a whole lot of other activities here. The  best times to go here is early mornings and late afternoons for the scenic rising and setting of the sun whose light washes the entire area with its unique glow. Children can also enjoy here while you get fitter because of the hubs and playground facilities located at the side of the esplanade.

Sad to say, this blog doesn’t do the beauty of Iloilo City justice and it also doesn’t answer the question ,”What makes Iloilo City special?”, properly. Don’t worry though, there will be more blogs about Iloilo City in the future.

Okay, now that you have seen what some of the best places in Iloilo City look like, aren’t you excited to visit it already? If you don’t want to visit just yet, tune in next Monday for the food of Iloilo. Until then, do consider coming here and study with us at Columbus English Academy because it is more fun in Iloilo, but IT IS BETTER WHEN YOU STUDY IN ILOILO AT COLUMBUS ENGLISH ACADEMY.

Learning A New Language: Linguistic Approach or Communicative Approach

“Hey, I want to learn a new language, but I don’t know which approach is the best for me.”

The statement above is always true for people wanting to learn a new language but doesn’t have a clear mindset on how they are going to go about achieving the goal. However, you need not to worry, for linguistic teachers will solve that predicament for you. In the study of linguistics there are several approaches that can be utilized to help any Second Language learners; however, in this blog, we will only be highlighting  English as a Second Language(ESL). Don’t worry, all the tips and concepts that are in this blog can be applied to all languages you might want to learn after studying English. 

Even though there are a lot of approaches that can be employed in acquiring a new language, we will be discussing only two approaches, the Linguistic Approach(LA) and the Communicative Approach(CA).  

The most commonly exploited (forgive the word used) approach is Linguistic which is the grammar and the vocabulary of the target language because these are the basic things to know when learning a new language. We need to know the grammatical make up of a language for us to convey our meaning properly, and we need to know enough vocabulary to express ourselves better in our target language. The syntax and semantics of a language also need to be learned through this approach. However, there is a downside in this matter; you may know what and how to say something but it might not be the appropriate time to say it.

As LA has flaws, Communicative Approach comes to its rescue. Under CA, you will learn what, how, when, where, and why to say something. It has four components that will guide you through how to do it.

First, Linguistic Competence. Yes, you need to learn the linguistic part of any language to fully apply it in any mode of communication.

Second, Sociolinguistic Competence. In this part, you need to know the socio-cultural rules of using and responding in the target language. You need to know the situation you are in for you to handle it without rousing anger or insulting the person you are talking to and to avoid cultural taboos.

Third, Discourse Competence. This competence deals with the ability of a learner to understand, create, and even develop a form of language which is longer than phrases, clauses, or sentences, for example paragraphs, stories, dialogues, and speeches in a coherent and cohesive manner.

Lastly, Strategic Competence. In a naturally occurring conversation or written communication, there are instants that language breakdowns due to environmental factors which even the native speakers of a language can experience from time to time. When a breakdown occurs, strategic competence comes in handy. The ability to paraphrase, ask questions when something isn’t clear, or how to keep the communication channel open are all part of strategies to communicate appropriately.

And now, as we have discussed the differences between the two approaches, you have to choose which one is better suited for you. If LA is the one that you need, you can have that kind of teaching style and curriculum with us in Columbus. If CA is the one for you, we will be more than happy to oblige. At the end of the day, YOU decide what is best for your goal, but if suggestion is in order, going for CA is a much better option for any ESL learner. CA not only gives you the ability to communicate using the language, it is a more holistic teaching method that would enhance your ability not only to communicate but to do so in an accurate manner.

 

Sources: 

https://linguisticator.com/communicative-competence/

http://fernandotrujillo.es/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/discourse.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236229374_A_Cognitive_Linguistics_Approach_to_Language_Teaching_Processing_Instruction_of_Iconicity_in_EFL_Classrooms

http://www.edumaxi.com/what-is-strategic-competence/

What Is Columbus English Academy?

 

The biggest question that we must address is the title of this blog post, and there will be a lot of answers for that one simple yet important question; however, for this blog, we will look at the academy in the eyes of its former students. As Columbus English Academy is for the students, it is fitting that we start introducing the blog from the very eyes of our students.

 

The following words are quotes from students about their time in the academy. Let us see what they have to say.

 

“The curriculum was fit to me as it challenged me to study really hard to improve my skills in English.”-Simon

 

“Columbus was a cozy school. Teachers were friendly, and they taught me enthusiastically. I think man-to-man class is a luxury. I love Columbus.”                       – Ms. Michiko

 

“I really loved Columbus and the teachers there. They were very kind to me, and they made me take interest in English, so I am grateful to them. I miss the teachers, so I really want to go there again.”-Julia

 

“I feel that my stay in Columbus gave me confidence to use English. There were many teachers who taught different classes. I thought it’s good for me because I could speak to a lot of people and about many things, so I enjoyed it so much. Teachers also gave us(other students and me) tips on how to enjoy Iloilo City, like the good spots, how and where to get on and off buses, and many others. Thanks to the teachers, I got to enjoy my weekends while studying hard during the weekdays.” -Yoshika

 

“ Columbus was good for me because it made me improve my English skills. I also had a chance to apply what I learned in real-life scenarios or situations.” – Jessie

 

“Though I only stayed for two months, I was able to learn with teachers who have been teaching English as a second language for a long time, thereby allowing me to really understand each subject matter easily.” – Grace

 

You may not take their words for what they are, but you have the option of coming to us to see for yourself the quality of English training that Columbus English Academy has to offer. Who knows, you may be one of those students who will make good memories and really improve your innate English skill sets in the future.