would you instruct your kids in English?

I often think that my English isn't good enough. I can't speak English fluently - I mumble and I trip on my grammar often even though I'm quick to notice when others do.

Why is it so important to me that I should be well trained in spoken English? Because it's the "language of success". It's what the bosses speak, what the managers speak, how the valedictorians deliver their speeches. It's the language that makes you sound intelligent (it's even better with a British accent).

When an MMDA officer waves you to stop your vehicle, roll down your window and speak in hard-ass English slang. He'd scratch his head, wave a lazy salute and let you go. English IS a powerful tool in the Philippines.

However, I can't get by my prejudice against Filipinos born and raised in the Philippines who have English as their primary tongue.

I admit it's prejudice. Most of these people aren't at fault that their parents raised them to be English speakers, nor are their parents at fault if it's the same language they were raised with. These people also go to schools where speaking Tagalog (Filipino) would cost you Php20.00 when caught. And certainly none of us is to blame that our whole education system is built ona foreign language; or that our parents train us to set our goals on going abroad.

Our parents send us to the best schools they can afford because then we'd have better chances of competing overseas, for what's left here in the Philippines? My parents have two jobs each and it never seems enough - there's always the bills to pay, kids to send to school, food to put on the table, charity cause to participate in, and taxes to pay (don't even get me started on the Philippine Government).

We HAVE to speak English to succeed economically in the Philippines. Tell me one rich Filipno who doesn't speak English well - aside from Impeached Past President Erap Estrada and Boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao. Is it merely a correlation that all rich Filipinos are English speakers?

I am also not implying that good skills on English communication automatically means success since I'm very much aware of English speaking people who turned out terribly both in school and in their careers - although they STILL have that unfair advantage of knowing the right people and of having wealthy parents.

So why the prejudice? It just so happens that the English speakers I ride with in the elevator, or are infront of the line to the cashier, or I pass by in the mall - who annoyingly drag their pretty little Havaianas and Ipanemas (lift your legs for crying out loud!) - are the bad kind of people. It wouldn't matter what they spoke. Not even if they were fellow Kapampangan. Talking about liiike their hair and ohmygosh that cute out fit - You annoy me.

Stay away.

So will I raise my future awesome kid in English? Probably not. I'd let Barney and Dora the Explorer and school teach her English. I'd most probably talk to him/her in Tagalog-Kapampangan so she'd learn how to communicate with me properly. There's no point in trying to raise a kid in a language I'm not used to. And I wouldn't want him/her intimidating manang in the canteen just because he/she can't say "pabili po ng isang pirasong bond paper" - yeah, the PO is a requirement; "Mauna na ho kayo" means so much more than "go ahead".