Why the Implementation of an English Only Policy (E.O.P.) Usually Does Not Work (PART 2:)

Most call center officers, when asked whether their EOP program works, will readily answer with a witty remark sheepishly admitting the reality of its failure.  But there will always be those that are not ready nor willing to admit the truth. They will claim success and come up with justifications for their statement, even to the point of backing it up with statistical data. But a close appreciation of any sort  of data regarding EOP will reveal a downward pattern from seeming compliance to eventual non-compliance.

     If several launches of EOP programs were made, the cycle of compliance and non-compliance will be very blatantly obvious. So, why is there no EOP program that has ever really worked in call centers? In Part One, I mentioned that there are underlying reasons for agents’ non-compliance to the EOP rule. I also mentioned that many implementers are aware of these reasons yet they choose to be in denial of the same.

The reason for their denial is understandable. It’s because the real causes for none compliance to the EOP point are rather — should we say —  ‘difficult’ to address. How difficult exactly is something that only the implementers themselves can determine.

A QUESTION OF CULTURE

     Any linguistic expert knows that language and culture are almost virtually inseparable. Culture defines the way language forms and changes shape. Culture can also determine whether language can be learned by an individual, how fast, and to what extent. Ultimately, it will also have an effect on how language is used. But what is most interesting is the influence culture has in shaping the attitudes of language users and observers.

English, being the lingua franca of the globalized workplace, has penetrated practically all the corners of the world and in effect, all cultures. In the context of the Philippines, English has, and continues to play a major role in shaping mindsets of Filipinos as a distinct Asian culture of  English language-users. In no other area of Philippine culture is this more evident than in the call center industry. Filipinos, after all, are known to be fluent in the English language, supposedly besting countries like Norway, Australia, and Canada in a recent study that ranked countries based on Business English proficiency .

Most native English speakers are often surprised by their impressions of how well the regular Filipino student and office-worker can converse in their language.

Most public signages are in English.

Almost all business correspondences are in English.

Half the programs telecast on the local television and radio stations are in English.

A good number of public and private events are scripted in English.

All of this is enough to convince the outsider that English is very much an indelible facet of the Filipino culture.  One need only walk inside any of the dozens of call center offices to see that, right?  Well, not necessarily. Surprisingly, it is in these English language environments where the detachment between the English language and the Filipinos who speak it seems to be most clear. Within the call or the email the Filipino call center worker can pull-off a performance that can appear to indicate a strong association towards the (English) language. Outside the transaction, though, it’s a completely different story.

Click here to read Part 1

Click here to read Part 3

Click here to read Part 4