I find public speaking a very intimidating exercise, it almost always makes me feel uncomfortable and I’d prefer writing a dozen times over, so you’ll probably be surprised how I managed to work in a Call Center for almost 5 years of my life! It really is quite a struggle. And sometimes, when I look back, I was sort of in awe of myself for having conquered such a feat! Now, before you get into the wrong conclusions, let me just clarify, that I am no expert in the English Language, as most people would think of folks who work or has been in a Call Center before. We tried to be for the sake of keeping our beloved jobs, but really it is a series of constant learning and practice that made us speak English the way we do now. It was no walk in the park, I tell you! And I guess, the pressure of mastering a foreign accent to top that, made it all the more challenging and interesting. Just picture me struggling, with my strained ears most of the time, how to decipher the twang of Harry Potter from a person on the other line calling from a very distant continent! Real hard work, I tell you and it sure is one bloody accent! Sometimes I even had to ask the caller to repeat himself so that I can fully understand what he was trying to tell me. And, when you work in a call center, of course you are aware that repetition is such a big no, no and asking your caller to repeat himself more that twice will cause a mark down on your QA scores!

I have always preferred written communication over its verbal counterpart and blogging has been one ideal platform for me. Imagine not having to speak a word, well, audibly, that is! But the challenge in blogging comes in trying to formulate one effective way of communicating with your target audience sans the inflection and intonations that spoken words possess. And coming up with interesting, not to mention a little intelligent and informative, posts that would make readers stop for at least full 10 minutes and make them keep on coming back. Again, it is a challenge and one’s vocabulary has to be in tip top shape in order to create these posts, too!

That’s what probably got me hooked on blogging, in the first place! It was like school all over again. You challenge yourself to create these posts every single day and at the same time, continue learning and studying all the rudiments of blogging and practice my rusting skills on the English language too. Not because I am a stay-at-home mum to my toddler means I can totally forget about learning altogether, right? It would come handy once my son is in the learning age and it is my time to teach him my knowledge. Of course, I’d love to teach him impeccable English! It would be unforgivable if I’d teach him wrong grammar and poor communication skills, right?

Life, come to think of it, is really one never-ending learning process. You learn new stuffs every single day and you simply cannot rest on your laurels. Besides, it pays to learn a little everyday to exercise the mind and to keep us ahead in life. And brushing up on your English skills can very well be your ticket to that promotion you’ve been dreaming of for so many months now, or that job overseas which you have been wanting to apply for.  For some others, it can also be a great tool to develop a good professional image and have increased confidence.

If my schedule and my purse would allow me, I’d really like to enroll in Aheadpro’s MELC or The Mastery of the English Language Certification. This is a test of English proficiency which is designed by Filipino language experts specifically for Filipino English users. This test assesses the listening, reading, writing and speaking skills of an individual. A person can easily gauge whether his English needs some extra attention, plus MELC is also a very good practice for tougher and a more competitive English tests, such as IELTS and TOEFL. I have a friend who is applying for a post in the UK and she needed to pass IELTS with flying colors in order to secure the job. She swears that this language test is really very difficult to pass and she needed all the help she can get to ace it, especially the oral part. Luckily my friend was able to pass and will be on her way to the UK very soon!

As recommended by Ms. Erica Dela Cruz, AHEAD’s Business Unit Manager, I might try their lifestyle + writing workshop which can very well benefit bloggers like myself! They have writers + editors as resource persons + would either conduct these seminars in places appropriate for the workshop themes, i.e. in a restaurant if it is on a food writing seminar.

Or maybe I can also try their other tutorial which is aptly called BEST or Business English Skills Training. This will help me hone my English skills and not only that, it would also teach me helpful tips and tricks on vocabulary enhancement and review of the English grammar, as well as about effective business writing and business presentation, which, you never know can be handy someday.

Ms. Rosanna Llenado – President

AHEAD Professional Network (AHEADPro), a division of AHEAD Learning Systems, Inc., founded by the visionary + president, Ms. Rosanna LLenado, is a learning and development solutions provider of programs and training seminars for skills enhancement. Initially organized to support the recruitment ad training activities of AHEAD Tutorial + Review Center, it is dedicated to the development of companies that aim to shape a globally competitive workforce and more importantly, of goal-driven, service-oriented professionals who seek to improve their skills in order to achieve their goals. AHEADPro has a pool of highly-respected and esteemed specialists, academicians, consultants and experts, regarded as authorities in their respective fields, as trainers, mentors and lecturers. They have principals and head teachers from reputable schools in the country (including Ateneo de Manila University, Claret School of Quezon City, Diliman Preparatory School, St. Paul College, La Salle Greenhills, Adamson University, among others) participating in their LESSM and TESSA programs and include St. Luke’s Medical Center, DepED, Philippine Business for Social Progress, Dusit Hotel Nikko, MSI-ECS, Air21, FedEx, MailMore and no less than the Senate of the Philippines, among the roster of its regular clientele.

Ms. Jane Santos-Quinto – AHEAD Official

What makes AHEADPro standout amongst other tutorial programs around, apart from being the leading + the most-awarded tutorial company in the country, is that they provide a tailor-fit training program for specific individual requirement. They also provide a very flexible training options for clients, if ever the client opted to have his training conducted in his office or somewhere else, apart from the confines of AHEADPro’s classrooms. Plus, of course, one can never go wrong with AHEAD’s 12 years of expertise. As Ms. Jane Santos-Quinto, AHEAD official, shared, almost 95% – 100% of people who reviewed with them get the scores + marks that they originally aspired.

Apart from MELC and BEST, AHEADPro also offers other training programs and tutorials including:

• English as a Second Language (ESL)
• GoEnglish Global Opportunities through English
• Leadership Strategies for School Managers (LESSM)
• Teaching Strategies for Student Achievement (TESSA)
• Test Preparation Courses, including IELTS + TOEFL Reviews

Ms. Erica Dela Cruz – AHEAD Business Unit Manager

Don’t you think it is high time to speak + write English like a Pro? After all, it really pays to be ahead!

AHEAD Professional Network

337 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108

(02) 433-9300/0917-500-9099

www.aheadpro.com

email: pro@ahead.edu.ph