HERLENE Budol openly admitted she still struggles to speak straight English despite making a serious effort to learn the language.
The Kapuso actress and beauty queen said her difficulty with English has been a long-running issue, even though she finished her studies. “Ayun nga ‘yung problema ko. Tapos naman ako ng pag-aaral pero hindi ko talaga makuha-kuha ‘yung pag-i-English na ‘yun,” she told broadcast journalist Kara David in an interview.
David reassured her that speaking English is not a measure of intelligence. “Hindi naman sukatan ng katalinuhan ang pag-i-English,” the veteran journalist said.
Herlene agreed but noted that proficiency could still be useful. “Minsan kailangan talaga. Masarap din siguro pakinggan kapag marunong ka din mag-English,” she said, adding that she actually prefers talking to foreigners because they tend to be less judgmental than some Filipinos. “Pero mas masarap kausapin ‘yung mga ibang lahi. Kasi mga kapwa kong Pilipino, sila pa ‘yung perfectionist. Pero kapag ibang lahi, hindi ka dyina-judge.”
David also mentioned Herlene’s current suitor, Korean actor Kevin Dasom, whom she worked with in the Kapuso series “Binibining Marikit.”
According to Herlene, Dasom has been helping her improve her English. “Siya rin kasi ‘yung nagturo sa ‘kin. ‘Huwag kang mahiya. Kung gusto mo mag-English, mag-English ka lang.’ Pero nakatulong siya,” she said.
She even joked about relearning basic grammar rules, admitting she needs to go back to fundamentals. “‘Yun nga hindi ko alam ‘yun. Verb, noun, adjective… Totoo nga. Babalik nga ulit ako doon. Hindi maganda ‘yung naging tutor ko,” she said.
“Promise talaga ha. Aalamin ko siya isang araw. May notebook ako, Ms. Kara… Kasi ‘pag nag-pretend pa ako ng tali-talinuhan, ‘pag nagkamali ako, mas pagtatawanan ako,” she added.
“Sabi ko nga kung ako magiging artista sa ibang bansa, kung gusto ko, pipi. Para hindi ako mahirapan sa lines, mag-focus ako sa acting na lang, ‘di ba?” Herlene said.
