Objectives:

1. Familiarize with the provisions of Deped Order 74, s. 2009

2. Describe the requirements for a strong mother tongue based-
multilingual education (MTBMLE).
3. Enumerated some benefits of the use of the mother tongue
for learners and future teachers.

Discussion: 
Legal Bases and Benefits of Teaching and Learning the Mother
Tongue

The language that you use at home is your first language which is
also called the mother tongue. If the language that child knows
best and uses most because it is the first language of the learner.

As future teachers, why do you need to learn and use the mother
tongue in the lower primary grades in school? Why did the
Department of Education require schools to use the mother tongue
as a subject and as a language for teaching and learning from
Kindergarten up to Grade 3?

No less than the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) advicates the use of mother tongue and
celebrates Mother Tongue Day every February 21 of each year.
The United Nations, in its declaration of Education for All (EFA)
has included a provision on the use of the mother tongue to
preserve one’s heritage in the Jomnien Declaration. 

In our country, the Department of Education issued Department

Order No. 74, s. 2009 Institutionalizing Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE). This was strengthened by
the declaration of the President of the Philippines, Benigno
Aquino, Jr. when he said: 

“Learn English well and connect to the world.

Learn Filipino well and connect to your country.
Retain your dialect and connect to your heritage.”

According to DepEd Order 74, s. 2009, MTBMLE is the effective

use of more than two languages for literacyand instruction. Local
and international studies have validated the superiority of the use
of mother tongue first in improvig learning outcomes and
promoting Education for All.

The same DepEd Order established a framework that provides

curricular guidance of teachers, school managers instructional
quality assurance for teachers and other educational leaders. 

In order to provide a strong MTBMLE program, there are Ten

Fundamental Requirements needed according to DepEd Order 74,
s. 2009. These are: 
1. A working orthography (alphabet and spelling) for the local
language that is acceptable to the majority of the stakeholders
and promotes intellectualization of that language. 
2. Development, production and distribution of inexpensive
instructional materials with special priority to beginning
reading and children’s literature. As much as possible, the
materials should be original, localized in terms of people,
events, realitiesand appropriate to the language, age, and
cultureof the learners.
3. The use of the learner’s first language(L1) as the primary
medium of instruction from preschool until at least Grade . It
 shall be the main vehicle to teach understanding and mastery
of the subjects.
4. Mother Tongue or the first language (L1) as a subject and a
language for teaching and learning will be introduced in
grade one for conceptual understanding. 
5. The inclusion of additional languages such as Filipino or
English and other local or foreign languages shall be
introduced as separate subjects in a carefully planned pacing
programs.
6. In the secondary level, Filipino and English shall be the
primary medium of instruction (MOI). The learner’s L1 shall
still be utilized as an auxiliary medium of instruction.
7. Other than English, Filipino or Arabic for Madaris schools,
the choice of additional languages shall be at the behest of
parents and endorsed by local stakeholders and as resources
permit. When the pupils are ready, Filipino and English shall
be gradually used as MOI no earlier than grade three.
However, L1 shall be effectively used to scaffold learning.
8. The language of instruction (teaching) shall also be the
primary language for testing in all regular school-based and
system-wide examinations and in all international
benchmarking and assessment exercises. It shall be
maintained that the focus of educational assessment shall be
specifically on the learner’s understanding of the subject
content and not be muddled on language testing.
9. There must be continuing in-service training (INSET) in
partnership with MLE specialists on the effective use of L1
as a language of instruction (teaching) to facilitate reading,
cognitive academic language proficiency, and development
of cognitive and higher order thinking skills (HOTS) of the
learners. INSET. shall likewise equip educators to develop
 cultural sensitivity and enhance appreciation for cultural and
linguistic diversity.
10. Ensuring critical awareness, maximum participation,
and support from the Local Government Units (LGUs),
parents, and community for the implementation of the
language and literacy program strategy. 

Knowing and understanding the Dep Ed Order 74 which contains

the legal bases for learning and teaching the mother tongue in
schools provide a strong foundation for future teachers like you. 

The Benefits: Why Use the Mother Tongue?

You are very lucky to be a teacher who will reuse the mother
tongue as a medium for teaching and learning in school subjects.
This practice is not new because as early as 1948-1954, School
Superintendent Dr. Jose V. Aguilar had been popularly cited to
have started the mother tongue experiment in the use of
Hiligaynon (the mother tongue of the people in Iloilo) as medium
of instruction in Grades 1 and 2 in the Division of Iloilo. His
advocacy in the use of the vernacular in the first two grade levels.
This was approved by the Bureau of Public School. Other
provinces like Rizal Province followed suit and used Tagalog as
the medium of instruction in Grade 1 in 1960-1966.

For a while, the use of the mother tongue or vernacular was placed
at the back seat of Philippine basic education until the First
Language Component-Bridging Program (FLC-BP) on
transitional education was put in place by the Department of
Education from 1966-1993. This was followed by the Lingua
Franca Education (LFE). Pilot study in 1999 to 2002. This study
defined and implemented the National Bridging Program from
mother tongue to Filipino to English, using four largest lingua
francas in the Philippines which are Tagalog, Hiligaynon,
Cebuano, and Ilocano in Grades 1 and 2. It also bridged learned
concepts in the mother tongue to Filipino and English. 

A long story indeed, but the journey of the mother tongue has to
continue. It will continue with you as future teachers.

Moreover, it is not only in the Philippines where the use

MTBMLE has been revived, but also in many other countries in
the world as UNESCO reports. 

Why is it important to use the mother tongue? Why do we have to

embrace MTB-MLE in our teaching and in learner’s learning? Do
you have the answers? Would you like to know more?

In the Philippines, studies have been implemented to strengthen

the understanding and identifythe benefits in the learning and use
of mother tongue (L1). Among others, there are the First and
Second Iloilo Experiemenr (1948-1954 and 1961-1964); Rizal
Experiment (1960-1966); First Language Component Bridging
Program (FLC-BP) in 1986-1993; the Lingua Franca Education
Pilot Study in 1999-2002; and the Lubuagan Kalinga MLE
Program. 

Benefits of MTB-MLE
(Language)
1. Education begins with the use of the first language of the
learners, a language that they understand.
2. The macroskills in communication are developed for
effective meaning-making and accuracy.  Listening: learners
listen to understand and use what they hear. Speaking:
 learners speak with understanding to communicate their
thoughts and ideas clearly. Reading: learners read to
understand, apply, analyze, critique and use information from
printed or digital materials. Writing: learners write creatively
to communicate thoughts and feelings clearly and accurately
to others.
3. School children will have a good language bridge to the next
language which is needed to succeed in school and for
lifelong learning.
4. The first language that children master will provide a strong
educational foundation.

(Cognitive)
1. The first language becomes ghe language of thinking, doing,
applying and creating.
2. School children in the early years learn beyond the who,
what, when, and where and progress to higher order thinking
skills because they use the first language.

(Academic)
1. Beginning school learners express themselves easily and
freely. 
2. School learners participate actively in class activities 
3. Learners are able to process instruction easily without doing
mental translation
4. Beginning school learners academically perform better than
those using the second or third languages
5. Parents are more likely to participate in the children’s
learning 
6. Teachers can easily scaffold the learning of children. 

(Socio-Cultural)
 1. School learners bring to the class prior knowledge, lived
experiences, language, and culture
2. Lessons incorporate the best of cultural values in arts, music,
literature, tradition, and others.
3. The daily experiences of the learners are included and
developed in the various concepts in the curriculum
4. Learners preserve their heritage

More Benefits
Classroom observations have shown that children who are using
the first language to communicate are more participative and
confident and have higher self-esteem. They show increased
motivation, initiative, and creativity. It is because L1 classrooms
allow children to be themselves and develop their personalities as
well as their intellects.

Several studies found out that the decrease in dropout rates and
increase inretention rates in schools have been attributed to the use
of the first language. When the language of home and school are
the same, children tend to be interested to going to school
everyday. 

Simply put, the use of mother tongue in learning enables the

learner to:
1. Listen withunderstanding
2. Speak with understanding 
3. Read with understanding
4. Write with understanding
5. View with understanding

Understanding means making meaning out of what has been

heard, read, spoken, written, or seen. 
It has also been observed in many countries that without the use of
the mother tongue in teaching and learning, children’s potentials
are often wasted.This condition tends to result to less development
or even educational failure. 

Reference: 
Alcudia,F.F., Bilbao, P., Dequilla, MAC., Germinal, A., Rosano,
D., & Violeta, M. (2016). Mother Tongue: for Teaching and
Learning. Lorimar Publishing