EL 104 - Language Programs and Policies in Multilingual Societies

ACTVITY

1.WHAT LANGUAGES SHOULD BE USED IN SCHOOLS? 

Bilingual Education
Bilingual Education in the Philippines is defined operationally as the separate use of Filipino and English as the
media of instruction in specific subject areas.
The policy was first implemented in 1974 when DECS issued Dept. Order No. 25, s. 1974 tided, "Implementing
Guidelines for the Policy on Bilingual Education."
Bilingual education also refers to the practice of teaching non-English speaking children in their native
language. Developed in the 1960's, such programs were intended to allow children to progress in subjects such
as math, science, and social studies while they learned English in separate class.
As embodied in the DECS Order No. 25, Pilipino (changed to Filipino in 1987) shall be used as medium of
instruction in social studies/social sciences, music, arts, physical education, home economics, practical arts, and
character education.
The policy on Bilingual Education aims at the achievement of competence in both Filipino and English at the
national level, through the teaching of both languages and their use as media of instruction at all levels.

2.WHEN DO WE START TEACHING THESE LANGUAGES TO CHILDREN?

Additionally, the regional languages shall be used as auxiliary languages in Grades I and II. The aspiration
of the Filipino nation is to have its citizens possess skills in Filipino to enable them to perform their
functions and duties in order to meet the needs of the country in the community of nations.
But in the present time as aligned to the implementation of K12 Curriculum. Kinder to Grade 3, the
medium of instruction will be used is their respective mother tongue. At grade 4, the shift will start from
pure mother tongue to the two official languages here in the Philippines which is the Filipino and English
as medium of instruction.

3.HOW LONG SHOULD THESE LANGUAGES BE TAUGHT? HOW MANY YEARS? HOW MANY HOURS? 
The mother tongue be used as medium of instruction for 4 years, from kinder to grade 3. At grade 4, the
medium of instruction will be our official languages which is the Filipino and English. Subjects that will
use Filipino Language are social studies/social sciences, music, arts, physical education, home economics,
practical arts, and character education. On the other hand, science, mathematics, and technology subjects
will use the English Language.
Filipino and English will continue to be the medium of instruction of the Education Policy here in the
Philippines as long as these two are our official language simply because language policy is always
connected to education, it cannot be isolated from each other. Language in Education Policy is always
anchored in the Language Policy in a way that whatever maybe the Language Policy of the Philippines
like for instance our Official Languages then these official languages will be used as a medium of
instruction in the education policy of the Philippines. The language policy dictates the language use in
disseminating knowledge at various level is at the heart of educational system

4.WHO ARE QUALIFIED TO TEACH? WHO SHOULD LEARN THESE LANGUAGES? HOW WILL IT BE
TAUGHT?
Teachers are the one who should strive hard to be knowledgeable on using these languages. Teachers are
the one who are qualified to teach. One example here is the implementation of the MTB MLE particularly
the use of Mother Tongue as medium of instruction. Teachers needed to adjust to the new
implementation and as a teacher they need to be flexible in this kind of situation. After all, the
implementation of the use of mother tongue go through a lot of research before it was implemented and
these research studies resulted that child learn better when taught in their mother tongue. So as a teacher,
you need to be flexible so that you will be qualified to teach, and you can also give what is due to your students.

5.ACCORDING TO SHOHAMY (2006), "ONE OF THE MAIN PRIMARY CONCERNS OF THE LEP IS THE
ATTEMPT TO CREATE POLICIES FOR WHOLE NATIONS, FOR LARGE GROUP OF LEARNERS, NOT
REALIZING THAT DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT TIMES, IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, NOT
ALWAYS IN CONGRUENCE WITH HEMOGENIC NATIONAL IDEOLOGIES."

Based on your observations and readings, reflect on the questions shown below. Write a reflective essay
about your observations and realizations.

1. How is the language policy in the Philippines received by teachers, students, and parents?
2. How is it practice in public schools? In private schools?
3. What do you think are the implementation challenges?
4. What are the social, political, and economic implications of the existing language policy? 
Indeed, LEP’s primary concern is to crate polices for whole nations with regards to what language will be
use as a medium of instruction in the education. It is being implemented and once it was implemented of
course as a member of the Philippine Society, we need to follow and conform to it. Public schools are
really following whatever the implementation of the DepEd. One great example here is the use of Mother
Tongue. Public schools really need to follow and use the mother tongue as a medium of instruction in
teaching kinder to grade 4. On the other hand, private schools have choice. I’m not quite sure if it’s true
but based on one of our professors, private school students have the choice if they will be taught in
mother tongue or the two-official languages. Honestly speaking, in my opinion it is better if they remove
the mother tongue as a medium of instruction in Grade 1 to Grade 3. Research shows that children learn better
when taught in their mother tongue, however it is not always possible. Yes, we are able to preserve our mother
tongue but as interview a grade 2 teacher who is using the Kapampangan as a medium of instruction. I can say
that there are a lot of challenges. Today, each child’s first media touch point is a YouTube videos of a lovable
English-speaking characters. Children nowadays mostly spend their time on their gadgets and one of the apps
they use aside from games is YouTube. They watched a lot of English videos, like toys unboxing, games
tutorials and etc. Even babies, the famous Coco melon for kids and children’s songs which are all English.
That’s why children nowadays speak English than Kapampangan or even Tagalog. They don’t want to use the
Kapampangan anymore because they usually have a conversation with their friends using English language.
The implication of using mother tongue as a medium of instruction may not really effective this time. It may be
effective years ago, but in our present time now in which technology show no sign of stopping in becoming big
and part of every human person. I bet to disagree that children will learn better in our mother tongue. Another
challenge is that even if it is our mother tongue it still hard to teach because there are a lot of words that don’t
have a Kapampangan translation. There are a lot of parents who are also struggling to teach their children
because the modules of the children are not only using simple Kapampangan, but there are also words that are
very deep in which even parents who are using Kapampangan since birth don’t know the meaning of it. Same
with me, as a teacher. In my opinion, it may not be effective but let’s see the result few years more.