EL 107 - SW

Diane Preglo
Loren Sinining

The Transitional Bilingual Education

TBE or the Transitional Bilingual Education teaches children to read in their L1

through the primary grades while gradually transitioning into English reading instruction
between second and fourth grades. The initial instruction occurs primarily in the home
language (primary language), with a small amount of English instruction that increases
from year to year until students are able to successfully achieve in classrooms where
the sole language of instruction is English.
There are two forms of TBE: (1) "early-exit" models where students transition to
English after a maximum of two years of instruction in L1, usually between second and
third grade and (2) "late-exit" models where students receive L1 reading instruction
throughout the elementary grades ensuring reading mastery before continuing with
instruction.

Gap/s

> delay in performance after transitioning

- The delay in performance after transitioning is normal since when we’re in a

process of transitioning or learning one specific language it won’t be easy and won’t
also just happen overnight. If you have a desired language you want to learn you’d have
to undergo a lot of process before you acquire that specific language. So with that we
can say that a delay in performance after transitioning or learning is normal for every
learner.

Issue/s that helped this program to be implemented

> the need to fit in globally

- Globally, which means that it’s not just about one country but a lot of countries in
the world and in order for us to fit in we need to have the ability to interact or to be able
to carry a conversation with other people using the language that majority of the people
understands, and that is English, and in order for that to happen we need to incorporate
learning first. That is why this program was implemented. This is one of the reasons
why this program was implemented.
Challenges

> Lack of Bilingual Teacher Training

- It’s the teacher who is supposed to impart their knowledge to his or her students
but if the teachers knowledge is not enough, or if his or her training is not enough then
that can be a big problem in the learning process of the students thus we can say that
it’s a challenge in both the teacher and the student.

> Rules and Regulations

- When a program is implemented there are sets of rules and regulations that have
to be followed for it to be successful but there are also times where the rules and
regulations given become a handicap for a successful implementation of the program.
There are some restrictions that may affect the student and the teacher's characteristics
in the classroom that can also affect the teaching and the learning process of both the
teacher and the student.

Development

> Students do not have to abandon their native language in the educational
environment.

- In this program, just like the policy of bilingual education or the PBEP, the
student won't have to abandon their native language or in a simpler term, their mother
tongue. Since both the policy and the programs provide two different languages in
different levels of education and subject areas. This program focuses on the study of
the L1 in primary grades whereas the PBEP also uses auxiliary languages in grades 1
and 2 that gives them both the similarity.

> Students continue to focus on other academic subjects while learning English.

- In this program the students won't just focus on learning English. They are not
obliged to just solely focus on learning English because in this program they can learn
English while also learning on their other academic subjects as well. This will develop
the students capability in speaking the L2 and the students knowledge on their other
subjects as well.
Teacher Attitudes Towards the Principles of Bilingual Education

by: Maria Luisa G. Sobrepeña

The current National Education Policy on language ( or the medium of instruction) does
not seem to be sensitive to the language landscape in the Philippines and the role
language plays in literacy and learning.

Gap/s

> The language of school is very different from the language of the home

- The mother tongue is what we use at home, probably not for everyone, but
most of the time it is.However, in school, English is the most used language in
learning. The implementation of PBEP allows to use both Filipino and English
Languages. As we relate it here in Cebu, both languages are not our 1st
language. So the learner's will of course experienced hardships upon learning
those languages.

Issue/s

> After more than 20 years of implementation of PBEP, a lot of people still do not
fully comprehend the spirit of it.

- The students will surely have a hard time learning using these languages
because not everyone has a fair and easy understanding. It really takes time to have a
better comprehension upon learning this languages. In this issue, it's not only the
students who experienced this but also the teachers.

> Fundamental inequalities between groups which happen to speak different

languages.

- A language can become or be made focus of royalty for a minority

community that thinks itself suppressed persecuted or subjected to
discrimination. Due to the different languages used it may become a target of
attack or suppression if the authorities associate it with what they consider a
rebellious group.
Challenges

> The teacher reports on the difficulties of students in learning English and
Filipino.

- Both languages being foreign to many children in the Multilingual

Philippine context, highly emotional and strong political pressures have been
waged for either language for many decades now. We all know that not everyone
has the same capabilities, so there are really children who are a fast learner and
not. And not everyone can learn easily in language for we know that it’s not easy
at all. So this one is greatly a challenge.

> When the languages used are foreign and unfamiliar, children are not inducted
smoothly into a school.

- They suggest that difficulties in engaging with school activities and

lessons may have been hampered by the inability of young children to cope with
the language learning requirements exacted by the curriculum. In other words,
children may have lost motivation to attend school because they could have
experienced failure in reading and writing in Filipino and English.

Development

> The development of cognitive-academic language requires time of formal

instruction.

- The best predictor of cognitive-academic language development in a

second language is the level of development of cognitive-academic language
proficiency in the first language.The teachers do believe that learners be
provided with a lot of the opportunity to develop a high degree of Bilingual
proficiency for them to earn a lot of benefits such as cognitive, social, personal
and economic ones.

> Development of knowledge or mental skills and practical career related

advantages.

- Learning and using these languages strengthen the knowledge of the

children, especially in communicating. It may lead them to a right career track in
the future. They will become equipped with the appropriate skills and knowledge
as they enter opportunities in the long run.