Hola!

Como
Estas
Watashi wa
mamurōzudesu
dangsin-ui ileum-
eun mueos-
ibnikka?
How about you?
What is your
name?
Maaari ko ba
kayong makilala?
Nai-intindihan
mo Ba?
Can you still use your
own language
fluently?
 Ano ang naging
malaking pagbabago
na idinulot ng
pandemya sa buhay
mo?
Ano ang masasabi mo
sa kalagayan ng
pulitika na meron
tayo ngayon?
 Ano na kaya ang
kalagayan ng buhay
mo pagkatapos ng
limang taon?
Ano ang napapansin
mo sa wika na
ginagamit ng mga
pilipino ngayon?
 Sa iyong palagay,
bakit mahalaga ang
pang-gamit ng
sariling wika?
MOTHER TONGUE BASED-
MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION
(MTB-MLE)
Basic Terminologies

• Mother tongue
• Language
• L1 – 1st Language / L2 – 2nd Language 
• Bilingual 
• Multilingual 
• Literacy
 What is Language?
A system of conventional spoken, manual, or written
symbols by means of which human beings, as members of a
social group and participants in its culture, express
themselves.
Language is the foundation of every culture.
It is an abstract system of word meaning and symbols for all
aspects of culture.
 What is Language?
Language includes:
 Speech
 Symbols
 Written characters
 Gestures
 Expressions of non- verbal communication
 “
According to Sapir- Whorf Hypothesis
language does more than simply describe
reality, it also serves to shape the reality of a
culture.
 UNESCO’s Principles on Language And
+Education
Developing a writing system for a hither to unwritten language
often has an educational purpose – whether to record and
transmit local history and knowledge to the next generation, to
use the language in formal schooling, or to facilitate adult
literacy acquisition.
 UNESCO’s Three (3) Principles Of
Education In Multilingual World
+ 1: UNESCO supports mother tongue instruction as a means of
improving educational quality by building upon the knowledge
and experience of the learners and teachers.
 UNESCO’s Three (3) Principles Of
Education In Multilingual World
+ Principle 2: UNESCO supports bilingual and/or multilingual
education at all levels of education as a means of promoting
both social and gender equality and as a key element on
linguistically diverse societies.
 UNESCO’s Three (3) Principles Of
Education In Multilingual World
+ Principle 3: UNESCO supports language as an essential
component of intercultural education in order to encourage
understanding between different population groups and ensure
respect to fundamental rights.
 MOTHER TONGUE BASED-
MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION
+  MLE refers to “first-language-first” education, that is schooling which
begins in the mother tongue and transitions to additional languages. 
+ MLE is the use of more than two languages for literacy and instruction. It
starts from where the learners are, and from what they already know. This
means learning to read and write in their first language or L1, and also
teaching subjects like mathematics, science, health, and social studies in L1.
 PURPOSE OF MTB-MLE

+ To develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills enabling

children to operate equally in different languages – starting in
the mother tongue with transition to Filipino and then English
and to preserve the Philippine cultural treasure as well.
The languages considered by DepEd in its MTB-
MLE implementation
+ 1. Iloko + 7. Hiligaynon
+ 2. Pangasinan + 8. Cebuano
+ 3. Kapampangan + 9. Meranao
+ 4. Tagalog + 10. Chavacano
+ 5. Bikol + 11. Maguindanaon
+ 6. Waray + 12. Tausug
Why teaching mother tongue as a subject
in school important?
+ It will preserve our country’s cultural treasure.
+ Provides learners with a strong educational foundation in
the first language in terms of instruction.
+ It is a stepping stone in achieving the aims of education as
well as the goal of functional literacy.
 Benefits of MTB-MLE
+  Reduced drop-out
+  Reduced repetition
+  Children are attending school.
+  Children are learning.
+  Parents and community are involved
 If MTB-MLE is not used:
+  Loss of confidence of students in themselves as
learners.
+  Inability to learn the official school language well. 
High repetition and drop-out rates.
+  Alienation from heritage language and culture, from
parents and community.
+  Loss of languages, cultures and of knowledge systems.
 TYPICAL MLE PROGRAMS

“Strong Foundation”
+ Research shows that children whose early education is in
the language of their home tend to do better in the later
years of their education (Thomas and Collier, 1997).
 TYPICAL MLE PROGRAMS

“Strong Bridge”
An essential difference between MLE programs and rural
“mother tongue education” programs is the inclusion of a
guided transition from learning through the mother tongue to
learning through another tongue.
 STAGES OF AN MLE PROGRAM
A widespread understanding of MLE Programs suggests that
instruction takes place in the following stages.
1. Stage I – Learning takes place entirely in the child’s home
language.
2. Stage II – Building fluency in the mother tongue. Introduction of
oral L2.
3. Stage III – Building oral fluency in L2. Introduction of literacy in L2.
4. Stage IV – Using both L1 and L2 for life long learning.
 MLE proponents stress that the L2 acquisition component is
seen as a “two-way” bridge, such that learners gain the ability to
move back and forth between their mother tongue and the other
tongue(s), rather than simply a transitional literacy program where
reading through the mother tongue is abandoned at some stage in
the education.
 When will children start learning Filipino
and English?
As they develop a strong foundation in their L1, children are
gradually introduced to the official languages, Filipino and English,
as a separate subjects, first orally, then in the written form.
 The most important features of this process are that:

1. Education begins with what the learners already know, building on

the language and culture, language and experience that they bring
with them when they start school.
2. Learners gradually gain confidence in using the new (official)
language, before it becomes the only language for teaching
academic subjects; and
 The most important features of this process are that:

3. Learners achieve grade level competence in each subject

because teachers use their own language, along with the official
school language to help them understand the academic concepts.
Does MLE only involve
changing the language
of instruction and
translating the
materials into the local
languages?
 MLE is an innovative approach to learning.
Apart from programming the use of several languages, it also
involves the following: MLE will not work when one simply changes
the language by translating existing materials into the local
language. a.The development of good curricula.
b.The training of good teachers in the required languages, content
and methodology.
c.The production of good teaching materials.
d.The empowerment of the community.
 What kind of learners does MLE intend to produce?
a)Multi-literate.
They can read and write competently in the local language, the
national language, and one or more languages of wider
communication such as English.
b) Multilingual.
They can use these languages in various situations and
interactions for learning in school.
 What kind of learners does MLE intend to produce?
c) Multi-cultural.
They can live and work harmoniously with people of cultural
backgrounds that are different from their own, they are comfortable
living and working with people from outside their community while
maintaining their love and respect for their home culture and
community.
What specific weaknesses in the Philippine
educational system does MLE seek to
address?
 MLE seeks to specifically address the high functional illiteracy of
Filipinos where language plays a significant factor.
Survey based on the 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass
Media Survey (FLEMMS) Out of 57.59M Filipino aged 10 to 64 years
old, there were: 
+ 5.24M Filipinos who could not read and write. 
+ 7.83M Filipinos who could not read, write and compute. 
+ 18.37M Filipinos who could not read, write, compute and
comprehend.
 Why use the other tongue or the L1 in school? 
+ One’s own language enables a child to express him/herself
easily, as there is no fear of making mistakes. 
+ MLE encourages active participation by children in the learning
process because they understand what is being discussed and
what is being asked of them. 
+ Children can immediately use the L1 to construct and explain
their world, articulate their thoughts and add new concepts to
what they already know.
 Why still learn it in school? 
+ What we and our children know is the conversational language in
their everyday variety used for daily interaction. Success in
school depends on the academic and intellectualized language
needed to discuss more abstract concepts. According to studies,
it takes one to three years to learn the institutional language, but
four to seven years to master the academic language under well
resourced conditions.
Are local languages capable of being used as languages of
instruction?
 Is it costly to practice MLE?

+ Contrary to popular belief, L1-based education may actually cost

less than a system that is based on L2. 
+ If we consider the money wasted on drop- outs, repeaters, and
failures, as well as the added costs, studies show that L2-based
education systems are more costly than L1 systems. 
THANK YOU