TEST YOURSELF

1. With a time line graphic organizer, trace the national and educational history of the language
of instruction in the Philippines.
2. To overcome the “foreign language handicap” what reforms were introduced? Discuss.
3. State the findings of the surveys and studies on language of instruction. Based on these survey,
what policies on language instruction came about?
ANSWERS:

1898-1928 1929-1940 1941-1948 1949-1972 1972

Period of Period of the Period of the Period of Period of the

orientation and commonwealth Japanese Regime the Republic reorganization
Organization with
Spanish and
American regimes.
1950 hdjss 1973 Philippine
1935 constitution 1948 Joint Practor Report Constitution
(Manuel L. Quezon) Congressional
Committee on
1924-1925 Education
1974 Bilingual
Monroe Survey Educational
1948-1954 Schools
highlighted the Policy
Division Experiment
struggle of the 1940
- Iloilo Experiment
country.
Educational Act of - 1953-1960 Rizal
1940 (Magna Carta) 1987 Philippine
Constitution

1957 kffjh
Swanson Survey 1991
Congressional
oversight
committee on
educational
1970 The
(EDCOM)
Presidential
Commission to
Survey Philippines
Education (PCSPE) 1998 The
Philippine
Educational
Sector Study
(PESS)

Kindergarten
Act of 2012
Education

Enhanced Basic
Educational Act of
2013
FOR RESEARCH
Was there a move on the part of DepEd to institutionalize MTB-MLE even before the passage of
the Kindergarten Act in 2012? Share your findings with the class.
FINDINGS:
Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is the government’s banner
program for education as a salient part of the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education
Program. Its significance is underscored by the passing of Republic Act 10523, otherwise known
as the “Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.” Under the MTB-MLE program, the learner’s
mother tongue and additional languages are used in the classroom. Learners begin their
education in the language they understand best - their mother tongue and develop a strong
foundation in their mother language before adding additional languages.

Research stresses the fact that children with a solid foundation in their mother tongue
develop stronger literacy abilities in the school language. Their knowledge and skills transfer
across languages. This bridge enables the learners to use both or all their languages for success in
school and for lifelong learning. In terms of cognitive development, the school activities will
engage learners to move well beyond the basic wh-questions to cover all higher order thinking
skills in Literacy 1 which they can transfer to the other languages once enough Filipino or
English has been acquired to use these skills in thinking and articulating thoughts. Currently, the
DepEd uses 19 languages in MTB-MLE: Tagalog, Capampangan, Pangisinan, Iloko, Bikol,
Ybanag, Sinugbuanong Binisaya, Hiligaynon, Waray, Bahasa Sug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao,
Chavacano, Ivatan, Sambal, Akianon, Kinaray-a, Yakan and Sinurigaonon. The MTB-MLE is
implemented in two modules: as learning or subject area and as medium of instruction.

As a subject, mother-tongue education focuses on the development of speaking, reading

and writing from Grades 1 to 3 in the mother tongue. As a medium of instruction, the mother
tongue is used in all learning areas from Kindergarten to Grade 3, except in the teaching of
Filipino and English subjects. With the end goal of making Filipino children lifelong learners in
their Literacy 1 (MT), Literacy 2 (Filipino, the national language), and Literacy 3 (English, the
global language) the learners are more thatn prepared to develop the competencies in the
different learning areas. This will serve as their passport to enter and achieve well in the
mainstream educational system and in the end, contribute productively to their community and to
the larger society as well as Multilingual, Multiliterate, and Multi-Cultural Citizens of the
country.

MTBMLE provides literacy because we only learn to read once. Learning to read in the
Literacy 1 develops skills that transfer to reading any other languages. Comprehension in reading
other languages only occurs after oral proficiency has developed such that vocabulary of the
written Literacy 2 text is already part of the learners’ spoken vocabulary. It also provides prior
knowledge as it engages learners in a discussion of what is already familiar to them using the
home language and culture enables better learning of the curriculum through integration and
application of that knowledge into current knowledge schemes. MTB-MLE also promotes
cognitive development and higher order thinking skills (HOTS). Using the learners’ mother
tongue provides a strong foundation by developing cognitive skills and comprehension of the
academic content from day one. The knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values gained through the
mother tongue better support learning of other languages and learning through other languages
later.

As learners articulate their thoughts and expand ideas, both language and critical thinking
are strengthened. MTBMLE cultivates critical thinking through talking about ideas in the
familiar language. MTBMLE also provides a strong bridge to listening, speaking, reading, and
writing the L2s (L2, L3) of the classroom using sound educational principles for building fluency
and confidence in using the other languages for lifelong learning. Lastly, MTB-MLE aids
confidence building and proficiency development for two or more languages along the following
macro-skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing) for both meaning and accuracy.
One of the changes in Basic Education Curriculum brought about by the new K-12
program is the introduction of Mother Tongue- Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE)
specifically in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2 and 3 to support the goal of “ Every Child- A- Reader
and A –Writer” by Grade 1.”
 MTB-MLE refers to “first-language-first” education that is, schooling which begins in
the mother tongue and transitions to additional languages particularly Filipino and English. It is
meant to address the high functional illiteracy of Filipinos where language plays a significant
factor. Since the child’s own language enables her/ him to express him/herself easily, then, there
is no fear of making mistakes. It encourages active participation by children in the learning
process because they understand what is being discussed and what is being asked of them.
They can immediately use their mother tongue to construct and explain their world,
articulate their thoughts and add new concepts to what they already know.mCurrently, there are
twelve (12) major languages or lingua franca that shall be language of instruction. The major
languages are a) Tagalog b) Kapampangan c) Pangasinense d) Iloko e) Bikol f) Cebuano g)
Hiligaynon h) Waray i) Tausug j) Maguindanaoan k) Maranao; l) Chabacano. With this
challenge posted about MTB- MLE, Capitol University, College of Education plans to institute
the MTB-MLE Teacher Development Program through its Center for Professional and
Continuing Education (CPCE) with focus on teaching reading in the mother tongue and the
production of reading materials. Local stories, poems, biographies, folktales, legends, jokes,
riddles as well as the traditional oral literature will be put into writing that will become part of
the leaching-learning repertoire. The plan is to localize the Cebuano/Visayan materials to
Cagayan de Oro context and linguistic use. Next focus will be the production of materials of the
Indigenous Peoples found in the region.
Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education is one of the salient features of the K to
12Curriculum. It is a program which aims to develop communicative competence among
learnerswith the use of the mother tongue before transitioning to a second L2) or third L3)
language.Hopefully, the gained competence would help the child learn lifelong learning skills. In
addition,the use of the mother tongue in teaching other learning areas contributes immensely to
conceptformation and cognitive development as a whole.
To date, MTBMLE is on its second year of implementation in the regular public
schoolsand on the third year for the pioneer schools. With this study inquiring into the program,
it wasconstrued that different factors affect its implementation. A number of these hinder its
effectiveand sustainable implementation thus, this program of intervention activities. The
interventionprogram encompasses the identified components of a successful MTBMLE
implementation inthe region. In each component, the implementers would be engaged in
different activities andmechanisms that would enable teachers to effectively deliver instruction,
instructional leaders tocompetently manage, supervise and provide technical assistance, parents
to ably provide supportand for pupils to benefit from all of these.
2. Monroe Survey 1924-1925
In the survey, he characterized that foreign language handicap is a serious obstacle to
success in teaching. Foreign Language is one of the problems here in the Philippines. Because
some cannot speak fluently in English but some of the people are fast learner. It is an advantage
for them. This is one of the problem that the Philippines encountered. This is what you called a
barrier for some people. Some people really do misunderstand what other people want to say.
This Foreign language handicap can block success through interaction and
communicating between the teacher and the learner. So the American pioneers took upon
themselves a herculean task the dual one of teaching the people a foreign language and at the
same time of giving them a broad education through it.

3. I. Monroe Survey 1924-1925

Paul Monroe and his associates conducted a survey of Philippine education from 1924
to 1925 which highlighted the struggle of the country “to create a modern educational system.”
The difficulties were many but “no other difficulty has been so great as that of overcoming the
“foreign language handicap.” The Monroe survey characterized this handicap as a “serious
obstacle to success in teaching.”
II. (1950) Prator Report
In 1950 Dr. C. H. Prator narrated a “disheartening experience” of his visits to the rural
schools.” he became aware of the difficulties encountered in the use of second language as a
medium of instruction. He found out that the attainment of functional literacy is much delayed
because of the use of personal language as a medium of instruction. Dr. Prator said that in urban
areas with a cosmopolitan population, English should be used as the medium of instruction in
Grades III and IV to give those who drop out after Grade IV a working knowledge of the
language.

III. 1948-1954 Schools Division Experiments

In Iloilo superintendent J. V. Aguilar observed that the masses are left in ignorance even
in their vernacular. He initiated an experiment in Iloilo (1948-1954) with the use of Hiligaynon
as a medium of instruction in Grade I and II. The results of the experiment in its fifth year
revealed that the experimental group proved superior in Reading, Arithmetic and Social Studies
in which differences between the mean achievements of the experimental and control groups.
In discussion of Rizal (1953-1960 RIZAL EXPERIMENT), Dr, Frederick B. Davis with
the sponsorship of the Philippine Center for Language study and the Bureau of Public Schools
from 1953 conducted a six-year experimental project.

IV. 1957 Swanson Survey

The group of American professors under the leadership of Prof . J. Chester Swanson,
conducted a report. Swanson survey proves that learning only one new language in non-tagalog
speaking provinces who have to learn new languages English and Tagalog.

V. 1970 The Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE)

1970 the Presidential Commission to survey Philippine Education (PCSPE) chaired by
Dr. Onofre D. Corpuz made a comprehensive study on the language of instruction with action
taken on recommendation by the Board of National Education.
This survey recommended that in non-tagalog areas, the dominant vernacular be the
language instructions in Grade I and II with Pilipino as a language subject and wherever possible
as an auxiliary medium. The transition to Pilipino as the language of instructions with English as
a separate subject be made in Grades II and IV.