English Medium Education
to extirpe alle and singular sinister usages and
An English medium education system is one
that uses English as the primary medium of
instruction. A medium of instruction is the
language that is used in teaching. The language
used may or may not be the official language of
the territory. Most schools and institutions of
education in modern-day mainly English-
speaking countries such as the UK, United
States, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand use
English as the medium of instruction.
Because a working knowledge of English is
perceived as being required in many fields,
professions, and occupations, many states
throughout the world mandate the teaching of
English, at least a basic level, in an effort to
increase the competitiveness of their
economies.
The language researcher David Graddol predicts
that the global spread of English will lead to
serious economic and political disadvantages in
the future in the UK unless plans are put in
place immediately to remedy the situation.
Graddol concludes that monolingual English
graduates face a bleak economic future as
qualified multilingual young people from other
countries are proving to have a competitive
advantage over their British counterparts in
global companies and organisations.[1]
Examples from across the world
Wales
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542, passed by
the Parliament of England, annexing Wales to
the Kingdom of England are sometimes known
as the "Acts of Union."
The 1535 Act states:
the people of the same dominion have and do
daily use a speche nothing like ne consonant to
the naturall mother tonge used within this
Realme" and then declares the intention "utterly
customs" belonging to Wales, is widely
regarded as a watershead in the history of the
Welsh language.
Section 20 of the 1535 Act makes English the
only language of the law courts and that those
who used Welsh would not be appointed to any
public office in Wales:
The Union legislation thus laid the foundation
for the creation a thoroughly Anglicised ruling
class of landed gentry in Wales, which would
have many consequences.[5]
In July 1846, the British Government appointed
three commissioners, to enquire into the state
of education in Wales; the Commissioners were
all monoglot English-speakers.[6]
The Commissioners reported to the
Government on 1 July 1847 in three large blue-
bound volumes. This report quickly became
known as Brad y Llyfrau Gleision (The Treachery
of the Blue Books)[7] as, apart from documenting
the state of education in Wales, the
Commissioners were also free with their
comments disparaging the language, Non-
conformity, and the morals of the Welsh people
in general. An immediate effect of the report
was for a belief to take root in the minds of
ordinary people that the only way for Welsh
people to get on in the world was through the
medium of English, and an inferiority complex
developed about the Welsh language whose
effects have not yet been completely
eradicated. The historian Professor Kenneth O.
Morgan referred to the significance of the
report and its consequences as "the Glencoe
and the Amritsar of Welsh history."[8]
Ireland
The poet Spenser wrote[9] in (1596) a
recommendation that "the Irish ... be educated
in English, in grammar and in science ... for
learning hath that wonderful power of itself
that it can soften and temper the most stern
and savage nature."
The setting up of 'Royal Schools' in Ireland, was
proclaimed in 1608 by James I, with the
intended purpose "that there shall be one Free
School at least appointed in every County, for
the education of youth in learning and religion."
These schools provided an English-medium
education to the sons of landed settlers in
Ireland, most of whom were of Scottish or
English descent.
However, only five such schools were actually
set up; The Royal School, Armagh in County
Armagh, Portora Royal School in County
Fermanagh, The Cavan Royal School in County
Cavan, The Royal School Dungannon in Tyrone
and The Royal and Prior School in County
Donegal.
The National Education System[10] (sic) was
founded in 1831, by the British Government,
under the direction of the Chief Secretary, E.G.
Stanley. Some 2,500 national schools were
established in Ulster in the period 1832-1870,
built with the aid of the Commissioners of
National Education and local trustees.
Prof. S. Ó Buachalla states:
During the first four decades of their existence,
there is no mention of the Irish language in the
programme of regulations of the
Commissioners of National Education;
furthermore no provision whatsoever was
made in 1831 when the original scheme was
drawn up for education of those children who
spoke Irish only. According to the official
opinion of later Commissioners, expressed in a
formal reply to the Chief Secretary in 1884, "
the anxiety of the promoters of the National
Scheme was to encourage the cultivation of the
English language.[11]
The Irish patriot P.H. Pearse published a series
of studies of the English-medium education
system in Ireland. His article entitled The
Murder Machine [12] embodies an article which
appeared in the Irish Review for February 1913.
Pearse wrote in his pamphlet the following:
And English education in Ireland has seemed: to
some like the bed of Procustes, the bed on
which all men that passed that way must lie, be
it never so big for them, be it never so small for
them: the traveller for whom it was too large
had his limbs stretched until he filled it; the
traveller for whom it was too small had his
limbs chopped off until he fitted into it---
comfortably. It was a grim jest to play upon
travellers. The English have done it to Irish
children not by way of jest, but with a purpose.
Our English-Irish systems took, and take,
absolutely no cognisance of the differences
between individuals, of the differences between
localities, of the: differences between urban
and rural communities, of the differences
springing from a different ancestry, Gaelic or
Anglo-Saxon.
Scotland
Attempts were made by legislation, in the later
medieval and early modern period, to establish
English at first among the aristocracy and
increasingly amongst all ranks by education acts
and parish schools. The Scots Parliament passed
some ten such acts between 1494 and 1698.
In 1609 nine Gaelic chieftains were abducted
and forced to sign the Statutes of Iona,[13] which
would seem to have been designed specifically
to Anglicize leaders and institutions of Gaelic
society, in order to bring it under control of
central government.
Among the items listed in this agreement was
the "planting of the gospell among these rude,
barbarous, and uncivill people" by Protestant
churches; the outlawing of bards who were
traditionally on circuit between the houses of
noblemen; the requirement that all men of
wealth send their heirs to be educated in
Lowland schools where they would be taught to
"speik, reid, and wryte Inglische."
The then King James VI, followed this by an Act
in 1616, which sought to establish schools in
every parish in the Highlands so that "the youth
be exercised and trayned up in civilitie,
godlines, knawledge, and learning, that the
vulgar Inglische toung be universallie plantit,
and the Irische language, whilk is one of the
chief and principall causes of the continewance
of barbaritie and incivilitie amongis the
inhabitantis of the Ilis and Heylandis, may be
abolisheit and removeit."
In 1709 the Society in Scotland for Propagating
Christian Knowledge (SSPCK) was established in
order to further funding sources for Highland
church schools. All manner of incentives and
punishments were used to stop children from
speaking Gaelic. The SSPCK had 5 schools by
1711, 25 by 1715, 176 by 1758 and 189 by 1808,
by then with 13,000 pupils attending. At first
the SSPCK avoided using the Gaelic language
with the result that pupils ended up learning by
rote without understanding what they were
reading. In 1741 the SSPCK introduced a Gaelic-
English vocabulary, then in 1766 brought in a
New Testament with facing pages of Gaelic and
English texts for both languages to be read
alongside one another, with more success. After
a number of years of unsuccessful attempts at
English-only teaching methods, it was realized
that literacy in Gaelic was a much more
effective means of teaching and a bridge
towards fluency in English.[14][15]
Since 1918 education acts have provided for
teaching Gaelic in Gaelic-speaking areas, but
development was very slow until Gaelic became
an initial teaching medium in the Gaelic areas of
Inverness-shire and Ross-shire from 1958. In
1975 the newly-created Western Isles
education authority introduced bilingual
primary education shortly followed by Highland
Region in Skye. Gaelic-medium primary
education commenced with two schools in
1985, growing to 42 units by 1993/94.
In secondary education, Gaelic has long been
taught as a subject—often through the medium
of English, even to native speakers. A move
towards bilingual secondary education in the
Western Isles was frustrated by a change of
government in 1979. Gaelic-medium secondary
education has developed less satisfactorily.
Gaelic-medium streams followed on from
primary in Glasgow and Inverness—and there
has been some experimentation in the Western
Isles—but the sector is hampered by acute
teacher shortage, and an inspectorate report of
1994 regards Gaelic-medium secondary
education as divisive and inappropriate.[16]
Third level provision through Gaelic is provided
by Sabhal Mòr Ostaig (literally: "the great barn
at Ostaig") a Gaelic medium college based in
Sleat, on the Isle of Skye in north west Scotland.
It is part of the UHI Millennium Institute, and
also has a campus on Islay known as "Ionad
Chaluim Chille Ìle."
In 2004, Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, (who
is patron of the College) stated that:
The beauty of Gaelic music and song is
inescapable. But without the living language, it
risks becoming an empty shell. That is why an
education system, up to the level represented
by the college here in Skye, is so important – to
ensure fluency and literacy which will continue
to renew the health and creativity of the
language.[17]
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 is the
first piece of legislation to give formal
recognition to the Gaelic language in Scotland.
It recognises Gaelic as an official language of
Scotland, commanding "equal respect" with
English.
Education Minister Peter Peacock, who has
ministerial responsibility for Gaelic, said: "This is
a momentous day for Gaelic as we open a new
chapter in the language's history. We have
come a long way since the dark days of 1616
when an Act of Parliament ruled that Gaelic
should be 'abolishit and removit' from
Scotland."[18]
Cornwall
Penryn, Prayer Book Rebellion Memorial, near
the site of Glasney College.
A revealing instance of attempted cultural
assimilation is the Prayer Book rebellion of
1549, where the English state sought to
suppress non-English language speaking with
the introduction of the Book of Common
Prayer, which was made available only in
English. In replacing Latin with English, and
under the guise of suppressing Catholicism,
English was effectively imposed as the language
of the Church, with the intent of it becoming
the language of the people. At the time people
in many areas of Cornwall did not speak or
understand English.
The forced introduction of English to church
services in Cornwall provided a major reason for
the rebellion. The articles of the rebels states:
"and we the cornyshe men (whereof certen of
vs vnderstande no Englysh) vtterly refuse thys
new English."
The British Raj
British records[19] show that indigenous
education was widespread in the 18th century,
with a school for every temple, mosque or
village in most regions of the country. The
subjects taught included Reading, Writing,
Arithmetic, Theology, Law, Astronomy,
Metaphysics, Ethics, Medical Science and
Religion. The schools were attended by students
representative of all classes of society. Gandhi is
said to have described the traditional
educational system as a beautiful tree that was
destroyed by British rule.[20]
The Charter Act of 1813 decreed that English
would be taught in the Indian education system
although not as a replacement for indigenous
languages. Instead, it was anticipated that
English would co-exist with Oriental studies as a
means by which moral law could be reinforced.
The 1817 publication of James Mill's History of
British India[21] proved to be a defining text in
the theories of how education policies should
be formed (ed. Horace Hayman Wilson: London,
Piper, Stephenson and Spence, 1858). Mill
advocated the introduction of European
knowledge to counter balance Indian traits
judged to be irrational. Instilling ideals of reason
would accordingly 'reform' Indians by the
example of Western systems of thought and
outlook. His ideas discredited Indian culture,
language and literature even as its assumptions
of moral superiority authorised and justified the
presence of the British in India.
The current system of education,[22] was
introduced and funded by the British in the 19th
century, following recommendations by Thomas
Babington Macaulay. Traditional structures
were not recognized by the British government
and have been on the decline since.
Thomas MacAulay's infamous 'Minute On
Indian Education' (1835) encapsulates both the
overt and covert agendas for such a policy. [23]
The term 'Macaulay's Children' is used to refer
to people born of Indian ancestry who adopt
Western culture as a lifestyle. It is usually used
in a derogatory fashion, and the connotation is
one of disloyalty to one's country and one's
heritage.
The passage to which the term refers is from his
'Minute on Indian Education' delivered in 1835.
It reads:
It is impossible for us, with our limited means,
to attempt to educate the body of the people.
We must at present do our best to form a class
who may be interpreters between us and the
millions whom we govern; a class of persons,
Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste,
in opinions, in morals, and in intellect. To that
class we may leave it to refine the vernacular
dialects of the country, to enrich those dialects
with terms of science borrowed from the
Western nomenclature, and to render them by
degrees fit vehicles for conveying knowledge to
the great mass of the population.
In 1835 Lord William Bentninck revitalised the
earlier Charter Act with his New Education
Policy which determined that English should be
the official language of the courts, diplomacy
and administration. Prior to this Persian had
been the accepted language of diplomacy.
Bentninck's motive was ostensibly to
"regenerate" society, but the ramifications were
boundless. From this moment on only those
with Western style education and a knowledge
of English were eligible for government
employment or for a career in public life.
In 1854 Sir Charles Wood published his
Education Dispatch which was aimed at
widening the availability of Western oriented
knowledge. Universities were established under
the London examining model in Calcutta,
Bombay, and Madras.
Lord Ripon's Hunter Commission of 1882
somewhat belatedly advocated that there
should be increased provision of education at
primary level and for women. The theory was
that there would be a subsequent rise in the
calibre of applicants for third level entry.
The inevitable result was that an Indian-based
education was viewed as being second rate in
comparison to an English medium education.
India
The success of this 'Indian Education Policy' can
perhaps be measured, by the content of the
recent address of Dr Manmohan Singh the
Prime Minister of India:
Of all the legacies of the Raj, none is more
important than the English language and the
modern school system. That is, of course, if you
leave out cricket! Of course, people here may
not recognise the language we speak, but let
me assure you that it is English! In indigenising
English, as so many people have done in so
many nations across the world, we have made
the language our own. Our choice of
prepositions may not always be the Queen’s
English; we might occasionally split the
infinitive; and we may drop an article here and
add an extra one there. I am sure everyone will
agree, Nevertheless, that English has been
enriched by Indian creativity as well and we
have given you back R.K. Narayan and Salman
Rushdie. Today, English in India is seen as just
another Indian language.[24]
Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan has recently
announced the introduction of English lessons
on a phased basis to all schools across the
country. This new policy states that "English
language has been made compulsory from
Class-1 onwards" and the "Introduction of
English as medium of instruction for science,
mathematics, computer science and other
selected subjects like economics and geography
in all schools in a graduated manner."[25]
Caretaker Minister for Education Mr. Shujaat Ali
Beg declared January 25, 2008 that eighteen
colleges of the city of Karachi would be made
"Model English Medium Colleges,"[26]
Bangladesh
In Bangladesh the system of education is
divided into three different branches. Students
are free to choose anyone of them provided
that they have the means. These branches are:
The English Medium, The Bengali Medium, and
The Religious Branch. In the English Medium
system, courses are all taught in English using
English books with the exception for Bengali
and Arabic. English medium schools are mainly
private and thus reserved for the wealthy class.
O and A level exams are arranged through the
British Council in Dhaka.[27]
The Union of Myanmar
In the Union of Myanmar, the education system
is based on the British Colonial model, due to
nearly a century of British and Christian
presences. Nearly all schools are government-
operated, but there has been a recent increase
in privately funded English language schools.
The Philippines
The United States of America won the
Philippine-American War (1898–1901), and
declared the Philippines a US colony. US
imperial rule followed. Mac Síomóin quotes the
Filipino scholar E. San Juan who made the
following comment regarding the use made by
the US administration of the English language to
rule his country:
Its conquest of hegemony or consensual rule
was literally accomplished through the
deployment of English as the official medium of
business, schooling and government. This
pedagogical strategy was designed to cultivate
an intelligencia, a middle stratum divorced from
its roots in the plebian masses, who would
service the ideological apparatus of Anglo-
Saxon supremacy. Americanization was
mediated through English, sanctioned as the
language of prestige and aspiration.[28]
China
The only university in China offer English
medium education is University of Nottingham
Ningbo, China.
further information please visit Education in
China
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_medium_educati
on
Filipino vs. English as the medium of
instruction
The English vs. Filipino debate is once again a
hot topic.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court
challenging the government?s policy of using
English as the medium of instruction in our
schools. According to those who filed the
petition, the push for the use of English in our
classrooms will only lead to further
deterioration of what?s already been described
as a rather inferior quality of education.
Those who support the 2003 Executive Order
filed by President Arroyo on the other hand
argue that doing away with English as the
medium of instruction will inevitably hurt the
country and our people more because they
believe that a less competitive workforce will
emerge.
I find myself a bit torn with this issue.
3 months ago, I would have been right on the
side of government. Having had the opportunity
to travel and study abroad, I fully recognize the
value of being able to speak and write fluently
in English. I know that it was due in part to my
English proficiency that I didn?t have as much
difficulty in trying to find a job as the rest of my
'international' friends. I didn?t have to enroll in
ESL classes which could have delayed my
program for another year. I didn?t get lost
around town as much and I was able to meet
and make friends easily because there was no
language barrier. So, I really benefited a lot
from learning English in my grade school and
high school years.
But then three months ago, I also didn?t know
much about the state of education in the
Philippines. Fortunately, since I returned, I?ve
learned quite a bit about the ?ills? of our public
education system. I guess this is why I find
myself torn.
I recognize that learning to speak and write in
English in this age of globalization is necessary
especially if we would like to be able to
compete in the knowledge-based world. Such a
training can best be done in a classroom. But if
we look at things realistically, it seems like our
public education system is just not set up for
this yet.
And so I just can?t help but wonder? should we
really impose a certain language as the primary
medium of instruction? I understand that
standards are needed and must be met. But
couldn?t we perhaps just be a bit more liberal
with our views? Shouldn?t teachers be allowed
to use the most effective communication tools
that will allow them to articulate their lesson
plans best? Wouldn?t that, in the end, help
their students to grasp the material better and
truly learn?
Posted by: Lourdes Villanueva
http://www.fnf.org.ph/talakayan/liberal_topic.
php?id=240
Comments
English is our medium of communication whether
we like it or not it brings understanding to
communicators with different nationalities. Since
Philippines has many vernaculars, people in
different provinces would likely use this language
to communicate if they find it difficult to speak
tagalog whenever they landed to strange places.
That is a fact. It helps us to become globally
competitive in terms of communication.... just in
communication... because i still believed that the
country's development doesn't lie in what
language they used but with the kind of
leadership and mentality they have.
nobody's saying we scrap english as a subject to
be taught among filipinos. and what's with the
fascination with english anyway? go to any
progressive country in europe and some parts of
asia where they can't speak english if their lives
depended on it and everyone's happy. you cannot
master another language without mastering your
own. unfortunately more than 50% of teachers in
this country have no proficiency nor the aptitude
to communicate properly in english. who can
blame them? we're not native english speakers
after all. hence the popular expression "tagalugin
mo na lang kasi".
The debate has sparked an extreme form of
mentality that references Gestapo-like directives
that seem to constrict the use of language
exclusively for only the medium chosen. As if
foreign and common terms that do not have
Filipino counterparts cannot be uttered in class
anymore because, like the naysayers have been
saying all along, it is not Filipino. Like
mathematical concepts that have no known
Filipino counterparts---specially complex subjects
like Trigonometry or Calculus. But I came from a
science high school and one of the best
Trigonometry teachers there was able to explain
and make us understand the difficult concepts in
the subject because he explained the most
difficult points and related it to their
practical/realistic applications in our local dialect.
Not to mention he had difficulty talking and
expressing himself in English. But as far as
Mathematical aptitude and teaching about it goes,
the guy was a master.
Just because the textbooks are in English does
not mean you can't discuss productively using
Tagalog, Bisaya or whatever dialect you happen
to find yourself belonging to. Just because you
watched a Hollywood movie with friends does not
automatically mean you should discuss the merits
(or lack of it) of the film in English. You say
"Hanep talaga lightsaber duel nina Darth Maul,
no?" and not "Ang ganda ng ilaw-na-espadahang
eskirmahan nina Darth Maul." Not only is the
latter statement annoying and stilted, but that's
how the majority of Pinoys view the topic of using
Filipino as a medium of teaching.
english should be used as our medium of ins.. i
disagree to those who are claiming that we are
breaking our culture.. no we are not breaking
instead ew are just blending it for it to fit with our
modern day.. yes, Rizal said " and hindi
magmahal sa sariling wika ay daig pa ang
mabaho at malansang isda" but dont you know
that most of the writings of Rizal are written in
spanish... even rizal knows na using foreign
language is needed..
English as a medium of instruction
I am a member of a mailing list called Defenders
of the Indigenous Languages of the Archipelago
or for short, DILA. The group was founded by
Oregon-based Ernesto "Ernie" Turla, a native
speaker of Kapampangan. I respect Ernie highly
and am grateful for his work and help on the
Kapampangan language.
On Monday, Ernie forwarded to the group an
article titled [Department of Education]
promoting English as medium of instruction.
Ernie prefaced his e-mail with "this is good
news." For the life of me, I am having trouble
seeing this.
I find this well-intentioned idea detrimental.
As it stands, English is reserved for certain
subjects such as math and science and Tagalog
for social studies. The DepEd wants to increase
the use of English.
I would like to make clear beforehand that I am
not anti-English, which would be a silly concept
since this is the primary language of my blog
and the primary language of my everyday life.
English is not the first language of the vast
majority of Filipinos. Hence, it is a foreign
language. And as such, it should be treated as a
foreign language. There is a world of difference
between treating something as a foreign
language and having a language used as a
medium of instruction in schools.
Here's an example. Whenever I set out to learn
something new, I want to make sure the subject
at hand has my full comprehension. If not, then
why bother? I speak Spanish and French with a
decent amount of fluency. Given the option of
learning a new concept in English, Spanish, or
French, I'd overwhelmingly choose to learn it in
English. Why? English is by far my strongest
language, thus ensuring that I'll understand the
subject thoroughly.
Similarly, if I were teaching a class of Tagalog-
speaking children math - a subject some find
difficult - I'd do it in Tagalog rather than in
English. Why? My answer is very simple. I want
them to learn without unnecessary obstacles
such as the language barrier. I want them to
understand. I want them to succeed.
Unfortunately, my opinion is not very popular.
I've debated this issue at length with people
who disagree with me. They point out that it's
neither Tagalog nor Cebuano that puts food on
the table, but English. They point out that it's
English that has benefited millions of Filipino
families overseas such as mine.
This gives me the impression that these people
care only about fluency in English but very little
about other academic subjects. I hope this isn't
true.

Now, I said above that I am not anti-English. But
where do I feel is English's place in the
Philippine education system? As I said, it's a
foreign language. So, treat it as a subject that
one learns about and not a vehicle for learning
new things.
The Japanese learn in their language. So do the
Finns, French, Spaniards, Catalans, Indonesians,
Chinese, Turks, and even the Icelanders! So why
not Filipinos?
I support the use of English as a subject as early
as possible. In kindergarten, perhaps. I teach
Spanish to children. I have also taught them
math and handwriting. I dare not use Spanish to
teach those subjects or else they won't fully
understand. And that is the point.
Yes, providing the path to fluency in English at a
young age is a step in the right direction. But
doing it correctly is an important step.
Using English as the medium of instruction,
however, is not. Using Tagalog, Cebuano,
Ilokano, Maranao, et. al. is.
Christopher Sundita at 3:22 AM
http://salitablog.blogspot.com/2004/07/english
-as-medium-of-instruction.html
English as a Medium of Instruction in the
Philippines
By Associate Professor Romeo Y. Martin,
English Department
College of Arts and Sciences-Manila
About the Conference
The Conference "Language Issues in English-
medium Universities: A Global Concern" (to be
held in the Rayson Huang Theatre) will provide
a forum to discuss and debate language issues
in English-medium universities internationally.
The participation of tertiary teachers,
researchers, applied linguists and ELT
professionals from all regions and contexts is
welcome.
The Conference is co-hosted by the Faculty of
Arts and the Faculty of Education in
collaboration with the English Centre, The
University of Hong Kong, and funded as part of
the University's Strategic Research Theme on
"Languages, Media and Communication:
Language in Education and Assessment".
Conference Themes
 national and institutional medium of
instruction policies
 the dynamics of English and other local,
foreign and minority languages in
higher education
 integrating language and content in
higher education contexts
 the use of English across disciplines
 evaluation and assessment issues
 the interaction of the formal and
informal curriculum
 the attitudes, experiences and practices
of students and staff
  language identity and its impact on
learning
 language issues in English-medium
universities in specific contexts and
disciplines
http://www.hku.hk/clear/conference08/index.h
tml
Medium of instruction
Speaking at the graduation day function, the
other day the vice chancellor of an university in
South India emphasized that the medium of
instruction should be one’s mother toungue
and that alone can “make a man into a good
citizen”! Instead, if he had said that it would be
easier for a student to understand his lessons if
she learns the same in her mother toungue, it
would have made some sense. More than his
love for his mother toungue, what loomed large
was his ire against students opting for English as
medium of instruction.
What he fails to understand is that it is not the
language of instruction which plays an
important role in making a man into a good
citizen, but what he learns.  As we all know, we
have in India thousands who studied in English
medium schools and colleges and have become
exemplar citizens. More than anything else,
what about those great leaders who were
involved in freedom struggle?
A good citizen is he who rises above regionalism
and sees this vast country as his motherland
and its citizens as his brothers and sisters.
The purpose of some educationalists is to
appease certain political leaders who would not
rise above petty regionalism and all that goes
with it. The younger generation should chant
the magic mantra of “Unity in Diversity” and
turn a deaf year to the calls of narrow minded
politicians and the pseudo intellectuals
http://www.puksays.com/?p=445
English as a Medium of Instruction in the
International Laboratory Primary School of
Universitas Negeri Malang (UM)
Lina Ismuninggar
Abstrak
English plays an important role as a medium of
communication in the
globalization era. Considering the importance of
English, Indonesian government
issued the decree no 20/2003 about the
establishment of international standard
schools in every level of education. It aims to
create quality Indonesian human
resources who are able to compete and
collaborate globally so that Indonesia can
compete with other countries. As the
attainment of the decree, nowadays there are
many international standard schools from
primary until high school level.
English in international standard primary school
is used as a medium of
instruction. The teachers are expected to be
able to teach all the subjects in
English which is neither the students’ first
language nor the teachers’. Teaching
using English is especially more difficult if the
students are children of the first
grade of primary school who have no English
background knowledge at all.
Therefore, it is interesting to investigate the use
of English as a medium of
instruction in the first grade of international
standard primary school.
This study was conducted to describe the use of
English as a medium of
instruction in the first grade of the International
Laboratory Primary School of
Universitas Negeri Malang (UM). The study
specifically investigated the
frequency of the teacher in using English as a
medium of instruction, the purpose
of the teacher uses English in her/his
instruction, and the strategies the teacher
does to make her/his talk understandable.
This study applied descriptive design. The
subject of the study was one of
the teachers of the first grade of the
International Laboratory Primary School of
Universitas Negeri Malang (UM). The
instruments used to collect the data were
observation forms, interview guide, and field
notes. The data taken from those
instruments were analyzed and described,
focusing on the frequency, the purpose,
and the strategies.
This study found out that the use of English as a
medium of instruction in
the first grade class being observed reached
about 88% of the total amount of the
utterances spoken by the teacher. She used
English for almost all of purposes. She
used it to greet the students, instruct,
discipline, present the material, ask and give
information, check students’ comprehension,
give feedback, and praise the
students. She only used Indonesian (L1) in some
special conditions that urged her
to do so to gain the purpose of the talk and the
goal of the lesson: to convey the
moral of the lesson, to give feedback to noisy
students, to translate the meaning of
the target language when she had no other way
to make the students understand
her talk, to recheck and clarify students’
understanding, and to do private talk with the
students. To provide comprehensible input in
making the students understand
her talk, she did some linguistic and
interactional adjustments. In linguistic
adjustments, the teacher used slower rate of
speech, exaggerated intonation and
stress, basic and frequent vocabulary, more
proper nouns, more definite pronouns,
more pauses, short sentences, and
ungrammatical sentences. While in interactional
adjustments, the teacher did a lot of
comprehension check, a lot of repetitions and
paraphrasing. She also made use of gestures,
pictures, direct translation, and direct
answer.
Based on the findings, it can be concluded that
the use of English as a
medium of instruction in the first grade of the
International Laboratory Primary
School of Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) was
very well established. However,
it is suggested for the teacher to explore more
of her ability in using body
language, gestures and facial expression to
attract and engage the students’
attention. Moreover, it is also beneficial for the
teacher to use more of concrete
referents such as props, realia, and
manipulatives to help the students understand
her talk better. Those two things can make talk
more comprehensible.
English as a medium of instruction
 I’ve recently come as the language of instruction tends to
across news articles benefit most those who already have a
about English as the strong background in English – they can
language of excel and students weaker in English feel
instruction in public intimidated or can’t keep up. The authors
schools in countries even assert that the English policy may be a
where it may not be factor in students with weaker English
the first language language skills dropping out of school, and
spoken by students, such as the Philippines in this way the policy may hurt the country
and India – I believe this is the case in a few in general more than it helps.
other Asian countries but don’t have current
news articles to link to. I also don’t think it’s I don’t have much information to base an
uncommon for French and/or English to be opinion on, but I think it is notable that there
the language of instruction in some African can be very real downsides and even
countries (see this TEFL Logue post on negative implications of a policy that at first
Frananglais). glance may seem beneficial. It remains to be
seen what the outcome of all this will be.
The presumed benefits are somewhat self-
explanatory – students will become http://www.transworldeducation.com/arti
proficient in English not only in cles/globeeng.htm
conversation but in academic subjects, they
may fare better in the work force, etc. There
is also some idea that having English as the
language of instruction removes the
connection between having money and
English Language
having the chance to learn English. The Global Means of
However, the recent news articles I found
Communication
appeared because many people find
In today's business world, English is no
problems with instruction in English. In
longer viewed as a foreign language - it is
India, sometimes the worry is that non-
the global means of communication: the
Hindi-speaking students studying two
language of communication wherever a deal
second languages, Hindi and English, may
is being done internationally. Officially,
have negative implications for their own
English now has a special status in more
language, and at the same time they are
than 75 countries, with a total population of
taking in too much to become proficient at
over 2 billion speakers.
either English or Hindi. I suspect that one
connected concern is not that they will stop
LCCI Examinations Board (LCCIEB) has
speaking their own language, but perhaps
been offering internationally recognised
that over time, there will be fewer and fewer
business-related qualifications for over 100
literary works in those native languages as
years in 86 countries around the world. Our
educated people are trained to write in other
qualifications are recognised internationally
languages.
by employers, universities and professional
bodies as a standard of excellence.
One interesting point brought up in the
article about the Philippines is that English
We have been in the 'business English'
market since before 'business English' in its
modern sense became fashionable, and have
been offering language awards since the
early 1950s. LCCIEB certificates test not
only the linguistic abilities needed by
employers, but also the performance skills
necessary for specific business purposes.
The full range of English language awards
includes written exams (English for
Business), specialist oral exams (Spoken
English for Industry and Commerce),
specialist sectoral exams (Written English
for Tourism) and multiple-choice
proficiency tests (English Language Skills
Assessment tests). In 1998 a clear, coherent
and detailed linguistic framework was
devised to underpin LCCIEB awards with
explicit linkage to The Council of Europe
and UK National Standards Frameworks.
This link ensures that the most significant
international linguistic framework underpins
LCCIEB's certificates. All LCCIEB awards
contain an explicit practical business
English focus in terms of linguistic content,
so that we remain true to our claim to being
the business language awarding body.
Why specialise in business English? General
English certificates confirm that individuals
can survive in an English-speaking country,
but in a business environment they cannot
carry out their job function. As more
companies recognise this fact, the tendency
to ask general English teachers to deliver
specialist business English is now changing.
Our new qualification 'Foundation
Certificate in Teaching Business English
(FTBE)' is already proving popular in a
number of overseas markets, because it
certifies a candidate's basic knowledge in
areas that we know are important to
employers. Wherever there is a need for
practical English language skills oriented to
the business world, LCCI Examinations
Board offers the right target qualification.
Author
D R Postans
LCCI
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/lett
erstotheeditor/view/20070525-
67899/English_as_medium_will_work_better_
this_time
English as medium will
work better this time
Inquirer
First Posted 04:06:00 05/25/2007
Filed Under: Language, Education
Generally, many people, including most of our
educators, favor restoring English as the medium of
instruction in schools. However, there are two schools
of thought about its implementation. One bats for the
use of Filipino and the local language in the first three
years, side by side with English. The other is for the
use of English from Day One, without the aid of
Filipino and the local tongue.
I believe that the use of Filipino and the local
language will water down instructions in English and
slow down the whole process of learning English. The
result will not differ from the present situation where
students have only a sputtering knowledge of English.
This is a deviation from the objective of making our
students English-literate so that they can use English
(the universal language) and easily assimilate lessons
in science, technology and communication.
I am 82 years old and a product of the educational
system established by the American government in
the Philippines in the early 1900s, which mandated
that English be used as the sole medium of instruction
in all schools in the country.
I enrolled in Grade 1 in Ilagan, Isabela. From the first
day in school up to fourth-year high school, English
was uncompromisingly used as the sole medium of
instruction. Filipino (a.k.a. Tagalog) or the local
language never served as a crutch for our teachers in
bailing them out of language difficulties and
communication problems. We thought, read, wrote
and spoke in English like our counterparts in English-
speaking countries overseas.

In 1940, Grade 7 was taken out of the elementary

The three bills propose the use of English, Filipino or
school curriculum because of financial constraints.
Subsequently, English lost its dominant role because the regional languages as MOI in all subjects from
Filipino was widely used as the medium. The well-
written and well-thought-out English textbooks were pre-school to Grade II. They prescribe the use of
replaced by inferior Tagalog reading materials
containing gross errors in grammar and fact. The English for all academic subjects from Grade III up to
Grade 1 curriculum was crowded by the premature the secondary level.
inclusion of subjects earlier intended for the higher
grades. The teachers, products of the same defective
educational system, served as mentors. School
administrators and faculty members lacked the
dedication to educate. They were involved in irregular
practices instead of serving as good examples to the
students. All these and many more contributed to the Proponents of these bills claim that the decline in the
deterioration of our educational system. English proficiency of the Filipinos and the

Our dismal showing in international tests in deterioration of the quality of the education have
mathematics and science made us take a serious
eroded the competitiveness of the Filipinos.
look at our educational system. Now, the restoration
of English as the medium of instruction appears to be
the chief ingredient in the reforms. The English-only
policy worked in our time. It will work even better this
time. The advances achieved in communications will
guarantee the success.
Rep. Eduardo Gullas, author of HB 305, said in the
APOLONIO G. RAMOS, 42 Mindanao St., Filipinas bill’s explanatory note that the proposed legislation
Village, Marikina City 1805
aims to correct the defects of the current Bilingual

Education Program (BEP) of the Department of the

By Jesus F. Llanto
Education, which was introduced in 1974.
abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak

The BEP mandated the teaching not only of Filipino

Despite a number of studies confirming that learning
as a subject in all levels but also the use of Filipino as
is faster using the native language, government
MOI in Social Studies, Character Education, Values
officials are still pushing for the adoption of English as
Education, Physical Education, Industrial Arts and
a medium on instruction (MOI) in Philippine schools.
Home Economics.

A check on the bills filed in the 14th Congress shows

Gullas said learning of the English language suffered
that there are three bills—House Bills 230, 305, 406—
a setback when the BEP was introduced in 1974.
seeking for either the re-instatement or enhancement
"The use of Filipino as a medium of instruction in the
of the use of English as a medium of instruction.
subjects mentioned earlier has limited the exposure of

the learner to English, and since exposure is basic to

language learning, mastery of the language is not Businessmen have been complaining of college

attained." graduates who are not proficient in English. In 2006,

the European Chamber of Commerce estimated that

75 percent of the around 400,000 college graduates

have substandard English skills.

The policy, Gullas said, results in language

interference since targeting the learning of English

and Filipino is difficult especially in the lower grades.

Jayjay Viray, general manager of jobhunting website

JobsDB.com, said most of their clients complained of

applicants who lack good communication skills and

Competitiveness
have trouble expressing themselves in English. She

added that most vacancies in the marketing and

business sector require applicants to speak in

Reps. Raul del Mar and Luis Villafuerte—authors of English.

HB 446 and 230, respectively—believe that their

proposed legislation will raise the level of English

language proficiency and will help the Filipinos remain

"When you are looking for a job you are actually
competitive.
selling yourself," Viray told abs-

cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak. "Even if you have the

skills and you do not know how to communicate with

Del Mar, whose bill also proposes the use of English your prospective employers, they’ll never know your

as the language of assessment in the government abilities. In most cases, it’s the initial conversation

examinations and entrance tests in public schools, with them [prospective employers] that matters."

colleges and universities, said "The accepted view is

that without English language proficiency, it is difficult

for a Filipino to get jobs anywhere in this country and

anywhere in the world. The key to better jobs here or

The growing business process outsourcing (BPO)
overseas is English,"
industry in the country is one of the sectors that have

difficulty in filling up positions due to low recruitment

yield and lack of applicants fluent in English. A 2007

Sub-standard English study by the Business Process Association of the

Philippines (BPAP) and Outsource2Philippines.com

showed that 46 percent of the companies surveyed

found only 6 to 20 percents of applicants qualified.

 According to the order, English should be taught as a

second language starting with Grade 1 and should be

taught as the medium of instruction for English,

"If we continue with what we are having this moment, Mathematics and Science from at least Grade 3.
we might not have enough workers to meet future Filipino language will be used as MOI for Filipino and
demand," said Jamea Garcia, executive director for Araling Panlipunan.
talent of BPAP. BPAP estimates that the outsourcing

industry will provide 1 million jobs by 2010.

It also mandates the use of English as the primary

medium of instruction in all public and private

secondary schools. The percentage of time allotment

Here comes EO 210 for learning areas conducted in English language, the

law said, should not be less than 70 percent of the

total time allotment for all learning areas in the

secondary level.
This growth in the information and technology sector

is one of the reasons cited by government in justifying

the need to improve English proficiency. In 2003,

However, EO 210 and its implementing rules and

regulation were questioned last year by a group of

professors and language experts. The professors and

President Arroyo signed Executive Order No. 210,
language experts filed a petition with the Supreme
which strengthens use of the English language as a
Court challenging the orders.
second language in the educational system.

"While the title of the EO purports to strengthen the

"There is a need to develop the aptitude, competence
use of English as a second language, analyses of the
and proficiency of our students in the English
contents show that the EO actually strengthens
language to maintain and improve their competitive
English as the medium of instruction," the petition
edge in emerging and fast-growing local and
said.
international industries, particularly in the area of

information and communications technology," the

order reads.

Petitioners argued that the (1) EO subverts the

present status of Filipino in non-Tagalog areas, and

violates the constitutional injunction that the regional In a CEO forum on English last year, Patricia B.

language shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction, Licuanan, president of Miriam College, said empirical

(2) violates the constitutional duty to initiate and evidence has shown the damaging effects of English

sustain the use of Filipino language in the educational on Filipino student learning since the 1925, when the

system and (3) "undermines the letter and spirit of the Monroe Survey Commission found out that foreign

Constitution on the national language." language handicap was the greatest problem of the

Philippine educational system. Back then, the

American colonial government prescribed the use of

English as medium of instruction.

‘Mother tongue is best’

"When English is used, students do not learn well,

Language experts also criticized the EO 210 and the
and at times do not learn at all," Licuanan said. "Using
pending bills because they go against the findings of
English as medium of instruction in some subject
previous studies that learning is faster when the
areas [Math and Science] prevents students from
mother tongue is used as medium of instruction,
learning as much as they could in their mother
particularly during the child’s early years in school.
tongue."

A World Bank-funded study in 1994 by Nadine

Ricardo Ma. Nolasco, chair of the Komisyon sa
Dutcher and G. Richard Tucker concludes that
Wikang Filipino, said the basic weakness in Philippine
individuals easily develop cognitive skills and master
education is the fact that many students do not
content material when they are taught in a familiar
understand their teacher and cannot follow the lesson
language. The study also found out developing the
because "the language in school is one they can
child’s cognitive skills through the first language is
hardly speak or understand."
more effective than exposure to the second language.

Nolasco told us that what the country need is a law

Similarly, the 1991 Congressional Report of the
mandating the use of the children’s first language
Congressional Commission on Education
from pre-school to Grade 6 and adopt the bilingual
recommended the use of the vernacular and Filipino
system in high school. He added that this would allow
as the medium of instruction for basic education.
learners to develop cognitive and linguistic skills in

their mother tongue, build solid foundation for learning

other subjects and eventually transfer skills and Carleen Sedilla, a former public high school English

knowledge to the prescribed languages. teacher in Caloocan and now the principal of

Caloocan City Science High School, said the situation

is aggravated by students’ limited exposure to the

language. "Before, they can learn English by watching

National Artist for Literature and UP College of Arts
cartoons and TV shows. Now, everything is in
and Letters Dean Virgilio Almario said in an interview
Filipino."
that the use of Filipino language is not tantamount to

the decline in English proficiency.

"Do you expect them to learn if they have limited

exposure to the English language and if their teachers

"Even if all classes will be conducted in Filipino,
do not speak good English?" she said.
English will not die because it will remain to be a

necessity," said Almario, who is among those who www.abs-cbnnews.com/.../legislators-

filed the petition challenging EO 210.
push-english-medium-instruction

Train the teachers

Almario added that in order to improve the English

proficiency of students, there is a need to re-train the

teachers because most of them are also not proficient

in English.

Results of self-assessment test conducted by the

DEPED in 2004 showed that one out of five public

high school teachers is proficient in the English

language. Even Deped Secretary Jesli Lapuz himself

told us that he hears stories of students complaining

that their teacher is not good in English.