Leyte Normal University

College of Education
Republic of the Philippines

ABSTRACT

Title: The Importance of Teaching English Language as Medium of Instruction in Teaching

Special Education Children and Its Implication in Education

Researcher:

Rebel, Abigail

Sison, Klairence

Adviser: Ma. Venus Estojero

University: Leyte Normal University

Date: December 2022

More than 400 languages are spoken by English language learners nationwide (Kindler,

2002). English language learners also vary widely in their background experiences and in their

relationship to the mainstream culture and language. In 2020 the world has faced the pandemic

situation with COVID-19 that caused a vast number of challenges for many spheres of human

life including the system of special education. Learners and special education teachers were

forced to critically change their learning style using distant technologies, Zoom and Moodle

platforms which was not always perceived positively. Nevertheless, the existing situation of

restrictions revealed larger opportunities for an increase in English learning and education

through English.

This study aims to focus on the implementation of EMI or English as the medium of

instruction in Sto. Nino SPED Center. The researchers also seek to reveal the “Importance of
 Leyte Normal University
College of Education
Republic of the Philippines

Teaching English Language as Medium of Instruction in Teaching Special Education Children

and Its Implication in Education”.

Based on the works and experiments of foreign scientists and having some experience in

using English as a medium of instruction, the authors draw the conclusion that the EMI

implementation in its pure form has certain imperfections.

INTRODUCTION

In 1996 and 1997, state education agencies reported serving 3,452,073 English language

learners in public and nonpublic schools, an increase of almost 7% from figures reported in 1995

and 1996 (Macias, 1998). Almost 50% of the nation's public schools reported that they enrolled

at least one English language learner (Han, Baker, & Rodriguez, 1997). While available data

show dramatic increases in this population, the number is likely to be an underestimate because

of the great variation in definitions and criteria used to identify students who are eligible for

special language support.

Some educators argue that if English language learners are failing in general education

classes, there is no harm in placing them in special education, where they can get individualized

instruction from teachers trained to remediate learning problems. In the current climate of

education reform, educators working with English language learners with special education

needs have had to press for the participation of these students in reform efforts. Two of these

reforms are the inclusion and the standards movements. premisession movement is based on two

premises; one involves rights and the other involves efficacy. Inclusion advocates contend that

students with disabilities have the right to be educated with nondisabled peers.
 Leyte Normal University
College of Education
Republic of the Philippines

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study aims to describe the following specific research questions:

1) What is the demographic profile of the SPED teachers:

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

2) Does the school use English language as the medium of instruction?

1.1 Yes

1.2 No

1.3 Sometimes

3) What medium of instruction is currently being used in your school:

1.1 Mother Tongue

1.2 Tagalog

1.3 Waray-Waray

4) Do you think its necessary and important to use EMI or English as the medium of

instruction?

5) Do you consider using English language as the medium of instruction an advantage or

disadvantage?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

To the Depertament of Education, the findings of the study can provide realistic assessment as

to what medium of instruction are effective when implemented in teaching special education

class.
 Leyte Normal University
College of Education
Republic of the Philippines

To the City Schools Division of Sto. Nino SPED Center, the study can provide initial efforts

on seriously evaluating the stand of majority teachers on the implementation of English language

as the medium of instruction.

To the SPED and/or Regular teachers themselves, the study of Lipsky & Gartner (1999) can

become a steppingstone to promote the academic learning, social competence, social skills,

changes once again in societal attitudes toward those with special education needs, and positive

peer relations among students of different academic abilities.

To the Sto. Nino SPED Center students, the study can become an avenue for teachers to be

evaluated. This kind of approach seems more objective compared to the self-report measures on

the medium of instructions effectiveness.

To the Parents, the study can provide insights as to how the school takes into seriousness about

the safety and learning of the pupils by asking that their consent be always acquyired. Hence,

teacher and parent conferences would be encouraged providing more instances to participater in

school activities and ultimately on the child’s learning and development. Parent involvement has

been linked with good academic performances in multiple studies (Patrikakou, 2008 and Topor

and others, 2010).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Instructional practices in segregated and inclusive education programs do not vary

significantly (Dyscn, 1999). Despite resistance to inclusion from various sectors of the education

field, we have witnessed a gradual move toward more inclusive education models. Currently,

more than 90% of students with disabilities are educated in the same schools that nondisabled
 Leyte Normal University
College of Education
Republic of the Philippines

students attend. It should be noted, however, that the inclusive education movement is not

concerned only with placement in regular education contexts. Ultimately, it is interested in the

promotion of academic learning, social competence, social skills, changes in societal attitudes

toward those with special education needs, and positive peer relations among students of

different academic abilities (Lipsky & Gartner, 1999).

Inclusive education is grounded in a set of beliefs and practices. Schools that practice

inclusive education believe that all children can learn. To this end, they implement school-wide

efforts to educate students with special education needs, adapt the curricula and instructional

strategies to the needs of students with learning difficulties, encourage collaboration among

teachers, foster a sense of community, and pay attention to standards and outcomes (Lipsky &

Gartner, 1999). Despite recent efforts to develop and assess inclusive education (U.S.

Department of Education, 1999), the movement has been noticeably silent about the plight of

minority students in general and English language learners in particular, who happen to be

overrepresented in special education programs (Artiles, 2000). In fact, emergent evidence

suggests that minority students are more likely to be placed in segregated settings and less likely

to benefit from special education programs than their White counterparts (Rueda et al., in press).

Another major issue facing educators is how to include English language learners and

students with disabilities in standards-based reforms (Ortiz, 2000). The 1997 amendments to the

Individuals With Disabilities Act emphasized that special education can be made more effective

by raising expectations for students with disabilities, by giving learners access to the general

education curriculum, and by making school-wide improvements that reduce the need to label

children in order to address their learning needs (McLaughlin, Artiles, & Pullin, 2001;

McLaughlin, No let, Rhim, & Henderson, 1999; Ortiz, this volume). However, students cannot
 Leyte Normal University
College of Education
Republic of the Philippines

meet high academic standards unless they receive high-quality instruction. Because of the severe

shortage of bilingual education and special education teachers, English language learners with

disabilities are often taught by the least experienced and least qualified teachers (August &

Hakuta, 1997). When accountability systems involve high-stakes testing (e.g., tests used to

determine whether students will be promoted or retained in grade, to rate teacher effectiveness,

and to classify schools as high or low performing), English language learners are either routinely

excluded because of fears that they will depress test scores, or they are referred to special

education because a disability label makes it easier to justify their exclusion. Exclusion policies

can have far-reaching, negative consequences for learners, not the least of which is that no one

can really be held accountable for the achievement of excluded students. 

In the wake of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, standardized tests have become

increasingly high stakes. Yet English language learners (ELLs) typically score far below native

English speakers, creating pressure to “teach to the test.” This article shares findings from an

intensive year long study in 10 New York City high schools, detailing how high-stakes tests

become defacto language policy in schools. Most schools and individual educators have

increased the amount of English instruction ELLs receive; however, some have instead increased

native language instruction as a test preparation strategy. Curriculum and instruction focuses on

test content and strategies, and English as a second language classes have become more like

English language arts classes for native English speakers. In bilingual classes, tests are found to

promote monolingual instruction with test translations guiding decisions about language

allocation.
 Leyte Normal University
College of Education
Republic of the Philippines

METHODOLOGY

The study made use descriptive research design to systematically obtain information to

describe a phenomenon, situation, or population. The study is also descriptive in that it aims to

describe demographic profile of the said respondents.

The research locale of the current study is in the Sto Nino, SPED Center of Tacloban, Leyte.

The study will be using a questionnaire developed specifically for this study. It will be divided

into two phases namely, (1) gathering phase and (2) analysis phase.

REFERENCES:

Artiles, A. J., & Ortiz, A. A. (2002). English Language Learners with Special Education Needs.

Menken, K. (2006). Teaching to the test: How No Child Left Behind impacts language policy,

curriculum, and instruction for English language learners. Bilingual Research Journal, 30(2),

521-546.

Patrikakou, Evanthia N. (2008) The Power of Parent Involvment: Evidence, Ideas, and Tools for

Student Success. Center on Innovation and Improvement: USA