ZOOM

M O T H E R T O N G U E B A S E D - M U LT I L I N G U A L E D U C AT I O N ( M T B - M L E )
OBJECTIVES
Explain the important insights and reasons of multilingual education in making education more
responsive to cultural diversity
Appreciate the value of using his/her own mother tongue in dealing with any classroom situations
Simulate different classroom situation using their own mother tongue.
BASIC TERMINOLOGIES
Mother tongue – means one’s native language, the language learned by children and passed from one
generation to the next.
Language – is the expression of ideas by means of speech-sounds combined into words.
o L1 – 1st Language
o L2 – 2nd Language
Bilingual – the use of two languages.
Multilingual – the use of two or more languages.
Diversity – the inclusion of different types of people in a group.
Literacy – the ability to read and write.
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
Numerals
Expressions of non- verbal communication
WHAT IS LANGUAGE?
• 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 hitherto 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.
The educational use of a language depends, except in the most informal settings, on a written form
which can be employed in learning.

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United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
UNESCO‘STHREE(3)
P R I N C I P L E S O F E D U C A T I O N I N M U LT I L I N G U A L W O R L D
PRINCIPLE 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.
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.
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 the L1.

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 the 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
• 2. Pangasinan
• 3. Kapampangan
• 4. Tagalog
• 5. Bikol
• 6. Waray
• 7. Hiligaynon
• 8. Cebuano
• 9. Meranao
• 10. Chavacano
• 11. Maguindanaon
• 12. Tausug

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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 lifelong 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
• 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.

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• Does MLE only involve changing the language of instruction and translating the materials into the
local languages?
MLE IS AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO LEARNING A PA RT F R O M P R O G RA M M I N G T H E
U S E O F S E V E RA L L A N G U A G E S, I T A L S O I N V O LV E S T H E F O L LO W I N G :
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.
MLE will not work when one simply changes the language by translating existing materials into the local
language. What kind of learners does MLE intend to produce?
M L E A I M S T O P R O D U C E L E A R N E R S W H O A R E:
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
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.
• 8.37M 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.
BUT OUR CHILDREN ALREADY KNOW THEIR LANGUAGE. 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.

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ARE LOCAL LANGUAGES CAPABLE OF BEING USED AS LANGUAGES OF INSTRUCTION?
• Definitely yes. As far back as 1925, during the American colonial period, the Monroe Commission
already recommended the use of the local languages in the education.
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.
• A Guatemalan study, for instance, showed that it is more expensive to produce a grade level passer (in
Grades 1 to 6) in a Spanish medium school ($6,013) than in a Mayan school ($4,496).
WHAT DO PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS SAY ABOUT MLE?
Department of Education (DepEd)
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
 Philippine Business for Education (PBED)
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and UNESCO Philippines
 Linguistic Society of Philippines (LSP)
Former DepEd Secretary de Jesus
Former UP President Abueva
Former Chairman of CHED Licuanan
Chair of UP Diliman Department of Anthropology Dr. Tan 
Convener of NAKEM International Dr. Agcaoili
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS SAY ABOUT MLE: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (DEPED)
• “We find the bill (the Gunigundo Bill) to be consistent with the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda
(BESRA) recommendations and the bridging model proposed by the Bureau of Elementary Education
where pupils were found to comprehend better lessons in class.”
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS SAY ABOUT MLE: NATIONAL ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY (NEDA)

• “From the economic and financial vantage points, we believe that adopting this education policy (HB
3719), in the final analysis, is cost- effective. The known learning inefficiencies in the basic education in
the Philippines (high repetition rate, high drop-out rate, poor retention, and low achievement rate, etc.) are
largely attributed to learning difficulties of children in the early grades which are given rise among others,
by the use of a language of learning and teaching that is alien to them.”
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS S AY ABOUT MLE: PHILIPPINE BUSINESS FOR EDUCATION
(PBED)
•“English and Filipino are languages ‘foreign’ to most children and legislating in either as medium of
instruction will do more harm to an already existing ailing system of education.”
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS S AY ABOUT MLE: DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
(DFA) AND UNESCO

• Philippines Multilingualism is the order of the things in the UN and in the world. The unique richness of
the world’s national identities draws on the many traditions that make up different countries and are
expressed through local and indigenous languages. UNESCO supports mother tongue instruction as a
means of improving educational quality by building upon the knowledge and experience of the
learners and teachers.”

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PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS S AY ABOUT MLE: LINGUISTIC SOCIETY OF
PHILIPPINES (LSP)
• The Philippines is a context for which multilingual education cannot be more correct. There is
substantial information from the past research as well as more recent studies in the Philippines and around
the world that prove that the use of the mother tongue L1 is the best option for literacy and education in
multilingual societies such as Philippines. These studies, including those of the founder of LSP who are
pioneers in Philippine linguistic and languages-in-education.
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS S AY ABOUT MLE:
• “Many countries around the world are indeed investing heavily to promote the learning of English, none
of them considers it necessary to adopt English as the MOI. Instead, these countries ensure that their
children learn their mother tongue well enough to be able to think in that language. It is then easier for the
children to learn a second, third, and even a fourth language.” – Former DepEd Secretary de Jesus
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS S AY ABOUT MLE:
• “We should use our regional languages as official languages and make use of them as the language of
instruction at least in grade school. ‘Imperial Manila’ should be sensitive to our rich and proud linguistic
and cultural diversity and identities.” – Former UP President Abueva
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS S AY ABOUT MLE:
• “English therefore, is nor the solution to poverty in the country, but may actually be part of the cause of
poverty. The use of mother tongue will not only improve the quality of education but may actually be a
tool to learning and improving English.” – Former Chairman of CHED Licuanan
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS SAY ABOUT MLE:
• “We should allow Filipinos to nurture their own mother language and share this with other Filipinos or
even the world. As we begin to appreciate the rhythms and cadences, the humor and the wisdom, in each
of our many languages, we just might be able to overcome our parochialism and regionalism and build a
nation strong in its multicultural foundations.” – Chair of UP Diliman Department of
Anthropology Dr. Tan
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS SAY ABOUT MLE:
• “HB 3719 is a bold admission of a very simply but emancipatory principle of education that
each educ and learns better and more productively if he learns what he is supposed to learn in his own
language, and thus, in accord with the tools of his own culture.” – Convener of NAKEM International Dr.
Agcaoili
PHILIPPINE STAKEHOLDERS S AY ABOUT MLE:
• “When reforms do not transform, reflections on the Philippine education. The DepEd, is the teacher of
the nation. The hierarchical obeisance within DepEd has hindered it from performing this role to the
fullest. Like all teachers, it must advocate for its students’ best interests. The political motives of those
promoting the sole use of English as medium of instruction must be thwarted by the DepEd to
protect the Filipino child’s right to quality and relevant education – UP Centennial Lecture
I M P O R T A N T TA S K I N F O R M U L A T I N G A C O M M U N I T Y- B A S E D M L E
PROGRAM
IMPORTANT TASK IN FORMULATING A COMMUNITY- BASED MLE PROGRAM
INCLUDES THE FF:
1. Conduct preliminary research
2. Mobilize resources and develop linkages
3. Recruit and train staff
4. Develop a writing system
5. Develop curriculum and instructional materials

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6. Develop literature
7. Evaluate the program and document progress
8. Coordinate the program
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS The learner must be exposed to meaningful use of the L2 outside
the classroom situations. The meaningful exposure which comes from:
1. Meaningful reading in a variety of genres
2. Focusing on the language itself – how it works, how it is used
3. Using the language orally and in writing However, the problem in most school situations (L1, L2, L3),
there is not enough time given for comprehensible input (oral and written).
•The use of MTB-MLE should result to children who are multilingual, multicultural, and multi literate
and children who are confident and capable in the languages to maintain their love and respect for
their linguistic and cultural heritage,
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO REMEMBER?
Cummin writes “Use of the target language for significant purposed is capable of amplifying students’
sense of self and this constitutes a powerful motivation for language acquisition. This is particularly the
case for linguistic minority students whose L1 often occupies a lower rung in the social status hierarchy
than the socially dominant language of the country and or the language of wider
communication.”
 International and local research studies on the use of language in education are conclusive. When the
mother tongue is the medium of primary instruction, learners end up being better thinkers and better
learners in both their first and second languages.
ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A STRONG AND SUSTAINED MLE PROGRAM (SUSAN MALONE. SIL)
a) Preliminary research to collect information for planning the programme.
b) Awareness-raising and mobilization at local, state, national and international levels.
c) Orthographies/writing systems that are acceptable to the speakers and to the appropriate government
agencies.
ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF A STRONG AND SUSTAINED MLE PROGRAM
d) Teaching and learning materials that build on the learners’ language and culture and ensure that they
achieve grade level competencies in each subject.
e) Graded reading materials in the learners’ home language and in the official language
f) MLE staff with the training and support needed for long-term success
g) Evaluation and documentation of each component of the programme, including learners’ academic
progress
h) cooperation among supporting agencies
i) Supportive political environment Essential Features of a Strong and Sustained MLE Program
• It is obvious yet not truism that learning in a language that is not one’s own provides a double set of
challenges not only of learning a new language but also of learning new knowledge contained
in that language.
ACCORDING TO CUMMINS (2000)
• The level of development of children’s mother tongue is a strong predictor of their second language
development, children with a solid foundation in their mother tongue develop stronger literacy abilities in
the school languages.

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• Furthermore, additional research finds that comprehensible output, as an adjunct to comprehensible
input, helps students become aware of the structure of the language and helps them become more
competent in its use (Cummins, 2001).
IS USING MOTHER TONGUE LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION HINDERS THE LEARNING OF A L2
LIKE ENGLISH?
No, many studies indicate that students first taught to read in their L1, and then later in an L2
outperform those taught in an L2. Learning to read in one’s own language provides learners with solid
foundation for learning to read in any L2.
• “We should become tri- lingual as a country. Learn English well and connect to the World. Learn
Filipino well and connect to our country. Retain your dialect and connect to your
heritage." – Former Philippine President Benigno