Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines

MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
Multilingual Education
BALCUEVA, CLAIRE A.
MAEd-1 | EDUC 907 – A
1st Sem, SY 19-20

the Philippines is the only country in
Southeast Asia to have instituted a
national policy requiring mother tongue-
based multilingual education (MTB-MLE)
in the primary school years
(Burton, 2013)
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

The linguistic and cultural diversity in the
Philippines brings much complexity to the issue of
language policy in education.
With more than 7000 islands and 181 distinct
languages (Lewis, Simons, & Fennig, 2013), the
Philippines offers a challenging environment for
implementing a language policy that can serve the
whole country.
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

DepED issued this order on July 14, 2009
which emphasizes the use of more than
two languages for literacy and
instruction – as a fundamental policy
and program in the whole stretch of
formal education, including preschool.
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

MTB-MLE will help students understand
their lessons better, at the same time
infuse a sense of nationalism which is
still lacking among the youth
Yolanda Quijano
(DepED Undersecretary)
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

Mother Tongue means the language that a
person has grown up speaking from
early childhood or a person’s native
language.
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

Benefits and Relevance of MLE:
1. Learners learn to read more
quickly when in their first
language (L1).
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

2. pupils who have learned to read and write
in their L1 learn to speak, read, and write in
an L2 and L3 more quickly than those who
are taught in a second or third language first.
(Bellamy, 1999; Benson, 2005; Cummins, 2000; Thomas & Collier, 1997)
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

3. in terms of cognitive development and its
effects in other academic areas, pupils taught
to read and write in their first language
acquire such competencies more quickly.
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

MTB-MLE is education through learners’
mother tongue and other languages as
they are gradually acquired
(Trammel, 2016).
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

It maintains that teachers should start
where the students are and build new
knowledge from what they already know
(Namanya, 2017)
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

Studies also show that when students are
taught in their mother tongue, they think
more effectively and perform better
(Medilo, 2016; Ricablanca, 2014).
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

In the end, lifelong learners are produced
(SIL International, 2009; Stone, 2012; & Torpsten, 2012).
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

An MLE Framework has been prepared
and it establishes that MLE is not merely
changing the medium of instruction. It is
not about code switching or translation
of materials.
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

FRAMEWORK
1
2
3
4
5
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED

1
2
3
4
5
1. A working orthography
(spelling)
for the chosen local language.

1
2
3
4
5
2. Development, production and
distribution of contextualized
inexpensive instructional
materials.

1
2
3
4
5
3. The use of the learner’s First
Language (L1) as the primary
medium of instruction (MOI).

1
2
3
4
5
4. Mother Tongue as a subject and
as a language of teaching and
learning.

1
2
3
4
5
5. Inclusion of additional
languages i.e. Filipino and
English shall be introduced as
separate subjects no earlier than
Grade 2.

6
7
8
9
10
6. In the secondary level,
Filipino and English shall be the
primary medium of instruction
(MOI). L1 of the learners shall
be utilized as auxiliary medium
of instruction.

6
7
8
9
10
7. The choice of additional
languages shall be at the behest
of parents and endorsed by
local stakeholders and as
resources permit. When the
learners are ready, Filipino and
English shall be gradually used
as MOI no earlier than Grade 3.

6
7
8
9
10
8. The language of instruction
shall also be the primary language
of testing in all regular school-
based and system-wide
examinations and in all
international benchmarking and
assessment exercises.

6
7
8
9
10
9. There must be a continuing
INSET in partnership with MLE
Specialists on the effective use of
L1 as the language of instruction.

6
7
8
9
10
10. Ensuring critical awareness,
maximum participation, and
support from the LGU, parents
and community for the
implementation of the language
and literacy program strategy.

Reactions to the MTB-MLE
Implementation based on Research
and Studies
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

1. Parents and children still prefer English to
mother tongue while teachers reluctantly
choose mother tongue with a compromise
that it will only be used to facilitate
learning and not considered as a new
language to be taught and learned
(Espada, et.al., 2017).
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

2. Results showed that the feelings, reactions
and attitudes of the teachers on the
implementation of the MTB-MLE are
generally favorable. However, the teachers
encountered problems on availability of
instructional materials and facilities
(Bernardo, et.al., 2018).
MOTHER TONGUE-BASED
DO 74, s. 2009

Thank You!
BALCUEVA, CLAIRE A.
MAEd-1 | EDUC 907 – A
1st Sem, SY 19-20

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines

Similar to Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines