Mother tongue presentation

1. 1. Mother Tongue Based–Multi Lingual Education Reporters: Charlene Grace D. Rea Renzel
B. Salavarez
2. 2. • Isa formalornon-formaleducation,in whichthe children’smother tongue is usedin the
classroom as abridgein learningFilipinoand English. • It is astructured programof
languagelearningand cognitivedevelopmentwhich provideslearners with a strong
educationalfoundation in thefirst language.
3. 3. According to Education Secretary Br Armin Luistro FSC “The use of the same language
spoken at home, in the early grades, helps improve the pupils’ language and cognitive
development in addition to strengthening their socio- cultural awareness.”
4. 4. The mother tongue: • - as a subject focuses on the development of reading and speaking
from Grades 1 to 3. • -As a medium of instruction the mother tongue is used in all learning
areas from Kinder to Grade 3 except in the teaching of Filipino and English subjects.
5. 5. What are the benefits?
6. 6. 1. Reduced drop-out 2. Reduced repetition 3. More attendance 4. More learning 5. More
involvement and participation from parents and the community 6. More cost-effective in the
implementation
7. 7. Why use the mother tongue as the First Language in school?
8. 8. Local and internationals studies have shown that using the mother tongue inside the
classroom during the learners’ early years of schooling produce better and faster learners
who can easily adapt to learn a second (Filipino) and third language (English).
9. 9. • Mother Tongue is typically the first language of the child and the language of the home. It
can also be construed as the language of primary socialization, the language developed by a
child from an early childhood. • Mother Tongue education implies a linguistically
homogeneous community, a teacher who speaks the language, and the curriculum materials
in the mother tongue • Mother Tongue-Based instruction provides an opportunity for our
children to exercise their right to learn in their first language.
10. 10. It promotes literacy, as it hastens the learning process. They are able to: a) understand
what the teacher is saying, b) think well c) argue well and d) question properly and critically.
11. 11. Why mother tongue-based instruction?
12. 12. Results of the 2003 Functional Literacy Education and Mass Media Survey revealed that
out of 57.59 million Filipinos aged 10 to 64 years old, there were: • 5.24 million Filipinos who
could not read and write; • 7.83 million who could not read, write and compute and • 18.37
million could not read, write, compute and comprehend. What an alarming situation!!
13. 13. What are these Languages?
14. 14. There are twelve major languages to be used as language of instruction 1. Tagalog 2.
Kapampangan 3. Pangasinense 4. Iloko 5. Bikol 6. Cebuano 7. Hiligaynon 8. Waray 9.
Tausug 10.Maguindanaoan 11.Maranao 12.Chabacano
15. 15. DepEd adds 7 more languages in mother tongue-based education The additional
languages are: •Ybanag for pupils in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, and Isabela; •Ivatan for the
Batanes Group; •Sambal in Zambales; •Aklanon in Aklan, Capiz; •Kinaray-a in Capiz, Aklan;
•Yakan in Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao and •Surigaonon covering Surigao City and
provinces
16. 16. What are the effects?
17. 17. Secretary Edilberto de Jesus, who once went to observe an MTBMLE class in Lubuagan,
described the pupils to be clearly engaged in the learning process.
18. 18. Lea Lombos, a teacher, says that her pupils can clearly express their ideas thus they
enjoy their classes more. She added that more students are able to participate. Students are
able to give more examples as they are familiar with the language.
19. 19. Fear and inhibition, especially in the younger ones, are eliminated as well. Students are
also able to write their ideas and even form them into a simple story or song. They also seem
to have a greater appreciation for reading.
Using Filipino in the Teaching of Science
Feb 26
by

Risa L. Reyes
University of the Philippines
National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development
Diliman, Quezon City
(Presented at the 1st Philippine Conference-Workshop on Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education held at the
Capitol University, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, on Feb. 18-20, 2010.)

Risa L. Reyes
ABSTRACT: In this paper, two science classes in Grade 4 were taught by the same teacher, one in English and the
other in Filipino. Videos of the classes were analyzed to determine which language better facilitates the verbal
interaction and discourse in a public elementary school in Quezon City where the mother tongue is assumed to be
Filipino. Pupil participation and sharing of ideas were found to be more enthusiastic, spontaneous and articulate in
Filipino than in English. Evaluation scores were also better in the class conducted in Filipino than in that conducted
in English. This suggests that using Filipino in teaching Science would be more effective than using English.
Filipino should therefore be used as the LOLI for Science in Grade 4.
Keywords: Mother tongue-based multilingual instruction (MLE), use of Filipino in teaching Science
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The Department of Education issued DepED Order No. 74, s. 2009, “Institutionalizing Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education (MLE)” in July 2009[1]. It had two enclosures: Enclosure No. 1 “Fundamental
Requirements for a Strong Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MLE)” and Enclosure No. 2 “MLE
Bridging Plan A (L1 MT, L2 Filipino, L3 English) and MLE Bridging Plan B (L1 Filipino, L2 English, L3 Local
Language, L4 Foreign).” Bridging Plan A is for pupils whose mother tongue is not Filipino; Bridging Plan B is for
those whose MT is Filipino. Both plans provide for the use of English as the language of learning and instruction
(LOLI) for Science and Mathematics starting in Grade 4.

Science as a separate subject currently starts in Grade 3 with English as the LOLI. There is no reason given for
delaying the introduction of Science as a separate subject for another year. The use of English as its LOLI is also not
justified by any of the reasons given for institutionalizing the use of the mother tongue in the DepED Order; in fact,
they would support the use of the mother tongue in the teaching of both Science and Mathematics also. This small
study aims to provide information regarding pupils’ proficiency in English and the quality of the classroom
discourse in both languages to determine the language of LOLI which would be more effective in teaching Science
for Grade 4.

Statement of the Problem

The aim of the study was to determine which language is more effective in teaching Science in Grade 4. Specifically
it attempted to find out how two classes, one taught in English and the other in Filipino, compared in terms of the
following criteria:

1. Number of words used/richness/ quality of ideas conveyed in these words in student discourse
2. Length of response time before expression of answers
3. Enthusiasm/eagerness of pupils to participate indicated by their actuations and behavior/words
4. Summative assessment scores.
Additionally, the study intended to obtain the teacher’s and pupils’ points of view regarding which language they
considered more effective for use in the teaching/learning of science.

The research question may thus be stated as follows: Which language is more effective in teaching Science in Grade
4, Filipino or English?

Significance of the Study

The findings and recommendations in this study could inform the language policy of the Department of Education.
The Bridging Plans A and B will be used for the first three years and will be evaluated thereafter. This early,
classroom observations on the use of English as the LOLI could provide data for language policy studies of DepED.
Without studies like this, the effects of the bridging plans will not be adequately documented and evaluated.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

Only two classes in one public elementary school in Quezon City comprised the subjects of the study and only one
lesson was videotape recorded and analyzed. The study focused on the language used in classroom interaction alone;
the strategies used for the development of the science concept, including the hands-on or practical work activity
performed and the assessments were not critiqued for this paper.

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES

A research on the circulatory system by the elementary science group of NISMED in 2003 [2] recommended the use
of a language the pupils know in order to encourage active participation. It reported that, since the intervention
activities were in Filipino, the children expressed themselves confidently thus developing high self-esteem
and manifesting joy during their participation. Such positive experiences were found to be contributory to the
success in learning the concept of the circulatory system.

A similar study in 2008, affirms these findings with respect to the study of the respiratory system [3].

Much earlier than these curriculum development researches, in 1983, a group of specialists (linguists, scientists,
science educators and general educators) proposed the immediate use of Filipino as the medium of instruction in
science and mathematics at the primary level of education although English should be available for those who intend
to pursue careers in science (starting probably at the secondary level) [4].

More than 10 years later, in 1994, Acuña argued for the use of Filipino for science teaching and for
classroom/laboratory discussion, not just for the elementary level but all the way to fourth year high school. [5]
Aside from the mandate of the 1987 Constitution, she laid out a well-researched argument for the use of Filipino in
order to “allow technology to filter into the wider culture”…and to “enable pupils to learn science concepts” and to
be functionally literate even if they are unable to proceed to high school.

METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This study is mainly qualitative with some quantitative data. It is a comparison of two Grade 4 Science classes
taught by one teacher. One was conducted in English, while the other was conducted in Filipino though the pupils’
activity sheet and the visual aids were in English as were the Science terms used that referred to the related concepts.
The Sample
Two intact sections in an elementary school in Quezon City, consisting of 53 boys and girls each, comprised the
sample subjects in the study. The class taught in English was Section 4 while the class taught in Filipino constituted
Section 6. These two sections are regarded as being of middle-level ability out of eight (8) sections.

The Instruments
The researcher observed and took notes during the classes. She paid special attention to the criteria to be considered
later in comparing the classes conducted in English and Filipino. These are thought to distinguish proficiency in, and
effectiveness of, the language used for the teaching-learning of Science.

The researcher also arranged for two videographers from UP NISMED to videotape the two classes for documentary
evidence.

The classroom observations were analyzed using these criteria and summarized in a Classroom Observation Matrix.

In addition, the teacher and five (5) selected pupils from each of the two intact classes were interviewed a few days
after the classes using a simple Teacher Interview Guide and Pupils Interview Guide with a single question written
in both English and Filipino:

In your opinion, which language is more effective in teaching Science, English or Filipino? Please explain your
answer.

Sa palagay mo, anong wika ang higit na epektibo sa pagtuturo ng Agham, Inggles o Filipino? Ipaliwanag ang iyong
dahilan.
You may answer in English or Filipino or a mixture of both. Maaari kang sumagot sa Inggles o Filipino o halo nung
dalawa.
Data Collection Procedure
Two videographers using two cameras recorded the entire class proceedings. The researcher herself took notes
during the two classes. She also gave the teacher and ten (10) selected students the interview guides with
instructions to write down their answers. Afterwards, she talked to each of them, except one who was absent (but
another student from the same class was sent in her place) for further clarification and to elicit additional comments
and opinions, if any.

Data Analysis Procedure

The videotapes were viewed and the researcher’s handwritten notes were reviewed and analyzed in terms of the
criteria used to compare the two classes. A Classroom Observation Matrix based on the videotapes and classroom
observation notes of the researcher was constructed to summarize the observations. The written answers of the
teacher and the 10 pupils on the interview guide as well as their additional comments and answers to the researcher’s
questions were gathered to determine the stakeholders’ point of view with regard to the most effective language to
use in the teaching/learning of science.
RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Comparison of the Two Classes in terms of the Set Criteria
A few tasks/activities/events in the class conducted in English (CE) and that conducted in Filipino (CF) summarized
compared in terms of the four (4) criteria mentioned earlier. They will be described here and selected questions and
responses of the pupils will be presented.

Task A: The teacher shows a colored drawing about the size of 1/4 sheet of Manila paper showing a young, male
person wearing shorts and dark glasses, with no shirt, and lying down on a bed or rectangular shape on the shore of a
body of water. The water is blue and in the distant background may be seen hills and vegetation.
The teacher asks, Q1: (CE) What can you say? (3X)

(CF) Meron akong papakitang larawan. Anong masasabi niyo tungkol dito?
Pupils answer (PA): (CE) beach, sun, cloud, mountain, sea, boy (6 words given)

(CF): mainit (3x), malamig (2x), maganda, kaakit-akit, maraming mga puno. (4 words, 1 phrase)
Q2: (CE) What is the boy doing?
(CF) Ano palagay niyo ano ang ginagawa ng bata?
PA: (CE) Sunbathing

(CF): Nagbibilad, nagpapahangin, nagre-relax, nagpapahinga, natutulog.

Q3: (CE) How do you think the boy feel?

(CF): Ano ang palagay niyong nararamdaman ng isang taong nagbilad sa init?
PA: (CE): The sun is very hot.

Teacher (T): The boy feels very hot. What else? Another..more…What do you think about this man, boy? What
does he feel? What does the man feel?

(CF): Masarap, naiinitan, mabuti sa katawan, pinagpapawisan

Task B: The reading of two sentences written on a piece of Manila paper: “The Sun is the source of heat, light and
other forms of energy. The heat reaches the Earth through the form of radiation.”
(CE): Two pupils are called by the teacher to read and they do so fairly well.

(CF): Pupils read just as well. The teacher translates what the sentences mean into Filipino.

The pupils of both classes can read, and they do so fairly well. Then the teacher checks their understanding of the
two sentences by asking a question.

Q1: (CE) How does the Sun’s energy reach the Earth? Through__________?

(CF) Ito pala namang ‘to nakukuha niya ‘yong init in the forms of _______________?
PA: (CE) Radiation (as if filling in the blank.)

(CF) Radiation
The pupils in both classes can understand and readily answer the question of the teacher checking on their
understanding of the two sentences. Several pupils are called in both classes.

Task C: This is the main practical-work activity. It is in one sheet of paper mounted on one-half of a stiff folder.
Each group is given a copy. They first read it aloud (the CF class gets the same copy in English).
Experiencing Radiation
Problem: How does heat energy reach the earth?
Hypothesis: (blank)
Materials: Pencil and paper
Procedure:
1. Go outdoors and find a shady place.

2. Stand still for a few minutes and think about what you feel. Is it hot or cold? Can you feel your body absorbing
the sun’s energy and heat? How does it feel?

3. Go to an open area. Stand still for a few minutes and tell us how you feel. Can you feel your body absorbing the
heat? Is it hot or cold?

Results and Analysis:

1. How does your body feel when standing in the shade?

2. What do you feel when standing in an open area? How do you feel?

3. How does heat transfer occur during activity? Is it hot or cold?

For CF, the teacher translates in Filipino. Before the pupils are sent out, the teacher asks/admonishes the class:
(CE) What shall we do first? We should __________? What will we do to observe? You will do this quietly, and
__________? What? Cooperatively, silently. (The teacher supplies the answers to her own questions.)

(CF) Gagawa kayo ng matahimik at makiki-cooperate kayo sa mga lider ninyo.

Task D: Reporting
After about 30 minutes doing the activity outdoors, the pupils are told to go back inside the room. Each group
reports.

(CE) Answers of each group (Results and Analysis)

Group 1:

1. It is relaxed and cool.

2. It is hot and unrelaxed.
3. Through radiation.

Group 2:

1. It is warm
2. Hot
3. Radiation

Group 3:

1. Warm
2. Hot
3. Through radiation

Group 4

1. ________
2. Very hot
3. Through radiation

Group 5

1. Fresh air
2. Very hot
3. Through radiation

Group 6

1. It’s relaxing
2. Very hot
3. Through radiation

CF finishes faster. The class goes back to the classroom after about 22 minutes.

Group 1:

1. Mahangin, comportable
2. Mainit, nakakasilaw, nakakapaso
3. Sa pamamagitan ng radiation
Group 2:
1. Mahangin at malamig
2. Naiinitan at nasisilawan
3. Nakarating sa pamamagitan ng radiation
Group 3:

1. Mahangin, masarap as pakiramdam

2. Mainit, nakakasilaw
3. Sa pamamagitan ng radiation
Group 4:

1. Malamig, mahangin
2. Mainit
3. Sa pamamagitan ng radiation
Group 5:

1. Malamig at presko
2. Mainit, nakakapawis at nakakasilaw
3. Radiation
Group 6:

1. Mahangin at presko
2. Mainit, nakakasilaw
3. Dahil sa radiation
Group 7:

1. __________________
2. Mainit, nakakasilaw, komportable, masarap pakiramdam, nagiginhawahan
3. Sa pamamagitan ng radiation
Group 8:

1. Malamig, komportable, mahangin

2. Nakakasilaw, hindi presko
3. Radiation
The CF groups use slightly more words, there is slightly more variation in the words that they use than those used by
the CE groups. In the CF class the teacher goes over the answers of all groups briefly, commenting at the end: Bakit
kaya iba ang sagot ng Group 7? Punta kayo sa labas, sa araw.
The members of Group 7 then come back and change their answer in No. 2 to mainit, nasisilaw at hindi
komportable.
Task E: Definition of Radiation
The teacher then goes back to the two sentences on Manila paper. She asks them to read the two sentences together
and aloud.

Then she asks:

(CE) So what is radiation? (3X) Based on the activity? (2X) Radiation is________? What is radiation? (Nobody
answers)

The teacher then posts a strip of Manila paper with these word—“Radiation – is the transfer of energy in the form of
waves.”

The teacher asks 4 pupils to read this definition aloud.

(CF) The teacher also tells the class: Basahin nga natin ulit …referring to post. The pupils read aloud together.
So ano pala ang radiation? Ano ang ibig sabihin…?
PA1: Kunwari nandoon yung apoy (pointing some distance from where he is), naiinitan ka.
PA2: Naililipat ng init ng Sun papunta sa Earth dahil sa radiation.
Then she asks 3 pupils to read the definition.

P1 is the sole pupil who is able to come up with an operational definition (based on their experience) of what
radiation is but the teacher is bent on asking them to memorize what she posted. Nobody was able to come up with
the definition as written by the teacher based on the activity. It is a textbook definition.

Task F: Experiencing Other Examples of Radiation

The teacher lights a lamp, candle, and alcohol lamp in succession. After lighting each, she asks a few pupils to come
to the front to bring their hands close to the objects without touching them.

Q1: (CE) How does heat transfer?

PA (CE) Through radiation

Q2: (CE) So what is radiation again?

PA(CE): (They read the definition) The transfer of heat in the form of waves.

The teacher makes them repeat this.

Q1: (CF) Paano naililipat ang init galing sa lamp? (5 pupils come forward)
The teacher keeps repeating the question in Filipino, and the pupils answer “Sa pamamagitan ng radiation.”
Then she shows a drawing of a microwave oven which she forgot to show CE.

She says: Tignan natin ‘tong drawing ng microwave. Palagay nyo paano lumilipat ang init? So naiinitan ang
pagkain sa radiation.
Then she asks 4 pupils to read the definition. Afterwards she removes the strip of paper and tells them to repeat the
definition.

Evaluation:
The teacher takes down all postings and tells them to get a sheet of paper. Then she posts the 5-item test and 2 pupils
to read the directions aloud.

Write True if the heat transfer through radiation and False if not.

___1. You will feel the heat of the sun if you are standing in an open area.

___2. The heat of the sun reaches the Earth through radiation.

___3. Heat transfer to cook the uncooked food inside the microwave oven.

___4. You will not feel the heat of the sun when you are standing in an open area.

___5. You will feel the sun when you are standing near the fire.

There were 38 CF pupils who got 4-5 of the items correctly. This number is divided by 53 (total number of students
present) and multiplied by 100 to get an MPS of 72%

In the CF, the MPS is 82%.

Based on the foregoing observations, the following statements with regard to the set criteria may be made:

Criterion 1: Number of words used/richness/quality of ideas conveyed in these words in student discourse
Over all, the number of words spoken by the pupils in CF is only slightly greater in number than those in CE and the
meanings these convey in the two classes are not much different from each other. The lesson is really not very
challenging and involves memorization. The operational definition given by one boy in the CF class stands out,
however, because it accurately describes a phenomenon associated with radiation—that you can feel the heat
through a distance, without touching. Unfortunately, the teacher missed the opportunity to enable the boy to explain
his idea further.

Even the teacher was more natural and could easily provide alternative questions and statements for the pupils’
greater understanding and comprehension.

Most importantly, the pupils talked to each other in Filipino during the outdoor activity. It is unthinkable that they
will speak to each other in English.

Criterion 2. Length of response time before expression of answers

Pupils in the CF answered more quickly than those in the CE. The questions were really not very complicated but in
the CF, there are many who raise their hands wanting to give the answer while in CE, the teacher was often heard to
say “Come on, come on” and repeat the question.

Criterion 3: Enthusiasm/eagerness of pupils to participate indicated by their actuations and behavior/words

It was quite apparent that in the CF, many hands would eventually shoot up when the teacher asked a question
together with “Ma’m, ma’m” indicating their eagerness and readiness to give their answers. In doing the outdoor
activity, the pupils in CE took some time trying to read the activity before doing it due apparently to inability to
understand the directions readily.

Criterion 4: Summative assessment scores

CE garnered a mean percentage score of 72% while CF had an MPS of 82%. This means that more pupils in CF got
4-5 items correctly in the 5-item summative assessment than pupils in the CE.

Interviews
With Teacher:
It was the teacher’s opinion that Filipino is more effective than English in teaching Science. Her reason was that
“they (the pupils) can understand, express and reason out” better in Filipino than in English. She said though that
from her end, using Filipino would be “medyo mahirap dahil sanay sa English.” Ordinarily, she usually translates in
to Filipino “kasi hindi naiintindihan.” She said further that “mas maiintindihan ng bat kung ang mga materyales ay
Filipino.”
With Pupils
Alll 10 pupils (5 from CE and 5 from CF) wrote that Filipino is more effective in learning Science than
English. Their reason was that “mas madaling maintindihan at magpaliwanag” (sa Filipino.) Some said “madaling
magbasa at magsulat,” “madaling unawain at sagutin”

CONCLUSIONS
Grade 4 pupils can understand and express themselves better in Filipino than in English. They can respond faster
when asked, perform readily when told to do something, and get higher scores in a test. Even among themselves,
during group activities, they speak to each other in Filipino. They are also more relaxed, more confident, more
enthusiastic and eager to answer and participate when the LOLI in Science is Filipino.

Both the teacher and her pupils expressed the opinion that Filipino is more effective in teaching and learning
Science. The pupils find it easier to speak, read and write in Filipino than in English. It is therefore more effective to
use Filipino in the teaching of Science in Grade 4.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Since Grade 4 pupils are not yet very proficient in speaking, reading, writing in English, the mother tongue should
still be the LOLI in Grade 4 Science since they are still learning English.

2. In connection with this, instructional materials for pupils and teachers should be written in the mother tongue (in
Filipino in the case of this study). Collaborative lesson research and development is recommended so that the
teachers themselves can make inputs in the development of the instructional materials by curriculum developers and
the pupils can also contribute towards making the materials effective by their feedback.
3. Studies on the teaching of Science in the L1 especially at Grades 5 and 6 should be encouraged and supported.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author wishes to acknowledge the teacher of the elementary school who wholeheartedly cooperated and agreed
to teach two of her classes in English and in Filipino, the Science Coordinator of the school and the Principal. The
pupils belonging to the two classes are likewise to be thanked for their cooperation. The chair of the AV Group of
UP NISMED, and the two videographers are also gratefully acknowledged in this research as are the Director
and staff of UP NISMED

REFERENCES
[1] Department of Education (2009) DepED No. 74 s. 2009. “Institutionalizing Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual
Education (MLE). Department of Education.Republic of the Philippines

[2] Carale, L. R. & Campo, P.C. (2003) Concept Development in Filipino Children: The Circulatory System.
National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development.

[3] Elementary School Science Group, UP NISMED (In press) Concept Development in Filipino Children: the
Respiratory System.

[4] The Science Education Development Plan, a joint project of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports and
the National Science and Technology Authority (1983) Science Learning and Teaching: Language in Focus.
Proceedings of a Symposium on the Role of Language in Science Learning.

[5] Acuña, J.E. 1994 . “Language of Instruction in Science Education” in Acuña (ed.) 1994. The Language Issue in
Education. Congressional Oversight Committee on Education, Congress of the Republic of the Philippines.

Teaching in mother tongues

February 6, 2018 | Written by Celeste Ann Castillo Llaneta

Mural at the UP Baguio College of Arts and Communication

In 2009, the Department of Education (DepEd) recognized the benefits of teaching

children using their mother tongue or first language. Local and international research
has found that children learn to speak, read, and write more quickly in their first
language, and can pick up a second and third language more easily if taught in their first
language. In the same way, they acquire other academic competencies more quickly,
particularly in science and math.
Through Department Order 94, DepEd instituted Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual
Education (MTB-MLE), with the following major languages as languages of instruction in
2012-2013: Tagalog, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon,
Waray, Tausug, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, Chabacano, Ivatan, Sambal, Akianon,
Kinaray-a, Yakan, and Sinurigaonon. Aside from their mother tongues or first
languages, the children are taught English and Filipino as subjects focusing on oral
fluency, starting in the first grade. From the fourth grade onward, Filipino and English
are introduced as languages of instruction.
A dizzying variety
However, given the dizzying variety of languages in the country—over 170 languages
spoken by various ethno-linguistic groups, with almost 50 of these spoken by various
groups in northern Philippines alone—it’s not unusual for a teacher to find herself
handling a first-grade class in a public school consisting of children from different
linguistic backgrounds. This poses a challenge for the teachers: how do they make sure
the students learn when they are not all equally competent in the language of
instruction?
In her 2016 paper, “A Multilingual, Multicultural and Multidisciplinary Approach to
MTBMLE: A Model for Northern Philippines”, Dr. Elizabeth Calinawagan, a professor of
Filipino and Dean of the College of Arts and Communication, UP Baguio, gives three
possible classroom scenarios a teacher may face.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Calinawagan, professor of Filipino and Dean of the College of Arts and
Communication, UP Baguio

In the first scenario, a school may have a strong community language as its mother
tongue and the majority of its students communicating in this language. According to
Calinawagan, this scenario is more common in rural areas. In her paper, she
recommends that the teacher use a monolingual teaching-learning process, “Basic
education [here] should be in the mother tongue. Then you’ll just be transferring
knowledge through a lingua franca, and then English.”
In the second scenario, there are more students whose mother tongue is the
regional lingua franca—for instance, Ilokano in northern Luzon—and the other students
use their own community/indigenous languages as their mother tongue. This scenario is
more common in densely populated cities such as Baguio City.
“In one classroom in a public elementary school, the students could have different
mother tongues—Maranao, Kankanay, Pangasinan, Ilokano. This could be problematic.
The DepEd chose Iloko [as the language of instruction], but teachers encounter
difficulties because not all the students speak Iloko. Some are more fluent in Filipino,
especially in urban centers.”
A bridge to learning
Calinawagan recommends that, in this case, the teacher use the regional lingua
franca as the medium of instruction, but allot a special time to the speakers of other
languages, using the regional lingua franca as a bridge to learning in other languages.
The teacher would have to consult with the students and their parents to find out what
language the child speaks at home, and to seek the cooperation of the parents in
translating lessons into and creating learning materials in the child’s mother tongue.
Second-graders in the Cabambangan (Poblacion), Bacolor, Pampanga Elementary School
Barangay Cabambangan (Poblacion), Bacolor, Pampanga. Photo by Judgefloro, taken 23 February
2015 (Photo from Wikicommons,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jf9633Cabambangan_Bacolor_Elementary_School_fvf_25.
JPG)

In the third scenario, there could be a strong regional lingua franca, but the students’
linguistic profiles show that they are more competent in languages of wider
communication such as English and Filipino. This is more common in private schools,
where students are sometimes pressured by the school administration, teachers, and
parents to use these languages. Calinawagan recalled a study conducted in San
Carlos, Pangasinan, in which parents were asked why they spoke to their children in
Tagalog at home instead of their mother tongue.
“They said it was so the children would find it easier to integrate at school, so they are
taught bilingually, English and Tagalog, at home.”
In this last scenario, Calinawagan suggests in her paper that lessons “may be learned in
Filipino or English, but the version in the community language/s should still be used as a
springboard for linguistic and cultural lessons embodied in that language.” She adds
that there should be strong community advocacy to make sure that residents of a
community are knowledgeable in their language.

School children in the Barangays Balete, Tarlac City. Photo by Judgefloro, taken 2 July 2015 (Photo
from Wikicommons,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:01415ajfSchool_children_Philippines_Tarlacfvf_05.jpg)

“There is still an initiative from the private schools to teach the language of the
community. There should be a subject taught in the mother tongue from which we can
draw cultural knowledge. Because for instance in the Ilocos, our culture isn’t Tagalog or
English. Where else would we draw our cultural experience?”
The tireless soldiers
In all these scenarios, the teachers, especially first-grade teachers, are the tireless
soldiers at the frontlines, displaying heroic levels of creativity, resourcefulness and
determination not just in teaching, but in making reading and learning materials, doing
advocacy work and community mobilization, and even developing a working
orthography of local languages. In a certain locality, the teachers made “big books” by
handwriting stories on sheets of manila paper, stories in the students’ mother tongues,
together with drawings to provide visual aids, of which they then made photocopies.
As mentioned, many teachers in Northern Luzon are already multilingual. In many
localities, they have already collected and generated learning materials in the different
mother tongues. According to Calinawagan, the next level of training these teachers
need is in using linguistic comparative methods toward multilingual acquisition. They
must now translate the available materials in the mother tongue into the lingua
franca for multilingual pedagogy, and so generate multilingual vocabularies,
dictionaries, and grammars for use in their classrooms.
Moreover, the teachers must be trained in the techniques of linguistic and cultural
analysis. Through the continuing in-service training provided by the DepEd in
partnership with MLE specialists, these teachers can be effectively trained in these
methods.

Foggy view of Tuba, Benguet Town Proper. Photo by Ramon FVelasquez, taken 29 November 2013
(Photo from Wikicommons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tuba,Benguetjf0090_07.JPG)

“The success of the MTB-MLE in the Philippines truly depends on the ingenuity and
innovativeness of teachers in their pedagogy as well as their commitment to the
program,” Calinawagan says. And from her observations of these teachers in the field,
commitment will not be in short supply, especially once the students who are products
of the MTB-MLE program grow older and begin to show the results of their mother-
tongue learning. The country can then look forward to a generation of Filipinos who are
multilingual but remain deeply rooted in their unique cultures.

Use of mother-tongue in
teaching proves effective
on October 12, 2016

PASIG CITY – Learners begin their education in the language they understand best—
their mother tongue—and need to develop a strong foundation in their mother language
before effectively learning additional languages.
This is where the Department of Education (DepEd) gets inspiration in its inclusion of
Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) as a feature of the Enhanced
Basic Education Program. It mandates the use of the language that students are
familiar with (their first language) as medium of instruction to allow them to grasp basic
concepts more easily.

At first, Teacher Regina of Pasig Elementary School, who has been teaching Grade 3
Mathematics for 17 years, was apprehensive to use the mother tongue. She was mainly
worried about how mathematical concepts and terminologies could be translated to the
mother tongue.

However, this concern was negated by the more active participation of the children
when they started using the mother tongue in her classes.

She noticed that the children became more confident in conceiving and explaining
content, and more articulate in expressing their ideas. She saw how using the mother
tongue enables her learners to immediately construct ideas, explain without fear of
making mistakes, and add new concepts to those they already know.

Teacher Nemia, a Grade 3 Science teacher of 12 years, had the same apprehensions.
“It was a very unwelcome idea to use the mother tongue in teaching Science. It seemed
difficult. I also thought of the extra effort I might need to exert in using terms that would
match the exact translation of scientific terms in the mother tongue,” she said.

“However, when we started teaching in the mother tongue, we were surprised by how
effective it was. The pupils were more attentive in class discussion. They are also able
to explain their answers well when responding to questions. Furthermore, it makes them
more confident to converse,” added Teacher Nemia.

Dissadvantage

Abstract
The use of mother tongue in teaching in a multilingual setting affects the
way pupils learn. A melting pot and the educational center of the North,
Baguio City, Philippines demands teaching strategies that not only adapt
to the interplay of the different cultures and languages but give
importance to them, too. Specifically, this paper analyzed the strategies
of teachers in implementing Mother Tongue - Based Instruction in a
Multilingual Classroom and identified some problems that teachers
encounter in implementing them. The study used qualitative analysis
with interview as the main data gathering tool. The respondents were
teachers purposively selected from the suggested pilot schools of
Mother Tongue - Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) in Baguio
City. From the phenomenological analysis of the data, the findings
showed that the teachers used strategies such as translation of target
language to mother tongue, utilization of multilingual teaching, utilization
of lingua-franca, improvization of instructional materials written in mother
tongue, remediation of instruction, and utilization of literary piece written
in mother tongue as motivation. Some problems encountered by the
teachers in implementing mother tongue - based instruction include
absence of books written in mother tongue, lack of vocabulary, and lack
of teacher-training. Nevertheless, the study indicated that major attention
and effort are still necessary to be given to the approach.

Keywords
practices, mother tongue - based instruction, multilingualism,
multiculturalism

Wikang Filipino sa Agham?

Scientia

Follow

Apr 6, 2017 · 4 min read

Feature | Luis Tolentino

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in the free education issue
of Scientia published last 2017. Parts of this article have been
edited for clarity.
Sa Agham tayo namulat sa mga kaparaanan ng pisikal at buhay na
mundo. Ito ang nagturo sa atin kung paano pahalagahan ang mga
bagay-bagay na bumabalot sa ating kapaligiran. Ito rin ang ating
gamit upang maghanap ng mga solusyon sa mga problemang
hinaharap ng ating bayan sa mithiin na umunlad ang estado ng
buhay ng bawat mamamayan.

Ngunit hindi lahat sa atin ay naiintindihan ang mga konsepto nito.

Ang pagtuturo sa wikang Ingles ay nagsimula noong naging

kolonya ng Estados Unidos ang Pilipinas. Nagsimula itong
magbago noong inilunsad ang “Bilingual Education Policy” taong
1974. Hinihingkayat nito na gawing wika sa pagtuturo ang Filipino
sa mga klasrum at bigyan ng mainam na kakayahan ang mga
estudyante sa parehong Ingles at Filipino. Ninanais rin nito na
maging isang wika para sa matalisik na diskurso ang Filipino

Ngunit nakasaad rin sa polisiyang ito na ang Ingles ay ang “non-

exclusive language of science and technology.” Dala nito, ang
wikang Filipino ay naisasantabi bilang isang lengguwahe para sa
agham. Ito ay parte na rin ng layunin para sa
internasyonalisasyon. Ang patuloy na paggamit nito ay bunga na
rin ng pangunguna ng Estados Unidos sa siyentipikong
pananaliksik. Sa unang tingin, nagmumukhang mainam ito upang
makipagsabayan sa mga bagong development sa S&T, at nang
hindi mahiwalay ang mga batang siyentista mula sa mga journal at
textbook.

Bagama’t may natutulungan, ang nahihirapan sa kasalukuyang

sistema ay ang mga batang estudyante. Ang siyensya at ang
matematika ay itinuturo sa kanila gamit ang wikang hindi nila
ginagamit sa pangkaraniwan na sitwasyon. Karamihan ng mga
libro ay nasa wikang Ingles, kasama na rin ang mga impormasyon
na galing sa internet at telebisyon. Pinag-aaralan nila ang mga
bagong konsepto sa wika na kanila’y kasabay na inaaral pa
lamang. Napupuna lamang ito ng mga guro na nagbibigay ng
paliwanag sa natural nilang wika. Pero dahil sa na-develop na
“language barrier,” mahirap makahanap ng mga tamang salita o
ehemplo para mapaliwanag ng maayos ang mga konsepto. Ang
resulta, ang agham sa isip ng mga bata ay mistulang hiwalay mula
sa araw-araw na katotohanan. Ang asignatura na nagmimistulang
gabay natin sa mga pangyayari sa ating paligid ay naiiwan sa mga
pahina ng textbook.

May mga bagong hakbang na ginagawa upang mabago ito. May

mga pagsasaliksik na nagpapakita ng bisa ng pagtuturo ng
siyensya sa pang araw-araw na lengguwahe. Isa na rito ay ang
pagsasaliksik nina Brown at Ryoo ng Stanford University noong
2008. Ipinakita nila ito sa pamamagitan ng tinatawag nila na
“content first” approach. Sa ganitong paraan, inuunang ituro ang
mga konsepto gamit ang natural na wika bago ito dagdagan ng
mga panibago at mas komplikado na termino. Ipinakita sa pag-
aaral na mas mataas ang mga nakuhang grado ng mga
estudyanteng tinuruan sa natural na wika sa parehong “multiple
choice” at “open-ended” na mga tanong. Senyas ito ng mas
malalim na pagkakaintindi ng mga bata sa bagong impormasyon
nilang natatanggap (Sullivan, 2008).

Isinusulong rin ngayon ang pagsalin at paggawa ng mga libro sa

wikang Filipino. Naikuwento sa akin ni G. Rommel Rodriguez,
direktor ng Sentro sa Wikang Filipino, ang paghahanap ng ilang
siyentipiko ng mga salita at konseptong Filipino na maihahambing
sa mga kanilang pinagdalubhasaan. “Maraming mga local
indigenous knowledge na maaring ma-discover ng mga mag-aaral
natin at kung paano ito maisasakonteksto sa siyensya at
teknolohiya”. Isa na rito ang konsepto ng “balatik” — isang grupo
ng mga bituin na ginagamit ng mga katutubo sa kanilang
pagtatanim. Ipinapakita ng mga ganitong ehemplo na may
malawak na kaalaman ang mga katutubo tungkol sa mga bagay na
inaaral natin sa agham. “Marami pa tayong hindi natutuklasan sa
kasaysayan, sa kultura natin, sa mga local indigenous knowledge
natin, na kailangan tuklasin ng mga mag-aaral sa siyensya at
teknolohiya.”

Sa mga hakbangin na ito, may pag-aalala na hindi makasabay ang

mga estudyante sa internasyonal na entablado. Isa sa goal ng mga
unibersidad ngayon ay maging tanyag sa iba’t ibang larangan at
mapataas ang ranggo sa mga listahan ng mga “best universities.”
Ngunit nilinaw ni Dr. Rodriguez na ang pangunahing tungkulin ng
isang unibersidad ay hindi manalo sa kompetisyon kundi ay
makagawa ng mga bagong kaalaman para sa ikabubuti ng
mamamayan. Idinagdag ni Dr. Rodriguez na hindi naman
kailangan na isalin lahat ng salita sa wikang Pilipino. Ang ibang
terminong teknikal ay maaaring iwanan sa pinanggalingang
lenguwahe. Hindi rin daw kailangan na maging “purista” sa
pagsasalin ng mga termino; ang mahalaga ay nagkakaintindihan
ang guro at ang estudyante sa pagpapaliwanang ng mga konsepto.
Ang mga ganitong pagsasalin, tulad ng nakikita natin sa ibang post
sa social media, ay nagpapakita ng pagkamalikhain ng mga tao
ngunit dahil ang ibang salita ay hindi rin naman nagagamit, wala
itong naitutulong.

Sa huli, idiniin ni Dr. Rodriguez ang tungkulin ng mga

estudyante’t propesor ng mga unibersidad sa pagpapalawak ng
wikang Filipino. Sa usapin ng pagsasalin, mahalaga na
isakonteksto ang mga ideya sa karansan ng mga Pilipino.
Importante rin na alisin ang makitid na pagtingin sa ating wika at
magsama-sama upang itaguyod ang Filipino bilang pambansang
wika. #

References:
[1] Sullivan, K. J. (2008, August 20). Using everyday language to
teach science may help students learn, study finds. Retrieved
December 24, 2016,
from http://news.stanford.edu/news/2008/august20/teachsci-
082008.html

Lesson plan