Using Filipino as medium of instruction is gleaned at as the best solution to enable students to learn better in school. One of the arguments remain, however, is the need to remain English language users as we have been famous of.
Educators find this a challenge that needs to be addressed quickly and effectively. Documenting the problems that this may pose is crucial to promote awareness and find solutions. How do we teach students in learning concepts using Filipino is easy, but how do we help them learn English while we speak to them in their mother tongue is the bigger challenge.
One concern educators have is the possibility that students may shy away and become distracted from the English learning lessons. This may cause them to withdraw from classroom participation.
There is a solution teachers find helpful. This is explaining English language using the local dialect. They claim this helps students because English words are explained and understood through a language familiar to them. The students are able to learn the English language when it is taught using local dialects. English words are translated to its local form. Teachers are able to give meaning, describe, and explain the words and how they are to be used including synonyms while at the same time understanding the contextual meaning of the English words.
One weakness seen, however, is that students are not able to fully exercise speaking the English language with this strategy because the language is being taught in mother tongue, speaking it is not maximized. This is addressed by slowly allowing students to speak in English bilingual program model and the language of instruction employed to lessen and hopefully, to totally overcome the challenges.
References:
August, D., & Shanahan, T. (Eds.) (2006). Developing literacy in second-language learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Carnine, D.W. (2007). Effective Teaching Strategies that Accommodate Diverse Learners. New York Press.
De Houwer, A. (July, 1999). Two or more languages in early childhood: some general points and practical recommendations. ERIC Digest. ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics.
By: Lovely D. Carlos
