Mathematics is a discipline that has a broad and encompassing relationship with the various subjects in the curriculum. It can be applied in every aspect of life. Clemente (2000) noted that to prepare our children in the fast – changing world that is technology – driven and operates a global village, we must equip them with the language of survival, and one of these languages is mathematics. It is one of the building blocks in learning science and technology. With the advancement in the field of technology affecting directly human survival, the role of mathematics has become more demanding. It develops students’ computational skills which is very essential in their daily lives. However, it has been observed that learning mathematics in different schools has suffered a setback to the extent that some graduates do not have the quality that one must possess.
English is one of the most important languages which are being spoken globally. The society demands every human being to acquire and gain control of our second language for a simple reason that it is considered to be the universal language of humankind. We can never deny that using the second language will make an individual more competitive not only in his country, but also globally.
With the goal of increasing the number of English – proficient Filipinos, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo implemented Executive Order 210 Series of 2003, which established the policy to strengthen English as a medium of instruction in educational system in the Philippines. The former president’s intention in implementing EO210 is motivated by a concern to keep Filipinos competitive and to make them more educated.
The academe plays a vital role in guiding, leading, and teaching English language to students to continuously enhance their communication skills as early as childhood. The learners, who are the target of the second language learning, are expected to acquire and use English properly. However, not all Filipinos are able to communicate effectively using the said language. This gives negative effects to students in learning their subjects in school, especially mathematics for teachers are required to use the second language in teaching.
It is interesting to note that three out of five top performing countries in the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) use their mother tongue as the medium of instruction. Singapore, being one of the top performers in TIMSS 2011 follows a bilingual education policy wherein government schools are educated in English as their first language while students in primary and secondary schools also learn second language which is their mother tongue. Also, Hong Kong uses English as their medium of instruction since most of them are English speakers. On the other hand, Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Japan use their mother tongues as a medium of their instruction. This shows that majority of the top performing countries in TIMSS are being taught using their mother tongue. The reason why Filipino students do not achieve high in mathematics may be associated with the use of English as a medium of instruction.
In every field of endeavor, successful performance is always the ideal goal. Effective understanding of the second language may affect the learning of Mathematics. As mentioned above, English is the medium of instruction in this country, so how can one learn a subject, especially mathematics if he/she cannot understand the language in the first place.
It is very alarming that there is an increasing number of students who get low grades in Mathematics and worse, fail the subject. For that reason, we, educators, must take time on improving the language skills of our students so they will be able to catch up easily in different subjects especially Mathematics.
By: Christian Faith M. Felipe | T-I | Academy of Queen Mary
