“You are entering an English speaking zone.” This is one of the lines that are often seen when visiting schools – a line demanding all the students to speak English as they enter the premises of the school. There are even classrooms wherein there will be monetary equivalent every time a student speaks Filipino words. However, is this policy really necessary? Will it really make the students better in using the language?
Traditional language teachers might say, with an exclamation point, “YES!”. They will be justifying that to learn English, one must use it on a regular basis. This was a great point that every 90’s language teacher would defend.
But, the emergence of the K-12 curriculum put the “English Speaking” policy in a test. As the curriculum stated that the primary grade levels, even English, should be taught using the mother tongue (the language first acquired by a language learner) of the students.
The curriculum had a good basis. It implies that imposing the teaching of subjects using English right away would hinder the learning of the children. Moreover, being a bilingual at a very young age actually confuses the learners which results to less productive learning. Earlier studies about early bilingualism expounded that a children having two or more languages have more restrictions in using the languages that he/she has. This scene results to poor language learning compared to monolingual students.
Narrowing it down to English, some might say that it would be very awkward and improper to teach English using Filipino or any other mother tongue of students. But looking at the cons, starting the lesson using English is very hard for young learners, especially if they will interchange the use of English and Filipino words.
That is why, the K-12 curriculum demands that in the primary grade level English subjects, the mother tongue of the students should be used to give the child concepts. This would start making learners prepared for actually using English as a medium of communication. This approach is a great help that would ease the students anxiety towards the language.
However, language teachers should bear in mind that Mother Tongue-Based instruction is only applicable and suitable for young and beginning language learners. The learners should reflect improvements as they go along new grade levels. Moreover, the learners should not be stuck with MTB as they finish grades one up to grade three. The purpose of MTB is to prepare the students for complex language concepts and tasks, not permanently teach English using Filipino or any other mother tongue.
By: JETHRO M. NOCOM | Teacher I | Hermosa National High School
