English Language Teaching in the Philippine Education landscape has been plagued with the same dilemma for the last two decades. However, the two spectrums of this plague are philosophical at their core. It is more of a false dilemma since both can be easily solved by delineating that each goes after a different goal for teaching English.
One is that: Are teachers supposed to model succinct speech in the target language exclusively and, in turn, require students to always speak in the target language? The other is: Are teachers supposed to transliterate and cross-culturally delve into the target language to make sense for the students? Perhaps, this has become a stalemate from a great many discussions done about it.
Contrary to popular belief, it is safe to say that this is a false dilemma because the two spectrums do not share the same learning goal. Therefore, it cannot be compared side-by-side justifiably. The first one’s goal is to ensure that the highest standard benchmarked to the proficiency level required for native speakers is precisely the same if not relatively closest for English as Second Language learners. The other’s goal is to make input comprehensible for non-native speakers to bolster linguistic input comprehension and retention.
Given this, the only way for a teacher to delineate oneself from such perplexing yet unwarranted discussions is to determine the primary goal of teaching the English Language to the students. It is fair to propose that this discussion will confound only teachers who have not established their teaching goals. Realistically, it might be arduous for teachers to accept that they, as the drivers of the educational wheel, are the most accountable for these disparities when it comes to setting specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals and objectives for the educative process.
This false dilemma reiterates the need for clear, well-defined objectives to execute a meaningful teaching and learning experience for teachers and students. This is because both must actively partake to direct the class into fruition in both the knowledge and skills aspects of the educative process. When teachers set clear, well-defined goals, they will remain guided and systematic in their approach. In turn, the students can see the direction and actualization of the concepts and ideas they are taught. As a result, the class will have a more precise outcome and a more unified spirit in achieving the desired outcome.
By: MRS. NORALYN G. AGBAY |TEACHER I | BATAAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL | BALANGA CITY, BATAAN
