EEM 115: Content and Pedagogy for the Mother Tongue PDF

EEM 115: Content and Pedagogy for the Mother Tongue Professor: Edward Francis G. Gabor, LPT  A premier educational institution of higher learning in Region 4, developing globally- competitive and value-laden professionals and leaders instrumental to community development and nat...

EEM 115: Content and Pedagogy for the Mother Tongue Professor: Edward Francis G. Gabor, LPT  A premier educational institution of higher learning in Region 4, developing globally- competitive and value-laden professionals and leaders instrumental to community development and nation building UC-PNC VISION  As an institution of higher learning, UC (PnC) is committed to equip individuals with knowledge, skills, and values that will enable them to achieve their professional goals & provide leadership and service for national development. UC-PNC MISSION  As a God-fearing institution respecting multi- faith of people, PnC adheres to the following core values: P - Personal Dignity N - Nurturing Community C - Commitment to Excellence PNC CORE VALUES MAAYONG BUNTAG KANINYONG TANAN! ☺ KUMUSTA KAMONG TANAN? MALIPAYON (Masaya) MASULUB-ON (Malungkot) GIKAPOY (Pagod) KATULUGON (Inaantok)  Concept clarification: Mother tongue, MTB-MLE, Language policy, official and national languages, language of instruction  Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of this lesson, students should be able to: 1. Define key concepts in MTB-MLE. 2. Identify the national and official languages in the Philippines. 3. Discuss cultural rootedness as one of the reasons behind the use of mother tongue.  Introduction In a world as diverse as ours, language is the bedrock of culture, identity, and communication. It's the vessel through which we express our thoughts, emotions, and ideas. For many, the first language they learn, their "mother tongue," is not merely a means of communication; it's a fundamental part of their identity and heritage. Multilingual Education, or MLE, recognizes and celebrates this linguistic diversity by promoting the use of mother tongues in the educational process. Mother tongue multilingual education is a powerful educational approach that places a special emphasis on nurturing students' linguistic and cultural roots. It recognizes the importance of maintaining and developing the languages children grow up with, while also introducing them to other languages as part of a comprehensive and inclusive learning experience. This approach acknowledges that children are not blank slates when they enter the classroom; they bring with them a wealth of linguistic and cultural knowledge that can be harnessed to enhance their overall learning journey.  What is Mother Tongue? According to Nordquist, 2019, The term "mother tongue" denotes an individual's primary language, which is acquired from birth. It is alternatively known as a first language, dominant language, home language, or native tongue, although these labels may not always share identical meanings. Another definition of mother tongue refers to the initial language acquired during childhood at home, which the individual still comprehends at the time of data collection.  Mother tongue- based multilingual education  What is MTB-MLE Mother tongue education pertains to any educational approach that employs the language or languages that children are most comfortable with, with the aim of facilitating their learning process. Typically, this language corresponds to the one spoken within a child's family environment, although it need not be exclusively the language spoken by their mother. MTB-MLE goes beyond the mere alteration of language used in textbooks, assessments, or within the classroom. It involves a profound reimagining of education, placing a central focus on fostering critical thinking and broader social skills that are essential in our rapidly evolving world. MTB-MLE plays a pivotal role in rectifying disparities in educational opportunities. As progress is made towards various development objectives, it has become evident that certain groups are being left behind. These groups are often marginalized, primarily due to the languages they speak, which may isolate them both socially and politically. MTB-MLE aims to confront this challenge by providing inclusive, high-quality education that engages all segments of the community in their own development journey.  Language Policy and Practice in Education Around the World The phrase language policy will mean the legislation on the practices pertaining to the use of language in society – often a nation, whereas the phrase language-in-education policy will be used to describe the legislation on the practices pertaining to languages or media of instruction and languages of literacy used in education. Language has many forms. Language also has many functions. Language and languages as also given different value by different people. Edwards (2009) emphasizes the fact that, in most parts of the world, multilingualism is a reality, linked with geographical and environmental factors as well as economic interests fuelling migration. When languages come into contact with other one another as people move for social, economic, or enforced purposes, the power of a larger or dominant language may cause a non-dominant language to become weaker or to choose to use the non-dominant language in fewer domains.  Language Policy and Planning National Governments and regional agencies such as ASEAN or the European Union, determine language policies, determine which languages will be used for what purposes, including deciding on the language-in-education policy. Tsui (2004:2) note that it is common for educational argument for specific language-in-education policy to be subservient to the socio-political or economic agenda of the nation, and that responses to multilingualism within a nation can result in a variety of responses from policy makers. Ruiz (1984:17) identifies three perspectives on language planning in multilingual situations. Language can be seen as a problem. Language as a right Language can be seen as a resourse In the following sections, examples from different regions of the world illustrate the challenges of determining language policy  In 1960’s, a group of linguists from the nations in post IN AFRICA colonial Africa and academics from around the world met to discuss the impact of social change and national integration on language use and language development. Ferguson (2006:2) acknowledges the work of Fisherman (1968:7) “Language Problems of Developing Nations” This led to multilingualism being perceived as inefficient and having the potential to promote disunity in the early years of independence when social cohesion and economic development were core national goals. Academics have increasingly been calling for the role of international languages such as English, Portuguese, and French to have more restricted role and an increased role to be accorded to African languages. However, this does not always mean the learners are receiving instruction in their mother tongue even though the national languages might still be unknown by learners from rural areas or smaller, non-dominant language communities. INDIA The Ethnologue lists more than 400 individual languages for India. In India, Hindi written in Devanagri Script, and English operate as official languages for central government, but the individual states are given the opportunity to decide what languages they will use for local administration and education. The language-in-education policy requires states and local authorities to endeavour to provide elementary education in the mother tongue for all linguistic minorities, regardless of whether their language us official in that state.  EUROPE The impact of national culture on local communities can be seen in Celtic-speaking peoples in Britain, the Basques in Spain and the Frisians of the Netherlands. However, post-Industrial Revolution, the dominant language communities, often those holding greater political power, adopted an assimilationist approach to national language, education and economic policy, assigning resources based on the potential of communities to contribute to national development strategies. Language policy in the Philippines  A scene-setting Filipino perspective on the challenges of language and education is offered by Bautista (1999:113) who notes that, “The language problem of the Philippines, according to most Filipino sociologists, is the problem of reconciling the competing demands of ethnicity (embodied in an individual’s mother tongue or vernacular), nationalism (manifested in having and propagating a national language) and modernisation (seen to be synonymous with using an international language).” English is seen as an instrumental language of modernity, supporting economic progress. Filipino is viewed as an independent nation-state, facilitating inter-group communication within the country while preserving aspects of national identity.  An understanding of language-in-education policy development in the Philippines is best understood through an awareness of both international strategies associated with language policy and practice. Language policy as it relates to education cannot be examined in isolation from the community and the broader social, economic, and political contexts that impact provision (Rassool & Edwards 2010-280). May (2001:167) notes that education is viewed as perhaps, “the key institution” in the development and maintenance of the modern nation-state and so the policies and practices that enable the provision and delivery of particularly, basic education, are foundational in establishing appropriate systems. Many Philippine languages and cultural practices are lost as a result of the increasing power of the national language, Filipino, and the role of English as an official language. As these languages become more widely used, the identities of non-dominant language communities are undermined. The language policy of the Department of Education (1974, 1987) required the use of two languages of instruction: Filipino and English. Other languages were permitted only as “auxiliary” languages in the classroom, not in textbooks or written form. Depart of Education Culture and Sports (DECS) Order No. 25 entitled “Implementing Guidelines for the Policy on Bilingual Education” The teaching methodology described in the 1974 language policy prescribes that the teacher use either Pilipino or English depending on the subject. The Role of English in the Philippines The use of English, a result, primarily, of the American colonial legacy, has had a considerable impact, particularly in the education system, with some (Tiu 2005:8) believing that it has damaged the self-esteem of ethnolinguistic communities and the internal unity of these communities. In the more rural communities, people may not have had much exposure to either Filipino or English and children may begin formal schooling at six years old with little knowledge of either Filipino or English, the major languages of education. House Bill 4701 on “Strengthening and Enhancing the Use of English as the Medium of Instruction in the Philippine School” However, Acuna & Miranda (1994:7) state that there is “hardly any clamour” for English to be the national language.  Towards a Multilingual Education Policy There is comparatively little written about the contribution of the many vernacular languages of the Philippines to education and development. This may itself be indicative of the value assigned to the languages of the provinces and the minority ethnolinguistic communities by language policy developers. The First Iloilo Experiment was undertaken from 1948-1954 by Jose D. Aguilar (Sibayan 1999c, 1999e, Nolasco 2008:7) who pioneered in the use of Hiligaynon as medium of instruction in Grade 1 and 2. Other related programs that can be mentioned are (Nolasco 2008:7) the Second Iloilo Language Experiment (1961-1964), the Rizal experiment (1960-1966) and the six-year First Language Component-Bridging program (FLC-BP) on “transitional” education in Ifugao Province; and the Lucban First Language Component (Walter and Dekker 2008). However, towards the end of the Arroyo Administration, it became clear that a response was required to the low educational achievement of Filipino students as revealed on international tests, which led to the institutionalisation of mother tongue-based multilingual education initially through Department of Education Order No. 74 s 2009 which was a significant milestone in the journey to establish equitable systems for learners from all ethnolinguistic communities of the Philippines (Young 2011).  Institutionalisation of MTB-MLE Finally in 2013, the Philippine Education System, through Republic Act 10533 and the associated implementing rules and regulations, in addition to mandating a 13 year, K-12 education system, specified (Section 10.2.f) that the curriculum for basic education in the Philippines “… shall adhere to the principles and framework of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) which starts from where the learners are and from what they already know proceeding from the known to the unknown; instructional materials and capable teachers to implement the MTB-MLE curriculum shall be available. For this purpose, MTB-MLE refers to formal or non-formal education in which the learner’s mother tongue and additional languages are used in the classroom;” For Kindergarten and the first three years of elementary education, instruction, teaching materials, and assessment shall be in the regional or native language of the learners.  The End. Do you have any questions?  References Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. (2022, August 16). Mother tongue of person. https://www23.statcan.gc.ca/imdb/p3Var.pl?Function=DEC&Id =34023 Lang-Ay, P. L. D., & Sannadan, J. G. M. (2021). Mother Tongue Based Language Education in Philippines And Cambodia: A Comparative Study. International Journal of English, Literature and Social Science, 6(1), 337–354. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijels.61.44 Nordquist, Richard. "Get the Definition of Mother Tongue Plus a Look at Top Languages." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/mother-tongue-language-1691408. Young C., Rosero M.W., et.al. (2016). Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education: Guide for Teacher Educators and Students. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.  Thank you for listening! CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik