News to Go - Wikang panturo: Filipino, Ingles, o Mother Tongue?

Summary

The transcript discusses the importance of using mother tongues as a medium of instruction in the Philippines, where there are around 170 languages. Dr. Ricardo Nolasco advocates for a mother tongue-based multilingual education system, starting with foundational subjects in the student's native language to improve learning outcomes. He criticizes the current bilingual policy that uses Filipino and English, which are not the mother tongues of most, leading to poor language proficiency. The discussion highlights the need for policy changes in the Department of Education to adopt mother tongue-based instruction and the challenges of implementing such a system.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The debate revolves around the investigation of a legislator's proposal that schools should report students who do not speak English in class, suggesting this as a way to help students learn English.
• 🏫 According to linguistic experts, forcing English in the classroom may hinder rather than help the linguistic development of children.
• 👶 The term 'mother tongue' is defined by UNESCO as the first language a child learns, but it can also be the language a person most uses or identifies with.
• 🗣️ The Philippines has approximately 170 languages, and the Department of Education should lead the change to use mother tongues in teaching foundational subjects.
• 📚 The current bilingual policy in the Philippines promotes teaching two second languages, which are often not the mother tongues of most Filipinos.
• 💼 Employers, particularly in call centers, argue that the education system fails to produce graduates with the necessary English proficiency.
• 📈 Studies show that students who start learning in their first language before transitioning to English perform better than native English speakers who start in an all-English curriculum.
• 📉 There is a high rate of functional illiteracy in the Philippines, with a significant portion of the population unable to understand what they read.
• 🔄 The government is not releasing the latest literacy figures, possibly due to embarrassment, while focusing on the K+12 program.
• 🌟 The 'Month of Language' should celebrate all languages in the Philippines, not just the national language or English.
• 📚 The current multilingual education policy is being implemented gradually, starting with pilot programs in preschool and elementary levels.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the transcript?

The main issue discussed is the effectiveness of using English as a medium of instruction in Philippine schools, and the proposal to use mother tongues as the medium of instruction for foundational subjects to improve language and knowledge development in students.

What is the definition of 'mother tongue' as mentioned in the transcript?

The 'mother tongue' is defined as the first language a child learns, the language they use most frequently, and the language they identify with.

How many languages are there in the Philippines according to the transcript?

There are approximately 170 languages in the Philippines.

Why is the Department of Education (DepEd) significant in this discussion?

The Department of Education is significant because it is responsible for implementing changes in the educational system, including the language policy in schools.

What is the current bilingual policy in the Philippines, as described in the transcript?

The current bilingual policy promotes the teaching of two second languages, Filipino and English, as media of instruction, which are not the mother tongues of most Filipinos.

What is the argument against using Filipino and English as media of instruction in schools?

The argument is that since Filipino and English are not the mother tongues of most Filipinos, using them as media of instruction hinders effective learning and development of foundational subjects.

What is the proposal by Dr. Ricardo Nolasco regarding the use of mother tongues in education?

Dr. Ricardo Nolasco proposes using the mother tongue as the medium of instruction for foundational subjects from the very beginning of a child's education to leverage their existing knowledge and improve learning outcomes.

What are the three problems identified with high school graduates in the transcript?

The three problems identified are weak communication skills in any language, poor reasoning skills, and poor problem-solving skills.

What is the 'reading without understanding' phenomenon mentioned in the transcript?

The 'reading without understanding' phenomenon refers to the statistic that one out of every three Filipinos aged 10 to 64 cannot comprehend what they read, indicating a high level of functional illiteracy.

What is the current status of the implementation of multilingual education in the Philippines?

The implementation of multilingual education is ongoing, with pilot programs in select schools and a gradual rollout planned for preschool and elementary levels.

What is the significance of the 'Buwan ng Wika' mentioned in the transcript?

The 'Buwan ng Wika' or Language Month is significant as it is a time dedicated to promoting all languages in the Philippines, not just the national language or English, and is part of a broader push for mother tongue-based multilingual education.