★ What is MTB-MLE? - by ENI - Education and I

ENI World

19 Apr 201506:14

Summary

TLDRCha-cha Suarez interviews Diana Decker on the importance of Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE) in the Philippines. MTB MLE emphasizes teaching through a child's first language, aiding academic learning and language development. It contrasts traditional bilingual education by valuing the first language as a learning tool, rather than a crutch. The method aims to produce globally competent multilingual graduates, starting with the child's native language and progressing towards fluency in multiple languages.

Takeaways

🌐 **Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE)**: It starts with a child's first language and uses it as a foundation to build upon, facilitating better understanding and learning of academic subjects.
📚 **Importance in the Philippines**: MTB-MLE is significant in the Philippines as it contrasts with previous bilingual education policies that focused on the second language at the expense of the first.
🏫 **Shift from Traditional Bilingual Education**: Traditional bilingual education in the Philippines often sidelined the first language, using it only as a temporary aid, which slowed down the learning process.
👨‍🏫 **First Language as a Learning Resource**: MTB-MLE values the first language as a learning tool, which directly contributes to the development of second languages.
🌱 **Enhanced Learning Through Familiarity**: By starting with what children already know, MTB-MLE makes it easier for them to integrate new learning and understand classroom lessons.
🔄 **Language Development**: MTB-MLE not only helps in learning academic subjects but also aids in the development of the first language alongside second and third languages.
🌟 **Global Competence**: The ultimate goal of MTB-MLE is to produce graduates who are multilingual, multicultural, and globally competent, just like mainstream programs, but the approach is different.
📈 **Correlation Between First Language Mastery and Learning**: Research indicates that a strong command of one's first language can enhance overall learning capabilities.
🌱 **Building on Strengths**: MTB-MLE builds on the strengths of what children already know, making the learning process more effective and efficient.
🌐 **Cultural Relevance**: By starting with the mother tongue, MTB-MLE ensures that education is culturally relevant and meaningful to the students.

Q & A

What is Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE)?
-MTB MLE is an educational approach that starts with a child's first language and uses it as a foundation to build upon, helping children understand and articulate academic subjects and concepts.
How does starting education with a child's first language benefit their learning process?
-Starting with a child's first language allows them to understand and internalize academic content more effectively, as it is embedded with meaning. This approach also aids in the development of both first and subsequent languages.
What was the previous policy on bilingual education in the Philippines, and how does MTB MLE differ?
-The previous policy focused on developing the second language with the first language only serving as a temporary support. MTB MLE, however, values the first language as a learning resource and embeds it in the learning process.
How does MTB MLE contribute to the development of second and third languages?
-MTB MLE uses the first language to develop a strong foundation, which then directly contributes to the development of second and third languages, as the child's language skills and understanding are built upon what they already know.
In the context of the Philippines, why is MTB MLE considered important?
-MTB MLE is important in the Philippines because it aligns with the country's linguistic diversity and allows for a more effective learning process by leveraging the child's native language.
What are the principles of MTB MLE?
-One of the key principles of MTB MLE is that the development of the first language directly contributes to the development of second languages, emphasizing the use of the first language as a learning tool.
How does MTB MLE differ from mainstream educational programs?
-While mainstream programs aim to produce strong second and third language speakers, MTB MLE starts with the first language and builds up to the same end goals of global competence in multiple languages and cultures.
What is the ultimate aim of MTB MLE?
-The ultimate aim of MTB MLE is to produce graduates who are multilingual, multi-literate, and multicultural with global competence, using their linguistic and academic skills to achieve their goals.
How does mastery of the first language correlate with overall learning?
-Mastery of the first language provides a solid foundation for learning, making it easier for learners to integrate new information and understand complex concepts in academic subjects.
What role does the first language play in the MTB MLE approach?
-In MTB MLE, the first language is used as a medium to articulate thoughts and interact with learning material, which then transfers to the second language as it is developed.
How does MTB MLE address the potential confusion between it and traditional bilingual education?
-MTB MLE addresses confusion by emphasizing the use of the first language as a learning resource and tool, contrasting with traditional bilingual education that often de-emphasizes the first language in favor of the second.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education

Cha-cha Suarez hosts an episode discussing Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) with expert Diana Decker. MTB-MLE emphasizes starting education with a child's first language, using it as a foundation to build understanding of academic subjects and other languages. This approach contrasts with traditional bilingual education, which prioritizes second language acquisition and often sidelines the first language. Diana explains that MTB-MLE helps students internalize lessons more effectively and develop both their first and additional languages.

05:03

📚 The Significance of MTB-MLE in the Philippines

The conversation highlights the importance of MTB-MLE in the Philippine context, where it differs from previous bilingual education policies. Traditional policies focused on developing the second language at the expense of the first, which can hinder learning. MTB-MLE, however, values the first language as a learning resource, facilitating better academic integration and understanding. The goal is to produce globally competent graduates with strong multilingual and multicultural skills, achieved by starting with the first language and progressively building up to global competence in multiple languages and cultures.

📈 Correlation Between First Language Mastery and Overall Learning

The discussion points out the research correlation between mastery of the first language and overall learning success. It invites teachers to understand how a strong foundation in a learner's first language can significantly contribute to their learning process. The mastery of the first language is seen as a stepping stone to learning additional languages and achieving academic goals, aligning with the principles of MTB-MLE.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE)

MTB-MLE is an educational approach that begins with a child's first language and uses it as a foundation for learning. It is highlighted in the script as a method that helps children understand academic subjects better by starting with what they already know. This approach is contrasted with traditional bilingual education, which often emphasizes the second language at the expense of the first.

💡First Language

The first language refers to the language a child learns first, typically the language spoken at home or in the community. In the context of the video, the first language is used as a tool for learning and understanding new concepts, which is crucial for children's academic success. It is emphasized that starting education with the first language helps in internalizing lesson content.

💡Bilingual Education

Bilingual education is an educational approach that uses two languages as mediums of instruction. The script discusses how traditional bilingual education often focuses on developing the second language quickly, sometimes neglecting the first language. This can slow down the learning process, as opposed to MTB-MLE, which uses the first language to facilitate learning.

💡Academic Subjects

Academic subjects refer to the various fields of study taught in schools, such as math, science, and social studies. The script explains that MTB-MLE helps children to understand and engage with these subjects by using their first language, which they are most comfortable with, thus aiding in their overall learning process.

💡Global Competence

Global competence is the ability to understand and act effectively in a global context. The script mentions that the ultimate goal of MTB-MLE is to produce graduates who are not only multilingual but also globally competent, meaning they can use their linguistic and academic skills to succeed in a diverse world.

💡Cultural Context

Cultural context refers to the customs, beliefs, and social behaviors of a particular people or society. The script implies that by starting with the first language, MTB-MLE also values and incorporates the cultural context of the learners, which is essential for meaningful learning and understanding.

💡Language Development

Language development is the process of acquiring and using language effectively. The script discusses how MTB-MLE promotes the development of both the first and second languages, with the first language acting as a stepping stone for learning additional languages.

💡Learning Resource

A learning resource is any material or tool that aids the learning process. In the script, the first language is considered a valuable learning resource. It is used to help children articulate their thoughts and interact with educational material, which in turn aids in their language development.

💡Curriculum

Curriculum refers to the subjects and courses comprising an educational program. The script contrasts the MTB-MLE curriculum with mainstream programs, emphasizing that while the goals of producing multilingual and globally competent graduates are the same, the approach to reaching these goals differs.

💡Legitimization

Legitimization is the action of making something seem valid or acceptable. The script mentions that MTB-MLE is sometimes seen as legitimizing teaching practices that have already been in place, by formally recognizing and valuing the use of the first language in education.

💡Multilingual

Multilingual refers to the ability to speak multiple languages. The script discusses how MTB-MLE aims to produce graduates who are not just bilingual but multilingual, capable of communicating effectively in several languages, which is a valuable skill in today's globalized world.

Highlights

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) starts with a child's first language and builds upon it.

MTB-MLE uses the first language as a foundation to help children understand and learn academic subjects.

Starting education with a child's first language aids in internalizing and learning lesson content.

Teaching through a language children are still learning can hinder their understanding of concepts.

MTB-MLE helps children develop their first language while also learning second and third languages.

MTB-MLE is a shift from the previous bilingual education policy in the Philippines.

Bilingual education focused on developing the second language, often neglecting the first.

MTB-MLE values the first language as a learning resource and tool.

MTB-MLE principles state that developing the first language directly contributes to second language development.

MTB-MLE aims to produce globally competent multilingual and multicultural graduates.

The goal of MTB-MLE is the same as mainstream programs but the approach is different.

Mastery of the first language can be correlated with overall learning success.

MTB-MLE allows children to articulate their thoughts in their first language, aiding in learning.

MTB-MLE helps integrate what children are learning into their first language before transferring to second languages.

The confusion between MTB-MLE and mainstream programs comes from familiarity with traditional curriculum.

MTB-MLE is not just a legitimization of existing teaching practices but an enhancement.