By: Lorena D. Meliston
In the past few years, Filipino and English are the two languages which are being argued as to what should be used as the medium of instruction. Recently, the Department of Education has implemented the Mother-tongue Based Multilingual Education which further complicates the issue.
Mother-tongue based is a program which encourages the use of the first language as the medium of instruction. Thus, MTMLE is the effective use of more than two languages for literacy and instruction. Patricia B. Licuanan, the present chairman of the Commission of Higher Education, said that “When English is used, students do not learn well, and at times do not learn at all. Using English as the MOI I some subject areas like Math and Science prevents students from learning as much as they could in mother tongue.” This issue has prompted lawmakers to pass the law that discourages the use of the first language of the students.
Anti LI policy is a policy that prohibits the use of the mother-tongue in both spoken and written discourse. Rep. Raul del Mar, the author of HB446, proposes the use of English as the language of assessment in government examinations and entrance tests in public schools, colleges, and universities. Another bill known as, HB 230, was written by Rep. Luis Villafuerte, also promotes the use of English in academic communication. Both representatives believe that their proposed legislation will raise the level of English language proficiency and will help the Filipinos remain competitive. These bills were further reinforced b EO 210 which was signed by former President Gloria Arroyo last 2003.
The said bills were proposed because the authors claim that there is a decline in the English proficiency of Filipinos and the deterioration of the education has eroded the competitiveness of the Filipinos. One of the reasons of this policy is that “The accepted view is that without English language proficiency, it is difficult for a Filipino to get jobs anywhere in this country and anywhere in the world. The key to better jobs here or overseas is English”, according to del Mar.
In Bukidnon State University, the administrator and faculty initiates the “Speak English Policy” which encourages students to use English in communication. This aims to let students have the mastery and proficiency of the target language.
Filipinos must have the proficiency in using English in academic communication. We are not just the one who are trying to speak and master the language, even Chinese, Thais, Koreans, Spaniards, etc., too.
Monara, and Adayan. The activity was not just successful, but it was also informative.
exegesis 