Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education

Definition of Terms… Mother Tongue – (1) Once native or primary language an individual has known; (2) Also referred as “Lingua Franca”.

Multilingual – Knowing or using several languages.

Definition of Terms…

Education – (1) A field of study dealing with methods of teaching and learning; (2) The action or process of educating or being educated.

What is Mother Tongue-Based of Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) ?

It is a formal or non-formal education, in which the children’s mother tongue is used in the classroom as a bridge in learning Filipino and English.

Purpose of MTB-MLE… To develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills enabling children to operate equally in different languages – starting in the mother tongue with transition to Filipino and then English and to preserve the Philippine cultural treasure as well.

There were 12 languages considered by DepEd in its MTB-MLE implementation…

7 dialects recently added by the DepEd:

Ibanag Tugegarao City, Cagayan and Isabela

Ivatan Batanes group

Sambal Zambales

Aklanon Aklan, Capiz

Kinaray-a Capiz, Aklan

Yakan Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)

Surigaonon Surigao

Why teaching the mother tongue as a subject in schools is important? The Philippines is abundant of different languages. However, some of these languages are fast declining and are about to disappear. And so, Mother tongue education is important. For it will preserve our country’s cultural treasure. It also provides learners with a strong educational foundation in the first language in terms of instruction and a stepping stone in achieving the aims of education as well as the goal of functional literacy.

What are the benefits of MTB-MLE?

Reduced drop-out Reduced repetition Children are attending school. Children are learning. Parents and community are involved.

Susan Malone, SIL International

If the mother tongue is not used…

Loss of confidence of students in themselves as learners.

Inability to learn the official school language well.

High repetition and drop-out rates.

If the mother tongue is not used…

Alienation from heritage language and culture, from parents and community.

Loss of languages, cultures and of knowledge systems.

Another Article…

SEC. 4. Enhanced Basic Education Program.

“We should become tri-lingual as a country. Learn

English well and connect to the

World.Learn Filipino well and connect to our

country.Retain your dialect and connect to your

heritage."

- Philippine President Benigno Aquino III

* Daghang Salamat!!!