Evolution on Language Policy

 DO 31, s. 2012 – K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum

Effective SY 2012–2013. Applied to Grades 1 and 7 onwards. Areas

covered: curriculum design, outcomes, medium of instruction, resources,
assessment, etc. Encourages localized and creative implementation.

 DO 52, s. 1987 – Bilingual Education Policy

Use Filipino and English as mediums of instruction. Regional languages

as auxiliary tools for
Grades I–II. Goals: literacy, national unity, intellectualization of
Filipino, English for science and global use. Tertiary institutions to lead
Filipino's development.
III. Tagalog vs. Filipino
Tagalog a specific regional language.

Filipino evolved national language enriched by other Philippine and

foreign languages.

IV. Factors Affecting Language Development Endangered languages

crisis: Many native languages at risk of extinction.

Socioeconomic status: Affects language development, education, and

access to learning resources.

Endangered Languages in the Philippines Threatened: Agta (various),

Ayta, Subanen, etc.

Nearly Extinct: Ayta (Sorsogon), Tagbanwa Central. Extinct: Agta

Dicamay, Agta Villa Viciosa.

Moribund/Dormant: Arta, Eskayan, etc.

Development of the Filipino Language 1987 Constitution: Filipino as

the national language. Built on Tagalog but includes words from 180+
languages. Continually evolving.

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE)

Introduced via DO No. 94 (2009). Uses first language (mother tongue)
for early education.
Major regional languages used: Tagalog, Iloko, Cebuano, Hiligaynon,
Waray, etc.

Filipino and English taught from Grade 1; used as instruction languages

from Grade 4 onward.

DepEd Order No. 31, s. 2013 – Clarifications on

Language Learning Areas (Grades 1 & 2)
Date Issued: July 16, 2013

Purpose: To clarify the implementation guidelines and time

allotment for language subjects in Grades 1 and 2, following the
rollout of the K to 12 Basic Education Program.

I. Key Clarifications

Languages and Medium of Instruction (MOI):

Mother Tongue: Used as the MOI for most subjects in Grades 1 and 2:
Math, Araling Panlipunan (AP), MAPEH, and EsP Also taught as a
separate Learning Area

Filipino:Taught as a separate subject starting Grade 1, 2nd Quarter

English:Introduced as a subject in Grade 1, 3rd Quarter

Supporting Policies & References

DepEd Order No. 31, s. 2012 – Provided the original policy on K to 12

BEC implementation.

DepEd Memorandum No. 46, s. 2013 – Special instruction guidelines

for Grade 1.

DepEd Order No. 14, s. 2013 – Strengthened program delivery for

elementary.
 Implementation of the Bilingual Education Policy –
Aurora E. Batnag (1995–1997)
I. Purpose of the Consultations
Conducted by the NCCA National Committee on Language and
Translation (NCLT)

Objectives:

Assess regional language awareness

Gauge attitudes toward Filipino and native languages

Identify issues with BEP and Executive Order No. 335 implementation

Collect regional words to enrich Filipino

Address questions of acceptability and feasibility of implementation

Key Findings from Consultations

 Language Awareness

Many school administrators misunderstood the BEP

Fear of Filipino replacing English in Cebu and Bacolod

 Attitudes Toward Filipino

Positive attitudes: Davao, Tuguegarao, Puerto Princesa, Zamboanga

Negative attitudes: Cebu and Bacolod (not against Filipino, but against
perceived central imposition)

Filipino serves as a lingua franca in multicultural areas

 Problems in Implementation

Poor teacher competence in Filipino (oral and written)

Lack of teaching materials and reference guides

Teachers received inadequate training

Resistance from some administrators to full implementation

  Enrichment of Filipino

Collected regional words (e.g., bugi – fish roe)

Emphasis on preserving indigenous terms and cultural identity

III. Implementation Status

Bilingual Education Policy (BEP):

Implemented in most regions

Not fully implemented in Cebu (restraining order)

Application is partial and inconsistent in some areas

Executive Order No. 335:

Poorly implemented nationwide

Common Challenges:

Limited vocabulary resources in Filipino

Lack of training and instructional materials

Multilingual Philippines
Multilingual Philippines & MDGs I.
Overview of DO 31, s. 2013 (July 16, 2013) Clarifications on
Language Learning Implementation (Grades 1 & 2)

Mother Tongue (MT): Used as Medium of Instruction (MOI) in

subjects: Math, Araling Panlipunan, MAPEH, and EsP. Taught as a
separate Learning Area: 50 minutes daily in all quarters.
Filipino: Introduced in Grade 1 during 2nd Quarter (30 mins), then
increases in Grade 2.
English: Introduced in Grade 1 during 3rd Quarter (30 mins), then
increases in Grade 2. Time Allotments are clearly defined to
progressively introduce Filipino and English while maintaining the
primacy of the mother tongue in early education.

II. Importance of Language in Achieving the MDGs Access to

Quality Education
 Mother tongue instruction improves comprehension and retention.
 Helps students transition smoothly to additional languages (Filipino
and English).
 Reduces dropout rates and increases participation in learning,
especially in early grades.
 Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women Girls benefit
equally from instruction in a familiar language.
 Encourages parental involvement, particularly mothers, in
children’s education.
 Reducing Child Mortality and Improving Maternal Health Health
education delivered in local languages enhances understanding of
maternal and child care practices.
 Encourages better community health engagement and
communication.

III. Challenges and Issues in Language and MDGs

 Lack of Materials in mother tongues for all regions and languages.
 Insufficient teacher training in both mother tongue instruction and
second-language acquisition methods.
 Sociolinguistic diversity makes it difficult to standardize materials
and instruction.
 Orthography disputes and lack of community participation in
language development.
 Implementation inconsistencies across regions due to resources and
political will.

Language Millenium Development goals

Basic Education Curriculum (2012-2013)
DepEd order no. 31 s.12 issued on April 17
 it outlines the policy and guidelines in implementing the K to 12
basic Education to g1-10
 was first introduced to g1 in all public elementary school. This
curriculum follows the spiral approach across subjects

Spiral Progression- is a way of teaching where a topic is introduced

in a simple form first, then revisited again and again at deeper and more
complex levels as students move up in grade levels.
Desired Outcomes ( at the end of g10)
 Communicative competence
 Think intelligently/critically
 Creative in life situation

Content Standards as benchmark of knowledge and skills

 Define students what they should be able to know with what they
know.

Performance Standards as benchmark of knowledge and skills

 Define the expected proficiency level which express in two ways

Language and inclusive basic education issues and

challenges

Inclusive Education- teaching method that ensures all students have

equal opportunities and
have access to quality education regardless of their dissabilities

Importance of language in inclusive Education

 Building a sense of belonging- it makes students feel welcome and
valued.
 Respective Diversity- Using language that acknowledge and
respect diversity.

Empowering Learning- inclusive avoids language that might be

patronizing or aligns with
deficit models.

Facilatating Communication
 clear and accessible language ensures that all students can
understand and participate in learning act.
 Creating a Positive Learning Environment
 Building Confidence and self esteem
 Acess to information and resources
 Fair assessment

[Link] Difficulties in MTB-MLE

-Transitioning from Mt to English or Filipino can confuse students.
2. Multilingual Environment-the Philippines has over 170 languages
making it difficult to standardize teaching materials.
3. Preference for English and Filipino
-Parents /Schools still prefers English and Filipino because they believe
that these languages offers better job opportunities in the future.
4. Literacy and reading comprehension issues
-local studies indicates that many Filipino struggles with reading
comprehension in
Filipino/English
5. Policy shifts and inconsistencies
- There have been calls to review and remove the MTB-MLE due to
implementaion challenges.

From Monolingual to Multilingual Language

Programs and Policies Across ASEAN
societies.
1. Malaysia schook standard curriculum (KSSE)-focus on reading,
writing and counting
-Modular Design
- use of dominant Mt
2. Philippines
-Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education Curriculum
-focus on listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing
-Modular design ( AS a sub and as MOI from k-G3)
-use of MT in learning filipino (L1) and English (L3)
3. Vietnam
-Mother Tongue Based Bilingual Education Curriculum Framework
-focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing
- use of MT in viatnamese (L2)
4. Thailand
-MLE curriculum framework
-focus on listening speaking, reading and writing
-use of MT in learning Thai(L2)
5. Singapore
-Revised Mt language curriculum Framework
-More emphasis on listening, speaking and reading
-Modular design

What is language programs

-Language programs relate to particular circula initiatives or
sources that are intended to teach
and improve students language skills .
What are the different forms of language programs?

Language Programs and Their Forms

 Foreign Language Programs

Aim: To teach learners a foreign language (e.g., French, Japanese). Used
in: Schools or language centers.

 English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs

For non-native English speakers to learn English. Focus on language
skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing.

 English Language Arts (ELA) Programs

Integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Promote a holistic
approach to language development.

 Bilingual and Dual Language Programs

Teach both students’ native language and the target language. Promote
fluency in two languages.

 Literary Programs

Focus on improving reading and writing skills. Often part of

formal education systems.

Schools of Thought in Second Language

Acquisition (SLA)
 Generative Linguistics

Emerged in: Mid-20th century

Key idea: Humans have an innate linguistic ability called Universal
Grammar (UG).
Belief: Language is not solely learned behavior.
 Cognitive Psychology

Focuses on: Mental processes like perception, memory, and problem-

solving. Studies how language is processed, stored, and used in real life.

 Structural Linguistics

Studies language as a structured system of units (e.g., grammar, syntax).

 Behavioral Psychology

Belief: Environment shapes human behavior. Focus: Observable

behaviors and how they are learned.
Key Theories in Behaviorism Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov):
Learning by association.
Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner): Learning through rewards and
punishments.

Language Situation in the Philippines

Overview Not monolingual: The Philippines is multilingual. Has 7,641
islands and about 170 languages.
Major Languages: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Bicolano,
Waray, Kapampangan, Pangasinense.
Other Widely Spoken Languages English, Maguindanao, Tausug,
Masbateño Minor Languages Over 160 regional languages spoken in
small communities.
Official Languages Filipino (based on Tagalog)
National language English – Second official language Language in
Education MTB-MLE (Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education):
Used from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Filipino and English used in higher levels
of education.

Historical Background During Spanish colonization: Spanish was the

official language.
During U.S. occupation: English became the dominant official language.
Linguistic Rights and Their Significance
What Are Linguistic Rights?
- Human rights related to language Right to learn, use, and maintain one’s
mother tongue Importance to Individuals Language is tied to identity,
dignity, and self-worth Supports learning and cognitive development
Helps preserve culture Prevents discrimination and promotes equality
Importance to Society Encourages multiculturalism and inclusion
Prevents linguistic discrimination (linguicism) Supports nation-building
by honoring diversity

Why It Matters Today

 Many languages face extinction
 Mother tongue education is neglected
 Some nations still impose dominant languages
 Linguistic Rights in the Philippine Context Significance
 Ensure inclusivity and equity
 Legal Basis The Philippine Constitution protects linguistic rights.

Language Policy and Language in Education Language in Education

Policy (LEP) Defined by Shang Lu (2006)
- Refers to rules guiding language use in schools May be implemented
nationwide Tensions in Policy Making National ideologies vs local needs

LANGUAGE CHOICE AS THE CORE OF LANGUAGE

POLICY Y
MODEL OF LANGUAGE POLICY
UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE-IN-EDUCATION
POLICY According to Shohamy (2006), “One of the main
primary concerns of the LEP is the attempt to create policies for whole
nations, for large groups of learners, not realizing that different people
 and different groups have different needs, in different times, in different
locations, not always in congruence with hegemonic national ideologies”

Three Types of Countries According to their Sociolinguistic

Mix
Types of Countries by Sociolinguistic Mix & Multilingualism in
Education I.
 THREE TYPES OF COUNTRIES (by Sociolinguistic Mix)
Ethnolinguistically Homogeneous Countries
Example: Japan, China, USA Majority speak the same language
Minorities are small, often marginalized USA has no official language
but English is dominant
 Dyadic or Triadic Countries
Example: Switzerland, Belgium, Canada 2–3 major ethnic/language
groups with similar power Multilingualism is balanced Switzerland:
German, French, Italian, Romansh Belgium: Dutch (Flemish), French,
German Mosaic Societies
 Multiethnic States
Example: India, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea 5+ substantial ethnic groups
Highly linguistically diverse India: Hindi (official), English (associate),
many regional languages Nigeria: English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo,
etc. II. Multilingualism in Education (Cenoz & Gorter)

Role of Education in Multilingualism

Schools reflect and shape societal views on language Education can promote
or hinder multilingualism High-status languages are more likely included in
curricula

Language in School Curricula

Typologically related (e.g., Estonian-Finnish) or unrelated (e.g., Basque-

Spanish) Linguistic Distance affects ease of learning Receptive

Multilingualism: people understand each other using different first

languages

Understanding Multilingual Education Continua of Multilingual

Education (Cenoz, 2009): shows flexible approaches, not fixed types Aims
to develop communicative competence across several languages Real-world
examples show children bringing home languages into school settings

National Language Development Timeline

 1937 – Tagalog was chosen as the basis for a national language.
1939 – Officially named the national language of the Commonwealth.
1940 – Tagalog became a mandatory academic subject.
1959 – Renamed as Pilipino.
1973 – Pilipino lost status; a new language called Filipino was envisioned.
1987 – Filipino was reinstated as the national language.

Official Languages

English and Filipino are the official languages.

English – Maintained official status for over a century.

Filipino – Became co-official in 1941. Spanish – Lost official status in 1973.

International Language

English is the current international language due to American influence.

Spanish declined after the Spanish era and is now rarely spoken.

Regional Languages

Philippines has 175 regional languages. Since 1939, these have been
recognized as auxiliary for education.

DepEd Order No. 74, s. 2009 – Introduced Mother Tongue-Based

Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE).

Motivations Behind Language Policies (Anthea Fraser Gupta)

 People's desires. National identity.

 Medium for interethnic communication. Cultural diversity
preservation.
 Support for disadvantaged groups.
 Restriction of minority groups.
 Empowering dominant groups.
 International communication.

Language-Specific Issues
 Filipino: Pre-war versions (Tagalog-1 & 2): selection favored Tagalog,
codification was successful. 1973 version aimed for inclusivity but failed
codification, reverted to old version.
English: Already codified and elaborated by Americans. Regional
Languages: Success in selection; issues in codification due to large
number and mismatched boundaries. Focus shifted to 12–19 regional
lingua francas.
Other Foreign Languages: Well-codified (e.g., Spanish, Arabic,
Mandarin) but lack support and implementation. Let me know if you
want this turned into a printable reviewer format or converted to
flashcards.

Philippine Language policies language policies Seamo

Southeast asian ministers of education organization
SEAMEO
is a regional intergovernmental organization established in 1965 among
governments of Southeast Asian countries to promote regional
cooperation in education sciece and culture in the region.

Language in Education Policies in Southeast Asia -

Southeast asia is a culturally and linguistically diverse region. All
Southeast Asian nations have their respective dominant ethnolinguistic
groups and national official language but that does not contradict their
great cultural and linguistic diversity. There are around 1,000 languages
that are spoken in the region.

6 countries in Southeast

Asia Brunei Darussalam

 the Smallest Southeast Asian nation in terms of population.

 ethnically and linguistically diverse.
 most of the population belongs to various malay groups, speking several
Malay language.
 seventeen languages are spoken in brunei.
 is the only SEAMEO country where the use of local languages in
education is legally proscribed.
 Bilingual education in brunei (Malai and english as MOI)
 standard malay used more at the pre primary level
 English is a more prominent medium(higher level of learnings)
 Standard Malai- used in peninsula Malaysia, is the official language
according to the constitution of 1959. However, it is only used to formal
situations like government, business and education, and is not generally
current in daily interpersonal communication. Brunei Malay

 The most widely spoken language in the country which serves as the
medium of wider communication and is spoken as the first language by a
vast majority of the population.

Cambodia
 22 languages are spoken
 khmer being the largest ethnolinguistic group, comprising approximately
90% of the population
 one of the linguistically least diverse nations in asia.
 the constitution of 1993 establishes khmer as the official language

Bilingual education programs

 use of non dominant language (NDLS) has been successful

 major factor in their success has been the active involvement of local
communities,

Education law of 2007

 grants authorities the flexibility to choose the languages of instruction

(including non dominant language)

Indonesia-more than 740 languages

 the most diverse country in all of Asia

 second globally afte papua guinea
 official and national language according to the 1945 constitution is
(Bahasa Indonesia)
 Indonesian is also the language of instruction at all levels of education.
 Indonesian constitution od 1945 guarantees the use and development of
non dominant languages
 encourages people to preserve local languages
 Law no 20 of 2003 (chapter VII, Article 33, Section 2) states that a
mother tongue other than Indonesia can be used as the language of
instruction in the early stages of education

Lao PDR -86 estimated number of languages spoken

 According to Constitution 1991 Lao is the official language and the lao
script is the official script
 Lao is the dominant language in the country with more than 3 million
first language speakers.

 Hmong - with around 8% (Lao PDR, 2007), thought there are actually
two Hmong languages subsumed by this title.
 The Law of 2000 - stipulates the use of Lao in education and can be
interpreted to allow the use of Lao only (Kosonen, 2007; Lao PDR, 2008,
Leclerc, 2009; UNESCO, 2008).

 National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP 1806)

-promotes the use, learning, and teaching of NDLs that already have
orthographies. -Lao People's Party (2007) -proposes further research on
orthography development in non dominant languages and recommends
that minority language orthographies be based on the Lao-script to
contribute to the quality teaching of Lao to non-Lao speakers.

Malaysia
 estimated that about 140 languages are spoken in Malaysia.
 the dominant enthnolinguistic group, make up about half of the total
population
 the population if some enthnolinguistic minorities is in the millions
 Constitution of 1957 established standard Malay (Bahasa Malaysia or
Bahasa Melayu) as the official and national language.
 the constitution also guarantees people's freedom to use, teach, and learn
any language

Education Act 1961

 Malay language in used as the mio
 all school have a common curriculum and a public examination will be
administered for all schools (Puteh, 2010).

The National Education

 was implemented in 1970 were English medium schools were gradually
converted to national schools where Malay language was not only used as
the Medium of instruction but learn as a subject in both primary and
secondary school's.

National Education Policy in 1970

 has a major reformation of the education system in 1979 was the
implementation of the New Primary Schools Curriculum or Kurilulum
Baru Sekolah Rendah (KBSR) a in 1983 and the Integrated Secondary
School Curriculum or Kaurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah
( KBSM) IN 1989.

-fully implemented by 2020 1) national primary schools- primary schools

used the standard malay as MOI Pupils Own language (POL)- A studied
subject where their medium were malay tamil and mandarin as well as
non dominan language Myanmar -over 109 languages Language policy

 the official language of myanmar according to the 2007 constitution is

Burmese (myanmar).

Myanmar -over 109 languages Language policy

 the official language of myanmar according to the 2007 constitution is

Burmese (myanmar).