Languages do matter!
By Ricardo Ma. Duran Nolasco Philippine Daily Inquirer Posted date: February 16, 2008 A basic weakness in Philippine education is that many pupils do not understand what their teacher is saying. Why? Because the language in school is one they can hardly speak or understand. In a recent forum, I urged Congress to abandon moves to install English as the sole medium of instruction especially in the primary grades. Instead, a law should be passed mandating the primary use of the learner’s first language (L1, or mother tongue) from pre-school to Grade 6, or at least up to Grade 4. Filipino and English can be taught as separate subjects. This change should provide learners -- whose L1 is neither English nor Filipino -- enough time to develop their cognitive and linguistic skills in their mother tongue. In the process, a solid foundation can be built for learning subjects taught in English and Filipino. These two languages can then become primary media in the secondary level. What happens t...