USING MOTHER TONGUE MAKES IT EASIER FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN

The author is Teacher

ABEGAIL MENDOZA BONIFACIO

The Department of Education (DepEd) has emphasized the use of the Mother Tongue-Based Multi-lingual Education (MTB-MLE), which is a feature of the Enhanced Basic Education Program which mandates the use of the language that pupils are familiar with (their first language) as medium of instruction to make it easier for young students to grasp basic concepts.

With the mother tongue, children are able to grasp concepts, the reason why teachers need to adjust to the students’needs and use the language they are familiar with to teach the necessary concepts.

Primary education using the mother tongue helps the process of learning by introducing concepts to students in the language they are most used to.

DepEd’s aim is for schools to be learner-centered, meaning educators take children’s needs into account when they teach. As much as possible teachers should try to adjust to facilitate learning.

The mother tongue as a subject focuses on the development of reading and speaking from Grades 1 to 3. As a medium of instruction the mother tongue is used in all learning areas from Kinder to Grade 3 except in the teaching of Filipino and English su bj ect s.

Filipino is introduced in the first semester of Grade 1 for oral fluency (speaking). For reading and writing purposes, it will be taught beginning in the second semester of Grade 1. The four other macro skills which are listening, speaking, reading and writing in Filipino will continuously be developed from Grades 2 to 6.

At present the DepEd has teaching materials in Bahasa-Sug, Bicolano, Cebuano, Chavacano, Hiligaynon, Ilokano, Kapampangan, Maguindanaoan, Maranao, Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray-waray and is developing materials in Ybanag, Ivatan, Sambal, Aklanon, Kinaray-a, Yakan and Surigaonon.

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I at Saint Mary’s Angel College of Pampanga