What is the best medium of instruction – English or Filipino?
Using English in public schools is a violation of the Philippine constitution.
It also deteriorates the education system in the Philippines and puts the poorer students at a disadvantage. Requiring its use i schools ironically deters the students’ abilities to learn the language.
The use of English alienates students from their cultural heritage, impairs their emotional security and self-worth, and “results in inferiority complex among lower-class children who are stigmatized for using the native tongue.”
Well-known educators, writers and national artists signed a petition (pdf) asking the Philippine Supreme Court to block Executive Order No. 210, which requires the use of English as the medium of instruction in Philippine public schools.
According to the petitioners, the use of Filipino and other regional languages to teach the students would help them learn better.
Here is the opposite view:
The other side of the coin, however, is even more threatening to the poor. If we remove English as a medium of instruction in our schools, it is a certainty that the lower-income students will never learn to speak English well. The children of the well-to-do will find alternative means of education and of being exposed to English in their daily lives (at home, with their peers, through television and video programs, etc.) Then we shall worsen the inequity in economic opportunities because there is no doubt that those who are fluent in English in this shrinking world of Internet and free trade will have wider employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
The youth have all the chances to speak and listen to Filipino in their day-to-day lives: conversation with members of their families and friends, going to movies in Filipino, watching television programs in Filipino, etc. The vast majority of the youth, however, do not have enough occasions in their normal lives to speak and listen to English. The classroom is the only place where they can be obliged to speak nothing but English. [source: Bernardo Villegas]
When President Arroyo was asked about the legality of her new medium of instruction policy, Manila Times quoted her:
“After all, the Constitution specifies that the use of Filipino as language of instruction is subject to provisions of the law and as the Congress may deem appropriate. Therefore, until Congress enacts a law mandating Filipino as the language of instruction” she could give the order to make English the “primary medium of instruction.”
Formder Undersecretary of Education Isagani R. Cruz has this to say about the debate:
In reality, however, despite the Constitution, the presidential order, and the Department orders, there is only one language of instruction in practically all classrooms in the country. It is Taglish, a non-language that is variously labeled as code-switching, pidgin, or a lingua franca, featuring a still-unsystematized mixture of Tagalog, English, and vernacular languages of various regions.
I’ve asked a similar question before, and throwing this question to us again, because it does seem the debate is not settled yet.
What do you think? Should we use English, or Filipino, as the required medium of instruction in all public schools?
Or maybe it’s Taglish?
77 Comments
i would like first to give an example to this issue. when i was in the phils. last mar and feb of this year, i was in baguio at our summer house at Brentwood. there, i met this Korean man who was asking if he could rent one of the houses that we have and asking me to name my price. i told this guy, i am not interested in renting any of our houses, and besides these are all conjugal properties and i have to ask permission from the rest of my siblings. and this is the reason he gave to me:
in korea, one cannot land to a better paying job if one does not know how to speak good english. that is the reason the phils. is now flooded with korean students studying english.
when i was employed by the 2nd largest japanese shipping company in Japan, the executives there were so jealous of me because they said i could speak english fluently and very well. all employees are commanded by the bosses to express themselves in english and talk in english when inside the office.
during my work and travel with this japanese company, i have met so many nationalities who are jealous of me becuase they said i speak fluent english, and better than them.in Beijing, there is a park, that when a foreigner comes along, young kids will corner the person and start talking to that person even in Pidjin english. they said they want to lear how to speak english so they could work at hotels and banks and big corp. in china.
i enrolled last week for summer classes in Practical Nursing at College of Lake County. when i finish this summer term, i can take the licensure for (LPN) License Practical Nurse. what was the first question the registrar asked of me!! HAVE YOU TAKEN (TOEFL)TEST OF ENGLISH FLUENCY. so i presented my TOEFL grade. i had a score of 540 and it was a perfect score that i have taken 1983. i asked them if i need to take another one, i was told that is a perfect score and i dont need to take another one.
my wife’s nephew arrived here in the states and vacationing in our house. he has a degree in nursing but my God, this kid’s english is horrendous and i cannot understand how on earth was he able to take the Phils. nursing exams when the questions are all in english. not trying to belittle this kid, but his english is so bad to the point that he uses tagalog idioms when he talk to people in english which i find very embarrassing. i was asking him, how can he land in a better nursing job in the states if he cannot converse properly in english.
what is the moral of this stories. if our countrymen are trying to sell themselves abroad, they need to excell in english. becuase speaking Nippongo,Arabic or Italian will only bring or take you to the countries where these are spoken. but people in these countries are all trying to learn how to speak english themselves.
so i think this examples of mine already gave a better answer to the question on this blog.
The primacy of being fluent in English comes to play when one considers that the only way of making a good living is working abroad. However, one must ask the question, how come the number one domestic helper is the Pinoy?
It simply means that there’s high unemployment in the Philippines. If we create more local jobs, invest more in the Philippines then this problem would be remedied in a way. The Japanese managed to overtake us in the recovery after World War II simply because they helped build their own nation, their own countrymen first instead of lining in the foreign embassies hoping to get a visa abroad.
Seeing and hearing Pilipino teachers teaching Pilipino students in English is like seeing a pack of dogs meowing instead of barking.
I agree with Jhay! Pilipino as a medium of teaching in all Pilipino public schools, colleges and universities! Although most school readings and workbooks in Pilipino schools are written in english, Pilipino will always remain as the primary language of teaching. This is also one way of learning the vocabulary translations as well as grammar and pronounciations. English can be learned either as a subject in school or an option to take for extra credits similar to other language options that most high school and universities offer to complete required credits for a degree. The students or anyone who has completed the prerequisites are then given an option to continue farther studies in english.(literature, english communications, writing, etc.) English is not the Pilipinos native tongue. I beg everyone not to ridicule those who struggle enough with the english language, teach them if they have the desire to learn. And for those who are fluent in the english language, you are not supreme in status to those who don’t!
okey, there are not much job in the phils. did we have an answer to that question? what does the english language in school got to do with this problem?there shud be a creation of more jobs so said some…but who shud be doing this? some said, invest more in the phils. did we ask ourselves why some investors turned their back in the phils. oh by the way…before i opened up my computer, i called the tech support of my net service. and guess who answered the phone? it was an agent in the phils. who will not speak to me in tagalog, who will not tell me exactly where they are. why do they have a job at the call center? because they speak fluent english. and who said that being fluent in english one become “supreme in status to those who don’t”. why don’t you set an example and give your comments in tagalog. one has to practice what they preach.if some Pinoys are into being so true Pilipino….please show to the world that you are really a pinoy. even your medicines,the instructions are all written in english, not to mention the sizes of the bras and the panties and all the garments that is being sold even in Divisoria,Baclaran and Azcarrage are all written in english. did anybody check on this why was it written in english. the barong tagalog, the kimona….the very symbol of pinoys and pinays. why are their sizes written in english. and by the way, who said that english is the native tongue of pinoys? and who is ridiculing those who is struggling in the english language. and please can somebody tell the house of congress and senate to please publish all their papers and briefs in tagalog, so that those who has been said by some people struggling in the english language could understand what the government is saying and discussing.i speak in five international languages. does it make me less of a pinoy? this is my line of work, and i am proud to talk in tagalog.
kaya doon sa mga taong mahilig magbigay ng kanilang mga puna at haka-haka at kuro-kuro, ang aking masasabi ay dapat munang magsimula sa kanila ang pagiging isang tunay na pilipino. alalaong baga, nais kong ipa-abot doon sa mga tao at mga batang ang alituntinin sa buhay ay makatulong sa kanilang pamilya, mag-aral kayo ng inggles. kasi napakaraming (call center)himpilan ng tawagan, na nangangailangan sa inyo. hindi nyo na kailangan maging katulong (domestic helper) sa ibang bansa para kumita at makatulong sa pamilya ninyo. maraming trabaho diyan…kaya lang kailangan nilang ng mahusay mag-salita ng Inggles!!!
Mel – you have a point – being able to speak in English does not make one less of a Filipino/Pilipino. And one who speaks Tagalog doesn’t make one more of a Pinoy either. I am not native to Luzon and my vocabulary of Tagalog words are everyday conversation. “alituntunin” is a learned word for me; it’s not in the Cebuano language. BUT I don’t consider myself less of a Filipino for not being able to speak Tagalog or being fluent in English for that matter.
I think this argument about using English or Tagalog in schools need to be looked at separately as a “nationalistic” view AND economic and educational. I think it’s too much to make it a law that only a certain language is used as medium of instruction. English works best in some schools and provinces, while native languages work best in others. Education-wise: It’s all about using the most effective communication tool, inherent to the subculture, that will help students get the lessons better. Kawawa naman kasi yung mga taga-negros kung ipilit sa kanila na magsalita ng Tagalog, o kaya English.
Patriotism-wise: it’s not about the language one knows but how one view others around that make one patriotic or condescending. I’ve encountered students from my university who think I’m not nationalistic enough because I don’t know Tagalog. Heck, I’m not a native speaker. And I’ve come across many English-speaking Manilenos who think they own the streets of our campus, just because they can speak and think like Americans. It’s a weird frame of mind.
Thanks Grace! When I said… “to those who are fluent in the english language, you are not supreme in status to those who don’t!”…I was pertaining to your readers who can WRITE and EXPRESS themselves properly in the english language and ridicule those who can not. I really don’t care for those who brag about how many languages they know, but I believe they SHOULD learn how to spell and write the paragraphs properly and grammatically correct in all the languages that they claim to be speak and write before they comment with a litany of verbal diarrhea on an issue posted here.
I can say the english is the universal language. but of course bear in mind that we are not only competing within co-filipinos. we are competing in the world and with today’s technology or should i say the fast rising technology –economy,i should say that filipinos should learn to speak english so that they will be left behind by others but of course i am not saying that if you are fluent in english you’re not going to be fluent in your native language. come to think of that filipinos can learn both of them so why do we continue the process of educating the youth–the filipino youth to both english and filipino anyway that is for their own good. Am I right?
Noypetess,
i am not interested in arguing with you because i dont know you, and just like what you said, i don’t give a hoot who you are.this is an open blog. i am sure you are intelligent enough to know that. yes, i am bragging about the five languages i speak, read and write. do you have any problem with that?? how many languages do you speak and write?? if you don’t want anybody giving a comment to your comment on this blog, then the blog is not the avenue for your intellectual prowess and dialectic and philological statement. that is the reason why my son told me not to be involve myself in anything that is Pinoy. i gues he is right. so, i now give you all the chances to prove your intellectual prowess, and whatever diarrhea you are talking about. i have a feeling i am dealing with a minor, a short minded one. goodbye Mr. Chips!!!
Again, If you understand what was written on the post, and it clearly addressed “those who are fluent in the english language”(spoken and written), I don’t understand why you are reacting like a juvenile to something that was not meant for you! “I have a feeling somebody with a short fuse is having diarrhea after eating a lot of stale potato chips!”….Chill out!
Oh BTW Mel Santos, Your son was right about not getting yourself involved with anything Pinoy, we do not appreciate your condescending remarks as well as your insults and insuinations towards Pinoys in Manila. Keep yourself where you belong, do not get yourself involved in intelligent discussions.
NOYPETES..
YOU’RE FULL OF IT. YOU CAN SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY. I AM NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH A FAGGOT LIKE YOU!!!PRINT AS MANY THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO SAY…DO YOU THINK I CARE OR GIVE A HOOT ABOUT IT?? DAHLING!!JUST LIKE YOU SAID BEFORE, I AM A “JUVENILE” AND SHUD NOT BE INVOLVING MYSELF INTO “INTELLIGENT DISCUSSIONS” (LIKE AS IF YOU’RE INTELLIGENT)SO RIDE ON FAG…MAKE YOURSELF HAPPY, SAY AS MANY NASTY THINGS AS YOU WANT, I STILL CAN SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT. I DOUBT ABOUT YOU. BY THE LOOKS OF YOUR COMMENTS, YOU ARE NOT SLEEPING WELL…DAHLING!!COME TO THE STATES, AND YOU CAN RIM A SNOWMAN…DAHLING!!
Wow big words from a puny little man!…Ah! I can see you now…drunk like a skunk and lonely as hell! while typing your comments. And BTW, don’t yell! you might freak out the homeless guy next to you..you know, the guy you paid to keep you company for the night? You’re a funny gullible little guy but so uptight! What’s up on your ass?
Quit drinking cheap alcoholic beverages. Avoid salty pinoy dishes and limit your free coffee at the downtown soup kitchen in Chicago and you’ll be fine with your BP…OK? Seriously, it’s for your own good. O sige na panalo ka na, at nakakahiya na nagwawala ka dito sa mga “comments” mo. O sige, relaks ka lang tapos matulog ka na sa loob ng karton mo..Ok? Sweet dreams ha!
Keep English as medium of instruction, please. As long as it can open doors of employment and business opportunity for, we shouldn’t deprive Filipinos their chance.
We will never lose our Filipino language, however muddled or mutated it gets. It’s still our everyday “currency” among our fellow Pinoys.
But learning English will give more opportunities to express our hopes and dreams to the world and give us a fighting chance to reach them.
As an analogy: if, in some distant future, Chinese becomes the language that affords us this chance, then by all means, let’s teach the next generation Chinese!
It’s not about being pro-American or unnationalistic. It’s about being realistic. It’s about an opportunity to lead a better life.
[...] in the language debate. A nagueño in the blogosphere agrees with the arguments of the petitioners. Filipina soul presents two views on the issue, and her post generated a lively [...]
guys, you’re lost from the topic….
if I am to argue that English is not the universal language, but numbers. I’ll debate until I win… But then its none sense, I get none from winning or loosing from it… initially I’m just curious about what the heck the phil gov is doing?
THE ONLY LANGGUAGE IN PHILIPPINES IS TAGALOG ANG OTHER LANGUAGES IN THE PHILIPPINES NOT ENGLISH, BECAUSE ENGLISH IS ONLY IN THE OTHER COUNTRIES,
I agree with marcon. Philippines does not own English. We are not its native speakers. If we forget about tagalog and speak english instead, its like stealing a language. What would filipinoes feel if another country is using tagalog as their own language even if they’re not from the philippines?
to marcon: tagalog isnt our language, its a dialect, we still have bisaya waray bikolano and all those other stuff, our language is called filipino. n i think that english should be learned in our schools because no matter how many languages we learn, we still cant forget our mother language because we know it by heart. (yes naman…..)
yeah,ryt rose. i’m so glad to pass by this blog.. full of ideas. oh eto, tagalog nman. kita nyu, pwde magshift ng medium. wla naman law na magpapasa nun. ehe, geh.. i think, nowadays, we have to prove that filipinos are smart and clever enough to compete globally, we have to think about our future, at the same time, preserving our culture. well, byebye.;) and yeah, high school plang aq now, bnabaan ung units ng subject na filipino, 1.2 nlng. how come?
I believe those who are against English (or Spanish) education in the Philippines are misguided in their sense of nationalism. Even in countries where the people speak amongst themselves only the native language, the ability to speak English is an asset that is required in any field, because of cross-international business relations, and any country who wants to build it’s economy is going to have to do business with another country whether they want to or not, importation and exportation is how the world’s countries build their economies, and even if Pilipino is important, let’s be realistic, Filipino kids don’t need schooling to have a fundamental sense of how to speak Pilipino since it’s their birth language. How else will they, especially the poor, learn English? From the television? Of course not, most of the poor can’t afford Cable TV (where most of the English entertainment is), and most shows on Antenna are in Tagalog. From other Filipinos? Unless you’re surrounded by Filipinos who grew up in the states all the time, chances are the best English they’ll learn from Filipino peers is Taglish at most. IT’S THE SCHOOLS WHERE THEY WILL LEARN TAGALOG, AND THAT WILL HELP BUILD THE PHILIPPINES, overseas jobs and Filipinos working overseas has nothing to do with the benefits that come from learning English, because where will the Philippines get the money to rebuild itself? Money doesn’t grow on trees, we’ll have to rebuild the economy by doing some type of exportation/importation, and are you gonna communicate in Tagalog with Europeans, Latin Americans, or Americans? Of course not, they don’t speak Tagalog, but what language will they most likely have learned? English of course. Nationalism is good, but when it’s misplaced and is coming up with objectives that offer a glaring view into the Filipinos’ own insecurities about language and about sosyalness of English (which it shouldn’t be in the first place), then nationalism can be detrimental to the growth of a nation in that respect. You shouldn’t be against the teaching of English just because you think it will be unnationalistic or show that Filipinos aren’t proud to be Filipino, that’s a ridiculous notion, in a showing of Filipino pride, Filipinos would learn foreign languages to try to improve the economy of the Philippines through business relationships and networking.
On a sidenote, Spanish will be reinstated as an official language by January 2008 according to GMA:
La presidenta filipina pedirá ayuda a España para oficializar el español
http://es.noticias.yahoo.com/efe/20070808/ten-la-presidenta-filipina-pedira-ayuda-6cd3e4e_1.html
I apologize, correction on my comment above, I meant that:
IT’S THE SCHOOLS WHERE THEY WILL LEARN ENGLISH, AND THAT WILL HELP BUILD THE PHILIPPINES
not Tagalog.
for me, it is good to make the mediun of instructions as filipino because it’s our language, all of us are can understand tagalog right? even people in the other side in the mountain understands tagalog.
all your comments are really great!!
hay basta ako kahit anong medium of instruction pwede..
sana matapos ko na research ko regarding mathematics performance of pupils using english and filipino as medium of instruction.
While it is true that learning in the vernacular language will make learning easier, we cannot deny that the textbooks about mathematics and the science used in our schools are written in English and not Tagalog because it (English) is the global language.
If we want the Philippines to excel globally in these fields, we have to accept the fact that the world speaks in English, and not in Tagalog, or in Pilipino for that matter. Had it been another language, say, Arabic, it would be practical to make Arabic the language of instruction.
There are other ways of showing nationalism. After all, as stated by numerous comments above, you cannot erase the Pilipino language from our households. It isn’t being non-nationalistic; it’s coping with the world.
And to Gia Nadine: if Tagalog was used as the official language of some other country, I would feel proud because that means they look up to a politically insignificant country like ours.
I think both of the languages must be learned because it has very high percentage of leting some1 recognize on his/her work., sa abroad man yan o dito lang sa philippines.. ang importante magkaunawaan tayo.. dba? im only an ordinary student stdyng at secondary level, yan kasi yung topic namin sa English.. nakapag-iwan pa ko ng comment dito.. tnx for this blog!
Elow poh cnzya na kahit naman ano ang ituro sa school ay alam ko kaya okay lang namn cguro khit nu pa man yun basta magkaintindihan lang chalamat poh!!!!!
I just want to reconize the people who patronize the official langguage which is very important in order to give tribute to Manuel L. Quezon. But, we need to practice in english as we all know that we are now globaly competitive.
I would like to gave my second statement that making filipino an official medium of educational system of the philippines must be implemented, its because one should be proud of his ow
i cant recall a single significant contribution of Tagalog instruction medium to the development of the country. im still a proud Filipino, jumping and throbbing whenever i see Philippines flagging on TV screens. if English medium cant do much towards the country as a whole, perhaps individually.
i hate reacting like this but i also want to give my comment. it is practical to use english as the medium of instruction because this will give all the future teachers, engineers, nurse, etc. a greater chance of pursuing what they want in life. i am only a high school student by now, but i admit that im really confused already about this topic. SALAMAT SA DIYOS MAY english at filipino
i think we should choose filipino as our medium of instruction. its our native language so why change? hindi naman inaalis ang english… it can be optional… taglish may do… eh yun naman talaga nag nangyayari ngayon eh. pero ang akin lang, di ba dapat hayaan natin na gamitin natin ang pinaka epektibong pamamaraan ng komunikasyon? et ito ay ang lengwahe natin..
globalisasyon? produktong pwedeng ilabas ng bansa ang gawin hindi ang paglabas ng mismong tao sa bansa, na para bang tao na ang nagiging produkto at ang produkto ay ang tao. gets?
haha.. may english subject naman tayo, doon tinuturo ang proper structure of sentence at mga basics. pero Gtagalog parn ang alam ng karamihan. at ito na sana ang gawin natin.
tama lang na pilipino ang medium of instruction sa filipino para lahat naka2intindi maging bata o matanda o kahit yong mga hindi nakakapag aral.
…oFcorz..d’ medium of instrudtion should be in filipino dbAh..?khiya nman kung D’ ntin gmitn lAnguAge oF r own dbah..?y..?luk huh?wer fiLipino cTzens tpoS iba gGmtiN nTing language..?uNfair un kaY “INANG BAYAN”..!anD seCond..,we can xPrez beTter waT we trUly fiL..so dpT.., medium of iNztrction n ol phiL shoulD be n fiLipIno ryTtt..?
Filipino na nga yung salita natin filipino pa rin ang gusto niyong medium of instruction? ayaw ba ninyong matuto ng iba? heheheh…
eh ano pa nga ba? ganun na talaga?tao na ang produkto na lumalabas ng bansa?kaya mainam din na matuto tayo ng ibang lengguwahe para sa knabukasan natin at ng ating pamilya? ano man ang ating gawin Filipino at Tagalog pa rin tayo? angkilkin ang ating sariling dialek?Tinatangkilik ba natin ang sariling produkto natin?
as all of you people have already stated : We’re not beng unnationalistic in learning the english language it’s just that we’re being realistic, that english is needed in this world in order for us to live, in order for us to find suitable jobs that will provide for ourselves and for our family. also, we have to abide by that if we ever want to excel globally and business-wise. Moreover we can never forget our native language we were born with it and it will forever stay in out hearts. =))
well, the argument here is not on whether or not we LEARNING ENGLISH but rather on whether or not English is the appropriate and practical language as MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION. Learning the language and making it as a medium of instruction are two different things. I pitty those who favor ENglish to be used as medium O. I.. You have much to learn about the economy, society, and technology. And it would take me an entire book to convince you people otherwise. Nonetheless, Im trying to write a book for you. So Pipz with the same opinion (actually it is not just an opinion cause hard evidences point to the same conclusion as ours), let us not try to argue against Filipinos jaded with this wrong notion. Let as unite and implement a revolutionary change in or nation. WHo’s with me?
The fact remains that the international language of science, math and BUSINESS is currently English. Therefore, English should become the medium of instruction again….as it was when the Philippines was the LEADER economically in SE Asia.
First of all, I would like to clarify the issue about English as medium of instruction in the Public School!What is the purpose of teaching English if it will not be used?Language needs practice!Where will one do the praxis if not in school!I believe English language should be taught as well as be used in order not to forget it. Then if the main objective is to be able to communicate globally then English has to be taught and used. If English should be used in order to transact business globally and be of help to improve the living conditions of the Filipinos then it should be taught and used. It is much wiser to learn the technical English very relevant in technology be it in computer, electronics and heavy machineries. Leave the native tongue- the Filipino language in order to express the real Filipino mind and spirit in literature ,politics and diplomacy.
“What is the purpose of teaching English if it will not be used?”
Have you even read our constitution. What do you want to happen, the people from the lower class will FOREVER rely on translations rather than understanding the context by themselves?
LIke it or not, English is part of th Philippines. If we can put Spanish back, so be it. No wonder not many Filipinos appreciate El Fili and Noli, half of the vocabulary(in the translated version) are alien to both Tagalog and non-Tagalogs.
If Filipinos will not be trained well in English, then a lot of us will hardly understand our OWN constitution.
Upgrade, not downgrade.
this issue still remains to be unending and multi-factorial. English is the effective medium of instruction since it carries us into high standard of understanding. well, i cannot say more… i still have a debate tommorow regarding this issue… i learned lots of ideas from you guys who posted their comments above.
dapat marunong muna tayo sa filipino para mas naiintindihan natin ang english. hindi naman kasi pwede na nageenglish tayo nang hindi natin nalalaman ang ibig sabihin ng sinasabi natin sa wikang filipino.
paper ko to sa eng2 ko. sana matulungan niyo ko. ty.
ayaw nyo ng english as medium of intruction d2 sa pilipinas bkt? kau nag eenglish sa mga comment nyo!!! eh sana ng tagalog n lng kau!!! para kayong wla pinag-aralan d kau marunong mag isip at umintindi!!!!
Can anybody tell me here what “medium of instruction” means? When we say English as a Medium of Instruction” is that the same with English as the National Language?
Hindi naman di ba? Sa tingin ko doon tayo nagkakatalo… sa pag-intindi ng mga salitang nabanggit… peace!
“Around 1940’s-70’s… Filipino Films were in tagalog (tagalog talaga at hindi gaya ng mga taga ibang unibersidad na nagiimbento ng bagong tagalog) and yet, the actors and actresses can speak fluently in English and Tagalog… ano nangyari? saan ba talaga may problema?
sorry but tagalog is not the right term for our language, its Filipino, tagalog is considered as dialect. fine.
hmm, i don’t really see the point of having me reacting some of the comments of this site… It’s so funny to see and read all the comments after comments and even getting into nasty words…
I think most of these people reading and reacting comments can’t understand well what was said. English is a language that is useful here in the Philippines as a medium of instruction, anong masama don? I can’t understand why people misunderstood the “medium of instruction and misguiding them as as National Language. We don’t claim that English is the National language in the Philippines, Kakahiya, they don’t even know the difference of “medium of instruction and National Language.”, actually pati sa sarili natin wika (Filipino) they can’t even use it properly… Filipino as our national language (Tagalog at Filipino) Tagalog, in its standardized form, Filipino, is the principal language of the national media in the Philippines. Bakit nag ngi ngit ang mga ibang tao na gamitin natin ang english para sa pagtuturo? The other side of the view, pinipilit natin magaral at magsalita ng English, eh sa sarili natin wika di pa tayo nagkakaintindihan, Ano ang kaibahan sa “NG at NANG” tinitignan kita pero di kita makita, and more…. nagtataka lang ako…
yupz,,,,,,,,actually it is better for me to use tagalog only here in the [hil..but in the other country like amerika,,so on and so forth,,they cant understand our language,so we must still use english as a medium of instruction….
In a globalized economy, one needs to separate a language from “nationalism”. English is the defacto “world” language and the Filipinos are way ahead of the other Asian countries in its usage. By the way, for a Filipino to speak English is no longer “foreign” as it is in China, Japan or Korea. Yet these three countries-globally known as economic “dragons” are urgently and ferociously prompting their youth to “master” the language to solidify and enhance its playing potential in global economic affairs. The Philippines, should embrace its three components of Filipino (Asian), English (N.American) and Hispanic components and show the rest of Asia what a “cultural” dragon really is. We already are the best lookin’ people in Asia, -shallow but true- lets use the atrocities of two colonial conquests and take advantage of it. Heck, the Philippine economy needs all the help it could get anyways. Play “all” the cards. We’ll show them!
There has been much discussion of Spanish being reinstated as a third official language. At first, I thought it was a ridiculous idea. Then I was prompted to observe Switzerland. This small country in Europe has three official languages; German, French and Italian. It uses these languages to its advantage making the Swiss a global player in finances, commerce and tourism. It is not the economic giant when compared to Germany, France and Italy but is “equally” important in European continent’s diplomatic and financial affairs.
The Philippines’ also has a “triple-threat” potential. Tagalog/Filipino is used as a lingua-franca to the archipelago, English as its connection with N.America, Europe and Asia and Spanish to woo-in and reconnect with Spain and Latin America. Now, mind you, one must understand that Spain and Latin America are no longer the political and economic doormats they were a mere fifty years ago. They are silently increasing their potential as political and economic players. More importantly, they have “always” seen the Philippines as a “cultural-brethren”.
My opinion, and that is all it is, is that the all the Philippines enhance its usage in Tagalog, master the English language and have Spanish be mandated in three districts/provinces -Zamboanga, Cebu and Cavite. Then, let the chips fall as they may. Create a “liason” between Asia, North America and Latin America and we’ll see what happens. China, Japan and Korea can only “dream” and “salivate” with envy of this “unique” potential.
This vision is far-fetched, perhaps difficult, confusing to the nationals and financially far-fetched , but impossible, no. What other country in Asia has the potential or the foundation to have two of the U.N.’s six official languages?
Remember, the Philippines is made of a numerous “chain” of Islands. Having three official languages would be nothing new. Only this time we are dealing with a different world. In addition, we did not have a say-so in two “colonial” intrusions. My opinion is take advantage of our history and turn the tables. We may never be the economic “dragons” as China, Korea and Japan, but we can be a triple threat “cultural” dragon if we played our cards right and stay focused on a shrinking globalized community.
i don’t agree in using english as a medium of teaching because as what my philo profesor told us, we can express our feelings and emotions more when we use our native tongue. this does not mean that we can’t learn english because we doesn’t use it as a medium of instruction, we still have subjects that teach us the correct grammar and usage of english language..
it’s not really a question of what we would be in the future…a lot of people are worried that it we are to use our native languages as media of instruction, we are bound to do poor on english proficiency tests…have you asked yourself…what kinds of jobs do “fluency in english” promise us? call centers? that is, if we can actually consider taking angry phone calls from americans a profession. ^_^ no offense meant on call center agents…it’s just that we are blinded by this “call center industry will uplift our economy” ideology that some of us are considering english as the more prestige language compared to our native ones…
so much about sociology…I am a student of linguistics and I know matter-of-factly that a lot of linguists have done numerous studies on this problem…and i can assure you that having our native language as medium of instruction does not comprise our english proficiency…
a study done by the summer institute of linguistics in the philippines had showed that the students in Kalingga who were taught in their native language scored higher compared to those students who were taught the same subjects in english. Even the english proficiency exams of the students in Kalingga who were taught in the first language scored higher that those who were taught in english…isn’t this surprising?
not really…the answer to this question is simple…
will you understand something if it was said in a language that is unfamiliar to you?
think…^_^
i consider filipino as a teaaching language because we are filipinos,da!!!!tagalog is our language we have to keep speaking tagalog.i agree,english is good because it can help us,but like what ive said we are filipinos…
The debate on what language should be used as a medium of instruction in schools has always been there. It has
never been resolved. Should we use English or Filipino?
To answer that question, I think we should first deconstruct some meanings and concepts here. The concept of
“medium” as we know, is a tool, an instrument. It’s something we should use to attain a particular goal.
Instruction on the other hand is an act of imparting knowledge/learning from one person to another. Hence,
medium of instruction simply refers to “the tool which we could use to impart knowledge from one person to another.” Obviously, this tool is what we call “language”.
I think we should also note here that the principal purpose of language is to be the instrument of
communication. The main aim of communication on the other hand, is COMMON UNDERSTANDING.
If we ask ourselves again, what language should be used as a medium of instruction, I think we should keep
going back to the primary aim of language – that is, as I have stated above – common understanding. We know
that people, in their everyday lives, achieve that ‘common understanding’ through their native tongue. They
don’t choose what language they will speak. They just speak the language they grew up with. I believe that if
we use their native language as a medium of instruction in schools, whether Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, etc.
they will aslo be able to achieve the ultimate goal of communication – common understanding.
As we know, language is not genetic. It is learned. The language that we speak is the language that we learned
while we were growing up. And as we grow up, it is also possible to learn other languages which is what we know as the “second language”. It should be noted that only very little percentage of the Filipino populace understand and speak English proficiently. So why push a larger percentage of the Filipinos, who are I suppose, more proficient in their native language, to speak in a language they are less proficient with? Again, it keeps
going back to the aim of communication. If we use English as a medium of instruction, [which I said, only a few
percentage of Filipinos are proficient with] aren’t we defying the purpose of language as a tool to achieve common understanding?
Indeed it is important to learn English in our contemporary times because almost all of the countries in the
world, including the Philippines, take part in a phenomenon called globalization, where English is a common language. But I think, for us to learn a second language, whatever that is, we should first be proficient in our native tongue. In fact there are studies conducted which proved that it makes it easier for children to learn a second language if they are proficient in their native tongue. So my stand here is that we should learn and be proficient first with our NATIVE language, then we can go on to learn any second language, whether that is English, Chinese, Japanese, etc.
Oh and yes, I concur with jhay when he said “If we create more local jobs, invest more in the Philippines then this problem would be remedied in a way.The Japanese managed to overtake us in the recovery after World War II simply because they helped build their own nation, their own countrymen first instead of lining in the foreign embassies hoping to get a visa abroad.”
I came from a generation of Filipino students who we were fined a fee of 5 pesos for every Tagalog word uttered. Still I can’t say I am proficient in English, and (shame one me), in Filipino as well. What has become of me is a mediocre speaker of both languages, NOT proficient in any of the two.
The notion of “world language” that is imposed on us is that there is a need to learn English to be able to “catch up” with economies of developed countries which for me, is such a mystification. Learning the so-called “world language” that is, English, it not always a passport towards “development”. Why do you think the government push the Filipinos to learn and be proficient in English? It is because the World Trade Organization still controls our educational system which makes it colonial. We train our people to serve the interests of other nations. No wonder we are now living in a society of DIASPORA. Anywhere in the world, there is a Filipino. I have nothing against Overseas Filipino Workers. In this ‘democratic’ country, we all have a choice. It’s true that the government cannot produce local jobs for the people. Our government depends so much on multinational companies that will create jobs for us. Call centers and medical transcription companies are a materialization of this. So why does the government continue to succumb to the WTO’s control? Why does our education remain colonial? For one simple reason – the government is afraid to lose an alliance with the World Trade Organization, obviously because, it will not lend us money, thus, they have nothing to steal.
We always think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. But sometimes, the good quality of life that we long for is actually the grass that we are stepping onto. One of my professors told us that for a country to develop, it really needs a strong sense of nationalism. I think most of you would agree that Filipinos lack this. Look at Japan. The sense of nationalism is very strong. This strong sense of nationalism has actually brought about drastic changes in their economic development. To give a practical example, Japanese will patronize local products even if the imported ones are half the price. Because they think that if they buy imported goods, dollars will only flow out. But if they patronize their own products, money just goes back to the circulation.
The point is, language almost dictates ones identity. That’s why Filipinos are divided not through tribes or clans, we are classified according to ethnoLINGUISTIC groups. It dictates our identity. Identity is very much important in achieving nationalism. Because you cannot love your own, when you don’t know who and what you own. If only the Filipinos, especially our (greedy) government officials will have a sense of nationalism, they wouldn’t sell our lands to multinational companies. They wouldn’t sell our natural resources to foreigners even at the cost of pushing Indigenous Peoples away from their ancestral lands.
I’m beginning to realize how important nationalism is in order to really contribute to real “development” that we all aim for. Even if this sounds cliche, I think it is worth repeating – “Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, ay daig pa ang amoy ng malansang isda.” Nationalism comes with loving and being proud of our own language.
Look who’s talking, I am writing in English now. As I have said, I came from a generation where I was punished for speaking in Filipino. And I am ashamed that I am not that proficient with speaking my own language. But I cannot say that I am proficient in English either. We cannot blame ourselves for not being proficient in our own language, because we are only victims of a system. But then, nationalism can be expressed through many different ways. And I think it is common sense to know what those ways are.
hey guys, we dont have to argue over those stuff.. we have different point of views and we should respect each other’s opinion.
we understand that Filipino is our national language but using english as a medium of instructions will help Filipinos to be better and competent.
As we all know, Filipinos are much better compare to other asian countries when it comes to english.. we should be thankful that atleast 80% of Filipino know how to fluently speak and write english.
We could say that we are compentent enough to deal with other countries.
Mabuhay Pinoys!
Peace out!
yup
Amharic is the best language in the world so , everyone in the world should learn Amharic Language.
I think we should get along with the changes in terms of economic and educational aspect. We should also see if the effects of implementing these to those remote school who’s foundation of adaptation of new learning will stress out the comprehension of their students. The problems to us Filipinos that many of us are contented with what we have… I’m not saying that we should forget our own native language but perhaps were just widening, or broadening our knowledge to us Filipino people. We should take also the chances in exploring new things for the adaptation of new ways of living… We should not take fact the more and more opportunities in abroad that can offer… am i ryt?
The ssc 3-a of passi national high school , passi city, iloilo, philippines conducted a debate regarding this proposition:
“RESOLVED THAT THE MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION TO BE USED IN ALL PHILIPPINE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL EXCLUDING FILIPINO SUBJECT MUST BE ENGLISH”
i belong to the affirmative side and i strongly agree that Filipinos must learn how to speak English fluently for the reason that english language increase the competence of Filipino in terms of academic affairs, economic bussinesses, and other aspects which can lead to the development of the Philippines.
however, the Filipino language must not be put aside for this is our native lanbguage. learning the english language is not a disgrace to our nationality and country, in fact, it helps us to be one of those countries on the TOP!
any medium of instruction will do..pero siyempre sa tagalog di ba we learn more when studying history…how can you teach the history of the phils. w/o the language itself?basta there’s high quality teaching…go go for it.!
I think the best medium of instruction should neither be English or Filipino. It should all depend on the dialect of that locality. when students at Grade 2 are better able to converse and express their ideas in their own dialect should the change be made from their own dialect to Filipino then English.
Please all of you! lahat kayo tama one way or the other! (you are all correct!) But the reality is this. We Pinoys are all corrupted – mostly in our way of thinking which language shud be used for teaching or for whatever purpose we may deem necessary ika nga. Forget those crooks in the senate and the congress and at the so called “Palace.” We must use Tagalog as the medium of teaching for schools…blah-blah-blah, yadda-yadda-yadda” NOW LOOK WHO’s TALKING? Tsk tsk tsk it’s sheer hypocrisy. It happens day in and day out of our lives!
And with the advent of cell phones and other hi tech gadgetry, our minds is even more being more corrupted with the use of shortcuts to express our thoughts is slowly but surely weaving its nasty way of corrupting even more our already corrupted tongue! Bat ma o matanda. Nobody checks on this why? Becos nobody cares!
Eto na tayo sa estadong ito too little effort too late to make changes especially the way we speak! Our ancestors let this happen, our parents let this happen. OURSELVES let this happen simply because this is what we wanted to be side by side with the Joes and the Janes. Of course we want our kids to be in the Big Apple (or in the West Coast) or Yuukey (UK) someday earning lots of mullahs and giving us white skinned little tykes running around our back yard, presenting them to our neighbors and tellin them sa wakas nalahian din kami ng mapuputi at matatangos ang ilong!
Tama ba ako don mga tsong at tsang? Ang pumalag plastic!
i am a student from a small college here in manila.
all this stuff is confusing me
sa palagay ko po dapat lng na mantili ang filipino as the medium of instruction.
Mas madali po kasi para samen ang maintindihan ang itinuturo ng guro kapag ganun.
hindi po ba un naman po talaga ang mahalaga?
Mdalas kasi hindi namen agad maintindihan ang itinuturo lalo na pag english. Kaya ang solusyon ay memorization na lng. Tango lng ng tango.
Yun po ang totoo.
Alam na man po namen na kelangan matuto ng english.
Pero panu namin isasalin sa english ang isang lesson o bagay na hindi namin talaga naintindihan?
ipaliwanag muna sa filipino bago isalin sa english.
try nyu po ilagay yung sarili nyu sa kalagayan ng isang ordinaryong estudyanteng pilipino?
i’m actually having a research when i saw this forum. we will be having a debate in school on what should be our medium of instruction here in the philippines. should it be the english or the filipino language?.. i’m on the english side.. i think being a filipino from birth won’t take our rights to speak our national language ‘coz it’s ours, we can call it as our property. the thing here is, appointing english as a medium of instruction here in the country will open us lots of opportunity to learn more. we cannot study math and science in straight filipino, right?? we must admit that english really do help us a lot. for me, in my opinion, upgrading education in general should improve the quality of english as well.ü Pinoy ako kahit anong mangyari at kahit saan man ako mapunta, walang makakapigil sa akin ng paggamit ng wikang filipino.
Bonus na lang para sa atin ang pagkakaroon ng oportunidad na magkaroon ng kaalaman sa paggamit ng wikang ingles kaya dapat natin itong suportahan 
–>peace.Ü
One can attain proficiency in English even if it is taught as a second language, not as medium of instruction. Israelis speak English well, but the medium of instruction in their country is Hebrew. It is not only a language totally different from English, it is also written in an entirely different script.
Okay let’s see the world further.
Which countries are the most economically powerful in the world? Now name one that teaches their students in a language other than their own?
Next. Who are the economic leaders in Asia? Japan, South Korea and China. Name one that uses English as a medium of instruction.
Now let’s come closer to the Philippines and go to Southeast Asia. Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, Brunei are now much ahead, economically, than the Philippines. Vietnam is catching up fast. All of them use their own languages as medium of instruction. Singapore is multi-national, but Chinese learn in Chinese, Malays in Malay and Tamils in Tamil. English is taught as second language. Only Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Burma lag behind the Philippines.
Most academicians in the Philippines’ top universities, like UP, La Salle and Ateneo support Fiilipino as medium of instruction. Why not listen to their explanations just once? If you think you are better than they, then you can join the ranks of corrupt Filipino politicians who are in favor of English. Those politicans always claim they’re right.
We can pass the TOEFL even if English is taught as a second language. In the meantime I’ll have better reading and comprehension skills when I learn in my own language.
Not all are adept at a foreign language. Using English as a medium of instruction puts them at a disadvantage. They will resort to memorization just to pass, but hardly learning anything. Isn’t that story familar? You may habe been one of them.
Proficiency in English is not a measure of intelligence, only adeptness in a language. Many students are smart and full of insights but not fluent in English. There are those too that are good with their English but talk a lot of non-sense. As a college teacher once, I can tell.
Finally, lack of proficiency in English in our graduates point to the miserable state of the Philippine educatioal system and not the present bilingual policy. Education is low in the government’s priority. With enough support, the talents of the Filipinos will shine through, turning out original and creative thinking in greater numbers and better quality. Why? Because they learn in their own language.
Yes, Koreans come to the Philippines to learn English. We had a headstart in that, but we lag behind in technology in economic development precisely too, because we insisted on English. Next time, let the Koreans come to learn English, even if we teach it as a second langauge.
hahayyy… galing nyo sa debate…!
mga pepzzz. just relax..tnx i have learned a lot from ur commentzz.
Filipino should be the medium of instruction since it’s our national language. How can we call ourselves Filipinos if we don’t patronize our own identity. Just like the Japanese they are very progressive as a nation since they value what is uniquely theirs. Why can’t we do that?
hey guys! thanks fOr your explaination & the “panlalait” haha by the way, Im here just to copy those kinda word for word explaination. =))
Oh right! I have now the words to preform in our class haha thanks again guys!
Filipino should be our medium of instruction.
about what is the best,, at first i thought filipino or tagalog is the best medium of instruction to be settled here in the philippines because we are all filipino ang language,,, even we dont notice has an effect to our country.. but being realistic,, being fluent in english is what filipino should be.. there are lot of opportunities that come to our way and the language that we know that can understand by the world is english…. for our ideas to be shared and understand…
I’m a Japanese and not a Filipino. So It’s up to the manager of this site if I’m allowed to comment.
I”m staying in the Philippines 15 years as NGO staff and my daughter is a Japino.
This issue is really a interesting issue and I’m always the side of Filipino as the medium of instruction in the school.
I find closest opinion to me in the comment from Honey Roble (#67). And I was impressed by the report from a linguist about students in Kalinga who studied with their own dialect performed better even in English!
First as I’m a Japanese, I mention about what’s Japanese language. Actually Japanese language is the built up by importing Chinese character in ancient era and now importing English and other european language before world war 2 and after world war 2 mainly from U.S. Now many Japanese vocabrary is from English origin and now they are part of the Japanese language.
However the main component of the Japanese language is still mixture of ancient Japanese language and Chinese especially in character. And it is the medium of instruction in the school.
Then since middle of 19th century, Japan started industrial revolution and Japanese people face problem of lack of vocabrary to describe components in mathematics, physics, chemistry, logics, etc that are the basis for the industrialization. So Japanese imported vocabrary from western nations but Japanese customized these imported vocabraries into Japanese style of pronouciation and writing. It’s like animal eat food and then digest in their stomack and use it as nutrients for its growth. Just like Taglish grew in the Philippines. So is the development of the language in Japan.
I believe language also grow and transform like creature. There is no language in the world that stay same through millenium. Even English in UK and US has widened their differences.
So we should use commonly spoken language as medium of instruction in education but the commonly spoken language itself grow as the nation grow. Especially for the demands of industrialization, we need to have more specific words to describe concepts or materials, phenomena.
Then regarding the medium of instruction, it should be already the commonly understood language. So if some people insist to use English as medium of instruction to become fluent in English, it’s a contradiction. Medium means it’s a tool. Not a purpose. We cannot use purpose as tool.
But as I said before, we can use foreign words as a part of their own language as far as it is convenient. If Filipino people use “temperature” or “temperador” to describe concept of mainit or malamig as part of Filipino language, I think it is no problem.
Then it is the reality that those who want to work abroad or who want to have business under the foreginer investors don’t care about sacrificing classmates for their practice of English. They may say even agricultural worker will have advantage if they are flunet in English because their owner might become foreigner or at least balik bayan. As I’m working in the rural area, it is a tragedy.
In conclusion, what we need in the building up of the economy, industry, society is to have a common language that is capable to express abstract concepts. Something like liberty, integrity, univers, infinity etc are the abstract concept and these concept are the one that unify people and work together for one vision.
In this regards, language has three main components. First is for emotional expression like “takot”, “malamig”, “ayaw” etc. Then the second is the description of physical existances like “Meron malaking bato sa ilog”.
Then the third is the abstract expression.
For these two stage of expression or description, fluent or not is not so decisive factor. For these expressions, several years of practice in the life in foregine country is enough to become fluent. In my experience in the Philippines I think so. Best opportunity for practice is the situation itself. It’s not practical and not wise to use classroom for the practice.
What’s more decisive is to have a common language that is capable to share abstract concepts. I feel it’s more important to develop students to understand philosophy and facts basis way of thinking instead of spendin long hours for practice of borrowed language. If we want to approach higher level of philosophy, iti is better to develop it on the root of native language.
Another point is that, it’s not proper to blame using Filipino as medium of instruction for the degradation of English fluency. When we see the statistics from DepEd, the enrolment rate in elementary school is only 83% in 2007. It was 90 % in year 2000. For high school, much worse. This is the much more important factor for the degradation of performance of students. Maybe the time of Raul Roco was better than other secretaries up to present.
Main issue is that almost half of students are struggling to study in the below poverty line. If they are given their own textbook, at least they can review when they grade up. My daughter bring textbook where there are names of former owners and she has to return after finish in March. It is the common situation in the public school.
And I also recommend to government to use English for the cartoons in TV if they really want to use English for medium of instruction. And for Korean dramas as well.
Thank you so much for your attention.
Ang ating bayang Pilipinas ay may 78 na benakular (hindi kasama dito ang gamit na benakular ng iba’t ibang katutubong menorya), at mayroong 4 na wika (Tagalog na batayan ng Wikang Pilipino, Ingles, Insik at Arabe) na ginagamit kasalukuyan.
Enero 12, 1937 hinirang ng dating Pangulong Manuel Luis Quezon ang mga sumusunod na mga Ginoo upang pagaralan at lutasin ang gagamiting opisyal na pambansang wika ng Pilipinas…
# Jaime de Veyra – Tagapangulo (Samar-Leyte)
# Cecilo Lopez – Kalihim at Pinunong Tagapagpaganap (Tagalog)
# Felix Salas Rodriguez – Kagawad (Hiligaynon)
# Santiago Fonacier – Kagawad (Ilokano)
# Casimiro Perfecto – Kagawad (Bicol)
# Filemon Sotto – Kagawad (Cebuano)
# Hedjie Batu – Kagawad (Tausug at mga wika ng minorya)
Sa bisa ng Kautusang Tagapagpaganap Blg.263 (Abril 1, 1940) na nilagdaan ng Pangulong Quezon na nagpapahintulot sa pag-iimprenta ng diksyunaryo at ng Balarila ng Wikang Pambansa, ang wikang pambansa na ituturo sa mga paaralang publiko at pribado simula sa noong Hunyo 19, 1940. Bilang pagsunod sa kautusan, iniatas ng Kalihim ng Pagtuturong Pampubliko ang tuntunin at regulayon ng Kalihim Jorge Bocobo. ang wikang pambansa (Tagalog) ay itinuro sa mga apaaralang segundarya at normal.
Sa bisa ng Batas Komonwelt Blg.570 (Hulyo 7, 1940) ang wikang pambansa ay ipinahayag bilang wikang opisyal simula Hulyo 4, 1946. Ang atas na iyon ay inulit sa Konstitusyon ng 1973 na nagsasaad na “Hangga’t walang ibang itinatadhana ang batas, ang Pilipino at Ingles (dito idinagdag ang wikang Ingles) ang magiging opisyal na wika.”
Ang aking sariling kuro-kuro, ay kung hindi natin babaguhin ang paraan ng pagtuturo sa ating wika, tuluyan pati na tayong mga Pilipino ay magiging banyaga sa ating sariling wika. Papaanong matututunan ng ating mga kababayan na Bisaya, Ilokano, Bicolano at marami pang iba… ang opisyal na pambansang wika, kung hindi ito ang gagamitin sa paaralan at paguukulan ng panahon matutunan ng tumpak na paggamit, pagsambit at pagsulat.
Bakit tila ang pangunahing hangarin nating mga Pilipino na matuto ng Ingles ay upang maging tulay sa pagtungo at makapagtrabaho sa ibang bansa? Bakit hindi natin maging hangarin ang makagawa ng kalakal o produkto na Pilipino na ating tatangkilikin at maaaring ipagbili sa ibayong dagat. Bakit kinakailangan na ang talino at kaalamang Pilipino, ibang bansa ang nakikinabang?
At para naman doon sa mga “Dona Victorina” na nalimutan na raw ang ating mahal na wika, narito ang awitin na baka sakaling makapagbalik-wika sa kanilang isipan…
FAN BAND SONG A WEALTH
Beyond my Gee! Thing
Fearless Nancy long a none
A love, Now! pool saw
Say! Death deep my…boo! hey!!!
Low fang he need rang
Do young? Kay none my Gee! thin
Say man! Low lone peg
Did Kay pay? see sing deal
Said…they got moat band ducks
Say…see my ate. Say, Lang get mood bag how?
May Dean log ate too what?
at a wealth say, Peg lay young May none my haul
Low fang none a Raw ate low hate did Peg seen Tang
Boo! Hey! I long great say feeling Moon!
Amen! Lee Gay…yeah! Now fag May none an a pee
None my May Thai none, Dale heel say you?
…ano natatandaan ‘nyo ba? Nakakanta ‘nyo ba?
well for me i would have to say English in all subjects except Filipino and social studies…where there it shall be in Tagalog…or any local language
after all…all Pinoys have to master both English and Tagalog…the two oficial languages
OR
Tagalog can be the primary language with english as a secondary language and taught as a categoría…or category level…which means that a Filipino can master the fluency of the English language by the category level
Category 1=little english knowledge
Category 2=English knowledge at least WELL
Category 3=knowledge and fluency is Very Well
this technique is from here El Conquistador…where we here in the non-spanish speaking regions…we have to learn spanish obligated and at category levels…mostly category 1 is learned in primary school…category 2 in secondary school…and category 3 in tertiary schools
so in conclusios…80% English,20% Tagalog
hay naku!!!!!!
whatever
I believe that we should not just limit ourselves in learning a different language. It will never make us less of a Filipino if we learn a new language. It’s just so funny because a lot of people are fighting here on the issue of Which language should be better used as a medium of instruction. There are subjects that should be taught in English and their are subjects that we should use English as a medium of instruction. There’s no need to fight or argue…We have to make a compromise because the only way for us Filipinos to develop is to be competitive not only locally but globally as well. There are some people who are just not reading the blog topic properly and react in something that they are not familiar with. It’s true that in the province, many can’t speak Filipino well compared with English but it doesn’t make them less of a Filipino. I believe that if we master these two languages, it would never be a disadvantage for us. Also, if a foreigner can speak my language, it means that they are interested to learn our language to communicate or to do business here but it down’t mean that they are really pro-Philippines. Trust me, I met some of these people and thought they speak our language very well, they don’t give a damn about our country. So, what should be the best medium of instruction for us? Let’s stop this petty fight and instead concentrate in mastering these two languages. In the long run, we will surely benefit if we are equipped with the languages that would make us competitive locally and globally. Mabuhay ang lahing Pilipino!!!