Comments on: What is the best medium of instruction – English or Filipino?

By: m1cko

m1cko — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:13:30 +0000

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!!!

By: NIANCA

NIANCA — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:42:31 +0000

hay naku!!!!!!
whatever

By: Luis José

Luis José — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:30:04 +0000

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

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

By: ka tony

ka tony — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:12:31 +0000

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?

By: M. Ishikawa

M. Ishikawa — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:20:08 +0000

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.

By: angela

angela — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:22:39 +0000

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…

By: andrea

andrea — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:48:51 +0000

Filipino should be our medium of instruction.

By: n®nE

n®nE — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:02:12 +0000

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!

By: hazel

hazel — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:37:18 +0000

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?

By: cheer

cheer — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:17:22 +0000

hahayyy… galing nyo sa debate…!
mga pepzzz. just relax..tnx i have learned a lot from ur commentzz.