2019 Language Usage Study

By 2012, the policy was rolled out nationally in all Grade 1 classrooms, and by the 2014-2015 school year, all public schools were expected to use one of 19 mother tongues as the medium of teaching and learning from Kindergarten through Grade 3. The study was conducted in February and March 2019 in 160 schools with Bahasa Sug, Chavacano, Magindanawn, or Mëranaw as the designated mother tongue. The research questions focused on the language usage of teachers and students in speaking, reading, and writing across subjects and activities, as well as the relationship between language usage and student literacy outcomes. The study found that teachers' language background and comfort levels teaching in the school-designated mother tongue were related to their language usage at school. Teachers who were more comfortable teaching in the mother tongue used it more frequently in the classroom. Additionally, teachers' attitudes and beliefs regarding teaching and learning in the mother tongue, Filipino, and English also influenced their language usage. The study also found that students' home-language use differed from the language they used in school and the official medium of teaching and learning. In some schools, students spoke a different language at home than the one used in school, while in other schools, students spoke the same language at home and in school. In terms of student literacy outcomes, the study found that the teacher's and students' language usage was related to the students' literacy outcomes in the designated mother tongue for their school. Students who were exposed to more mother tongue language in the classroom performed better in literacy tasks. The study also examined the availability and use of teaching and learning materials (TLMs) in the designated mother tongue. The results showed that TLMs were available in most schools, but their use varied depending on the subject and grade level. In some schools, TLMs were used extensively, while in others, they were used less frequently. Overall, the study provided insight into the relationships between the teachers' and students' language usage, the MTB-MLE policy implementation, and student reading outcomes. The findings have implications for the implementation of the MTB-MLE policy and the development of language policies in the Philippines. The study's results also highlighted the importance of teacher training and support in implementing the MTB-MLE policy. Teachers who were more comfortable teaching in the mother tongue and had access to TLMs in the mother tongue were more likely to use the mother tongue in the classroom and to achieve better literacy outcomes with their students. In addition, the study's findings suggested that the MTB-MLE policy should be implemented in a way that takes into account the linguistic diversity of the students. The policy should allow for the use of multiple languages in the classroom, including the mother tongue, Filipino, and English, to cater to the needs of students who speak different languages at home. The study's results also have implications for the development of language policies in the Philippines. The findings suggest that language policies should be designed to promote the use of the mother tongue in the early primary grades, while also providing support for teachers to use the mother tongue in the classroom. Overall, the study's findings provide valuable insights into the implementation of the MTB-MLE policy and the relationship between language usage and student literacy outcomes. The results have implications for the development of language policies in the Philippines and highlight the importance of teacher training and support in implementing the MTB-MLE policy.