Philippines’ national language is Filipino; but will you believe that it is not their medium of instruction? Yes, you read it right. English is the Philippines’ medium of learning, and because of that, Filipino language seems to be the second language of the country. English language now appears as the dominant language in the Philippine islands in terms of schooling.
It is very shameful to think that Philippines is one of the few countries in the world that does not use their national language as a medium of instruction. Filipinos use English as the medium of teaching instead of their own language. From grade school to college, almost all of the subjects taught in Filipino schools are in English medium.
Using English language as a medium of learning in the Philippines brings many advantages. It makes every Filipino become globally competitive as they can communicate and express their feelings and ideas to other people around the world. It can also make an individual more skillful, intelligent and knowledgeable. In addition, learning and mastering many languages can contribute on preserving one’s mind and enhancing person’s mental abilities.
However, even though learning other languages like English has many benefits, Filipinos should still consider prioritizing the learning of their own and national language. Filipinos should make Filipino language as the medium of instruction in the Philippines as it is what the students are familiar with and it is what they use in their daily communication. Many Filipino students cannot fully show their prowess in a specific subject because they have difficulties in understanding English language and expressing their ideas in English. Many students also deprive themselves on participating in class discussions because they cannot express their ideas in English well. Aside from their inability to communicate in English, they are also afraid of criticisms that they might hear from their classmates and teachers. They do not want to appear dull in front of their friends.
Wolfaardt (2001) said “the learners are not always able to understand instructions and as a result they are not able to perform as they would have done in their mother tongue.” This indicates that students who learn with their mother tongue would easily comprehend the lesson and perform better. Other studies also show that learning in the mother tongue is more effective. By using the student’s own language, the student can build a strong foundation on learning different concepts, theories and formula included in other subjects.
Other countries also suggested that Philippines should make Filipino as the medium of instruction as Filipinos will be able to contribute their culture to the world by using their own language. In fact, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Italy, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Netherlands -- the ten countries who have the most intelligent students in the world, all use their own language as a medium of learning.
Furthermore, Filipino students will no longer face the problem of being weakened by English. Sometimes many Filipino students view themselves as dull because they are not eloquent English speakers. Besides, being not good in English becomes the reason why some Filipinos lose their confidence in sharing their ideas to others, pursuing their dream careers and socializing with known people in different fields.
Although Filipino language was already developed in the Philippines, it should be the medium of instruction in this country because Filipino students have not mastered it. Many National Achievement Test Results proved that Filipino students perform badly in Filipino subjects. This results clearly show that lack of exposure of students in Filipino language make them unable to master Filipino. This also projects that Filipino students continue to learn other languages even though they do not master their own language. However, other people said that English should still be the medium of learning of the Philippines because it will not affect mastery of Filipino as it is the first language of the Philippines. But that is really the case, isn’t it? Filipinos are now neglecting their national language.
It is undeniable that Filipinos have a need for learning the English language, but it should not be the medium of instruction in the Philippines. It should be the Filipino language. Filipinos should not forget their very own national language. Filipinos should realize that there is a need to give Filipino language a bigger attention in terms of learning it and mastering it for Filipino language symbolizes the culture of the Philippines and serves as an identity of every Filipino.
Reference: Wolfaardt D (2001). Facilitating learning: An investigation
of the language policy for Namibian
