One of the key items in the K-12 initiative of the Department of Education is the use of Mother Tongue as the Medium of Instruction. For Kindergarten, the alphabet, numbers, shapes and color are being taught in their Mother Tongue.
We are from Bacolod and learning numbers in Hiligaynon had resistance even from parents and teachers. While there is an exact term for numbers in Hiligaynon, most of us communicate numbers with an mix of Spanish and Tagalog. We are also comfortable using English.
Thus we say isa, duwa, tatlo. Then onse, dose, trese, bente-uno, bente-dos.
In Hiligaynon, it is isa, duwa, tatlo, as well. But it becomes a tongue twister for napulo kag isa (eleven), napulo kag duha (twelve), duha ka napulo (twenty). Parents and teachers have a hard time getting used to it. We don’t even use these when buying or selling.
But teaching in Mother Tongue is been proven to be more effective as a Medium of Instruction. The Hong Kong Government has mandated the use of Mother Tongue since 1997. As a result, Hong Kong students rank #2 worldwide in Math and Sciences according to an OECD study in 2015. They are behind Singapore which ranks as #1. The United States ranks #28. Philippines is not part of the study.
According to OECD, there is a strong link between education and economic growth. No wonder we are getting left behind.
Benefits of Mother Tongue As Medium of Instruction
Below are some of the benefits of using your Mother Tongue as the medium of instruction when teaching.
1. Children are more likely to understand the instructions. They are also more likely to continue with education and not drop out of school.
2. Children prefer learning in their mother tongue. They are able to process the instruction faster since there is no need to translate the concepts mentally.
3. Children are less intimated to participate in school when using their Mother Tongue. They are able to express themselves easily and freely.
4. Parents are more likely to be involved in their children’s learning. They are able to communicate easily with their children the concept given in school.
5. Teachers are able to express the concept more at ease compared to using a foreign language.
6. Children learning in their Mother Tongue has been proven to perform better than children using a foreign language.
7. Children in multilingual education tend to develop better thinking skills compared to monolingual children.
8. Use of Mother Tongue helps preserve the heritage and culture.
Homeschooling Using the Mother Tongue
Our son is an avid reader. Since most of his books are in English, we converse in English more often. But surprisingly, some Math concepts are easier for him to understand if we converse in Hiligaynon compared to English.
When we study about more than and less than, he gets confused. But if I ask him “diin damo?” or “diin diotay?” he can answer fast and more correctly.
It would even more challenging for us since we also need to teach Filipino.
Thus at home, we mix things up. We instruct in English, Filipino and Hiligaynon. Sounds difficult. But since we are in a homeschool setting, we are able to find the best language for our son where he can understand better. We can easily switch from one language to another instantly if he has a hard time understanding it.
So if the book is in English, feel free to translate it to your Mother Tongue. You child will benefit from it.
Of course, as your child moves to higher levels, the use of English as the medium of instruction becomes more important. The textbooks, materials, terminologies and instructions are already in English. But by this time, your child is much more equipped to tackle these using their acquired language. Thanks to the use of Mother Tongue.
