Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education in the Philippines: Education in the Philippines:

The Lubuagan ExperienceThe Lubuagan Experience

Seminar on Multilingual EducationSeminar on Multilingual Education

Kabul, 13-18 March 2010Kabul, 13-18 March 2010

Adapted from presentation given by the Department of Education, Adapted from presentation given by the Department of Education, Kalinga District and Diane Dekker, SIL, at the at the First Philippines Kalinga District and Diane Dekker, SIL, at the at the First Philippines

Conference on Multilingual Education, February 2010Conference on Multilingual Education, February 2010

The situation when the program beganThe situation when the program began

• Lubuagan students are monolingual in Lubuagan students are monolingual in their home language when they begin their home language when they begin their education.their education.

• Philippine policy which strictly limited Philippine policy which strictly limited the use of local languages in school the use of local languages in school created comprehension difficulties and created comprehension difficulties and resulted in low achievement.resulted in low achievement.

Lubuagan program’s goals and Lubuagan program’s goals and language education planlanguage education plan

• Goal: Lubuagan children will read with Goal: Lubuagan children will read with comprehension; they will have higher comprehension; they will have higher achievement scores across the achievement scores across the curriculum; and lower drop out rates. curriculum; and lower drop out rates.

• Plan: Use the mother tongue to teach Plan: Use the mother tongue to teach curriculum content; teach English and curriculum content; teach English and Filipino as subjects in Grades 1-3Filipino as subjects in Grades 1-3

Initial support for the programInitial support for the program

• Lubuagan Steering CommitteeLubuagan Steering Committee

• Local principal Local principal

• Local teachers (a few at first, but the number Local teachers (a few at first, but the number kept growing!)kept growing!)

• Secretary of Education, National Department Secretary of Education, National Department of Educationof Education

• Education Superintendent, Kalinga DistrictEducation Superintendent, Kalinga District

Support from influential people in Support from influential people in the Philippinesthe Philippines

““When the mother tongue is the medium in When the mother tongue is the medium in primary instruction, learners become better primary instruction, learners become better thinkers and better learners in both their first thinkers and better learners in both their first and second language. And that is the prime and second language. And that is the prime purpose/goal of education, that our children purpose/goal of education, that our children will be active “thinkers” and “learners” (Dr. will be active “thinkers” and “learners” (Dr. Ricardo Nolasco, Advisor for MLE)Ricardo Nolasco, Advisor for MLE)

TrainingTraining• 1995: First Writer’s workshop 1995: First Writer’s workshop

• 1996 – 1999: 3-month teacher training 1996 – 1999: 3-month teacher training courses at Nueva Vizcaya State University courses at Nueva Vizcaya State University plus other training in Lubuagan (1998)plus other training in Lubuagan (1998)

• 1999: Classes begin1999: Classes begin

• 1999-2010: Frequent in-service training 1999-2010: Frequent in-service training focused on sound theory and strategies for focused on sound theory and strategies for learning in L1 and teaching L2 and L3 as learning in L1 and teaching L2 and L3 as subjectssubjects

Curriculum developmentCurriculum development• Lessons and activities are Lessons and activities are

based on government based on government curriculum but use children’s curriculum but use children’s cultural knowledge and cultural knowledge and experience to introduce experience to introduce concepts.concepts.

• Lubuagan (the children’s Lubuagan (the children’s mother tongue) is used to mother tongue) is used to teach all content area teach all content area

Materials developmentMaterials development

• Lubuagan orthography developed Lubuagan orthography developed and acceptedand accepted

• Graded reading materials in L1 Graded reading materials in L1 (individual readers and Big Books for (individual readers and Big Books for shared reading)shared reading)

• Other teaching and learning Other teaching and learning materials in Lubuaganmaterials in Lubuagan

Community responseCommunity response

• At first, parents were afraid that if the L1 At first, parents were afraid that if the L1 was used in the classroom, their children was used in the classroom, their children would not have time to learn L2 and L3would not have time to learn L2 and L3

• When they saw the change in the children, When they saw the change in the children, they were excited:they were excited:

““My young grand daughter who learned to My young grand daughter who learned to read in the mother tongue is a more fluent read in the mother tongue is a more fluent reader than her older siblings who learned reader than her older siblings who learned to read only in English and Filipino” (from a to read only in English and Filipino” (from a former mayor.)former mayor.)

• Teachers in schools that were not in Teachers in schools that were not in the pilot program observed the the pilot program observed the increase in student participation in increase in student participation in the pilot project and have started the pilot project and have started using more oral L1 in class.using more oral L1 in class.

• More teachers want to be trained.More teachers want to be trained.

• Increasing number of parents want Increasing number of parents want MLE for the whole district.MLE for the whole district.

10-year study of the Lubuagan 10-year study of the Lubuagan program begun in 2005program begun in 2005

• Compares 3 experimental class schools using the Compares 3 experimental class schools using the Mother Tongue based MLE approach with 3 control Mother Tongue based MLE approach with 3 control class schools using the traditional method of class schools using the traditional method of immersion in two new languages. immersion in two new languages.

• Students in both groups come from the same socio- Students in both groups come from the same socio- economic status.economic status.

• One school has two sections in which students are One school has two sections in which students are randomly placed in experimental or control classes.randomly placed in experimental or control classes.

Summary results: Grade 1 testing, 2007-2008Summary results: Grade 1 testing, 2007-2008

Control students Experimental students

N Mean Percent N Mean Percent

ReadingReading 73 8.97 52.76 69 12.83 75.47MathMath 73 8.32 48.94 70 13.76 82.12FilipinoFilipino 73 6.85 57.08 70 8.21 68.42MakaMaka

bayanbayan73 6.95 57.92 70 9.77 81.42

EnglishEnglish 73 8.97 52.76 70 12.31 72.41OverallOverall 73 40.10 53.47 69 56.90 75.87

Summary results: Grade 2 testing, 2007-2008Summary results: Grade 2 testing, 2007-2008

Control students Experimental students

N Mean Percent N Mean Percent

ReadingReading 94 12.63 54.9 42 18.00 78.3MathMath 94 13.00 61.9 42 16.86 80.3FilipinoFilipino 94 7.79 51.9 42 12.21 81.4MakabayanMakabayan 94 9.14 60.9 42 12.12 80.8EnglishEnglish 94 12.63 54.9 42 14.29 62.1OverallOverall 94 55.20 56.9 42 75.48 77.8

Summary results: Grade 3 testing, 2007-2008Summary results: Grade 3 testing, 2007-2008

Control students Experimental students

N Mean Percent N Mean Percent

ReadingReading 60 7.47 53.4 56 11.09 79.2MathMath 60 7.42 49.5 56 11.43 76.2FilipinoFilipino 60 12.39 62.9 56 14.12 70.6MakabayanMakabayan 60 9.50 50.0 56 14.20 74.7EnglishEnglish 60 7.47 53.4 56 10.80 77.1OverallOverall 60 44.23 53.9 56 61.64 75.1

Comparison of the Lubuagan FLC and Standard ProgramsAll Tests Combined

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10

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40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3

Grade Level

Mea

n Sc

ore

(Per

cent

age)

Standard

FLC

Conclusions from the researchConclusions from the research

• Using the Mother Tongue will Using the Mother Tongue will not not hinder hinder the learning of second and third languages the learning of second and third languages but rather but rather strengthensstrengthens the acquisition of the acquisition of second and third languages.second and third languages.

• When children learn in their mother When children learn in their mother tongue, they have greater ability to handle tongue, they have greater ability to handle cognitively demanding tasks in the cognitively demanding tasks in the classroom and to learn other languages.classroom and to learn other languages.