Mother Tongue Based

1. Mother Tongue
Multilingual
Education
(MTB-MLE)

2. At the end of this module, the learner should be
able to:
● Explain the important insights and reasons of multilingual
education in making education more responsive to cultural
diversity.
● Appreciate the value of using his/her own mother tongue in
dealing with any classroom situations, and
● Simulate different classroom situation using their own mother
tongue.
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3. Basic Terminologies
● Mother tongue – means one’s native language, the
language learned by children and passed from one
generation to the next.
● Language – is the expression of ideas by means of
speech-sounds combined into words.
● L1 – 1st Language
● L2 – 2nd Language
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4. Basic Terminologies
● Bilingualism – the ability to use two languages.
● Multilingualism – the ability to use two or more
languages.
● Diversity – the inclusion of different types of people
in a group.
● Literacy – the ability to read and write.
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5. What is Language? Language includes:
●Speech
●Symbols
● Written characters
●Gestures
●Numerals
●Expressions of non- verbal communication
●According to Sapir- Whorf Hypothesis
language does more than simply describe
reality, it also serves to shape the reality of
a culture.
● system of conventional spoken,
manual, or written symbols by means of
which human beings, as members of a
social group and participants in its
culture, express themselves.
● Language is the foundation of every
culture.
● It is an abstract system of word
meaning and symbols for all aspects
of culture.
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6. UNESCO’s Principles on Language And
Education
● Developing a writing system for a hitherto unwritten language often
has an educational purpose – whether to record and transmit local
history and knowledge to the next generation, to use the language in
formal schooling, or to facilitate adult literacy acquisition.
● The educational use of a language depends, except in the most
informal settings, on a written form which can be employed in
learning. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)
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7. UNESCO’s Three (3)
Principles Of Education
In Multilingual World

8. UNESCO’s Three (3) Principles Of Education
In Multilingual World
● Principle 1: UNESCO supports mother tongue instruction as a means of
improving educational quality by building upon the knowledge and experience
of the learners and teachers.
● Principle 2: UNESCO supports bilingual and/or multilingual education at all
levels of education as a means of promoting both social and gender equality
and as a key element on linguistically diverse societies.
● Principle 3: UNESCO supports language as an essential component of
intercultural education in order to encourage understanding between different
population groups and ensure respect to fundamental rights.
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9. Mother Tongue Based-
Multilingual Education
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10. UNESCO’s Three (3) Principles Of Education
In Multilingual World
● MLE refers to “first-language-first” education, that is schooling which
begins in the mother tongue and transitions to additional languages.
● MLE is the use of more than two languages for literacy and instruction.
It starts from where the learners are, and from what they already
know. This means learning to read and write in their first language or
L1, and also teaching subjects like mathematics, science, health, and
social studies in the L1.
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11. PURPOSE OF MTB-MLE
● To develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills enabling
children to operate equally in different languages – starting in the
mother tongue with transition to Filipino and then English and to
preserve the Philippine cultural treasure as well.
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12. PURPOSE OF MTB-MLE
● The languages considered by DepEd in its MTB-MLE implementation
1. Iloko 7. Hiligaynon
2. Pangasinan 8. Cebuano
3. Kapampangan 9. Meranao
4. Tagalog 10. Chavacano
5. Bikol 11. Maguindanaon
6. Waray 12. Tausug
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13. What is the importance of teaching mother
tongue as a subject in school?
● It will preserve our country’s cultural treasure.
● Provides learners with a strong educational foundation in the first
language in terms of instruction.
● It is a stepping stone in achieving the aims of education as well as the
goal of functional literacy.
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14. Benefits of MTB-MLE
● Reduced drop-out
● Reduced repetition
● Children are attending school.
● Children are learning.
● Parents and community are involved
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15. If MTB-MLE is not used, there will be:
● A loss of confidence of the learners.
● Inability to learn the official school language well.
● High repetition and drop-out rates.
● Alienation from heritage language and culture, from parents and
community.
● Loss of languages, cultures and of knowledge systems.
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16. Typical MLE Programs
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17. “Strong Foundation”
Research shows that children
whose early education is in the
language of their home tend to
do better in the later years of
their education (Thomas and
Collier, 1997).
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18. ““Strong Bridge”
An essential difference
between MLE programs and
rural “mother tongue
education” programs is the
inclusion of a guided transition
from learning through the
mother tongue to learning
through another tongue.
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19. Stages of anMLE
Program
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20. A widespread understanding of MLE Programs
suggests that instruction takes place in the following
stages.
● Stage I – Learning takes place entirely in the child’s home language.
● Stage II – Building fluency in the mother tongue. Introduction of oral
L2.
● Stage III – Building oral fluency in L2.
Introduction of literacy in L2.
● Stage IV – Using both L1 and L2 for life long learning.
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21. ● MLE proponents stress that the L2 acquisition component is seen as a
“two-way” bridge, such that learners gain the ability to move back and
forth between their mother tongue and the other tongue(s), rather
than simply a transitional literacy program where reading through the
mother tongue is abandoned at some stage in the education.
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22. As they develop a strong foundation in their L1, children are gradually
introduced to the official languages, Filipino and English, as a separate
subjects, first orally, then in the written form.
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When will children start learning Filipino and English?

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When will children start learning Filipino and English?

24. The most important features of this process are :
● Education begins with what the learners already know, building on the
language and culture, language and experience that they bring with
them when they start school.
● Learners gradually gain confidence in using the new (official) language,
before it becomes the only language for teaching academic subjects;
and
● Learners achieve grade level competence in each subject because
teachers use their own language, along with the official school
language to help them understand the academic concepts. The most
important features of this process are that:
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25. Does MLE only involve changing the
language of instruction and
translating the materials into the
local languages?
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26. MLE will not work when one simply changes the language by
translating existing materials into the local language.
MLE is an innovative approach to learning. Apart from
programming the use of several languages, it also involves the
following:
a. The development of good curricula.
b. The training of good teachers in the required languages,
content and methodology.
c. The production of good teaching materials.
d. The empowerment of the community.
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27. What kind of learners does MLE intend to
produce?
Multi-literate
They can read and write
competently in the local
language, the national
language, and one or more
languages of wider
communication such as
English.
Multilingual
They can use these
languages in various
situations and
interactions for learning
in school.
Multi-cultural
They can live and work
harmoniously with people of
cultural backgrounds that are
different from their own, they
are comfortable living and
working with people from
outside their community
while maintaining their love
and respect for their home
culture and community.
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28. What specific weaknesses in the Philippine
educational system does MLE seek to address?
MLE seeks to specifically address
the high functional illiteracy of
Filipinos where language plays a
significant factor.
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29. Why use the other tongue or the L1 in school?
● One’s own language enables a child to express him/herself
easily, as there is no fear of making mistakes.
● MLE encourages active participation by children in the learning
process because they understand what is being discussed and
what is being asked of them.
● Children can immediately use the L1 to construct and explain
their world, articulate their thoughts and add new concepts to
what they already know.
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30. But our children already know their language.
Why still learn it in school?
● What we and our children know is the conversational language
in their everyday variety used for daily interaction. Success in
school depends on the academic and intellectualized language
needed to discuss more abstract concepts. According to studies,
it takes one to three years to learn the institutional language,
but four to seven years to master the academic language under
well resourced conditions.
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32. Is it costly to practice MLE?
● Contrary to popular belief, L1-based education may actually cost
less than a system that is based on L2.
● If we consider the money wasted on drop- outs, repeaters, and
failures, as well as the added costs, studies show that L2-based
education systems are more costly than L1 systems.
● A Guatemalan study, for instance, showed that it is more
expensive to produce a grade level passer (in Grades 1 to 6) in a
Spanish medium school ($6,013) than in a Mayan school ($4,496).
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33. Educational
Implications

34. ● The learner must be exposed to meaningful use of the L2
outside the classroom situations. The meaningful
exposure which comes from:
○ Meaningful reading in a variety of genres
○ Focusing on the language itself – how it works, how it
is used
○ Using the language orally and in writing
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35. ● The learner must be exposed to meaningful use of the L2
outside the classroom situations. The meaningful
exposure which comes from:
○ Meaningful reading in a variety of genres
○ Focusing on the language itself – how it works, how it
is used
○ Using the language orally and in writing
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