CHILDREN learn faster and easily develop life-long skills if they learn their first lessons in their mother tongue or primary language (L1).

This is the reason behind the decision of the Department of Education (DepEd) to continue training teachers in mother tongue-based multilingual education this summer in time for the opening of classes in June.

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DepEd will provide teachers with clear understanding of the principles and practices, as well as their roles and responsibilities in the implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education.

“Education that begins in the language of the learners has far more positive effects on our schoolchildren,” said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.

Studies show that children learn best when the primary education is in their first language or Mother Tongue. Conversely, they learn very little when the Medium of Instruction (MOI) is a language they do not speak or understand.

Further researches show that a child is most comfortable learning in his primary language and is able to conceptualize and think deeper. This is opposed to merely memorizing formula and codes that happens when he uses language he is not familiar with.

Through the Bureau of Elementary Education, DepEd aims at developing lifelong learners at the elementary level who are proficient in the use of their first language, the national language and other languages.

The Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education project is a continuation of the Lingua Franca Education Project launched in school year 1999-2000 as mandated by DECS Memo No. 144 s. 1999.

“Education need not happen at the expense of regional dialects or local culture,” said Lapus.

Some 50 teachers in Grades I, II or III, who are proficient in the children’s mother tongue, Filipino and English were selected from Luzon and the Visayas. The month-long training runs until May 14, 2009 at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The training program will orient teachers on Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education. It is expected to enable teachers to prepare action plans for the program while enhancing their competencies in preparing curriculum, teaching materials and strategies.

Workshop outputs include lesson exemplars using Multilingual Education approaches/strategies for teaching beginning reading and for integrating content and language lessons for elementary grades, production of a BIG BOOK (in two or three languages), microteaching and advocacy plan in MLE, Filipino, and English.

For this purpose, DepEd has partnered with UP College Of Education, Reading and Teaching in the Early Grades Areas, Summer Institute of Linguistics, and Translators Association of the Philippines. (Press release)