LESSON 4: CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY IN TEACHING MTB-MLE

Think of how you acquired and learned the languages that you have right now. How will you rate your level of proficiency for each of the language (10 points if you consider yourself highly proficient)? What language did you acquire first? Second? Or, did you acquire it simultaneously? Do you think it would make a difference if your L1 proficiency was well-established before you were exposed to your L2?

liiS O N I WHY MTB-MLE?

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Lesson Objectives: At the end of the lesson, students are expected to: discuss the reasons why learning a second language is important; • discuss the personal factors involved in learning a second language; • understand the Lingua Franca Education Project and its connection to Mother

Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE); and • give a brief description of MTB-MLE. Instructional Materials Needed: Question cards m m m m

Learning Activities:

L ACTIVATE and ANALYZE

Question cards will be distributed randomly, decide whether you: • Strongly Agree • Agree with Reservations • Somewhat undecided and most likely can be swayed to either side • Strongly Disagree Prepare to share your answer and your justification to the class. 1. Language is an invention of groups of people in order to communicate effectively with each other in their local/particular community. Cite an example. 2. Language represents concepts that are particular to a specific culture. 3. Language represents the people, the culture, history, and heritage. 4. When we accept a language, we accept the culture. 5. Most language environments have words that are specialized and are used only in those environments. 6. Age does not really determine difference in language style. 7. The structure of language affects the way in which its respective speakers conceptualize their world or otherwise influences their cognitive processes.

8. New meanings are continually created as people change their ideas, feelings, and activities. 9. As people think, read, travel, make friends, and experience life, the associations and connections that words have for these people change. 10. Language determines how one thinks and processes information.

II. ABSTRACT

Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

Second language learning

If you look in a dictionary to find the meaning of the word "acquisition," you will find it defined as something like "the process of learning skills or getting knowledge." So, what then is "language acquisition" and how is language acquisition different from "language learning"?

Some theorists believe that there is a difference between learning and acquisition and that the difference is this: language learning is a conscious or intentional process which may involve studying the language, paying attention to grammar rules and possibly following a course of instruction. Language acquisition, on the other hand, is considered to be a natural process and involves "picking up" language in a nonconscious way through exposure to language, not by studying it.

Children "acquire" their first language and get to know its rules through exposure and by being exposed to examples of the language and by using it. This is part of the theory of "first language acquisition." "Second language acquisition" is the process, and the study of the process, by which people learn a language that is not their native language. This is fairly new field of study and there are still many questions to answer about how languages are learnt. However, teachers and theorists believe that we do learn a second language by "acquiring" or "picking up" language, but there are some important considerations for second language learners.

Second language learners acquire language through exposure to many different examples of the language, by reading it and by hearing it in their environment. W e listen and read and develop an understanding of language over a period of time before we eventually use it ourselves. The period, when learners are taking in language, processing it and perhaps silently practicing it, is known as the "silent period" and is thought to be an important state in language acquisition.

Once we use the language, it is important that there is an opportunity for interaction so we can use the language, to experiment, to make the language work in communication.

The final consideration is the need for a focus on form. Second language learners need to focus on the language, to analyze and identify it and practice it. Teachers and learners will also want to look at correcting mistakes so that learners can think about rules and exceptions to rules.

1. In your own words, differentiate language acquisition from language learning.

2. What theory of language learning is discussed in the text?

3. Does the theory avoid the teaching of grammar completely? Justify your answer.

In this lesson, it is important that you fully understand how we ended up adopting the MTB-MLE. It all began with the Lingua Franca Education Project (LFEP) where: • the Department of Education, Culture and Sports embarked on a pilot study called Lingua Franca Education Project in S Y 1999-2000 which was aimed to define and implement a national bridging program from the vernacularto Filipino, and later English to develop initial literacy for use in public schools. Through the bridging program, an alternative curriculum will be used in acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills with the local lingua franca as the language of instruction. • the pilot study involved two Grade 1 classes from each of the 16 regions. One was the experimental class and the other the control class. • two Grade 1 teachers from each of the experimental schools, together with the principal, underwent training before the pilot study. One teacher handled the Grade 1 experimental class while the other taught the alternate class. • The Lingua Franca used in the pilot study were as follows: Regions I, II, CAR - llocano Regions III, IV, V, VI, XII, ARMM, NCR - Tagalog Regions VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, CARAGA - Cebuano

Since the Lingua Franca Education Project (LFEP) DECS Memorandum No. 144 s.1999, Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Program is the most vital reform forthe country's basic education and school system as a whole.The lessons from the findings of various international and national studies on language used in education undertaken by UNESCO are one in affirming the benefits and relevance of MTB-MLE which are in conformity with the recommendations given by the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) to improve learning outcomes and promote Education for All (EFA).

As research shows, (Dutcher, 1994: Tucker, 1998; Klaus, 2001: Thomas, 2002; Dekker and Young, 2007; Durnnian, 2007; UNESCO, 2007 b; Dekker, Duquiang, 2008; Noorlander & Van, 2008), quality education occurs most effectively when the mother tongue, the learner's home language, is used for initial learning— ... the first language is the language of learning. It is by far the easiest way for children to interact with the world. And when the language of learning and the language of instruction do not match, learning difficulties are bound to follow (World Bank, 2006, page 4).

III. APPLY

MTB-MLE is a theoretically-based and well-planned educational program that provides a strong foundation for literacy using the learners developing cognitive skills and comprehension of academic content. Listed below are the "promises" of the MTB-MLE to its learners. • Literacy Prior Knowledge • Cognitive Development and Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) • Strong Bridge • Scaffolding • Teaching for Meaning and Accuracy • Confidence Building and Proficiency Development for Two or More Languages along the Macro Skills of Communication

You may have been learning about MTB-MLE and its value, but it is also important that early on, you are exposed to the problems and challenges that it has been facing these past years.

With a partner, your final task for this lesson is to interview an elementary teacher who has taught or is teaching Mother Tongue as a learning area. The interview may be done face-to-face or even a messaging/chat interview.