PRESENTATION ABSTRACT

PRESENTATION TITLE: PHILIPPINE LANGUAGE EDUCATION:

POLICIES AND PROSPECTS
DISCUSSANT: JOHNSON P. SUNGA
DATE OF PRESENTATION: OCTOBER 11, 2018
VENUE: CHIBA UNIVERSITY, JAPAN

Keywords: language education, programs and policies, English proficiency

Objectives:
A. Discuss the Philippine educational programs and policies from the period of
American rule to present;
B. Enumerate the legal bases of Philippine language education;
C. Describe how English language is taught in public elementary and secondary
schools in the Philippines;
D. Give an overview of the English curriculum under the K to 12 Basic Education
Program;
E. Discuss the pre-service and in-service trainings of language teachers in the
Philippines; and
F. Present local researches related to English language teaching.

Description/Outline:

The 40-minute presentation will revolve around Philippine educational programs

and policies focused on language teaching. Specifically, the discussion will highlight the
steps undertaken by the Philippine government, particularly the Department of Education,
to respond to the integration of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and Education for
All (EFA).

Language policies in the Philippines are embodied in Article XIV, Sec. 6 and 7 of
the 1987 Constitution. The Constitution provides that “the national language of the
Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the
basis of existing Philippine and other languages.” On the other hand, “for purposes of
communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and,
until otherwise provided by law, English.”

The discussion will also underscore English language instruction in the Philippine
basic education curriculum. It will give importance to how Filipinos use the English
language and how it is learned in schools. Likewise, the qualifications and preparations
of English language teachers will also be given details. It is necessary for Chiba University
in particular and the government of Japan in general to find out how teachers are trained
or prepared to teach the English language in consideration of their qualifications and their
teaching strategies.

The status of English language teaching and the general English language
curriculum in both the basic and higher education institutions will also be explained. At
present, stakeholders put premium on developing the English language competencies of
the Filipino learners and on strengthening their academic achievement across disciplines.
The implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) will also
be featured as an educational reform that aims to address the demands of the
international community and promote local culture.

The presentation will be divided into six major parts, namely (1) overview of the
Philippine language programs and policies; (2) English language education from
nineteenth century to Martial Law; (3) reforms in language education from Martial Law to
present; (4) K to 12 Basic Education Program; (5) pre-service and in-service training
programs of English language teachers/instructors; and (6) Philippine local language
researches focused on teaching strategies.