Proem

Friday, January 4, 2008, the Philippine Daily Inquirer has this article in page 2, "GMA orders master plan for education."

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus cited the following problems, a) Poor command of English, b) Interior quality of teachers, c) Underinvestment in education, etc.

Wrong Plan

The overall plan is to emphasize the teaching of English and retrain the teachers in order to have a good command in English.

This is a good objective but the error is in the strategy of implementation. The English language will be imposed over the mother language of the pupil. In other words the mother language of the pupil could not develop and could not be used to earn a degree in college.

Since the mother language is the language of culture and tradition, the child will grow up without understanding who or what he is. He would have no cultural identity and the English language will be affected because whether you like it or not the native language and grammar will encroach upon English. The plan of English over mother language produces confused individuals.

Correct Plan

The correct strategy should be both English and mother language vertically parallel. You teach English from Grade I to College or Post Graduate School. At the same time teach also the mother language of the child from Grade I to College or Post Graduate School.

In college, give the student an option whether he will obtain his degree in nursing, engineering, commerce, etc., using the English or his mother language. Develop the mother language by translating foreign textbooks into our mother language.

In all Asia, only the Philippines and Bangladesh uses English over the mother language.

Both of these countries are at the bottom of the educational ladder - Bangladesh is last and Philippines is 2nd to the last.

The Japanese can earn their academic degree either in the Japanese language or the English language. The Vietnamese are fast catching up because they are using the vertically parallel language concept. The Thais, the Indonesians, etc. are now leaving behind the Philippines because we still continue the colonial concept of neglecting the mother language of the child.

The strategy in teaching should be, when using English speak it according to the English grammar. When using the mother language, speak it according to the grammar of the mother language. The two grammars should be studied properly so that they will not be mixed.

When we studied Spanish in college, everybody could identify the Spanish grammar and the English grammar. But since the grammar of the Sugboanon Bisaya was not taught, it was assumed that it would follow the Enlish grammar. But alack and alas! The Bisayan grammar is always opposite the English grammar. The result of its neglect is a disaster in the English grammar.

After teaching Sugboanon literature and grammar in colleges in its pure from for ten years now, I discovered that those who are good in English are the ones who are good in Bisaya and vice versa. If your Bisayan language is bad, your English will also be bad.