Ronald Lord DG. Rodriguez Jr.

BSE – 1

Multilingualism

Definition
Multilingualism is the ability of an individual speaker or a community of speakers to
communicate effectively in three or more languages. Contrast with monolingualism, the
ability to use only one language. A person who can speak multiple languages is known
as a polyglot or a multilingual.
Types
Bilingual: Being able to speak two languages: your native one plus another one.
Trilingual: Being able to speak three languages: your native one plus two additional
ones. Polyglot: Being able to speak multiple languages, though the number is not
always specified.
Benefits Of Multilingualism
1. You have more career prospects available to you because of multilingualism.
When you can speak multiple languages, then your value as an employee increases
exponentially with each new language that you learn. In San Francisco, over 50% of the
families who are looking for a nanny want to hire someone who is fluent in a language
other than their own – and that doesn’t always mean it is Spanish. The idea is that when
children are exposed to multiple languages from birth, then they are simply learning two
first languages instead of a primary and then secondary option.
Exposing children early on to new languages gives them a head start in their future
career. If you can learn even one new language, then you can earn up to 15% more in
salary for the average position. Each additional language that you know can raise that
level by another 10%.
2. It creates an opportunity for early diversity.
Ask the average child what they care most about in life and it won’t be cultural issues,
political debates, or the status of immigration or religion. Kids want to spend their time
playing video games, making friends, being challenged at school, and having fun
whenever they can. Having access to a multilingual education provides an opportunity
to celebrate the diversity found in human cultures.

Multilingualism is a chance to learn from differences instead of being scared of them.

When we take the time to learn about different cultures and ethnicities, then the
diversity this education provides offers added strength and self-confidence to the
individual. People have a better sense of knowing where they fit in society when they
have access to the bigger picture.
3. Multilingualism improves a person’s working memory.
A multilingual education works to improve the working memory of the individual learning
multiple secondary languages. This improvement provides for better information
processing capabilities when there is exposure to new audio stimuli, ideas, concepts
and real-life experiences. At the same time, individuals who pursue a multilingual
educational opportunity experience lower levels of fear and anxiety while being less
likely to experience a mental health disorder.
People who can speak multiple languages also tend to have more friends when
compared to single-language students, despite the isolative qualities that some students
can experience in their communities. When you can communicate with more people
fluently, then there is a corresponding rise in the number of conversations that can
eventually lead to a friendship forming.
4. Learning one new language makes it easier to learn more.
Once a second language has been learned and a student can officially call themselves
“bilingual,” it becomes much easier for that person to learn a third language, and then a
fourth, and so on. Each additional language that an individual can pick up with fluency
will makes it that much easier to start speaking another language quickly. Bilingual
education opportunities encourage brain growth, trigger student concentration, and
reduces the amount of time required to transition between task switches.
People who can speak more than one language are up to 10% more productive than
someone who is monolingual. Multilingualism also promotes “super-tasking,” which is a
form of multitasking that allows people to switch from task-to-task without delays. Only
2% of the population has this capability. With this ability required when you are trilingual
or beyond, you can become a tremendous asset for a future employer or in the growth
of your own business opportunity.
5. Being multilingual allows for individual wisdom to develop.
Although there are numerous definitions for wisdom, people develop this trait because
of their personal life experiences. People who are described as being “old souls” have
extensive experiences that are unique compared to the “average” person in society.
When you have the opportunity to pursue multilingualism, then you can access more
personal experiences through the lens of different cultures. Your fluency can make it
possible to study overseas, hold conversations with different community groups, or even
watch different television challenges.
Learning about different cultures is essential to the educational process, but the benefits
of experiencing them personally are far greater. When an individual has access to
greater wisdom when making decisions, then they can better process the difference
between right and wrong in their lives. That makes it a lot easier to keep choosing the
proper path to take.
6. You can travel with more convenience because you understand what others are
saying.
Although one of the disadvantages of speaking multiple languages is an almost
constant need to prove your nationality, being multilingual makes it a lot easier to travel
around the world. You might be asked to speak in your home language or offer your
passport as evidence when making your way through customs, but the benefits here
almost always outweigh the negatives. Knowing what you are ordering at a restaurant,
asking for directions to a specific destination, or requesting a recommendation are all
much easier when you can speak the local language instead of trying to use Google
Translate.

7. The brain benefits from multiple positive cognitive benefits.

When you are multilingual, then it is not only your working memory that improves as you
pursue each new secondary language. Your overall attention span improves when
compared to those who can only speak one language. There is even a lower risk of
experiencing a stroke if you can speak at least two languages instead of being
monolingual. This advantage can occur very early in life as well, with children as young
as 7 months having the capacity to adjust to changes in their environment better. Adults
who speak multiple languages also experience less overall cognitive decline during the
natural aging process.
8. There are several health benefits linked to being multilingual.
You will discover that there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that
multilingualism creates numerous positive impacts on the overall health of your brain.
Even speaking one additional language can help you to reduce the onset of dementia.
There are lower risks of experiencing Alzheimer’s disease if you speak multiple
languages too. Multilingualism will also improve your stroke recovery time, reduce your
overall stress levels, and it can reduce anxiety because you’re naturally open to more
ideas.
9. People who are multilingual are more open-minded than monolingual individuals.
Charlemagne once made the observation that “to speak another language is to hold a
second soul in your possession.” When you have the ability to pursue multilingualism,
then you are getting to perceive the world in a different way. Each language allows you
to access a culture that might have a different take on an idea under debate. Some
people who are trilingual or above say that their fluency in multiple languages
sometimes makes it feel like they are trying to juggle multiple personalities.
10. You can teach the benefits of multilingualism to the next generation.
If you know how to speak multiple languages, then you can pass this trait onto your
children with relative ease. All that you need to do is speak all of the languages at home
regularly. Your children will understand language instructions from an early age, even
before they can start to read individual words. Giving them this natural ability from the
onset of their childhood means that your efforts to learn something new can transition to
multiple generations down the line if your kids continue the practice.
11. You’re not in the minority any more.
Some people decide that multilingualism is not for them because it would make them
feel different in their community. One of the biggest misconceptions about language
fluency is that it is a rare phenomenon to be bilingual, much less trilingual. Over half of
the world’s population speaks at least two different languages regularly every day. Many
countries consider bilingualism to be the norm and may even require a third (or more)
language to be learned as part of the schooling process. Everyone who wants to learn a
new language should have the opportunity to do so.
Multilingualism in Philippines
THE Republic of the Philippines is composed of some 7,107 islands. Perhaps owing to
our geographic and island locations, we Filipinos may also be grouped into ethno-
linguistic or culture and language groups.
In its Ethnologue, the Summer Institute of Linguistics or SIL has identified 182 living
languages in the Philippines, around 58 of which have orthographies and spelling rules.
(The SIL is a key player in the development of orthographies of many languages in the
Philippines, primarily for Bible translation.)
The Commission on the National Language or Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino recently
released a language count of 130. Because of this, it is said that the Philippines can be
counted as among the top 10 linguistically diverse countries in the world.
Because of its history of colonization and development as a nation, the Philippines also
now includes in its linguistic landscape Chinese, Spanish, English, Japanese and other
foreign languages. To this day, Spanish and English continue to impact how Filipinos
write or spell their own languages.
The Philippine Commonwealth Constitution of 1935 recognized English and Spanish as
official languages. Then Commonwealth Act No. 184 created an Institute of National
Language, which chose Tagalog as basis for the national language. President Manuel
Luis Quezon proclaimed Tagalog as the core of the national language in 1937. (FAQs
on the National Language, Almario, 2014) Tagalog is the language of the Filipinos
clustered around Manila on the island of Luzon. Manila has always been the national
capital.
To be more inclusive, the national language was later called Pilipino and then Filipino.
The current 1987 Philippine Constitution identifies Filipino as the official language in the
country, and English, unless otherwise provided by law.
Specifically, Section 6, Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution of 1987 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.”
During her term of office, former President Corazon Aquino issued Executive Order 335
sustaining “the use of Filipino as the medium of official communication.” In May 2003,
former president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, issued Executive Order No. 210, decreeing
English as the monolingual language of instruction. Current Philippine president Noynoy
Aquino has been speaking to the public in Filipino. The national language in the
Philippines continues to be an intense political issue.
The medium of instruction in Philippine schools has been changing and vacillating from
Spanish to English to Tagalog to English to Pilipino and English to English and Filipino.
At one point, the Philippine government implemented a bilingual policy.
Educational reforms
To keep up with the demands of internationalization and globalization, the Philippine
government has recently introduced reforms to the educational system.
In July 2012, Republic Act 10-53-3 was signed into law. The law is titled:
AN ACT ENHANCING THE PHILIPPINE BASIC EDUCATION SYSTEM BY
STRENGTHENING ITS CURRICULUM AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF YEARS
FOR BASIC EDUCATION, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.
Among the specific provisions of the law are strengthening early childhood education by
requiring universal kindergarten. It also requires an additional two years in high school.
This is why the reform program is simply called K-12 (K-to-12).
To implement the law and to ensure proficiency in language, the Department of
Education put out DepEd Order 31, Series of 2012, which stipulates the use of the
many mother tongues in the country as media of instruction, and as subjects in
Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3.
The Commission on the National Language believes recognizing the many native
sounds in the Philippines and enshrining these in the National Orthography is a
necessary step towards allowing the smaller local languages to contribute unique
concepts into, and thus enriching, the national language.
The Commission on the Filipino Language is trying to exercise political will in
implementing the new National Orthography.
An ideal situation in the country should be that if several culture groups have the same
word for something, then all four should have the same spelling for that word, and that
such spelling should be similar to the rules in Filipino. In the first place, such mother
tongues are Philippine languages, not foreign languages.
Another ideal situation is that any child should be able to read another Philippine
language and, of course, Filipino.
And the end goal should be that children will keep wanting to learn after they know how
to read and write in their own mother languages
Selecting a Medium of Instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official
language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different
from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of
schooling. Bilingual or multilingual education may involve the use of more than one
language of instruction.
UNESCO considers that “providing education in a child’s mother tongue is indeed a
critical issue”. In Philippines, the learner’s first language should be the primary medium
of instruction at least until grade three. In the secondary education, Filipino and English
are primary medium of instruction. The Thomasites is a group of about five hundred
pioneer American teachers sent by the U.S. government to the Philippines in August
1901.The Thomasites arrived in the Philippines on August 12, 1901 to establish a new
public school system, to teach basic education and to train Filipino teachers with
English as the medium of instruction. However, the Thomasites expanded and improved
the public school system, and switched to English as the medium of instruction.
Learning begins with teachers, and empowered teachers and school heads are at the
heart of genuine education reform. It is not enough that our teachers just go along for
the ride in our drive toward quality education. They must lead the way in preparing our
children and young people for lifelong learning. But what are the medium of instruction
that teacher must used in the teaching process? There is constant debate over which
language should be use in educating Filipinos: English, Tagalog, or local dialects. The
use of English for teaching math and science as well as English language and literature
subjects has endured for many years; however they said that Using English in public
schools is a violation of the Philippine constitution. It also deteriorates the education
system in the Philippines and puts the poorer students at a disadvantage. Requiring its
use, schools ironically determine the students’ abilities to learn the language. The use of
English alienates students from their cultural heritage, impairs their emotional security
and self-worth, and results in inferiority complex among lower-class children who are
stigmatized for using the native tongue. Despite a number of studies confirming that
learning is faster using the native language, government officials are still pushing for the
adoption of English as a medium on instruction (MOI) in Philippine schools.
Well-known educators, writers and national artists signed a petition asking the
Philippine Supreme Court to block Executive Order No. 210, which requires the use of
English as the medium of instruction in Philippine public schools. According to the
petitioners, the use of Filipino and other regional languages to teach the students would
help them learn better. However, If we remove English as a medium of instruction in our
schools, it is a certainty that the lower-income students will never learn to speak English
well. The children of the well-to-do will find alternative means of education and of being
exposed to English in their daily lives at home, with their peers, through television and
video programs, etc. Then we shall worsen the inequity in economic opportunities
because there is no doubt that those who are fluent in English in this shrinking world of
Internet and free trade will have wider employment and entrepreneurial
opportunities.but When President Arroyo was asked about the legality of her new
medium of instruction policy,she said that “After all, the Constitution specifies that the
use of Filipino as language of instruction is subject to provisions of the law and as the
Congress may deem appropriate. Therefore, until Congress enacts a law mandating
Filipino as the language of instruction” she could give the order to make English the
“primary medium of instruction.” Former Undersecretary of Education Isagani R. Cruz
has this to say about the debate:In reality, however, despite the Constitution, the
presidential order, and the Department orders, there is only one language of instruction
in practically all classrooms in the country. It is Taglish, a non-language that is variously
labeled as code-switching, pidgin, or a lingua franca, featuring a still-un systematized
mixture of Tagalog, English, and vernacular languages of various regions. However
Gullas said that learning of the English language suffered a setback when the BEP was
introduced in 1974. “The use of Filipino as a medium of instruction in the subjects
mentioned earlier has limited the exposure of the learner to English, and since exposure
is basic to language learning, mastery of the language is not attained.”Studies in
country after country bear this out. Teaching in an official school language that is not the
mother tongue is a major barrier in the child’s learning.
In the Philippines, the experiment was conducted in Kalinga, where teachers use
Kalinga to teach children from Grades 1 to 3 to read and write. It is also the medium of
instruction for teaching other subjects, including Filipino and English.Out of the 10
districts in the Kalinga division, the Lubuagan district topped the 2006 national
achievement test Grade 3 reading test for both English and Filipino, with mean scores
of 76.55% and 76.45 respectively, which indicates mastery. The Tinglayan district came
in a far second registered only 63.89% and 53.58%. The Gullas bill has very good
intentions. But, as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Learning to speak and write in English in this age of globalization is necessary
especially if we would like to be able to compete in the knowledge-based world. Such
training can best be done in a classroom but the medium of instruction is the problem in
the Philippine education