CHAPTER 1

The K to 12 English Curriculum

LESSON 1:

The K to 12 English Curriculum Philosophy, Framework, and Rationale

Objectives

In this lesson, you will be able to:

 discuss the rationale of English education in the Philippines; and

 develop your own understanding of teaching English in the elementary grades.

Introduction

Republic Act 10533 entitled An Act Enhancing the Philippines Basic Education System by Strengthening
its Curriculum and Increasing the Number of Years for Basic Education, Appropriating Funds Therefor and
Other Purposes, also known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, firmly grounds the
implementation of the K to 12 Curriculum in the Philippines. With it, came several changes in the way
teaching and learning are done in the country. The teaching of English is no exception. The curriculum is
an embodiment of how the nation wishes to address its needs and achieve its aspirations through its
people. In this lesson, you will learn about the K to 12 English curriculum framework, the philosophy
behind it, and its rationale.

THINK: The K to 12 Curriculum for English

What made human civilization possible is language. As a tool, we use it to express complex and abstract
ideas in order for us to cooperate, create ideas, and preserve them. The K to 12 English Curriculum or
the Language Arts and Multiliteracies Curriculum views language as the "primary instrument of
thought," which we use to bring our ideas into the world around us and make meaning out of the human
experience.

Rules of a language refer to the principles that govern word formation, syntax, pronunciation, and
several other features of the language. It may also refer to the grammar or the so called "correct" or
conventional forms of the language. These conventions facilitate the way language users construct
meaningful utterances to convey ideas. These rules differ from one language to another as they are
defined by the people using the language, at the same time how the conventions change over time.
However, leaners of a second language need to familiarize themselves with these conventions for them
to converse in the language in meaningful ways.

As language is used by people to convey everyday ideas, it also carries with it the culture of the people
using it. Guessabi (2017) points out that "culture is a language itself." As such, meanings of a particular
language carry with it the meaning that refers to more than the language, but also to the culture that
uses that language. Learning a language therefore is not only to read, speak, and write in another
language, but to learn of another culture. This understanding of language also consequently comes with
the understanding of society. Through interaction with members of the society, language evolves and
becomes richer. Learning another language enables one to take part as a member of a larger speech
community, creating a bigger world for the learner. Such understanding in turn makes one understand
ones' self and establishes personal identity, wherein one can have a better grasp of one's role in the
community and in the larger society.

This view establishes language as the "foundation of human relationships" from which we draw meaning
in life. The K to 12 English Curriculum recognizes this power of language as to make people come
together. Learning a language establishes an understanding of the users of the language, opening the
bigger world for the leaners. Furthermore, greater understanding of the language also enables the
learners to be a functional contributor to the development of the community to which he or she
belongs.

The following principles guide the K to 12 English Curriculum:

 All languages are interrelated and independent.

 Language acquisition and learning is an active process that begins at birth and continues
throughout life.
 Learning requires meaning.
  Learners learn about language and how to use it effectively through their
 engagement with and study of texts.
 Successful language learning involves viewing, listening, reading, and writing activities.
 Language learning involves recognizing, accepting, valuing, and building on learners' existing
language competence, including the use of nonstandard forms of the language, and extending
the range of language available to learners'

LESSON 2:

The Learners in the Eyes of the K to 12 Curriculum

Objectives:

 In this lesson, you will be able to

 describe the characteristics of the target learners of the K to 12 Curriculum and
 reflect on the ways the learners could be taught in the K to 12 Curriculum:

Introduction

We live in the so-called "digital age" where technology is a part of our everyday lives. From the moment
we wake up in morning until we go to bed at night, we are surrounded by our computers, mobile
phones, and many other forms of technology. It is hard to imagine life nowadays without our trusted
electronics with us. Our modern society has been brought about the digital revolution that started
between the 1950s to the 1970s as digital computers and other electronic media proliferated, and began
to permeate the lives of people.

As technology began to become a bigger part of our lives, more and more of our learners are exposed to
technology. It comes as no surprise that learners nowadays are able to adapt to technology easier than
ever before. Therefore, the K to 12 Curriculum takes into account the learner born in such a world. In
order to become a better teacher to these learners, we need to understand them and the world they live
in.

young age and are having a greater understanding of their basic concepts. From here stems one of the
more pressing problems in education in our time. More and more digital natives flock our classrooms run
by digital immigrants, those who were born before the digital technologies have become mainstream to
the public

THINK: Types of Learners in the K to 12 Curriculum

The term "Generation Z" was popularized by William Strauss and Nell Howe in their book Generations
published in September 1992. The term describes a cohort of people born after the year 1997. Learners
born in this generation are generally described as to have used technology and social media at a very
young age. They are comfortable in using these technologies compared with most of the members of
other generations. They can easily use emails, send text messages, and event adapt to new and
emerging technologies with little to no difficulty. Marc Wensky (2001) calls them "digital natives" who
have been exposed to technologies at a very young age and are having a greater understanding of their
basic concepts. From here stems one of the more pressing problems in education in our time. More and
more digital natives flock our classrooms run by digital immigrants, those who were born before the
digital technologies have become mainstream to the public

As these Generation Z learners are more comfortable with the use of technology in their everyday lives,
they have adapted some practices and mindsets of their own. These types of learners mostly think in a
nonlinear way, preferring to take on tasks on their own. They can also be multiprocessing and
multitasking, and taking on several tasks or activities at once. However, these multitasking practices may
have led to some bad habits to learners, including but not limited to shortened attention span and lack
of complete focus to tasks. This means they may be able to process complex information but not for a
very long time

A classroom can also have a multitude of learners. They can have very different backgrounds, interests,
preconceptions, and perspectives with them They can have very different styles of engagement and may
have different takes on the tasks assigned to them. Teachers in the modern age need to accede to the
challenge of addressing these in their practice. Bernice McCarthy proposes a model that describes four
types of learners that teachers may encounter in the classroom:
Type 2 learner is the analytical learner. They prefer to reflect and to think. They are knowledge-
oriented, pondering over concepts and acquiring facts They have a knack for analyzing and organizing
experiences into concepts and useful information. They would prefer to be left alone to their own
devices as they objectively look though solving problems in a systematic manner. They would often find
it difficult to work with large groups or talk about their feelings. They favor quiet environment to
accomplish tasks.

Type 3 learner is referred to as the common-sense learner. They prefer to think and learn by doing. The
like to get their hands dirty," and dive into problems head-on. As active problem-solvers, they love to
manipulate stuff, experiment ways of doing things, and share these through demonstrations. They often
have difficulty in verbal complexities and other abstract concepts that they cannot manipulate.

The last type, Type 4, is called the dynamic learner. They tend to favor creating and acting as their way
to learn. They do not simply like to learn for the sake of learning, but rather find meaning in the
experiences they have. They often look for creative ways to tackle problems through trial and error and
they believe they can influence what happens

Many more literatures have made cases to other learning styles and types of learners. What we need to
understand is that there are as diverse and varied learners as there are learners. Adapting to these
learners is one of the challenges teachers in the modern age is having."

LESSON 3:

Goals of the K to 12 Curriculum

Objectives:

 In this lesson, you will be able to:

 explain the major goals of the K to 12 English Curriculum;
 analyze the curricular goals; and
 identify strategies in order to attain the curricular goals

Introduction

The primary goal of teaching is to ensure that knowledge is passed on to the next generation of humans.
Primarily, it is a reflection of what we value as a species. We teach our learners the skills and knowledge
needed to function in our society As we progress as a species, our means to communicate becomes
more complex and thus, require more and more complex sets of skills

The challenge most teachers of language is facing is how to ensure that communication skills are taught
to learners. Teachers in the early grades are perhaps more burdened with this task as learners in this
level are in the formative years in their lives. In this lesson, we shall look into the goals of language
education of the K to 12 Curriculum and its perception of how competence could be taught.

THINK: The K to 12 English Curriculum and its Desired Outcome

As a language curriculum, the K to 12 English Curriculum focuses on more than just instilling the
capacities to use language to the learners. Beyond teaching the conventions, principles, or skills, it also
looks into the needs of the learners of the language. Being a learner-centered curriculum, it aims to
create learners with skills in

1. interpersonal communication:

2. understanding and learning content from other learning areas and

3. academic independence.

in order to attain this, the curriculum focuses on two major concepts, communicative competence and
multiliteracies.

Learning a language is more than just simply having the knowledge of the language's grammar, syntax,
morphology, phonology, and lexicon among others. Oftentimes, when language teachers are asked what
their goal in teaching is, their common response is to impart the aforementioned skills to the learners.
This in itself is not wrong. Understanding what makes the language work and how to properly construct
utterances is an important step in learning. However, when learners are asked what their goal is in
learning a language, one would hear them say "to communicate in that language? This here is perhaps
the most important aspect of teaching and learning a language. Learners would want to learn a language
in order to communicate to a larger audience in this medium. This competence is called communicative
competence, coined by Dell Hymes in 1966. This does not only give emphasis to the competence of the
learner in the grammar and rules of the language, but also to the social knowledge of the use of these
rules in communication

Communicative competence is composed of several other competencies stipulated in the

communicative competence framework from the work of Canale and Swain in 1980.

Grammatical/Linguistic Competence. In order to meaningfully communicate in a particular language,

one must be able to understand the rules of the language. Grammatical or linguistic competence refers
to one's understanding of the rules of language. This refers to grammar, lexicon, phonology (sounds
created to make words), morphology (creation of smallest units of meaning), and syntax (combination of
words and phrases to form sentences), among others. This is commonly the focus of many basic
language classes whose main goal is to teach these skills to learners

Sociolinguistic Competence. As a language speaker, one can understand that it is not enough to simply
have the understanding of the grammatical rules and structure of language. To be a more effective
communicator, one has to have knowledge of the sociocultural use of language. Sociolinguistic
competence refers to the knowledge of the appropriateness of the language to be used in particular
situations (formal, friendly, courteous, sarcastic, etc.), and the appropriate responses to these situations.
Knowing what the taboos are, what is rude or what is polite, must be taken into account as one engages
in communication.

Discourse Competence. Being able to comprehend and produce oral and/or written texts in various
modes of communication (speaking/listening and reading/ writing) is the focus of discourse
competence. This means that one must be able to combine and organize words, phrases, and sentences
in order to create

conversations, talks, speeches, literature, text messages, emails articles and other forms of
communication. This skill enables the communicator to become more eloquent in his/her engagement in
the use of language.

Strategic Competence. There will be times when the line of communication would breakdown. This
could be caused by a number of factors including distractions, background noise, and interruptions
among others. An effective communicator would be able to determine these breakdowns before, during,
or even after they occur in the situation Strategic competence enables a speaker to keep the
communication channel open through the use of various strategies including requests for clarification,
repetition, slowing down of speech, or the use of hard or facial gestures.

Communicative Competence Theory (Canale and Swain, 1980)

Language teaching in the K to 12 Curriculum does not only focus on the development of communicative
competence, but also on the improvement of multiliteracy in the learners. Multiliteracy is a term coined
in the 1990s by the New London Group, referring to an approach to literacy pedagogy. This is in response
to the ever-growing paradigm shift of the education, encompassing multiple channels of communication
and media, and the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity. The approach takes in to account multiple
modalities to enable learners to learn and understand from a variety of sources. As the 21st Century
learner is bombarded with a lot of information from a plethora of sources, the idea becomes more
relevant today.

LESSON 4:

THINK: Components of the Language Arts and Multiliteracies Curriculum

Let us have another look at the framework of the K to 12 English Curriculum:

Components of the K to 12 English Curriculum

Objectives:

 In this lesson, you will be able to:

 COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE and MATUTERACIES
 enumerate the components of the K to 12 English Curriculum:
 explain how each of these components to the overall framework of the curriculum; and
 analyze each of the components' implementation in the curriculum.

Introduction

The K to 12 English Curriculum framework has described the major elements that contribute to the
learning of language. It coherently stipulates how these elements work together to ensure that the
curriculum ultimately attains it goal. As teachers, we need to understand these components if we are to
become efficient in instilling these skills to our learners, and ultimately make meaning through language.

THINK: Components of the Language Arts and Multiliteracies Curriculum

Let us have another look at the framework of the K to 12 English Curriculum:

Components of the K to 12 English Curriculum

Notice that at the core of the framework is making meaning through language which highlights the main
goal of the curriculum. In a world where knowledge and information could be acquired though a simple
click or tap of a button. The attainment of this ultimate goal comes by the harmonious interaction of the
following components:

1. Language learning process

2. Effective language use

3 Making meaning through language

4. Holistic assessment

Language Learning Process

Understanding of the language learning process is important in order for teachers to teach language to
young learners. The following principles espoused by the K to 12 English Curriculum guide this language
learning process:

1. Spiral progression. Based on the work of Bruner (1960) on the spiral curriculum following the
hypothesis that even complex topics can be taught to learners at any stage of development
when structures are presented in an organized manner. Key features of this approach include:
the student revisits a topic, theme, or subject several times throughout their school career,

b. the complexity of the topic or theme increases with each revisit, and new learning has a relationship
with old learning and is put in context with the old information,

2. Interaction. As language is used in various forms of communication (oral and written), activities
promoting interaction among learners solidifies concepts learned. These could be more effective when
activities are framed to emulate real-life situations with real-life language demands such as purpose,
topics, and audiences, which place the learners in communicative situations using authentic socialization
skills.

3. Integration. Creating authentic class activities in the teaching of language skills could be more
effective if they are integrated with other skills and values. Furthermore, integrating language lessons
with other concepts from other learning areas and discipline also help learners in creating meaning.

4. Learner-centeredness. As the curriculum focuses on the learner, teachers would be able to

engage them with the use of differentiated Instruction. This should be based on the learners' needs,
skills, abilities, and interests.

5. Contextualization. As mentioned, language learning is more effective if activities are designed

around the appropriate contexts. Lessons could be planned around learning outcomes, themes, or an
appropriate text. Context makes learners think about language use to suit the audience. the situation,
culture, or purpose.

6. Construction. As the core of the curriculum is meaning-making, learning tasks and activities
designed around self-reflection, critical thinking, and creation should take place in language lessons.

Effective Language Use.

Applications of the language macro skills focus on understanding cultures understanding language, and
processes and strategies. The use of language under these areas describe how the language learners
could demonstrate their skills.

1. Understanding cultures. Learning another language gives one another perspective of the world. One
gets to view the things around from the lens of another culture through literature and communication.
As such, sociolinguistic skill, the ability to use language appropriately, is one of the main focus of the
curriculum. This could be expressed in the learners capacity to apply language in a plethora of complex
social situations, and to aptly respond to these situations using varied strategies including verbal and
nonverbal means.

2. Understanding language. In order to create meaning, learners need to understand the intricacies of
the language. This involves understanding of how words are formed, the structure of sentences, and
how the little nuances in language use, accompanied by nonverbal gestures contribute to meaning.
Learners can also use their understanding of their mother tongue in order to learn a new language.

3. Process and strategies. As learner get to be exposed to the more opportunities to use language. they
get use a number of processes and strategies to adapt to situations depending to audience, context, and
purpose. They may come up with novel ways to solve problems and adjust to difficulties. They may
experiment on various ways to find. answers such as asking questions, reading, or searching the internet.
They may engage in discussions and brainstorming with others through conversations or technologies
like chat or SMS. They may then use strategies to assess the validity of the information they get, and
evaluate how this information could be useful in their endeavors. They could then combine and
synthesize the information and present them in a multitude of ways like graphic organizers, charts, or
even essays to get their ideas into the world
Making Meaning through Language

As language is the major tool for communication, teachers should ensure that activities presented to
learners should engage them to use language in varied purposes and topics. As such, every opportunity
must be given to the learners to use language in contexts, in which they could practice developing their
own understanding and sharing them with others using the five sub-strands of the curriculum namely
listening, reading, speaking, writing, and viewing.