Because It's Buwan ng Wika...

...I would like to take the opportunity to write about using the Filipino language. I know it's September already; it's just that it took me days to think about this topic that's why it's only now that I was able to finally compose what I want to say. ;) Because we've just celebrated Buwan ng Wika last month, I would like to express my thoughts on teaching children to use their native language; in our case, the Filipino language.

Yes, I am promoting the use of the Filipino language and teaching children to use, study, and enjoy it.

You might ask why I am writing in English. The truth is that I find it more difficult  to write in Filipino than in English. And that is just so sad. And I bet you would also have a hard time reading this article had it been written in Filipino. ;) This is one of the reasons that I am convinced to advocate teaching the use of  the Filipino language as early as the preschool years. I was enrolled in a school that allowed us to use both Filipino and English, yet I am still not that well-conversed in Filipino. Let us admit it; we really do not know our very own language well. :(

I think it has been a common mentality here in the Philippines that if one speaks English, he/she is smart or intelligent. If one knows how to speak English, he/she will be respected. Being able to speak English, here in our country, is always an advantage. That is just okay, in my opinion. After all, English is spoken in many countries. What is just sad is when Filipinos esteem the English language more than our very own, Filipino. Many Filipinos become amazed when young children can speak English. Many parents prefer teaching their children to speak in English than having them communicate in Filipino. Children speaking English are thought of as 'smart,' 'sosyal,' and 'exceptional.'

For me, there's nothing wrong teaching children the English language since most of the subjects taught in schools here in our country utilize English, like Science and Mathematics. For me, children should learn BOTH English and Filipino. In the early years, though, I believe using the native language should be prioritized. Teach children English words. However, allow them to communicate in Filipino.

Why? Let me give some of the many reasons.

1. Children learn what is often emphasized. Try reading one story to a child over and over. He/she will soon master the story. The most common language used in the Philippines is still Filipino (whatever language/dialect it may be). Thus, Filipino children hear Filipino words more often than English ones. If children are taught to communicate in Filipino, they will develop better communication skills since Filipino is the language they are exposed to most of the time, in most places. Surely, children can narrate their experiences in Filipino more accurately than they can in English.

2. Children learn best in the context of their own environment. Learning experiences will be richer if they are in context. One of the many important learning experiences in early childhood is language experience. Children's language and communication skills, I believe, will be developed best through the use of their native language. Moreover, the Filipino language is rooted in the rich culture of our country. The Filipino language reflects Filipino values. Take for example the Filipino value of showing respect to older people. One of its expressions is saying "po" or "opo."

3. Children are teachable. Thus, what is taught in the early childhood years is very important. When schools begin to teach Filipino only in the grade school level, it becomes difficult for the children to grasp and learn it. What is pangngalan, panghalip, pang-uri, pandiwa, and pang-abay? Based on my experience in teaching grade school pupils, I always need to translate these parts of the speech in English for them to understand the concepts. FILIPINO children are having a hard time constructing sentences in Filipino! What an irony! On the other hand, when children master Filipino at a young age, it becomes easier for them to study it further. Teaching them English in grade school would not be difficult since it is  used in various subjects while Filipino is only taught and used in two subjects: Filipino and Sibika (Civics/Social Science). Correct me if I'm wrong; some schools even teach Civics instead of Sibika. :(

4. Children read well if they speak well. Speaking precedes reading. Children learn to speak before they learn to read. If Filipino children do not speak Filipino, how can they read Filipino literature with deep understanding? Also, children's comprehension skills are honed through reading. Sometimes I even ask myself, do English-speaking Filipino children really understand what is happening around them? Do they understand Filipino conversations and instructions given to them? I'm starting to doubt if they do.

I believe that English is as equally important as Filipino. What I'm trying to say is that we should let children embrace the Filipino language. Teach Filipino in the early childhood years. Let them learn it, enjoy it, and love it. Allow them to use it. Allow them to communicate in Filipino. Allow them to have richer and more meaningful experiences by allowing them to learn in the context of their environment.