Mother Tongue and K-

12 Curriculum Content
and Pedagogy
 K-12 Basic Education Program
The implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education
Program is considered be one of the most significant
educational reforms in the country. It introduces program
and projects that aims to expand and improve the delivery
of basic education in the country. It seeks to provide
Filipino learners with the necessary skills and competence
to prepare them to take on the challenges of the 21st
century. It will make the basic education system in the
Philippines at par with international standards by ensuring
One of the changes in the basic curriculum of education
brought about by the new K + 12 program is the
introduction of Mother Tongue – based Multilingual
Education. It will be implemented specifically to
kindergarten, grades 1, 2 and 3. Mother Tongue refers to
“first-language-first” education that is, schooling which
begins in the mother tongue and transitions to additional
languages particularly Filipino and English. It is meant to
address the high functional illiteracy of Filipinos where
language plays a significant factor. Since the child’s own
language enables her/ him to express him/herself easily,
It encourages active participation by children in the
learning process because they understand what is
being discussed and what is being asked of them.
They can immediately use their mother tongue to
construct and explain their world, articulate their
thoughts and add new concepts to what they already
know.
 PURPOSE OF MOTHER TONGUE-
BASED EDUCATION
Reasons why the Mother Tongue should
be used in primary schools
There are many reasons why it is so important
to support the continued learning of the home
language or mother tongue. As Clarke (2009)
puts it: A strong first language supports the
development of a positive self-concept, helps
to strengthen the existing relationships within
the family and provides the opportunity to
continue cognitive development while learning
other languages as a second language.
In supporting the first language it is needed: respecting and
supporting the home language, planning base on the
development of knowledge of language, creating an
environment to support natural language learning, observing
children talking, finding out what they know in using
language, establishing a supportive environment,
understanding and appreciating the home literacy and helping
MTB-MLE help learners build a ‘good bridge’ when
the teachers introduce other languages in oral through a
meaningful and non-threatening activities, introduce
writing and reading other language by building on what
they have learned about the oral teaching of language
and their foundation in the first language literacy
because reading is like a bicycle, we only need to learn
once, and lastly, build fluency and confidence in using
oral and written language for everyday communication
and for academic learning.
TARGET LEARNERS OF MOTHER
TONGUE-BASED EDUCATION
Basically, MTB-MLE targets students who are
having a difficulty in understanding other
languages rather than their own language which is
their first language. Most of these students are
primarily entering kindergarten and first three
years of grade school. It’s very common that
children will lack interest in going to school once
they didn’t understand their lessons at school.
Since, their parents are from different places
around the country or around the world, it’s
expected them to speak and understand what
they learn from their parents. Not all students
can understand English or other languages. At
the start of classes, many will have a hard time
in coping up with the lessons since they’re
having a difficulty in understanding what the
teachers are saying.
MTB-MLE aims to produce learners who are:
Multi-literate – they can read and write competently in
the local language, the national language, and one or
more languages of wider communication, such as
English;
Multi-lingual – they can use these languages in
various situations;
Multi-cultural – they can live and work harmoniously
with people of culture backgrounds that are different
 EFFECTS OF MOTHER TONGUE-
BASED EDUCATION TO STUDENTS
Advantages
In Mother Tongue-based Multilingual Education, students are
taught over a period of time in their native language and English
is treated as a second language, taught side by side and only
when the student is believed to have attained proficiency in
native language, so that he can master English easily.
Technically and simply speaking, multilingual education is any
educational system that favors education in more than one
language. According to its proponents, the most important
benefit of this system is that a student, who is from a non-
English speaking background, can easily learn English, owing to
his language development, in his native language as well as in
And isn't it good to be proficient in various
languages? What problem does it create if a
student is well conversant in English and in his
mother tongue? Besides that, a child who is
exposed to multiple languages will be able to
develop a better sense of appreciating various
cultures and understanding societies. After all,
now we're living in a global world and so being
multilingual is always an asset in firms and
business works.
Added to these advantages the child can easily use
his native language in groups and he won't feel
ashamed of it. In case, he is just aware of one
language, he may face problems of hesitation in
expressing himself. Its beautiful form of education
as the minority speakers can learn English even
while being able to strengthen their cultural bonds
by being proficient in their mother tongue.
(Pandey)
Disadvantages
Unavailability of Teachers
Multilingual education requires a number of trained
teachers who are proficient in both English and
their native language, assuming that English is one
of the mediums of instruction. There is a wide gap
between the demand and the supply for teachers,
who are both confident and capable of handing the
intense pressure associated with managing a class
of students requiring special attention.
● Lack of Classrooms
There is a dearth of classrooms that can
accommodate students, who require instructions in
both English and their native language. Students are
expected to sit together in one class regardless of
their age and the variations in the required level of
education. This poses a great problem for teachers,
who, in addition to being well versed in two
languages, have to exhibit a certain level of comfort
in handling different levels of education,
● Lack of Funds
The mentioned issues bring us to the tip of the
problem: lack of funds to promote multilingual
education.
● Bilingual Education Is Costly
Education becomes unobtainable, when a language
that is not dominant in nature is to be taught. The
scenario becomes economically feasible, when
multiple languages commonly used, are taught. An
education system ought to be aware that the noble sap
of education and literacy lies in understanding the
language in which knowledge is imparted. The
content and context of the subject becomes oblivious,
if the student is not well acquainted with the language
Currently, there are twelve (12) major
languages of lingua franca that shall be
language of instruction. The major
languages are
Tagalog 5. Bikol 9. Tausug
Kapampangan 6. Cebuano 10.
Maguindanaoan
Pangasinense 7. Hiligaynon 11. Maranao
Iloko 8. Waray 12. Chabacano
Source: Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) in the
Philippines
Dr. Dina S. Ocammpo -Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Department
of Education March 2, 2017

Working orthographies of 19 languages were made as DepEd worked

in partnership with the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF)

Hiligaynon 9. Akianon 17. Waray

Meranao 10. Sinugbuanong Binisaya 18. Kinaray-a
Ivatan 11. Kapampangan 19. Yakan
Bahasa Sug 12. Tagalog
Bikol 13. Zambal
Iloko 14. Sinurigaonon
Pangasinan 15. Chavacano
Ibanag 16.Maguindanaon
 Strategies used in Teaching
MTB-MLE
Source: Strategies and Problems Encountered by Teachers in
Implementing, Mother Tongue - Based Instruction in a Multilingual

Classroom
Jane K. Lartec, Anastacia M. Belisario, Jamaica P. Bendanillo, Hanni K. Binas-o,
Novefirst O. Bucang, and Jan Lorie W. Cammagay
Translation of target language to mother
tongue-

Translation of target language to mother

tongue. Translation is very beneficial to
learning when it comes to learning through the
use of the students' mother tongue because it
serves as a bridge to connect students to the
lesson.
Utilization of multilingual teaching-

Multilingual teaching is when teachers use

varied languages in the whole duration of
teaching for the reason of accommodating
students who do not speak a particular language
and including them in the discussion.
Utilization of lingua-franca-

is a language that is widely used as a means of

intercommunication among speakers of different
languages. ... The fact that the language may be
pidginized will not detract from this value on the
lower level of instruction; a pidginized mother
tongue is nonetheless a mother tongue.
Improvisation of instructional materials
written in mother tongue-

Instructional materials are the basic channel of

communication in the classroom for the purpose of
bringing about effective teaching and learning.
Instructional resources in teaching and learning make
students learn more and retain better what they have
been taught and that these instructional resources also
promote and sustain students’ interest. These resources
also allow the learners to discover themselves and their
Remediation of instruction-

This requires pupils to stay after class hours for an extra

learning especially for those pupils who have difficulty
with the lessons and for those who are behind in their
lesson. This means that the teacher will tutor to
accommodate all the learners despite of their levels of
intelligence. In conducting remedial classes, the teacher
uses mother tongue as the medium of instruction
Utilization of literary piece written in
mother tongue as motivation-

Literary pieces are used by teachers as a

springboard to teach other concepts or ideas
that are beneficial to the pupils. Teachers
integrate literature within the discussion and
these literary pieces are already translated in
preferred mother tongue.
Literature of any kind can be important for
children of other cultures and is a powerful tool
to weaken and dissolve racism. Multicultural
literature can also play a very important role for
teachers. This serves as an instrument for the
teachers to see first in themselves the importance
of being a multicultural person in order to
appreciate the different cultures found or
emanating from the literature that they are
 Four types of teacher
training programs for MTB
MLE

Source: Teacher Education for Mother

Tongue Based Education Programs
Dennis and Susan Malone, SIL
International December 2011
Effective and sustainable MTB
MLE programs require teachers
who are fluent in speaking,
reading and writing both their
students’ mother tongue and the
official school language.
To help overcome the serious shortage of teachers
for MTB MLE, we suggest four types of teacher
training programs. The first three programs are
meant to prepare certified teachers for MTB MLE
classrooms while the fourth focuses on non4
certified teachers who speak a local language. In
those cases where there are not enough certified
teachers who are bilingual, the teacher training
programs would prepare certified teachers who
speak only the official language to work with
teaching assistants who are fluent in a local
1. MTB MLE incorporated into regular 2, 3, or 4
year teacher certification programs. In this
program, pre service teacher trainees would
have the option of focusing on MTB MLE.
Individuals who are bilingual in one of the local
languages and the official school language learn
how to read and write the local language fluently
and how to teach their students to do the same.
They learn effective second language acquisition
(2LA) theories, how to apply the theories in the
classroom and how to use the local language
effectively as the initial language of instruction. On
completion of the program these pre service
teachers will have achieved the same educational
qualifications as mainstream teachers with the
additional qualification for teaching in MTB MLE
classrooms.
2. “Fast track” programs for graduates with
non teaching baccalaureate degrees. This
one year certification program would
provide trainees with the pedagogical
knowledge and skills required for regular
teacher certification as well as the theories,
principles and practical skills (as in #1,
above) that they will need in MTB MLE
classrooms.
3. MTB MLE intensive workshops for
experienced certified teachers. These 2-4 week
workshops would enable certified teachers with
experience in mainstream schools to gain the
additional theoretical and practical knowledge and
skills needed to be effective in MTB MLE
classrooms.
4. Non Certification training programs for
paraprofessional teachers or teaching assistants.
These intensive training workshops would be for
individuals from local language communities who
are bilingual in their home language and the school
language and but lack the necessary educational
background to qualify for regular teacher
certification programs. Preservice and regular in
service training workshops would build their
capacity to work with certified classroom teachers
who are fluent in the official language but do not
Teacher education is clearly an essential
component of successful and sustainable MTB
MLE. The issues involved are complex and still a
“work in progress.” The good news is: there has
been progress. Relevant and useful collaborations
among all stakeholders, communities, teacher
training institutions and government agencies will
help to develop and maintain teacher training
programs that will produce effective MTB MLE
teachers.
Why teaching mother tongue
as a subject in school
important?

It will preserve our country’s cultural treasure.

Provides learners with a strong educational
foundation in the first language in terms of
instruction.
It is a stepping stone in achieving the aims of
education as well as the goal of functional literacy.
Purpose of MTB-MLE
To develop appropriate cognitive and
reasoning skills enabling children to
operate equally in different
languages- starting in the mother
tongue with transition to Filipino and
then English and to preserve the
Philippine cultural treasure as well.