Language and Inclusion in Early Grade Learning: Promoting Equitable Access and Educational Success - Language Mapping and Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment

• In Event: Breaking norms, accelerating learning recovery, and building a case for equity in the Philippines

Proposal

This panel explores the intricate landscape of linguistic diversity in the Philippines and its profound impact on the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) policy, specifically in the context of early grade education. With over 170 distinct languages spanning various language families, the country faces both challenges and opportunities in providing inclusive and quality education. The MTB-MLE policy recognizes the importance of leveraging children's mother tongues as a medium of instruction in the early years to enhance their learning outcomes. However, the diverse linguistic tapestry poses logistical and pedagogical hurdles, necessitating the development of appropriate teaching materials, assigning teachers proficient in the Mother Tongues, and ensuring equitable access to education for all language communities. Nevertheless, the linguistic diversity of the Philippines is a cultural treasure to be celebrated, and the implementation of MTB-MLE seeks to promote these languages while establishing a strong foundation for children's educational journey.
In Regions V and VI, a significant number of teachers and parents have long been voicing their objections to the assigned Mediums of Instruction in some of the schools because in these schools, the assigned languages for Medium of Instruction are foreign to them. The absence of an objective and science-based tool to detect the learners’ and teachers’ languages have resulted in mismatches in learning resources and in the selection of the medium of instruction.
Targeting the most marginalized also includes the need to classify the learners based on their learning needs. The easiest way for teachers had been to provide the same interventions to all learners regardless of their literacy profiles. Through the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA), teachers have been able to determine the learners’ learning gaps based on their reading profiles and are thus able to provide more targeted interventions.
Drawing on the experiences of the ABC+ project, in collaboration with the Department of Education, Language Mapping initiatives have been employed to identify and acknowledge languages beyond the officially recognized languages of instruction. Moreover, this highlights the significance of language proficiency in the language of instruction and its positive transfer to the acquisition of a second language (L2), underlining the importance of nurturing cognitive and academic skills in children's first language (L1) to facilitate learning in subsequent languages. Guided by principles of inclusivity and cultural diversity, the abstract discusses the implementation of the CRLA, designed to assess students' language skills in a manner that respects their cultural and linguistic identities, thereby enhancing the quality of instruction and improving learning outcomes. By unraveling the complexities of linguistic diversity in early grade education, this abstract contributes valuable insights to inform policy and practice for addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities of MTB-MLE in the Philippines.

Authors

• USAIDABC+ Ina Aquino, RTI International

• Armida Elaine Umali Trinos, RTI International