THE EFFICACY OF MTB-MLE ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION OF EARLY ENGLISH LEARNERS

Abstract

This study determined the efficacy of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE)on the English language acquisition of early English learners and the challenges in its policy from the perspective of Grade 1 teachers in Pampanga. This study used the mixed method approach, specifically the Sequential Explanatory Design by Creswell et al. (2003), where a survey tool was used to collect the quantitative data from Grade 1 teachers, while a structured interview guide was used to collect qualitative data. The study was able to get the quantitative data needed like the demographic profile of the participants, and the pedagogy of MTB -MLE in terms of language learning, classroom instruction, and implementation, which includes the readiness for the implementation of the program. It also included the importance of MTB-MLE in the comprehension skills of Grade 1 pupils, the teacher’s instruction, and the pupil’s required language to be learned. On the other hand, through the structured interview, teachers shared their insights about the MTB-MLE policy in terms of their knowledge about it, the language used in the classroom, their beliefs about MTB-MLE, and the challenges they encountered. Findings reveal that the participants have different perceptions of the MTB-MLE implementation’s effect on learners. Moreover, the participants agreed that it is essential for Grade 1 children to learn Kapampangan in their tenure as pupils inside the classroom. Skills like reading, writing, speaking, and listening in Kapampangan are considered important. Furthermore, challenges were also noted in terms of implementing the policy in a school. Some of the noted challenges were the following: (1) lack of training; (2) absence of books written in the students’ mother tongue; and (3) students who are raised as Tagalog-speaking individuals. As of now, materials and resources are being handed to the teachers. These include learners’ materials and teaching guides. Training and seminars were also done before the implementation of the policy. Implications include suggesting additional training, seminars, and materials should be conducted on the teachers applying the MTB-MLE policy. Also, it is highly suggested that a program review regarding the extent of implementation of the MTB-MLE policy should be done to look at the quality of the materials used in instruction.

KEYWORDS - mother tongue-base, multilingual education , English language acquisition, policy and program