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