Option 2: a critical response to a published case study of or a paper on MTB-MLE implementation in the

Philippines.

Critical Analysis Paper

Most critical analysis papers begin with a short summary of the work and then dive in to the argument.
Since most of these paper assignments are short , it is important to be concise in all parts of your
analysis. Writing an outline (and following it) is crucial to remain focused on your argument and avoid
summary or irrelevant description. Following is a sample outline for a critical analysis paper:

I. Introduction

One of the changes in Basic Education Curriculum brought about by the new K-12 program is the
introduction of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) specifically in Kindergarten,
Grades 1, 2 and 3 to support the goal of “Every Child- A- Reader and A –Writer” by Grade 1.”

MTB-MLE 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, then, there is no fear of making mistakes. 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.

Currently, there are twelve (12) major languages or lingua franca that shall be language of instruction.
The major languages are a) Tagalog b) Kapampangan c) Pangasinense d) Iloko e) Bikol f) Cebuano g)
Hiligaynon h) Waray i) Tausug j) Maguindanaoan k) Maranao; l) Chabacano.

A.Identify the work being criticized

The Challenges in the Implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Program by
Janet P. Espada is a case study about the issues and problems that affect the way our students are
learning skills and content through this program. According to Espada (2017) there are some difficulties
in understanding the concepts, pronouncing and using the archaic terms, code switching, performing
low in competitions carried out in English, and widening gap between parents and children in scaffolding
process as the major challenges encountered by primary students, teachers and parents in MTBMLE.
The Introduction of her work tackles the main argument in her case study such as (1) What are the
challenges in the implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Program? and (2)
How the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Program is being viewed and implemented?

As I have said earlier, the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Program or MTB-MLE is a
program which 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. Espada (2017) quoted
Ball (2010) stated that the factor that could weaken the MTB MLE policy is the pressure from parents
who want their children taught in international languages for economic gains. With the increased
status of English as a ticket for global prosperity in trade, many parents would want their children to
study English early.

The desire to make classrooms enjoyable for children can work against education if the fact
that learning requires work is ignored. Cognitive development is a process, and like other
processes, requires both time and energy. Learning is rewarding and with children, the
effort alone is integral to developing the brain. Without challenges, the brain will not master
thinking processes. Making classrooms enjoyable means equipping the schools with the
necessary materials and inputs for education, supporting adequately the teachers. It means
creating an environment that is physically conducive to learning. It does not mean lowering
the standards and expectations.

Having the mother tongue in school is important as it provides children a sense of

familiarity, easing their transition from home to school. Learning to read and write in the
mother tongue as a formal subject in the early years is, without doubt, important. Using the
mother tongue as a medium of instruction is the questionable part. Claims have been made
that children learn faster and more effectively when instruction is done in the mother tongue.
Indeed, browsing through the internet, one will arrive at numerous articles that either
support or dismiss this notion. For this reason, it is important to examine the evidence
behind these claims. The lack of learning materials on science and math in the mother
tongue requires a serious inspection of how the medium of instruction affects children in
their cognitive development. Adopting mother tongue based - multilingual education
requires substantial investments in money, time and energy.
Based on the results of the study the following conclusions have been drawn;

1. In teaching mother tongue-based multilingual education the issue in terms of listening is on the
scarcity of audio instructional materials used for listening. The challenges are; the students unfamiliarity
with profound Hiligaynon words and limited vocabulary.

2. In teaching mother tongue-based multilingual education the issues in terms of speaking are;

students are not exposed to several words or terminologies in Hiligaynon and most of them

mispronounce some Hiligaynon terminologies. The challenge consists of teachers finding it hard to

speak fluently in Hiligaynon since they lack adequate training and seminars for them to be equipped in

teaching the subject. Additional to that, the fact that most teachers are teaching other subjects which
are

mainly taught in the second language which is English.

3. The main issue in teaching mother tongue-based education in terms of reading is the lack of

instructional materials. There are limited reading materials for students to develop their reading skills.
The challenge is that students have difficulty in understanding some words they are not familiar with.

4. In terms of writing the main issue is the limited resources for teaching writing Hiligaynon,

while the challenge is that most of the learners are lazy to write especially longer words in Hiligaynon

and they are poor in spelling as well.

5. The advantages in teaching mother tongue-based education are: students are able to express

their thoughts and ideas resulting to high participation in class discussions; the learners feel
independent

in their choice of expression; mother tongue can facilitate in explaining the meaning of some English

words through translation thus help the students learn English easily. The disadvantage is that because
of

limited resources or learning materials, the students’ knowledge of vocabulary words in Hiligaynon is

also limited. The capacity of the student to learn is not utilized maximally and the inadequate teachers’

training negatively affects the performance of both the teachers and students.

B. Present thesis- argument about the work

Meaningful learning will only take place if the language of instruction brings meaningful and

authentic communication between teachers and learners. The language used matters most especially in

dealing with situations which detail learners’ familiarity with the medium of instruction that is being

used.

In the Philippines, the introduction of the new K-12 program ushered in the implementation of

the use of the Mother Tongue or the learners’ first language in the classroom.

The implementation brought issues and challenges among teachers who are not properly trained

to teach the discipline. Training programs were conducted, however, many felt inadequate to teach the

subject due to the lack of instructional materials and fluency in speaking the mother tongue. This is

because they were used to teach either in English or Filipino in almost all of the subjects assigned to

them.

With the shift in the medium of instruction used, the government hopes through the Department

of Education to facilitate lively classroom interaction as well as facilitate self-expression of every

learner since they will speak in their native language. On the part of the teacher, several issues and

problems cropped up due to the preparation they need in order to cope with the demands of the
subjects

they are teaching.

Objectives

The main objective of this study was to determine the issues and challenges in teaching mother

tongue as a subject in Grades II and III.

Specifically, the study aimed to determine the following: First, identify the issues in teaching

Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education in terms of the following skills, namely; listening,

speaking, reading, and writing ; Second, determine the challenges in teaching Mother Tongue-Based

Multilingual Education when classified according to the following skills; listening, speaking, reading,

and writing ; and Third; determine the advantages and disadvantages in teaching Mother Tongue-Based

Multilingual Education.

C. Preview your argument -what are the steps you will take to prove your argument

II. Short summary of the work - this does not need to be comprehensive - present only what the reader
needs to know to understand your argument.

Excerpt from the Abstract of the case study "The Challenges in the Implementation of the Mother
Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Program" by Janet P. Espada et. al.: "The Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education (MTBMLE) Program has found a solid basis to claim that it is the most viable and
fastest route towards the acquisition of basic concepts in the primary years. However, its manner of
implementation has created challenges that affect the way children are learning skills and content. This
single, holistic case study found difficulty in understanding concepts, pronouncing and using archaic
terms, code switching, performing low in competitions carried out in English, and widening gap between
parents and children in scaffolding process as the major challenges encountered by primary students,
teachers and parents in MTBMLE. We uncovered the key factors to be the use of archaic words as
substitutes for scientific terms, mix-up of terms from three languages, teaching mother tongue as a
separate subject, mismatch between trainings and expected outcomes, divergence of mother tongue at
home from school, and lack of relevant materials. Finally, parents and children still prefer English to
mother tongue while teachers reluctantly choose mother tongue with a compromise-that it will only be
used to facilitate learning and not considered as a new language to be taught and learned."
III. Your argument- Your argument will likely involve a number of sub-arguments - minithesis you prove
your larger argument true. This should be the bulk of the paper.

VI. Conclusion

A. Reflect on how you have proven your argument.

B. Point out the importance of your argument (beyond it being a requirement for passing the class 🙂)

C. Note potential avenues for additional research or analysis