Problems encountered in teaching Pilipino in the secondary schools in a non-Tagalog area

Abstract

The constitution of the Philippines provides that Congress shall take steps toward the development and adoption of a common national language. In order to implement this constitutional provision the Institute of National Language was created to study the feasibility of including the teaching of the National language in the school curriculum. When the actual task of teaching this subject was begun in June, 1940, our educators as well as the teachers in the field were at a loss concerning what to do to carry out effectively the provision of Act 184 and how to devise ways and means to carry on the teaching in the classroom.

In spite of the efforts of educational leaders, supervisors and teachers, very little had been accomplished at the outbreak of the war in 1941. When the schools opened after liberation those who were entrusted to carry on the work had to overcome great difficulties, especially the lack of teaching aids and materials, the lack of preparation of most of the teachers and a general resistance to the study of the language in non-Tagalog areas. It is worthy of note that most of the teachers of the subject lacked necessary training and academic background. Almost none of them had any units earned in the language in the high school or college to equip them with the necessary tools for effective training. Besides this, most of the teachers as well as the parents did not see the reason behind the teaching of Filipino. The parents often manifested a hostile attitude and the teachers disliked the idea of the extra load.

These are the circumstances surrounding the teaching of the National Language in the Philippines. It can not be denied that the progress toward full implementation of Act 184 has been very slow. It is only recently that greater strides have been achieved and that people have begun to realize the need for teaching and studying the subject.

With improved supervision, and with the development of interest and even enthusiasm of both supervisors, and teachers, much is being done in the teaching-learning process although, of course, only after overcoming many seemingly insurmountable difficulties.

The teaching of the National Language today has come to the point where we as a people can say that we have a language of our own to express our common feelings and aspirations as a nation, and we do not always need to express ourselves in English, a foreign language for a Moro to use with an Ilocano. Because of this, there seems to be a growing feeling of oneness among Filipinos, and sectionalism, regionalism, and prejudices due to differences in language are no longer so strong. Today as we look about in the cities and even in the rural areas we find that whenever one speaks in Filipino, he is no longer eyed with apprehension and suspicion as if he were a stranger to the place. The teaching of Filipino has greatly helped in realizing unity among our people. This is the contribution which the national language ought to make.

From this situation has developed the problem, the definition of which became the object of this research project. There is a general impression among teachers that teaching Filipino as a required subject in secondary school in a non-Tagalog area is different from teaching it in a Tagalog area because the basis of the language is Tagalog. Teachers handling the subject encounter many problems which are difficult for them to solve and which need study and analysis. Some of these problems and difficulties, such as the lack of qualified teachers and teaching materials, are so basic that effective teaching is quite a problem. One great barrier to learning is reported to be psychological, that is, the attitude of the students, of the teachers of other subjects, and of parents toward the national language. The researcher wanted to find out the true situation regarding these apparent problems.

The problem is important to the field because, aside from being common to all non-Tagalog areas, its definition and remedy should help to improve the teaching of the national language. The findings of the study might warn teachers to look out for the development of those problems in their own teaching, to the end that they would be guided properly in the application of remedial measures.

Statement of the problem

The National Language should be one of the unifying factors in the nation. Since government officials, educators, and laymen are generally agreed on the inclusion of Filipino as one of the subjects in the school curriculum, people of our community should join hands in the propagation of the language and popularization of its use. Because the teaching of Filipino in a non-Tagalog area present special problems, this study was an attempt to investigate the nature of those problems in the secondary schools of such an area.

The teacher of the National Language in a non-Tagalog area meets difficulties quite similar to those in the teaching of English when it was first introduced at the coming of the Americans. English was first resisted because it was a foreign language. Because of its apparent non-utility at home, in business, and in the community, the National Language in non-Tagalog-speaking places, seems like a foreign language and unnecessary to the students, teachers, and community. This study inquired into these attitudes in Iloilo secondary schools.

During the American occupation those in charge of the school program were faced with the problem of finding qualified teachers of English. In the beginning, soldiers were asked to teach; later, American teachers were imported; eventually, the government organized the so-called "aspirants" who were Filipinos who had learned English and could be asked to fill the need. The same problem of qualified teaching personnel is faced in planning for the teaching, of Filipino in non-Tagalog areas. In order to serve the demands of the schools, administrators seek Filipino teachers who have studied in Manila, even if they have no units in the National Language, Since the learning process demands much of the teacher the study also investigated teaching-personnel problems.

The learning process is not confined within the four walls of the classroom. To be functional, it should be useful in the conducting of community affairs. Lessons can be geared to community activities. Learning will be more effective if the teachers tap this rich source of teaching aids. Therefore, evidence of the use of the language outside the classroom was sought. Also because the attitude of parents in the community has a great influence on the motivation of learning, the opinions of parents with reference to the language were studied.