Module 7: Use of Mother Tongue as a Subject

INTRODUCTION:
Determining what language of instruction will be used to teach children is one of the most
important decisions that educational planners make. Linguists believe that the language(s) used
in the classroom dramatically affects children's opportunity and ability to learn. This module
presents to you steps that make children learn better in mother tongue. It showcases how the first
language is used as a subject of study and as language of instruction of other key subjects in
grades one to three. Likewise, this module highlights how mother tongue is strategized as the
optimal language for early literacy and in building foundational skills. Varied teaching strategies
that will enhance critical thinking in a language that the child speaks and understands is also
presented here. Further, learning resources as well as assessment procedures that enliven and
evaluate the subject eventually harnessing MTBMLE to achieve education for all are introduced
for you to develop genuine appreciation for mother tongue as a subject and as language of
instruction.
Lesson 7.1: The Foundational Skills of Mother Tongue as a Subject
Lesson Outcomes:

➤ Identified the guiding principles in teaching MTB- MLE and the core language skills in
teaching meaning and accuracy

➤ Enumerated the learning area, key stage and grade level standards of Mother Tongue to be
considered in teaching the subject

➤ Distinguished the domains generated from the varied content and performance standards in
teaching MTB-MLE
Inculcate Concepts
K-12 emphasizes a holistically developed Filipino with 21st century skills such as information,
media and technology skills, learning and innovations skills, life and career skills and
communication skills.
Parallel to these skills are learning areas that will contextualized the skills mentioned.
These are languages, arts and humanities, mathematics and science and technology and
livelihood education.
Communication in Mother Tongue
- Is a key competence in the language area. It is very important because it fits in the principle of
equality and access for all.
As Articulated in the K-12 PQF, grade 1 to 10 learners must;
• Possess fundamental knowledge across a range of learning areas with core competencies
in communication; scientific, critical and creative thinking and the use of technologies.
• Understand right and wrong; One’s history and cultural heritage; and deep respect for
self, others and their culture, and the environment.
Eight guiding principles in teaching and learning in MTB-MLE
1. Known to the unknown.
-Learning requires meaning.
-Second language learners use what they know in their own language to help develop
other languages. This positive transfer effect has been found to be significant in reading.
 2. Language and academic development.
-Learners who were found to have well developed skills in their first language have been
shown to acquire additional languages more easily and fully and that in turn, has a
positive impact on academic achievement.
3. Cognitive development.
The use of the learners' home language in the classroom promotes a smooth transition
between home and school.
4. Discovery learning.
-Learning something new is easy if it is anchored on what is known.
-Reading in the first language is faster
5. Active Learning.
-Peer interaction
-Purposeful talk
6. Meaning and accuracy.
-Successful language learning involves listening, speaking, reading and writing activities
meaningfully and accurately.
7. Language learning or language transfer.
-We learn a new language best when the learning process is non-threatening and
meaningful
-when we can take "small steps" that help us gain confidence in our ability to use the
language meaningfully.
8. Affective component: Valuing the home language/culture.
-Valuing students with talents in their home language more powerfully enables learning
than just valuing English learners of home language is irrelevant to academic success.
The learning area standard states that Mother Tongue should be used appropriately and
effectively in oral, visual and written communication in a variety of situations and for a variety
of audiences, contexts and purposes including learning of other content subjects and
languages, and to demonstrate appreciation of various forms of literacy genres and take pride
in one's cultural heritage.
The learning area standard for Mother Tongue also incorporates the core skills for language
arts with the focus in teaching for meaning and accuracy.
Story track - focuses on meaning
primer track- focuses on accuracy
The five core skills in language arts are also presented with standards for each track.
Story Track Primer Track

Focus on meaning Focus on correctness

 Listening Listen in order to Recognize and distinguish
understand, think critically sounds; recognize parts of
and respond creatively. words.

Speak with understanding, Use correct vocabulary,

Speaking to communicate pronunciation and grammar.
knowledge, ideas, and
experiences.

Read with understanding to Decode by recognizing parts

Reading apply, evaluate and create of analyze, words and
new knowledge. sentences.

Write to communicate Form letters properly and

Writing knowledge, experience neatly ideas, Form letters
goals. properly and neatly ideas, use
correct grammar.

View in order to Recognize and distinguish

Viewing understand, think print and non-print material
responsively and respond and be able to critic the
creatively. materials objectively.

Each grade level has a standard as well. The table below presents each
one.

Grade Grade Level Standards

Level

Kindergarte The learner demonstrates skills and strategies in phonemic awareness, alphabet
n knowledge, sound-letter correspondences, decoding, vocabulary and
comprehension as they enjoy listening and responding to a variety of texts in
their Mother Tongue.

Grade 1 The learner demonstrates basic communication skills in talking about familiar
topics using simple words and both verbal and non-verbal cues to understand
spoken language, shows understanding of basic vocabulary and language
structures, reading process, writing system and appreciates aspects of one's
culture.

Grade 2 The learner demonstrates communication skills in talking about variety of topics
using developing vocabulary and simple phrases and sentences, simple to
complex spoken language using both verbal and non-verbal cues, understands
vocabulary and I structures, appreciates and understand the cultural aspects of
the language and the writing system used, and reads and writes simple and short
literary and informational texts.

Grade 3 The learner demonstrates communication skills in talking about a variety of

 topics using expanding vocabulary and phrases, shows understanding of spoken
language in different contexts using both verbal and non-verbal cues, vocabulary
and language structure, cultural aspects of the language, and reads and writes
literary and informational texts.

Grade Level and Standards in Teaching Mother Tongue in K to 12 Curriculum

Guide, December 2013

The domains are the following: oral language, phonological skills, book and print
knowledge, alphabet knowledge, phonics and word recognition, fluency, spelling,
handwriting, composing, grammar awareness, vocabulary and concept development,
listening comprehension, reading comprehension, attitude towards reading and study
skills.

“Steps in Teaching, Using the Meaning Track”

There are four major steps in the Meaning Track. These steps are the following:
Step 1. Introduce the Shared Reading Story
• Introduce the story topic. Ask the students about people and events from their own lives
that encourage the students to think about and talk about the topic of the story.
• Have your pointer (a long, straight stick) ready to move under the words as you read
Step 2. Read the story using the Reading Plan
• Read the title of the story. Ask 1-2 students, to tell you what they think the story will be
about. Encourage them to share their ideas
The Reading Plan
1. Teacher reads the entire test to the students
2. Teacher reads text with the students.
3. Teacher reads one part of the text (if more than a word) with one or two student
volunteers.
 4. One or two student volunteers read that part of the text by themselves.
5. Teacher reads the entire test again with all the students.
Step 3. Do the Matching Word activity
• Pick up the Matching Word cards that you prepared. Open the Big Book to the page with
the words that match your word cards.
• Give the Matching word cards to volunteers. (If you are in small book, write the words
one-by-one on the chalkboard instead on word cards.)
• Volunteers put their cards under the word on the page that the same as the word on their
card. When they have matched the word correctly, read the word with them and ever
clap. Help them if they have trouble. Do this with tach Matching Word that you selected.
(If you are using a book, show the student the word you wrote on the chalkboard and tell
the students to hold up their book and point to the word on their page.
Step 4. Do the Hide-A-Ward activity
• Find the first sentence that you chose for the Hide-A-Wing activity. Read that sentence
with the students.
• Hold a small piece of paper over one of the important words in that sentence
• Read the sentence again, including the word that is covered with the students.
• Ask the students, "Which of the words in that sentence did I cover?”
• If they say the correct word, uncover the word and praise them. Then read the sentence
again with the students.
• If they say the wrong word, point to the word they said and show them that this is NOT
the word that is covered. Read the sentence again, using the pointer to show them the
work they are reading.
B. The Accuracy Track
The Accuracy Track uses picture and key words, big best sentence-making and breaking,
spelling and handwriting There are fifteen steps in the Accuracy Track. They are the following:
Step 1. The teacher introduces the keyword picture.
Step 2. The teacher introduces the keyword
Step 3. The teacher does the syllable activity with the class
Step 4. She works on the "Break the Wand activity the class
Step 5. She works on the "Make the Word Activity" with class
Step 6. Class works on the Big Box for word building
Step 7. Students find the new keyword in the Big Box
Step 8. Students find other words in the Big Box.
Step 9. The teacher points to all the words found by the students as they read those to her.
Step 10. Do the fireak-the-Sentence Activity
Step 11. Do the Make-the-Sentence Activity
Step 12. The teacher points to the parts of the Break-the- Sentence and Make-the-Sentence
Activity as students read to her.
Step 13. Teachers show how to write the new letter in the air and on their partner's back and on
their hand.
Step 14. Students practice writing the new keyword on their paper or slate
Step 15. Spelling
II. Total Physical Response (TPR)
A. What is TPR?
TPR is a method for learning a language that combines listening and responding physically to
directions.
TPR involves language learning through hearing, seeing, doing We hear meaningful language
(directions), we observe others following the directions, and then we respond to the directions
through physical action.
James Asher, the person who developed this strategy, recommends that the teacher be well-
prepared, well-organized and has to write detailed lesson plans because the action is find-moving
and spontaneous.
Mother Tongue for Teaching and Learning

B. Steps in the TPR method: In TPR, there are 3 steps to be done. They are as follows:

Step 1. Directions. Teacher introduces new vocabulary through directions.

Step 2. Modelling. Teacher and 2 volunteer students respond to the directions through modelling the
appropriate actions.

Step 3. Demonstration. Students listen to the directions again and respond with the appropriate physical
actions. (Students do not speak at first. They just respond through physical actions. Later, when they are
ready, they start giving commands to each other and gradually use more of themselves.) Classroom
time: about 25% modelling, 75% demonstration

III. Audio-Lingual Method (ALM)

A. What is ALM?

This method emphasizes spoken language with correct pronunciation and grammar. Language learning
is viewed as habit formation; hence, repetition and drill are used to teach students correct forms in the
new language.

The objectives of ALM are accurate pronunciation and grammar, which is the ability to respond quickly
and accurately in speech situations and knowledge of sufficient vocabulary to use with grammar
patterns. The learning structure or grammar is the starting point for the student.

Reading the dialogues aloud, repetition of model sentences and drilling are the main activities. Key
structures from dialogues are the basis of pattern drills.

B. Steps in the ALM

There are six steps to follow in ALM. Here they are:

Step 1. Modeling. Teacher models the reading of the dialog while children listen.

Step 2. Students (as a group) repeat the dialog after the teacher until mastery is achieved.

Step 3. Using drills for practice. Teacher initiates a chain drill for students to practice the dialog
individually.

Step 4. Teaching Substitution and Transformation drills. Teacher gives clues for substitutions to be made
in the dialog already mastered, starting with simple substitutions to transformation drills.
Step 5. Teaching pronunciation lesson. Teacher introduces a pronunciation lesson on expected trouble
areas, i. e. based on knowledge of the native language.

Step 6. Grammar Exercise. (for mastery of the grammar lesson, but no rule is given by the teacher)

IV. Language Experience Approach (LEA)

C. What is LEA?

The Language Experience Approach interrelates the different language arts and uses the children’s
experiences as basis for reading materials. The rationale for this approach has been stated very concisely
by one of its proponents, R. V. Allen:

Since the stories used in the LEA are developed by the children, they are motivational. Because they use
the language of the children, the reading material is meaningful to them. A child’s background may be
limited, but every child has experiences that can be converted into stories. In addition, the teacher can
plan interesting firsthand experiences that can result in reading a material that is meaningful for all
students. LEA is consistent with schema theory. Because it uses the child's experiences as basis for
written language, the child has adequate schemata comprehend the material and can thus develop the
schema for reading, that includes the idea, that written words have meaning (Hacker, 1980). With LEA,
reading grows out of natural, ongoing activities. Children can see the relationships between reading and
their oral language. This offers good opportunities for developing the concepts of writing words and
sentences. During the language experience process, children see the transformation from oral language
to print take place, including directionality, spacing between words, and punctuation and capitalization.
Framing the individual language

Units with the hands also helps to illustrate their meanings. Another benefit is that, observations made
during dictation and reading of a language experience story and during the follow-up activities can
provide the teacher with diagnostic insights into children’s reading difficulties. As a hands-on approach
to learning to read and write, various strategies are suggested to generate the stories from children.
One is to let them perform/observe an activity and ask them to explain what they did/saw step-by-step.
As they dictate their experiences, the teacher writes them down and helps pupils to formulate them into
sentences and later into a story. Reading by groups follows. Another way to do it is to ask a pupil to
draw a picture and underneath it, the teacher writes the sentence dictated by the pupils. A collection of
their drawings can be made and can be bound later. Reading and writing follow.

B. Steps in LEA

There are nine steps when LEA is used as a strategy. They are as follows:

Step 1. Participating in a common experience. Focus on an experience, either firsthand or vicarious, that
is common to all children.

Step 2. Discussing the experience

Step 3. Generating vocabulary that authors most likely would use if they were writing about the topic or

idea.

Step 4. Recording pupils’ experiences or cooperative writing of the story on a chart, the board, or a
computer. Make sure students can clearly see what you write. With young pupils, try not to rephrase
their sentences unless grammatical errors, make text meaning confusing. With older pupils, editing
makes more sense.

Step 5. Reading the text aloud, modeling fluency and making connections between speech and print by
pointing to each word.

Step 6. Inviting students to read and reread the text orally and silently. This promotes fluency.

Step 7. Once the complete text is known by a student or group. Begin to focus on the smaller
components of the text such as sentences, words, and letters. This will foster word recognition skills.
Use sentence strips and word cards so students can manipulate the text.

Step 8. Writing the finished story on an experience chart

Members:

Fabillar, Hannah Faye

Villa, Merly

Del Rosario, Krystal

Tala, Reymar

Loquinte, Renvil