Title: Language Development and Language Revitalization: An Educational Imperative in Asia
Author: Sheldon Schaeffer, Director, UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, Bangkok, Thailand
Summary:
This article can be summarized by the author’s statement, “…throughout the world, a dynamic, living language (singular) is seen as being essential to the well being of any human society.” The author of this article is making a plea that developing languages and revitalizing language is the key to education of societies in Asia (as well as the world) and the preservation of languages.
The author introduced that languages in the world today can be categorized into three: These are 1) moribund where the language is not being taught to/learned by the children of the language group, 2) endangered where there is a strong possibility that if nothing is done, this language will die, and 3) safe where there are numerous number of speakers of the language and is strongly supported by the government. In looking at these categories, the author said that if nothing will be done, these endangered languages will pass on to oblivion. He quoted other sources such as D. Crystal’s proposed steps in protecting a language from extinction where he suggested five steps. These five states can be summarized as the continued use of the language in all possible area of communication to increase prestige and domain of the language relative to the LWC. Furthermore, according to this article, many noted linguists and practical researches have found out that the solution to problem of endangered languages is initial education in the mother tongue.
Special Quotations:
“It is therefore critical, both for cultural and linguistic development and for academic achievement, that early education and initial literacy—even for adults—be conducted in the learner’s first language or mother tongue.” (p. 4)
This statement from a UNESCO director saying that mother tongue education is critical is very important because I believe that not many people, especially the concerned people in my country is aware of this, or if they are aware, no one is paying much attention for this to be implemented in a national scale.
2. “… in order for local communities to draw benefits from the school system, these communities (provinces, districts, villages) need to have a significant influence on the governance of schools and the determination of the content and methods of instruction.”(p. 6)
I believe that many villages in the Philippines need to really have this. This is not to criticize or belittle the efforts of the Department of Education, but the evidences of successful education resulting from initial literacy in the mother tongue are too overwhelming to ignore and not to want to make it a national policy in minority language communities such as mine. (I have heard that this has actually been passed and approved but I believe the implementation was very mediocre because my nephew, a first-grader is always asking me why in the world does he have to learn when to use ‘is, or are’… and why “The house is big,” uses ‘is’ when it has an ‘S’ as opposed to “The children are playing,” which definitely does not have an ‘S.’ I'm sure he'd learn about exceptions to the rule later on, but if we teach our children in a language they understand right at the beginning, the learning harvest promises to be plentiful.
Comments
Reading this article made me think of many things. I did not know before now that in other parts of the worlds, even here in the Philippines, minority languages are actually being used as MOI (Medium of Instruction) for initial literacy, and is being championed by no other than the UN. What I knew only is that Kalanguya primers had been produced to teach adults how to read so that they can read the Kalanguya Bible, and that there is no need to teach the language anymore to the generation where my age group belongs because we are already literate in the national languages. It is very comforting and challenging to know that my goals of being the catalyst of change in the education of my people is actually not my own dream but is actually the dream and goal of so many people and is believed and supported by such big organizations as UNESCO.
I am aware that lately, the Philippine government has been very supportive of the minority communities, organizing a commission that the indigenous people may consult, and granting scholarship aids for the education of financially hard-up indigenous students; but beside the efforts of NGOs, I am not aware of any conscious information dissemination and drive for community involvement by the Department of Education towards mother tongue education. I believe that it is time to embrace mother tongue education among language minorities in the Philippines and it is my prayer to be one of those who will be instrumental in stirring my own Kalanguya community.
Reference:
Schaeffer, S. (2003). Language Development and Language Revitalization: An Educational Imperative in Asia: Bangkok, Thailand. Read, 1-7.
