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English Language Education Isabel Pefianco Martin Editor Reconceptualizing English Education in a Multilingual Society English in the Philippines English Language Education Volume 13 Series Editors Chris Davison, The University of New South Wales, Australia Xuesong Gao, The University of New South W...

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Reconceptualizing English Education in Multilingual Philippines (2018) Isabel Pefianco Martin Reconceptualizing English Education in a Multilingual Society: English in the Philippines

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English Language Education

Isabel Peianco Martin Editor

Reconceptualizing English Education in a Multilingual Society English in the Philippines

English Language Education Volume 13

Series Editors Chris Davison, The University of New South Wales, Australia Xuesong Gao, The University of New South Wales, Australia Editorial Advisory Board Stephen Andrews, University of Hong Kong, China Anne Burns, University of New South Wales, Australia Yuko Goto Butler, University of Pennsylvania, USA Suresh Canagarajah, Pennsylvania State University, USA Jim Cummins, OISE, University of Toronto, Canada Christine C. M. Goh, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore Margaret Hawkins, University of Wisconsin, USA Ouyang Huhua, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China Andy Kirkpatrick, Griffith University, Australia Michael K. Legutke, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany Constant Leung, King’s College London, University of London, UK Bonny Norton, University of British Columbia, Canada Elana Shohamy, Tel Aviv University, Israel Qiufang Wen, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China Lawrence Jun Zhang, University of Auckland, New Zealand

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More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11558

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Isabel Pefianco Martin Editor

Reconceptualizing English Education in a Multilingual Society English in the Philippines

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Editor Isabel Pefianco Martin Department of English Ateneo de Manila University Quezon City, Philippines

ISSN 2213-6967 ISSN 2213-6975 (electronic) English Language Education ISBN 978-981-10-7526-1 ISBN 978-981-10-7528-5 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7528-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018931387 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Printed on acid-free paper This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. part of Springer Nature. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore

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Para kay Onnie

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Acknowledgments

I am indebted to many people who were instrumental in conceptualizing this volume. They are the English language and linguistics scholars and educators who have touched my life in the last two decades. Many of them are not simply colleagues in the field; they have also become lifelong friends. As they are too many to thank here, I wish to acknowledge the following that have been most inluential in the completion of this project: Colleagues and friends at the Loyola Schools of the Ateneo de Manila University, especially the English Department, for maintaining the pleasantly comfortable and friendly workplace I’ve always enjoyed being in The authors of the chapters in this book, who are all hyper-busy academics, for their genuine desire to inspire others in the field, as well as for the hard work and patience they put in producing each chapter Faculty and staff of the International Programs Office of Bunkyo Gakuin University (Tokyo, Japan), especially Professor Nobuyuki Honna, for making possible the four months of quiet isolation that allowed me to think more clearly and write more creatively My research assistant, Dan Henry, for his diligence and endurance in doing the tedious, almost mind-numbing work of “cleaning up” each chapter Lay Peng Ang and Lawrence Liu of Springer, for the gentle reminders they regularly send My “low-maintenance” family—Onnie, Enzo, Ino, Vito, and Mum—for their unending love and support.

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Contents

Part I 1

Reconceptualizing English Education in Multilingual Philippines .... Isabel Pefianco Martin

Part II 2

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Introduction 3

English: Policy, Ideology, and Identity

English in Multilingual Settings: Features, Roles and Implications ........................................................................... Andy Kirkpatrick

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The Supremacy of English in Philippine Language Education Policy...................................................................................... Frances Paola G. Doplon

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Critiquing Mother Tongue-Based Language-in-Education Policies: A Focus on the Philippines ...................................................... Priscilla Angela T. Cruz and Ahmar Mahboob

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Anguish as Mother Tongue: English in a Multilingual Context ......... Michelle G. Paterno

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Teacher Ideology in English Language Education............................... Ruanni Tupas

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Part III Teaching English, Teaching in English 7

An Endocentric Approach to English Grammar Teaching ................. 101 Alejandro S. Bernardo

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Using Filipino in the English Classroom: Teaching with Resistance and Relevance .............................................................. 119 Devi Benedicte I. Paez

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Contents

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English in the Teaching of Mathematics: Policies, Realities, and Opportunities ................................................................................... 137 Maria Luz Elena N. Canilao

10 The Technicist Framework and the Teaching of Speech Communication in the Philippines ........................................................ 163 Gene Segarra Navera 11 Migrant Workers, Language Learning, and Spaces of  Globalization: The Case of Filipino Maritime Professionals .............. 177 Paolo Niño Valdez and Neslie Carol Tan 12 The Social Dimension of English Language Testing in the Philippines ..................................................................................... 191 Isabel Pefianco Martin Part IV

Synthesis

13 English in Education in the Philippines: From Research to Policy .................................................................................................... 213 Mario Saraceni

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Part I

Introduction

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Chapter 1

Reconceptualizing English Education in Multilingual Philippines Isabel Peianco Martin

Abstract What does it mean to reconceptualize? In the task of conceptualizing, we form an idea. In reconceptualizing, do we re-form this idea? Do we change it, alter it? This book aims to do that—to re-form, change, alter, and reconceptualize English education so that it becomes relevant and appropriate to multilingual societies. When English arrived in the Philippines, a substantial number of Philippine languages were already in vibrant use. When English arrived, the Philippines was already a multilingual society. Why then do Filipinos teach and learn the language as if no other Philippine language existed? This book presents various perspectives concerning the English language and its place in Philippine education. The perspectives are premised on notions about English that are either unknown or unacceptable to education stakeholders in the country. Keywords English in the Philippines · Reconceptualizing English Education · English in multilingual contexts · English education · English in Southeast Asia

English in the Philippines What does it mean to reconceptualize? In the task of conceptualizing, we form an idea. In reconceptualizing, do we re-form this idea? Do we change it, alter it? This book aims to do that—to re-form, change, alter, and reconceptualize English education so that it becomes relevant and appropriate to multilingual societies. When English arrived in the Philippines, a substantial number of Philippine languages were already in vibrant use. When English arrived, the Philippines was already a multilingual society. Why then do Filipinos teach and learn the language as if no other Philippine language existed? This book presents various perspectives concerning the English language and its place in Philippine education. The perspec-

I. P. Martin (*) Department of English, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines e-mail: [email protected] © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 I. P. Martin (ed.), Reconceptualizing English Education in a Multilingual Society, English Language Education 13, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7528-5_1 [email protected]

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tives are premised on notions about English that are either unknown or unacceptable to education stakeholders in the country. One concept that eludes education policy and practice in the Philippines is language variation. English behaves like any other language—it changes. English has already changed and it continues to change. Anyone who does not accept the reality of language variation should not teach English. This is because teaching a changing language can be very challenging. In the context of a changing English, notions of what is “proper,” “correct,” and “standard” are not fixed. Variation occurs at many levels—as registers, functions, features, conventions, etc. There is variation in sound, word meanings, and grammar rules. What is considered as appropriate in one situation may not apply in another. Variation, which is the natural behavior of any language, must inform education policy and practice. Secondly, English is a Philippine language. Many Filipinos speak it as a mother tongue. As a postcolonial language, English has taken root in the country, and the roots are wide and deep. Schneider reminds us that the remarkable spread of English throughout the world has resulted in a language that is “diversified, developing into homegrown forms and uses in many locations. It has also become an indigenized language, even a mother tongue, in several countries around the globe” (Schneider 2007, p. 1). English in the Philippines is in a state of “functional nativeness,” which Kachru describes as “one of the most creative identity-marking processes in multilingual societies” (Kachru 2005, p.  213). Whether they accept it or not, Filipino teachers of English are already using Philippine English in their classroom. They are already teaching it. Thirdly, other Philippine languages may coexist with English. In fact, in multilingual societies, the mother tongues are necessary tools in carrying out effective literacy and language education. Mother tongues should never be displaced in education systems. While it is true that the promotion of English has led to the marginalization of non-dominant languages, this trajectory should be resisted. Like the mythical nine-headed monster Hydra, English may cause great damage to nonEnglish language cultures (Rapatahana and Bunce 2012). However, enlightened educational policies and practices may also position English as a language that supports human agency. English must be promoted as a language that is empowered and empowering. Finally, English in the Philippines fulfills two functions—identity and communication. The Philippine variety of English marks its speakers as Filipino. You can tell from the way Filipinos speak that Filipinos are Filipinos, not Americans, not Singaporeans, not Japanese. Other than marker of Filipino identity, English also serves as the language Filipinos use to communicate with other multilinguals, especially in Asia. English is in fact the lingua franca of Asia. Filipinos stand with their Asian neighbors in owning the language and using it to connect with each other and the rest of the world. These realities about English in the Philippines are either hidden to education stakeholders or denied by them because, consciously or unconsciously, they subscribe to the myths promoted by the monolingual paradigm. These myths and misbeliefs have time and again been exposed by linguists (Phillipson 1992; Kachru

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2005; Martin 2010), yet the discourse persists in creating an insidious force that threatens the success of literacy projects, as well as weakens non-dominant languages. It is this discourse of monolingualism and its dominance in multilingual Philippines that this book rejects.

Contributions to This Volume The chapters in the book are divided into two parts. The first part presents the English language alongside issues of policy, ideology, and identity. The section opens with the chapter of Andy Kirkpatrick, who looks at the features, roles, and implications of English in multilingual settings. Who owns English?—Kirkpatrick asks. The question does not afford an easy answer. What exactly determines ownership of English or any language? Even with the Kachruvian concentric circles of Englishes (Kachru 2005, p. 14), which promote the legitimation of varieties of the language, the notion of ownership of English remains complex on many levels. Another question that Kirkpatrick poses is this—Who is a native speaker? We traditionally view the native language as that language which we first acquire as a child. However, as pointed out earlier, English is also functionally native to the Filipinos. I have in mind the Filipinos who acquire a non-English language as a child and then pick up and later study English in school, eventually moving into local and international domains where English is dominant. For these Filipinos, English carries both the identity and communication functions of the language. Further, Kirkpatrick tells us that English “has become Asia-centric, rather than Anglo-centric.” Thus, the English taught in the Philippines must be “one that is relevant to the children. It should be taught as a language of multilingual and multicultural Philippines and as a regional lingua franca, using a lingua franca approach” (Kirkpatrick, Chap. 2, this volume). How has the Philippines managed the education of its citizens? Frances Paola G. Doplon addresses this question as she describes Philippine language education policy from 2001 to 2009. This period represents the governance of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo1 whose leadership was seen to be driven mainly by economic interests. And because economic growth was the impetus behind the education system, English reigned supreme among other languages in this system. The current mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTBMLE) policy, implemented by Arroyo’s successor Benigno Simeon Aquino III, has yet to prove its promise of promoting equality among the Philippine languages. MTBMLE is challenged by the longevity and potency of its predecessor, the bilingual education policy (BEP), which spanned four decades of implementation—from the 1970s until 2013 when the Enhanced Basic Education Act was passed, mandating the use of mother tongues in basic education. 1

Arroyo, an economist, was president from 2001 to 2010. She served two terms, the first term being the remainder of Joseph Estrada’s term after he was impeached in 2001.

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In a review of the BEP, Gonzalez (1996) reported that the education policy did not significantly improve student achievement nor did the policy affect the students’ love of country—two goals identified by policymakers in justifying the BEP. Gonzalez further concluded in the context of the BEP, “success in Philippine academic achievement depends on being in Manila and studying in an excellent private school that charges high tuition” (p. 338). In addition, the BEP did little to improve English language proficiency among the Filipino students as Benton (1996) claimed in another evaluation of the policy. According to Benton, “bilingual education (made) it more difficult for the ordinary Filipino to obtain an adequate command of English, and through this the possibility of sharing the benefits for which this linguistic proficiency is a pre-requisite” (p. 319). Thus, by marginalizing the ordinary Filipino, the BEP further entrenched the place of English as a prestige language, making it all the more inaccessible. In Doplon’s chapter, we see how the policy has “systematically pitted languages against each other” through government pronouncements and directives, as well as through teaching practices and materials (Doplon, Chap. 3, this volume). The implementation of MTBMLE in Philippine basic education is a small victory for Filipino linguists because it opens opportunities for non-English mother tongues to lourish. Other than promoting the Philippine languages, MTBMLE also aims to improve learning outcomes in mathematics, science, social studies, as well as in the Filipino and English subjects. MTBMLE is supported by the results of the Lubuagan experiment, through the First Language Component Bridging Program of the Department of Education and SIL Philippines at Lubuagan, Kalinga-Apayao (Northern Philippines). The Lubuagan experience has demonstrated that children who were taught in the mother tongue performed much better in tests compared to their counterparts who studied using English and Filipino (Dumatog and Dekker 2003). Whether or not the success of the Lubuagan experiment can be reproduced in the current MTBMLE policy as implemented by government remains to be seen. The task of ensuring the effectivity of the policy continues to challenge stakeholders. In fact, Priscilla Tan Cruz and Ahmar Mahboob, in their contribution to this volume, assert that the MTBMLE policy stands to fail because the attitudes that support multilingualism are not present. They have found through a survey that Filipinos do not regard mother tongues as important or necessary in education. Mother tongues are positioned in the Filipino mind-set along “horizontal discourses,” which “construe the formative meanings of community life,” as opposed to “vertical discourses,” which lend themselves to more specialized content such as sc...