Language Struggle, 6

Dear Ched, 

I share the fear that MLE would just be a trojan horse for tagalog education. The entrenched position of Tagalog would make it that way. Unless very concrete policies and institutions to promote other languages in consonance with MLE, Tagalog in the guise of MLE will have its way in this linguistic genocide. My support for MLE is conditional on these pro local languages policies. The operative term is normalization (in general use) of the other languages. These
languages should be officialized, used in print and literature, and in media to protect their vulnerability to Tagalog. Unless concrete steps are taken toward these ends, MLE is a Trojan Horse. 

Raymund 

In DILA@yahoogroups. com, "ched estigoy-arzadon" wrote:

Since there is a continuing discussion about motives underlying the petition I posted for mother tongue based learning or multilingual education (MLE), please allow me to share the context in which the manifesto came to being. I helped craft the manifesto, along with two of my friends from NEDA Education and Manpower Development Division. We're together in the Teacher Education and Development Program yahoogroup where the MLE framework has been the topic for months. We crafted the manifesto as part of our personal advocacy for MLE. Mine was crystallized when I attended meetings sponsored by SEAMEO where MLE programs initiated by DepEd and NGOs were presented. I was drawn to MLE for its efficacy in affecting learning and for addressing the needs of marginalized learners. 
 
Being from the education sector, it was clear in my mind that the manifesto we put together was all about catalyzing EDUCATION REFORM  in the country. It was actually right after the UP centennial lecture on education reform that the manifesto was finalized. Lobbying for a language bill was just a fraction of my concern. If you visit my blog  http://demarginaliz ingeducation. blogspot. com/ you would find that I wrote how MLE as a pedagogical approach would be implemented now (with or without an enabling law) in all learning situations including in catechetical and Sunday school classes. 

In my eagerness to gather support, I sent the appeal to all my e-groups, including those I found in the search engine of yahoo that advocate culture and language development (like DILA). I posted the appeal in this group not knowing fully well the dynamics and extent of language politics that exist among language experts like you. I'm  learning a lot from you. Thanks for those who have patiently explained some historical background. I am sorry if you felt that I was imposing the manifesto in disregard to your experiences of linguistic injustice. That was not my intention. Well, though some of you may not affix your signature, based on your exchanges, I feel that you  are one with us in advocating for culturally and linguistically  responsive education. 

Dios ti agngina.

Ched Arzadon