Language-in-education policy development in the Philippines

Abstract

This chapter discusses the impact of the national demographic and, particularly, economic emigration on language planning and decision-making. The teaching methodology described in the 1974 language policy prescribes that the teacher use either Pilipino or English, depending on the subject. Philippine culture, patterns of language use, and language attitudes have been significantly affected by history. Language policy and planning in the Philippines is constrained by the impact of the colonial history of the nation. An understanding of the role and status of national and international languages in the Philippines is critical to an understanding of the development of language-in-education policy and planning. Decisions about language use can reveal the individual’s sense of cultural, social, national, and ethnic identity. Language attitudes contribute significantly to the rationale for effective and sustainable educational policies and practices. There is comparatively little written about the contribution of the many vernacular languages of the Philippines to education and development.