From Grave to Life (Part 3)

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4 years ago

FROM GRAVE TO LIFE: Saving Languages from Death

Part 2, click here: https://read.cash/@Jim/from-grave-to-life-part-2-fd5813d8

Part 1, click here: https://read.cash/@Jim/from-grave-to-life-part-1-47544240

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As for me, there is a need to take action to save a life that should also be done to save languages from death. There is a need to preserve and revitalize these languages; and there is a need for me as a language teacher to promote them to everyone especially to my students. Therefore, it can be much challenging for me to do it now in this world where predominant languages have become in demand in fashion, business, and entertainment.

In such a way, preservation is quite arduous; and it is difficult to do it alone. It should be mandated by the government so as to include the recordings, documentation, and writing systems in the curriculum which are then seen in my classroom instruction. This is truly difficult; and even revitalizing languages is also another thing. It requires another way of preventing language death by giving new life to languages. People must be interested in using languages which are native or which are spoken by the old generation. Thus, time is required to love languages people do not always use; and situations they find these languages in purpose are necessary.

In the field of education here in the Philippines, multilingualism, localization, and contextualization are of the implications of the possible ways to save languages from death. Multi-lingual education especially among elementary pupils is recently advocated. This is a way to promote the native languages of the different provinces in the country in which pupils are taught concepts using their own languages. Moreover, localization and contextualization are ways to appropriately make students understand their lessons in a way closer to the things found in their own community. Yet, there is still a lot to improve among teachers for them to become conversant in teaching the children of today.

As for me, English, Filipino, and Iloko are the three languages that I use in my everyday life. Primarily, Iloko is the language that I speak most when talking to my family and friends. This, I think is a way of making a language live which I know represents my identity as an Ilocano. This is also the best way to show reflexivity since a way to preserve it is to use it.

In the classroom, English is what I use most of the time particularly in giving instructions and conducting lectures. Yet, this language does not limit the freedom of expression in terms of explaining and sharing ideas among students. Students are allowed to code-switch prior to when they are having a hard time expressing themselves in English. This is a way for students to feel that they are accepted and that their own languages matter in the classroom as they stand for who they are. Thus, allowing students to speak in whatever languages they want to use is a way of telling them that they do have a role in the revitalization of their native languages.

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4 years ago

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I want to learn Filipino language. Because most of my friends and well wishers in read.cash are Philippines. 😍 So, I want to learn this language. 😘

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4 years ago

There are tutorial centers that offer Filipino language learning. Are you interested to learn it formally?

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

As for me, English, Filipino, and Iloko are the three languages that I use in my everyday life.

It has been proven that people who grow up multilingual and speak several languages fluently have better cognitive skills and are better at school than monolingual ones.

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4 years ago

There are studies proving this is true but we have to be careful in exposing the young ones to different languages at the same time. They need to fully acquire first their first language before learning a new language.

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

My children grew up with 2 languages from birth and I know of families where the children learned 3 languages at the same time. It's no problem. It just needs to be a clear distinction. With me the children have ALWAYS spoken one language with me and mother mother has ALWAYS spoken the other. They were able to clearly distinguish the languages from the beginning and learned both equally well.

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4 years ago

Before anything else, I would like to thank you for sharing your insights. It is my pleasure to read comments from you.

I have a few questions regarding your observation of your children:

  1. What are these 2 languages? Are these 2 languages their native tongue?
  2. How old were your children when they were first exposed to these languages?
  3. Don't you observe any code-switching or mixing when they communicate with both of you (parents)?

The answers to these questions will serve as a basis for me to give a definite conclusion about your proposition. Thank you so much!

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Definitely agree with this❤ language is a way and a cultur that identifies your origin, allowing students to use their own language in school will boost there confidence and will expand their learning as they can easily understand the lessons

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4 years ago

The medium of instruction needs to be given emphasis in the curriculum as learning lies in it. You are absolutely right that these languages serve as our cultural identity. Thank you so much for sharing your insights.

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Always welcome dear😊 keep writing quality content articles. Ill be looking forward to that❤

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4 years ago

Thank you so much for always supporting me. Love lots!

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

@Jim . Thank you for mentioning my name here🥰

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4 years ago

My pleasure.

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Teaching mother tongue in elementary is a good move to preserve language. As for me, we often talk in tagalog at home mix with bicol dialect, we're in the part of bicol region where tagalog is more dominant. As i study in another province in bicol i learned a lot of dialect and it's so fun to learn them, having the same thought but different dialect is sure interesting. I sometimes mix them making it grammatically wrong but i love learning its variety.

I hope other teacher will also allow student to express themselves not only with the use of english language but also based on the language or dialect they are comfortable with. Of course the need to learn english is there but it is a must to have freedom in using our own language to express.

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4 years ago

I love hearing from you about your experience in learning the native languages here in the Philippines. Your effort to learn these languages is an indication of your love for our culture.

With regard to allowing students to express themselves in their comfortable language, we have to remember that there are existing laws and there are certain purposes why Filipino and English are used in the classroom.

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

I agreed, pressuring students to confidently and fluently speak in English language is not a good idea

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4 years ago

This is the reason why we have to provide activities that are interesting so they would learn the language without forcing them to.

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Indeed sir, you're a good teacher🤗

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4 years ago

We are all teachers in our own ways. Thank you for motivating me to write.

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

I'm glad I managed to motivate someone through my comments🤗

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4 years ago

Meaningful article po again, here, there's a subject, a new subject included in elementary called mother tongue wherein they teaches the dialects here, aklanon dialects to their student while me po, i'm trying to teach my boyfriend to speak n understand tagalog but it's not that easy for him, but i know he will learn it po eventually

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4 years ago

You have had good learning encounters. I admire you for contributing in the preservation of our native languages. These languages are our primary identity as Filipinos :)

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Yes, i agree po n thank u n it's not that easy to understand n speak the dialects here, maybe it help me because when i'm still young, my mom talked to us in aklanon n sometimes in kinaray-a as she's from romblon n her grandfather's from Boracay n i also understand some kapampangan as my dad's from pampanga n when i got n worked here, i've learned some language though even before, i can speak some japanese words as my sister once worked in japan n she teached me some nihon or nihongo words

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4 years ago

Your insights are timely. Filipino language in particular has lost its value among young Filipinos. They are more fluent in English. It breaks my heart that they cannot express themselves in Filipino. It is a sad truth but a living reality.

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4 years ago

This is the opposite of what I observe among my students because they cannot even construct simple sentences in English. We have to remember that Filipino is our native tongue while English is our second language, therefore, we need to master both :)

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Majority of my students in the higher sections prefer to speak in English.

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4 years ago

Perhaps, English is also their first language at home.

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Wonderful piece

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4 years ago

Thank you so much!

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago

Another worthy article. Looking forward to read more from you po. 😊

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4 years ago

I will publish soon the concluding part soon. I hope you get updated. Thanks for the support :)

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User's avatar Jim
4 years ago