Philippine E-Journals

As language policies for basic and tertiary education in the Philippines vacillate between the preservation, promotion and use of first and native languages of students and the enhancement of English as a Second Language, language teachers are put in a dilemma. While sound language theories dictate that it is more productive to teach content courses in the students’ native tongue, the Department of Education’s language policy says otherwise. Further, while English language courses are still taught with emphasis on structure and form with Standard British or American English as models, outside, the native Philippine Variety of English is actually used. Although many young Filipinos today are raised speaking English as their first language, the variety too that they actually learn is native. The Philippines has also been a popular destination for other Asians who want to learn English (EFL). Learning from Filipino teachers would eventually result to the further spread, not of the Inner Circle variety, but the Philippine Variety of English. Thus, there is a need to re- evaluate how English is actually taught and re-assess the standards of evaluation of students’ performance.