Bilingualism in the Development of Communication Skills and Academic Learning of Students in Wenceslao Trinidad Memorial National High School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Bilingual education means the separate use of Filipino and English as the medium of teaching on specific fields or subjects in the Philippine curriculum. Separate use of Filipino and English must be strictly practiced in teaching. Filipino and English will be a medium language on diverse subjects at all levels to achieve the goals of bilingual proficiency. Bilingualism is a phenomenon of language that is explicitly and thoroughly discussed in the field of social media. It demonstrates the great interaction of language and society and how society contributes to language development. Furthermore, it also appears how the language is freely accepted by people in society and to those who use it. Bilingualism is also assumed to be the capability of a society to use two languages efficiently.

METHODS

The study was conducted using a descriptive research methodology. Researchers have chosen the "Descriptive Survey Research Design" that uses a questionnaire to gather data from a cluster or group of students. The questions were distributed to two hundred (217) students representing the total number of respondents from 7th to 10th grade of Wenceslao Trinidad Memorial National High School.

RESULTS

Based on the results of the study, it has been proven that the use of two different languages is high and has a positive effect on the various academic subjects of the learners. The Filipino language is still widely used in subject areas such as Filipino, Social Studies and Humanities. Thus, English is frequently used in subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science, TLE, and MAPEH. Further, students often use the Filipino language than English when it comes to communication and social interaction. For them, it is easier to use the Filipino language when explaining ideas and concepts or giving arguments and this is also the medium of language in which they can easily perceive the messages they receive.

DISCUSSIONS

The choice of language as a medium of instruction, basing on the experience of our education system, is not just a short-term issue that is based on economic need. Rather, it is also important to consider how students understand their surroundings and their community. It is appropriate to conceptualize effective language policies so that it will promote a globally competitive race and uphold the curriculum's goal for Philippine Education.