English Language in Philippine Education: Themes and Variations in Policy, Practice, Pedagogy and Research

ABSTRACT

In this paper I will present a brief historical background of the educational systems inthe Philippines and the language policies from the time of the Spanish Colonization tothe present. This will lead to a brief analysis of the recurring themes in the perennialdebates over English versus Pilipino. Then I will describe the current pedagogies ofteaching English in the early grades of Philippine schools. A brief review of currentresearch studies on bilingual education will follow. And finally, I will narrate howthree generations of a Chinese-Filipino family had learned English, Chinese, andPilipino and how they fare in the three languages.