Seventeen Chemistry in Filipino
Seventeen Chemistry in Filipino
CHEMISTRY is the science concerned with the totality of things in our environment, the changes that occur in these things, and the energy involved in these changes. Knowledge of chemistry is important for understanding the truths about our world, for creating materials to improve our lives, and for solving some of the problems in our environment.
Chemistry is taught at the third-year level in high school. In university, chemistry is one of the sciences taught in Natural Sciences, one of the subjects required for all students. The study of Chemistry is deeper for students specializing in Science.
Currently, English is used in teaching chemistry and other science subjects. Can Filipino be used in teaching it? Is there a need to use Filipino? I will answer these questions based on my experience teaching chemistry-whether elementary or advanced.
The Need
The Need
Many teachers take pride in using Filipino when their students do not understand an explanation in the English language. These teachers are silent when asked why they still need to wait for the occasion when their students do not understand before using Filipino in their teaching.
Most students struggle with using and understanding the English language. This is a fact proven by several research studies. Students understand lectures in Filipino more easily than in English. Even if a teacher is very good at teaching in the English language, they are not immediately understood by most of their students.
Many teachers in public schools, especially those in the provinces, use or are forced to use Filipino in their lectures because they see that students understand better in their own language. They know that what they are doing goes against the DECS directive on bilingualism, but because of their desire for their students to learn, they do not follow this directive.
In my university, and perhaps in most other schools, colleges, and universities, the administration encourages the use of English in teaching so that students will be "globally competitive." They advise teachers to be fluent in English and to teach in English. In our meetings at the College of Science, I often remind them that we need to accept the reality that not all students are good at English, and a teacher's skill in explaining in English is useless if they are not understood by those they are teaching.
In my teaching, I see that students can follow more easily if the lecture is conducted in Filipino. They are more free in their questioning and our discussion is more alive. I have no statistical figures to provide to prove that teaching chemistry in Filipino is more effective. However, there are some research studies conducted in other universities that showed no difference in the effectiveness of teaching in English or Filipino. For me, the active participation of students in class discussions is important. Their learning is more based on their intellectual capacity.
I believe that if teaching chemistry and other sciences in Filipino becomes widespread, the formation of a scientific culture in our country will accelerate, and the country's benefit from science and technology will grow. Conversations about science will be easily understood by the public and not just by academics and students.
The Chemical Society of the Philippines is divided regarding the Filipinization of chemistry teaching. One side is concerned that students' proficiency in English will weaken and the advantage of Filipino scientists in international gatherings will be lost.
We remind those who object that the advanced countries in the field of science are Japan, China, Germany, and Korea, all of which are not proficient in the English language. We also emphasize, in agreement with teaching chemistry in Filipino, that English does not need to be lost if Filipino is used in scientific discourse.