MOTHER TONGUE-BASED INSTRUCTION: EFFECTS ON LEARNERS’ PERFORMANCE
Keywords:
mother tongue, mother tongue – based instruction, traditional method, learners’ performanceAbstract
This study investigated the effects of using the mother tongue as an instructional tool on the English performance of elementary students using a quasi-experimental design. The research aimed to evaluate whether the use of mother tongue in teaching English concepts significantly improves learners’ classroom test scores. A total of 59 samples were selected from two classes in a public school in the Southern part of the Philippines, with one class receiving the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in teaching English and the other as the control group using the traditional methods. Pretest and posttest performances were assessed using a teacher-made instrument with 30 questions. Data analysis involved frequency count, weighted mean, t-tests for dependent samples, and z-tests. The pretest results for both groups were similar, showing fair performance. However, the posttest results indicated a significant improvement in the learners who received mother-tongue-based instruction compared to those taught using traditional English teaching methods. Initially, both groups struggled with retaining facts and vocabulary. Despite this, the study found that using the mother tongue as an instructional tool greatly improved academic performance in English. The study recommends teacher training to effectively incorporate the mother tongue into English instruction, consistent use of the mother tongue, local contextualization of English vocabulary, and a gradual introduction of English alongside the mother tongue. Overall, the study emphasizes the positive impact of the mother tongue on English proficiency and offers practical strategies for integrating it into English language teaching.
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Published on: 10-04-2025
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