A Mural Inside Los Muros
"Donde los caminos cruzan,
se dibuja un mapa en la memoria"
"Where roads cross,
the memory draws a map."
A Guiding Question
“How does the confluence of historical and heritage cultures affect modern identity among Filipino youth and how are these cultures represented in education settings in the Philippines?"
This was the question at the crux of my journey as a participant in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program to the Philippines. It was inspired by by a quote from one of our class readings, “Languages are windows into culture as well as reflections of identity.” As a world language (Spanish) teacher, I am curious about how secondary languages are taught in other districts especially when there is a large presence of heritage speakers of said language(s). Moreover, how do these heritage speakers, who often find themselves straddling multiple linguistic and social cultures, develop their identities to be inclusive (or exclusive) of both? Where along the continuum of acculturation to integration do students find themselves, and how can I as a classroom teacher support them in understanding their identities?
Read on below to discover my findings.
Q: How are world languages taught in The Philippines?
A: The short answer to this that there aren't many schools where world languages are taught as a "foreign" language. But that is not because they aren't valued. In fact, the opposite is true. They are not taught as a secondary language because The Philippines believes in having a multilingual society and so Tagalog and other local languages are incorporated into the class starting in primary school. Most all students speak 2 or 3 languages so the need for foreign language education is low. When students reach secondary grades, the primary language of instruction becomes English.
Students who wish to study another language like Japanese or Korean, often do so on their own time through online education programs or tutors. There were a few exceptions at select schools who offered Spanish and Chinese.
This approach surprised me probably because I based my expectation on my experiences as a Spanish teacher here in the United States. World language programs across the United States generally have mixed support. The monolingual belief that English is a superior language in the U.S. and that are other languages have less value (and should therefore be less studied) is one that I encounter often in and out of my classroom. So to see that the Filipino education system as a whole has embraced multilingualism as a core component of its teachings, was amazing for me. Implementing multilingual/dual language classes and the recognition of indigenous languages are practices I would love to see increase in popularity throughout the United States.
Q: How does exposure to multiple languages, especially those of indigenous or heritage origins, influence identity?
A: In considering that question, I should have written not so much to focus on multiple languages, but multiple cultures. There was a lot of discussion on the influence that Spain, Japan and the United States has had on the Philippines. Evidence of these colonizers is everywhere. We saw quite a bit of it in Manila when we visited the US Embassy and Los Muros. It was also evident in its intrusion into Tagalog. Several words in Tagalog come from Spanish and I was able to pick up bits and pieces of conversation simply because I know Spanish. But beyond the language and the architecture I did not notice much Spanish influence. Japanese culture also seemed to have a limited influence on national and personal identity (although the official day we were there we went out to a karaoke restaurant for supper).
The biggest outside influence I saw came from the United States and American culture. The influence of music, celebrities, and interest in American freedoms such as being able to color your hair or freely wear piercings at school was evident in the high schools I visited. But I don't believe that it was anything today's students identified with as an ingrained part of who they are. They did not make up parts of their identify. Instead, I found them to be curious about the US as much as my students in Nebraska are curious about my students in the Philippines. In fact, I am hopeful that we are able to connect across cultures and identities as classroom pals in ways that enrich and inform everyone.
Q: How do these observations influence my personal and professional beliefs?
A: As an individual, the preconceived notions I had about having to straddle multiple cultures now seems short-sighted. It is entirely plausible for me now to consider the idea of not choosing or identifying with a singular culture. When I think about what it means to be Mexican American or Cuban American or any other blend of cultures, I think of it as being able to adopt the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of both cultures in order to create a new culture that is as unique as the person themself.
However, I do still worry about the loss of heritage language abilities among those who have been in the United States for years and lose their exposure to it as older generations pass on. Even though students may be able to blend two cultures into one, I am still curious if the passage of time will leave one culture as more dominant eventually excluding the other until future generations only have bits and pieces of their heritage remaining.
A Guiding Question
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