THE UST College of Science is boosting the use of the Filipino language in its course delivery, research publication and campus events to enrich the academic experience and promote the national language in school settings.
In a memorandum released on Feb. 24, Science Dean Prof. Rey Donne Papa encouraged the college’s academic staff to use Filipino in teaching general and technical subjects “whenever possible.” He also suggested adapting course plans and learning materials in the language.
“As part of our ongoing efforts to celebrate and strengthen our Filipino language and to recognize the efforts of our former Dean, Acad. Prof. Emeritus Fortunato B. Sevilla III, Ph.D., on the use of Filipino teaching science courses, we encourage its greater use in academic and campus activities,” Papa said.
Serving as Science dean from 2002 to 2008, Fortunato Sevilla III is known for championing the Filipino language and using it to administer technical subjects such as Chemistry and other fields related to science.
Some academic staff of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters praised the college’s initiative, citing its significance in fostering students’ appreciation for the language.
“It is a way of promoting the Filipino language and to highlight its importance to our youth,” Artlets Dean Prof. Melanie Turingan told The Flame.
“Filipino language is evolving, there is such a thing as ‘Hiram na salita’ or code switch switching if we cannot literally translate a text,” she added.
According to Creative Writing department chair Assoc. Prof. Joselito Delos Reyes, the initiative is a “validation” of the Filipino language as a significant instrument for transferring knowledge.
“Mas mapapadali ang pagpapadaloy ng kaalaman hindi lang sa science kung hindi sa lahat ng saray ng karunungan kung gagamitin ang wikang kinamulatan, kung gagamitin ang wikang komportable para sa nagtuturo at tumatanggap ng aral,” he said.
(It will be easier to transmit knowledge not only in science but in all levels of wisdom if the language that one is exposed to is used, if the language that is comfortable for the teacher and the recipient of the lesson is used.)
Delos Reyes cited common misconceptions about the use of Filipino in teaching scientific concepts, saying people often believe that using the national language requires word-for-word translation when effective communication should be vernacular and conversational.
“Unibersal ang agham at matematika. Hindi naman pinalalakad ng wikang Ingles ang paliwanag para maintindihan ng nakararami sa mundo ang agham. The same scientific concept taught sa non-English speaking country is the same kahit saan. Ang mahalaga, maunawaan agad. Mai-apply. Mapakinabangan ng sambayanan at mundo ang dulot ng agham at teknolohiyang ito,” he said.
(Science and mathematics are universal. The English language does not make the explanation for the majority of the world to understand science. The same scientific concept taught in non-English speaking countries is the same everywhere. The important thing is to understand immediately. It can be applied. The people and the world will benefit from science and technology.)
For UST Department of Filipino instructor Mark Angeles, Sevilla’s approach in explaining scientific concepts in Filipino has been effective in improving the students’ understanding of such topics.
“Kung iuugnay pa ang mga konsepto sa pang-araw-araw na buhay ng mga estudyante, nababawasan ang diskoneksiyon sa pagitan ng mga dayuhang idea at kanilang kamalayan,”Angeles, who also teaches courses in the Creative Writing department, said.
(If such concepts are further associated with the everyday lives of students, it will bridge the disconnect between foreign ideas and their consciousness.)
Some professors and students from different universities also backed the college’s efforts to prioritize the use of Filipino over strict adherence to the English language. A number of them recalled the recent episode involving Pamantasan ng Cabuyao, a government-run university in Laguna, that drew flak for implementing an English-only policy in line with its vision to produce “globally competitive” graduates. The policy quickly gained online traction and was slammed by critics who described it as “unnecessary” and a “slave mentality.”
In an interview published on the UST Hasaan website, Sevilla said he began using the Filipino language as his medium of instruction at the University after he was inspired by the technical books of his foreign classmates in Manchester, which were written in their mother tongue. According to him, employing the national language enabled his students to easily understand the concepts and laws of subjects under Chemistry.
Sevilla graduated from UST in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. The former Science dean completed his Master of Science degree in 1984 and Doctor of Philosophy in Instrumentation in 1987 both at the University of Manchester.
To avoid learning issues for students who come from diverse linguistic backgrounds, the Science dean instructed faculty members to use code-switching, or combining Filipino and English language, in the event that some students are not familiar with the language.
“Before using Filipino in class, please check with your students during orientation to confirm their comfort with this approach. For classes with international students, the use of Filipino should only occur if the student is proficient in the language,” Papa said.
Academic staff members were likewise encouraged to consider using Filipino in “communicating science to the general public when appropriate.” Such efforts could be made through the development of UST Filipino-refereed journal UST Hasaan for peer-reviewed journals.
“This will not only contribute to the body of work in the language but also serve as an inspiration for students to aim to write and research in Filipino. We will continue to require our research students to submit abstracts of their undergraduate thesis in both English and Filipino to promote and encourage the use of Filipino in our research endeavors,” Papa said.
The Science dean also called on faculty members to collaborate with the Department of Filipino and student organizations to lead seminars and discussions that center on the significance of the national language.
“We look forward to your support in this important initiative, which will enrich the academic experience and contribute to the growth of the Filipino language in academic settings,” Papa added. F
