Let your kids learn the Filipino language

Let your kids learn the Filipino language

By Jody Huang

Why not? I just told one parent who was asking me if it’s beneficial to enrol his child in the Filipino International Language. I had a queasy feeling that the parent seemed to understand the benefits for his child of acquiring another language, but the idea of studying the Filipino language, didn’t seem plausible, or attractive to him. I can now understand why, after almost 30 years of the Filipino International Language (formerly Filipino Heritage), the enrolment hasn’t really picked up. I gathered statistics from the International Languages Program in elementary from the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) so I can see the bigger picture of how the Filipino International language stands in terms of enrolment vis-à-vis the other languages. Generally, since the International Languages are offered every Saturday, the number of enrolees would largely depend on the parents’ commitment and desire to bring their children to school. Consequently, their desire is greatly influenced by how much value, importance and benefits they bestow on the language. I was disheartened to observe a dismal number of enrolees in the Filipino International Language vis-à-vis the population number of Filipinos in Toronto. The wide disparity on the figures speaks of how little regard or value the Filipinos put on the Filipino language.

To illustrate my point, considering that there are almost 100,000 Filipinos in Toronto, we expect to have Filipino classes at least comparable to if not higher than the Tamils (Toronto population-70,000) or the Vietnamese (Toronto population-40,000) or the Koreans (Toronto population-22,000). Alas, the number of students enrolled in their own specific languages are the following: Filipinos – 175; Tamils – 1,675; Vietnamese – 1,150; Koreans – 700! Somalia, Kenya

(Notes: data do not include all countries where the languages are spoken; there are other languages that are offered in Toronto schools not included in the data: Malayalam, Bengali, Bulgarian, Ewe,Finnish, Japanese, Lao, Hebrew, Macedonian, Marathi, Nepalese, Ojibwe, Pashto, Sinhalese, Swahili, Swedish, Tibetan,German, Dari, Turkish, Ukrainian, Armenian, Hindi, Malayalam)

My interviews with the Chinese, Vietnamese and Tamil parents about reasons they enrol their children to learn their language revealed very simple answers: “I am proud of my language and heritage”, said one; “I want to communicate to my children in the language that I am are most comfortable with, it helps a lot in my disciplining them”, quipped another. In contrast, Filipino parents I interviewed, answered: “Busy sila sa piano lessons and swimming tuwing Sabado”, “Andito na sila sa Canada, bakit pa?” “Nakakapagsalita naman ako ng Ingles”, “Hindi naman nila naiiintindihan at na-aapreciate”; “Walang time, eh, 3 jobs ako”. Our reasons maybe warranted, but my view is, if the other communities can do it, why can’t we? Is it because of low regard to our language? Is it because of lack of encouragement and support to the parents to keep the language alive on their children? A lot of questions linger, but I am one to convince parents to enrol their kids in the Filipino language class and/or to teach it at home.

Let me list down the tremendous benefits for you and for your children to learning the Filipino language: 1) you can comfortably talk and transmit to them your ideas, sentiments and aspirations; 2) the Filipino language serves as an invisible gravity that brings you together as a family, and the whole Filipinos together in a community; 3) you can reinforce the Filipino values of “bayanihan”, cooperation, education value, gratitude, respect, love of family; 3) you help them to understand you as you help yourselves to understand them; 4) they grow more intellectually and mentally; 5)they become sensitive to culture; 6) they become flexible in their thinking; 7) they increase their job opportunity and economic potential; 8) they learn to appreciate others; 9) they learn empathy; 10)your communication with each other becomes two-way.

In my job as Community Relations Officer in schools,I heard stories of parents struggling to communicate with their children in English, and since many couldn’t verbalize what they wanted to say, especially when they were angry, they opted to keep mum, allowing their children to monopolize the conversation. How many parents have I heard said, “Hindi ko na kilala ang anak ko, hindi kami magkaintindihan”. Miscommunication and misunderstanding can lead to outright estrangement between parents and children, to acting-out behavior in the children, to depression in the parents and even to physical abuse. Disconnection from parents is usually high in Canadian-born and raised Filipino children of mixed marriages. Indeed, as Filipinos continue to migrate, intermarry, and assimilate all over the globe, there is an increased need to embrace our culture and language or we will slowly lose them.

Before I conclude this write-up, I just want to share with you an article I encountered about who the Filipinos are, which speaks of our good culture and language. It goes, “Filipinos, it is said, are pliant as bamboos; they can withstand the fiercest storm, embrace the soothing breeze, sway with wind, and even kneel to touch the ground. Filipinos are flexible and adaptable, and their lifestyles can easily be altered or modified to fit conditions. Filipinos, wherever they may be, “draw upon the accumulated wisdom of the cultural heritage and have their own ways of solving problems.” They rekindle bayanihan spirit in their new community–the valued practice of cooperation, mutual support, and self-help in bringing about community projects and activities as well as the spirit of helpfulness among neighbors in a community.” Beautiful, isn’t it? Don’t you just want your children to acquire these culture and values?