How can language policy shape learning outcomes and improve education productivity in the Philippines?
The ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ (PIDS) will hold a webinar on May 28, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:30 AM via Zoom, that brings together two recent studies examining the role of language in shaping students’ learning experiences and outcomes. The event will explore how linguistic alignment in the classroom and the transition between languages of instruction affect learning productivity, with implications for education policy and system design.
The first study, “,” authored by PIDS Senior ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Fellow Michael R.M. Abrigo, PIDS former ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Analyst Katha Ma-i M. Estopace, PIDS Project Technical Specialists Edmar E. Lingatong, and Charlotte Marjorie L. Relos, investigates how differences between students’ home language and the language used in instruction influence comprehension and academic performance. It highlights the conditions under which mother tongue-based education can improve learning outcomes, while also pointing to challenges in implementation across diverse linguistic contexts.
The second study, “,” by PIDS former President Dr. Aniceto C. Orbeta, Jr.; PIDS consultants Romylyn A. Metila and Jennifer D. Monje; PIDS former ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Fellow Ma. Christina F. Epetia; PIDS former Supervising ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Specialist Leih Maruss Sinsay-Villanueva; PIDS former Senior ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Specialist Kimberly R. Librero; PIDS ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Specialist John Joseph S. Ocbina; University of Notre Dame ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Associates Caroline Freeman and Annie Conaghan; University of Notre Dame Postdoctoral ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Fellow Erina Iwasaki; and University of Notre Dame Global Principal Investigator TJ D’Agostino. It examines how education systems manage shifts in language of instruction across grade levels. The study analyzes transition mechanisms and their effects on student learning, identifying policy gaps and opportunities to better support learners as they move from mother tongue instruction to broader language use in the curriculum.
Join policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders to discuss the importance of coherent and evidence-based language policies that support both early learning and long-term academic success.
Register at .
The event will also be livestreamed on the PIDS and SERP-P Facebook pages.
Read the full studies at and .
DOWNLOAD PRESENTATIONS:
of Dr. Michael Ralph Abrigo, PIDS Senior ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Fellow
of Dr. Aniceto Orbeta Jr., PIDS Emeritus ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Fellow; Dr. Romylyn A. Metila and Assoc. Prof. Jennifer Monje, PIDS Consultants
of Dr. Rosalina Villaneza, Department of Education Teaching and Learning Division Chief Education Program Specialist
