How can language policy shape learning outcomes and improve education productivity in the Philippines?
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (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, “Linguistic Mismatch and Learning Productivity Evidence from Mother Tongue-based Education in the Philippines,” authored by PIDS Senior Research Fellow Michael R.M. Abrigo, PIDS former Research 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, “Language of Instruction and Transition in Education Systems LITES Philippines,” by PIDS former President Dr. Aniceto C. Orbeta, Jr.; PIDS consultants Romylyn A. Metila and Jennifer D. Monje; PIDS former Research Fellow Ma. Christina F. Epetia; PIDS former Supervising Research Specialist Leih Maruss Sinsay-Villanueva; PIDS former Senior Research Specialist Kimberly R. Librero; PIDS Research Specialist John Joseph S. Ocbina; University of Notre Dame Research Associates Caroline Freeman and Annie Conaghan; University of Notre Dame Postdoctoral Research 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 https://bit.ly/pidsevent052826.
The event will also be livestreamed on the PIDS and SERP-P Facebook pages.
Read the full studies at https://doi.org/10.62986/dp2025.41 and https://doi.org/10.62986/dp2025.56.
