Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-05
ENGLISH FOR fILIPINOS
THE PROPER LRpNauAaB 7c
TEACH THE Islanders.
Prof. Gibbs Of MASSACHUSETTS Gives
Important Reasons for This
opinioh.


low Of Clark University who until lately
was engaged in educational work in the
Philippine Islands has made an important
contribution, in a letter. to the Boston
Transcript. to the subject Of the teaching
of English to the Filipinos which has re-
Gently been opened to controversy. He
writes: .-s. ....-...
Having recently returned from service
in an official position in the educational de-
partment Of the Philippine Islands, I have
read with interest the various articles &C.
curing In the columns OF your paper and
referring to the teaching Of English to
the Filipinos. gather from these articles,
and also from the one In the Educational
Review on the Tagalog language referred
to by one Of your correspondents. that Eng.
lish is being taught to the Filipinos against
their wishes. and also that there Is an at
tempt on the part Of the authorities to
crush out the native languages In the
performance of my duties as a division su-
perintendent, as well as by travel and cor
respondence may safely say that be-
came well acquainted with the actual work
ing out of these problems in the section Of
Luzon north of Manila The following
statements are drawn from this knowledge
and experience.
TT is not to be supposed that instruction
in English rather than in the native Ian
guages was adopted without careful con-
vestigated by the commission 1t received
the careful attention of the general super
intendent and his board Of native advisers,
who secured the written opinions of Of
ficials, both native and American, from all
parts Of the archipelago COPIES Of these
letters may be found in the forthcoming
report Of the civil commfssion.) 1t was the
common statement of officers Of the army,
who had charge Of the public schools every
where, of officers Of the constabulary. of
teachers, superintendeDta and native Of
flcials that the native languages were in
adequate, that instructions should be in
English and that the Filipinos were anx-
ious to learn English. -~.-
The Filipinos Want English.
For this general desire to know Eng
lish. Filipinos have stated to me the fol-
lowing as the main reasons:
80 A knowledge Of English would ena
BILE them better to understand the Ameri-
cans and to read the American newspapers.
"'(2) English Is the great commercial
language Of the world. One who knows 1t
may travel or write to any civilized coun-
try with a good certainty Of being under
stood -.t
".(3) The English language is rich in
literature. science and history. The reading
of the Filipino has been confined mainly to
lives of the saints and church doctrine.
They have had no literature, no science and
no art. In the public schools today, where
up to within two years ago. at the most,
the children were reciting aloud individu-
ally, perhaps in the native language. per-
haps in Spanish, soInes syllables about
saints or religious doctrine, of which they
knew nothing and were. not supposed to
understand, they are readins many of our
most beautiful child stories and best lit
erary selections, and learning in English
games which have delighted the civilized
child for ages. This contrast will be more
and more strongly appreciated as the work
- The official language of the islands
will, in a few years, be English, and 1t Will
be necessary for many of those who wish to
occupy public positions to. know English. I
did not find that this reason bad great
weight, excepting with Certain of the young
men who were planning to, enter the civil
service for the law does not require that
presidentes and other .electsd officers shall
know English, only that their correspond
ence shall be in English. Il Each presidente,
or mayor, has secretary and one or more
assistants and it would be possible today to
find in nearly every town one or more per
sons who could write English fairly well.
"'5. The intelligent Filipino desires extend
ed instruction in English and the retention
of the American teachers. because he knows
that, in order to become a strong people,
they must be united by common sympathies
and common interests, and this is possible
only by having a common language and
ready means of reaching at once the Judg-
ment and feelings Of the people. We rec
people as a nation can be touched and in
fluenced but this Is only in so far as we
express our feelings in a common language.
But, if in each of our states there was a
different tribe of people, speaking ats own
language or dialect and governed by Its
own limited ideals and prejudices~ our re-
public, with it's national liberties, would be
an impossibiltty. Yet this Is the relation
existing between the Filipino provinces.
The teaching of English on the large scale
of the present system of public instruction
is the best means that could have been de-
vised to meet soon as possible this great
need Of the Filipino people
Large Attendance at Schools.
This general desire Of the Filipinos to
learn English is also shown by the large
attendance Of pupils at the day schools, the
voluntary attendance of adults at the even
ing schools. by the voluntary support of the
public schools from the general funds Of the
municipalities and by contributions from
the people. up to June Of the present year,
and In a large number Of places even at the
present time.
I'm view Of these facts. even If school at
tendance was made compulsory by civil
law and all the instruction was required to
be in English. could it hardly be said that
English was being forced upon these peo-
pie? Although there Is no general COM
pulsory school attendance law and the mu-
inequalities have been perfectly free to act
very large number Of municipalities, II not
In the majority, the councils have passed
local compulsory school attendance ordi-
nances. Rather the councils have been dis
couraged by the American officials from
passing such laws because there is ques-
ton as to their legality, under the regula-
lions of the present municipal code. The
forced attendance Of the Filipino child at
school today. wherever 1t Is forced, depends
entirely upon the choice Of the local native
authorities.
It cannot truthfully be- said that the
American authorities are trying to crush
out the native languages. The testimony Of
the officials to- whom I have referred was
not only that the instruction should be in
English. but also that the native languages
were inadequate or that extended tnstruc-
ton In these languages would be unwise
These languages were and are considered
inadequate for purposes OF public instruc-
ton because they are In. the main dialects.
having very limited v0eabuiaries. They
could not be used to express ideas foreign
to the everyday practices and customs Of
the tribes. For this p9Epose those tribes
which have come closely IN, contact with
the Standards have borrowed many words
The Tagalog Is perhaps the best developed
Of these languages but 3 TaEalog newspa-
pershOws large numbefof these borrowed
words. knowledge OF this limitation Of the
best developed native languages I have
from men who know them thoroughly and
who have undertaken literary work in
them. II any of them were "mOSt perfect