Republic of the Philippines

DIFFUN, QUIRINO
QUIRINO STATE UNIVERSITY
Quirino State University - Laboratory High School

POSITION PAPER

INCLUSION OF KOREAN LANGUAGE AS AN ELECTIVE SUBJECT ON JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

DepEd's aim is to develop the foreign language skills of the learners and the increasing impact
of globalization. Aside from Korean language DepEd currently implements five Special Program in
Foreign Language (SPFL) classes in Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Japanese in all public
schools but Filipino remains part of the core subjects in the basic education. As a Grade 12 STEM
student I’m agree with the goal of the Department of Education for they recognized the needs of a
student, to provide to multiple intelligences of the learners and to help them prepare with the
necessary skills to meaningfully engage in a linguistically and culturally diverse world.

The inclusion of the Korean language in DepEd’s SPFL was formalized back in June
2017 through a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Philippines and South Korea. Korean
Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Jae Shin said learning the Korean language will provide better
"opportunities for local and international employment" and education grants in Korea for selected
Filipino students. "Language is very important, so teaching and studying [foreign languages] in
schools is very helpful to deepen the bilateral understanding between two nations," Kim added. Apart
from Korean language, other languages offered under DepEd's Special Program in Foreign Language
include Spanish, Nihongo, French, German and Mandarin. SPFL is open to Grades 7 to 10 learners
who have demonstrated competence in Filipino and English, and are interested in and capable of
learning another foreign language. But only those students who have mastery in Filipino and English
shall be qualified to take the Korean language class elective and learning another foreign language.
DepEd has partnered with the Korean Cultural Center, Embassy of Spain, Spanish Agency for
International Development Cooperation Filipinas, Instituto Cervantes, Japan Foundation, the Embassy
of France, Goethe-Instituto Philippine, and Confucius Institute-Angeles University Foundation in the
conduct of capacity building activities for SPFL teachers.

Plus Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones maintains that the subject Filipino remain to be among
the core subjects in basic education, while the teaching of Panitikan in the Filipino subject serves as a
springboard for discussion of grammar lessons and a way of strengthening the Filipino identity and
culture. Additionally, Filipino continues to be the medium of instruction for Araling
Panlipunan and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao. Aside from Filipino, the Mother Tongue-Based
Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) is also being implemented in Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, and 3 in all
public schools.

Department of Education’s main purpose is to improve the communicating skill of the young
generation so they can be capable in any countries they choose to work with. Therefore it can be
easy for them to interact with the foreign people. This inclusion of Korean language as an elective
subject in junior high school is not only on the development of the learners but it’s also about the
development of the country (Philippines).