Languages Curricula Shaping Paper - Study Notes

Introduction and Rationale

• The Shaping Paper provides a substantial overview of language curricula in the K to 12 program, covering: background and rationale for learning languages; key concepts and design principles; organization and structure; pedagogy and assessment; and key considerations for development.
• Core aims of language learning include communication, expanded literacy repertoires, understanding language and culture, appreciation of diversity, and development of critical and creative thinking.
• The languages curricula are anchored in first language-based multilingual education (L1 as the foundation) and emphasize learning the learner’s L1 plus additional languages such as Filipino and English to enable effective communication and world understanding.
• Learning languages expands horizons, supports interpretation and creation of meaning in cultural experiences, and contributes to social, economic, and international development (ACARA, 2012).
• For Indigenous communities, language learning grounds learners in community life and Indigenous knowledge systems; it supports participation and inclusion (DO 32, s. 2015; RA 11106 for Filipino Deaf community).
• Specific goals of language learning include fostering communication, cultural identity, and intercultural understanding while aligning with global language acquisition research.

The Shape of the Curricula for Languages

• The design presents background/rationale, key concepts and principles, and organization/structure of the curricula.
• It discusses pedagogy and assessment and highlights considerations for development of the curricula for languages.

The Design of the Languages Curricula

2.1 Languages as Learning Areas in the K to 12 Curriculum

• The Language learning area emphasizes developing oral language skills in the learner’s L1 to support transition to literacy and learning in other areas.
  • L1 is a resource for establishing a strong literacy foundation and education trajectory.
  • The curriculum recognizes more than $180$ languages in the country, including sign and visual languages, and languages of Indigenous groups.
• The Reading and Literacy learning area focuses on foundational reading skills essential for early literacy:
  • Phonemic awareness, decoding, and sight word recognition to support literacy in L1.
• Learning in L1 as the best foundation for initial literacy and for subsequent L2 development, supported by World Bank (2021): literacy in L1 promotes outcomes in L1, L2, and other subjects.
• Research evidence (Barron 2012; Kosonen & Young 2009; Ocampo 2006; UNESCO 2016) supports L1 as the strongest base for early literacy.
• The Languages Shaping Paper guides learning areas including Mother Tongue, Filipino, and English. It introduces two new learning areas for L1 education in Grade 1 and reorganizes K–10 offerings:
  • Language and Reading and Literacy are offered in Grade 1.
  • Filipino and English are offered starting in Grade 2 (simultaneously) to build on L1 foundations and progress toward CALP in Filipino and English.
• In Grade 2, Filipino and English continue to build on L1 learning before further literacy development across languages and other subjects.
• Figure 1 illustrates language offerings in K to 3; Figure 2 (Multilingual Education Model) illustrates the interplay among languages, informed by Cummins’ linguistic interdependence and common underlying proficiency.
• Key features of the Multilingual Education Model (Cummins, 1981):
  • Skills/metalinguistic knowledge from L1 can transfer to L2 (e.g., letter sounds, cognates, sentence structure, book/print knowledge, basic literacy).
  • Subsequent research highlights similar features, concept knowledge, and basic literacy skills as transferable across languages.

2.2 The Aims and Goals of the Curriculum

• Collective aim: produce literate, communicatively competent, culturally aware young Filipino learners.
• Learners should be able to use language appropriately, think critically, and communicate effectively in diverse social contexts.
• Outcomes: learners become multilingual, multiliterate, and intercultural citizens with a deep sense of cultural identity.
• These goals are supported by sound theories of language acquisition and learning and are contextualized through local culture, knowledge systems, beliefs, literature, mores, and norms.

2.3 Structure of the Learning Areas

2.3.1 Big Ideas

• A big idea is a concept/theme that gives meaning and connection to discrete facts/skills, serving as a focal point for curricula, instruction, and assessment (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005).
• Big ideas for languages include:
  1) Oral language development in early years bridges to literacy in schooling.
  2) Language is a tool for communication and learning across all areas.
  3) Learners develop knowledge about language and the relationships between language and culture through learning to communicate in languages.
• These big ideas underpin three interrelated domains: Language, Literacy, and Text. Literacy includes multilingual/multimodal texts and emphasizes practical use of language.

2.3.2 Progression Across Key Stages

• The curriculum is inherently spiral, with competencies revisited and deepened across grades.
• Domain focus shifts by key stage:
  • KS1 (Kindergarten–Grade 3): emphasis on Literacy
  • KS2 (Grades 4–6): emphasis on Language
  • KS3 (Grades 7–10): emphasis on Text
• This progression supports spiraling and consolidation across domains to build a cohesive, cumulative skill set.

2.3.2.1 Key Stage 1 (KS1)

• Focus areas and subdomains include:
  • Language for Interacting with Others: Oral language development, social expressions, conversation participation, etc.
  • Language for Developing and Expressing Ideas: Expressing ideas with symbols, naming words, describing words.
  • Appreciating Languages: Noticing features of L1/other languages; understanding intonation and body language; recognizing language reflects culture.
  • Interacting with Texts: Viewing/listening to texts; recognizing icons/symbols; engaging with texts.
  • Creating Texts: Recording/reporting ideas; sequencing events; relating ideas to personal experiences.
• In KS1, there are learning competencies across four quarters (Q1–Q4) for Grade 1:
  • Core areas: Language for Interacting with Others, Language for Developing and Expressing Ideas, Appreciating Languages, Interacting with Texts, Creating Texts.
  • Emphasis on fluency across macroskills (listening, speaking, reading, writing).

2.3.2.2 Key Stage 2 (KS2)

• Focus on Language (receptive and productive skills) with 50% narrative and 50% informational texts.
• Applied Literacy: Thinking about how to read/write to achieve communicative goals in social contexts; understanding culture and other disciplines.
• Critical Literacy: Questioning and evaluating ideas; synthesizing/analyzing information; judging information relevance.

2.3.2.3 Key Stage 3 (KS3)

• Focus on Text: Developing multiliteracies across written, visual, audio, gestural, tactile, and spatial modes.
• Emphasis on applying literacy skills (basic, critical, applied) and language knowledge to critically evaluate and publish a range of texts (spoken, written, multimodal).
• Texts include informational and narrative through diverse topics, with an emphasis on 70% informational and 30% narrative.

2.4 Curriculum Standards

• There are three levels of standards: Learning Area Standards, Key Stage Standards, and Grade Level Standards.

2.4.1 Learning Area Standards (Table 1 highlights the following)

• Language G1: Learners demonstrate oracy in L1; interact, express ideas; engage with texts; use high-frequency/content-specific words; understand language–culture links.
• Reading and Literacy G1: Basic literacy in L1; decode high-frequency/basic words; understand sentence-level usage; comprehend/respond/create narrative/informational texts.
• Filipino G2–G10: Literasi, kakayahang komunikatibo, mapanuring pag-unawa, and appreciation of language, culture, and literature for 21st-century skills and national/global citizenship.
• English G2–G10: Proficiency in multiple modes; communicate effectively across contexts; analyze/respond to literary/informational texts; promote cultural heritage and mutual respect.
• Note: For Language and Reading and Literacy, Learning Area Standards also serve as Key Stage Standards and Grade Level Standards.

2.4.2 Key Stage Standards (Table 2)

• KS1 (end of Grade 3): Learners become literate using L1 as a literacy resource; conversational language skills for daily activities; pride in cultural heritage.
• KS2 (end of Grade 6): Mastery of basic literacy; development of applied and critical literacy; demonstrate communicative competence for diverse audiences and contexts; pride in heritage.
• KS3 (end of Grade 10): Ability to critically analyze/evaluate texts; compose/publish multimedia texts; communicate across content areas; pride in heritage.

2.5 Spiral Progression

• Spiral progression describes revisiting concepts at higher levels over time to deepen understanding and align with developmental stages.
• The learning competencies recur across subdomains and are organized to show vertical progression and horizontal articulation.
• Subdomains examples (Table 3) show how KS1 focuses on interacting with others, developing ideas, appreciating languages, and texts; KS2 emphasizes listening/reading, speaking/writing, viewing/representing; KS3 emphasizes literary, informational, academic, and transactional texts.
• The new layout streamlines subdomains (merged/condensed) to reduce congestion and increase flexibility; time-based learning episodes (quarters) guide sequencing rather than fixed weekly units.

2.5.1 Vertical Articulation

• Language acquisition is a recursive, cumulative process where prior knowledge is used to extend language in new contexts.
• Example: Literary text comprehension progression from Grades 1–3 (story elements) to Grades 4–6 (story grammar) to Grades 7–10 (critical literary analysis, broader textual features).

2.5.2 Horizontal Articulation

• Horizontal articulation ensures seamless integration with other learning areas, recognizing prerequisite competencies from language/literacy to other subjects.
• Noted as a feature of the Grade 1 Language and Reading and Literacy areas.

2.6 Development of 21st Century Skills

• The curriculum equips learners with 21st-century skills across four skill areas:
  • Communication Skills
  • Life and Career Skills
  • Information, Media, and Technology Skills
  • Learning and Innovation Skills
• Examples across categories include:
  • Critical Thinking: Reading/ analyzing texts; evaluating information; drawing conclusions; KS2 examples.
  • Creativity: Writing, storytelling, creating multimedia texts; using Viewing and Representing to express creativity.
  • Collaboration: Group projects, debates, presentations; working with others; negotiating ideas.
  • Information Literacy: Finding, evaluating, and using information; assessing source credibility and bias; synthesizing information.
  • Media Literacy: Analyzing media messages; understanding media bias; journalistic writing awareness (e.g., news, features, editorials).
  • Digital Literacy: Using digital tools for research, writing, and communication; navigating digital platforms.
• Across KS2, KS3, 21st-century skills are integrated into teaching/learning processes and culminate in evidence of learning through tasks and products.

2.7 Social Issues and Government Thrusts

• The K to 12 curriculum emphasizes flexibility and contextualization based on local realities.
• Social issues and government thrusts can be integrated through curriculum delivery and the texts used.
• Language learning enables learners to engage with diverse contexts and national interests, contributing to active social citizenship.

Pedagogy and Assessment

3.1 Pedagogical Principles

• Pedagogy centers on developing communicative competence, literacy, and cultural identity.
• Key principles include multilingualism and translanguaging:
  • Translanguaging is the process by which learners use their entire linguistic repertoire to make meaning in the classroom.
  • L1 is a resource to develop literacy and to facilitate second language acquisition; classroom environments should encourage use of all languages.
  • Metalinguistic awareness is developed by recognizing and navigating multiple languages/dialects.
• Instruction should be explicit, comprehensible, and effective for literacy development, using Krashen’s input hypothesis and other research-informed approaches.
• The Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) model (Fisher & Frey, 2008) provides a four-part structure:
  1) Explicit/Focused Instruction: teacher models, communicates purpose/outcomes.
  2) Guided Instruction: teacher provides scaffolds while gradually transferring responsibility.
  3) Collaborative/Group Work: students consolidate understanding before independent work.
  4) Independent Learning: students apply knowledge in class and outside; used as formative assessment.
• Teachers should design lessons to promote extended interactive learning across listening, speaking, reading, and writing, fostering depth and complexity.

3.1.1 Pedagogy Across Key Stages

• KS1: Focus on Literacy

  • One-way developmental approach with translanguaging; L1 as learning resource to scaffold understanding of texts.
  • Literacy development viewed as a journey; exposure to diverse texts/genres to build competencies.
  • Separation of Language and Reading/Literacy to allow focused instruction while ensuring complementary delivery.
  • Oral language development in L1 serves as foundation for reading in L1 and later literacy in Filipino/English.
  • Strategies include play activities, varied discourses, expanding vocabulary, motivating engagement with texts, and connecting listening to print.

• KS2: Focus on Language (Communicative Competence)

  • Emphasis on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT): meaningful, real-life communicative tasks (group discussions, presentations, emails).
  • Continued use of translanguaging to support L2 development and communicative competence.

• KS3: Focus on Text (Genre-based)

  • Genre-based approach: expose learners to diverse authentic texts; explicit teaching of text features and modeling of text types.
  • Translanguaging continues to support understanding of text features and critical analysis.

3.2 Language Assessment

• Assessment should support holistic development and 21st-century skills; move beyond summative-only toward authentic assessment.
• References to DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2015 (Policy Guidelines on Classroom Assessment).
• When developing lessons/assessments, teachers should consider literary and informational texts and adjust exposure to text types across key stages:
  • KS1: 70% literary, 30% informational texts
  • KS2: 50% literary, 50% informational texts
  • KS3: 30% literary, 70% informational texts
• Assessment methods include portfolios, journals, authentic tasks, anecdotal records, self/peer evaluation, rubrics, and other formative/summative tools.
• Translanguaging also plays a significant role in assessment, allowing learners to demonstrate proficiency by drawing on multiple languages.

3.2.1 Assessment Across Key Stages

• KS1: Focus on Literacy
  • Authentic observation of language use in multiple contexts (formal and informal), retelling, oral assessments, running records for reading fluency, vocabulary assessments, comprehension questions, and performance-based tasks.
• KS2: Focus on Language
  • Assessments emphasize sociolinguistic competence, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and discourse strategies; translanguaging is encouraged.
• KS3: Focus on Text
  • Assessments are multimodal (print, visual, digital); emphasis on critical literacy, text analysis, and ability to publish a range of texts.

Glossary and Terminologies (Key Terms Used in the Shaping Paper)

• Appreciating Languages: Recognizing similarities/differences among languages; language reflects culture and shapes identity.
• Content-specific Vocabulary: Words with field-specific meanings.
• Creating Texts: Producing spoken and multimodal texts using vocabulary, images, symbols; reflecting on personal experiences.
• High Frequency Words: Commonly used words with multiple meanings depending on context.
• Interacting with Texts: Listening to and recognizing features of texts; using icons/symbols/images to express ideas.
• Language: Primary tool for meaningful communication and lifelong learning through multimodal texts.
• Macroskills: The four main language skills: reading, listening, writing, speaking.
• Multilingualism: Ability to use multiple languages.
• Multimodal: Combining multiple modes of communication (text, image, audio, video, etc.).
• Translanguaging: Using the full linguistic repertoire to maximize communicative potential (Garcia, 2009).
• Pedagogical Translanguaging: Planned instructional strategies that leverage learners’ repertoires to develop language awareness.
• Phonics and Word Study: Relationship between letters and sounds, including patterns and sequences that represent speech sounds.
• Phonological Awareness: Recognizing and manipulating the sound structure of language.
• Viewing and Representing: Engaging with visual and multimedia texts to analyze and interpret them.
• Text: Broadly refers to written, spoken, or multimodal communication used for different purposes.
• Transnational Texts: Types of texts used for informational, literary, or transactional purposes across contexts.
• Urban/Local Linguistic Features: Recognizing local language origins in street/place names and landmarks.
• And other terms as listed in the glossary (e.g., Academic Text, Basic Literacy, Literacies, Literacy, Multimedia, Multimodal, Oracy, etc.).

References (Selected)

• Ainsworth, L. (2003). Power standards.
• ACARA (2012). National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy.
• DepEd orders and documents: Policy guidelines on K-12; Indigenous Peoples Education; etc.
• Cummins (1981) on the role of primary language development.
• UNESCO (2016, 2018) on literacy and learning; World Bank (2021) on language of instruction policies.
• Krashen (1985) Input Hypothesis; Norris & Ortega (2000); Goldenberg (2006); Sherris (2008); etc.
• Key theorists and works cited throughout (Dougherty Stahl, Rasinski, Pearson & Gallagher, etc.).

Note

• The notes above reflect the major and minor points from the transcript content, organized for study and exam preparation. Numbers and dates have been rendered in LaTeX format where applicable, e.g., $180$ languages, $70\%$, $30\%$, $50\%$, and so on. If you’d like, I can convert any section into a more compact cheat-sheet format or generate section-wise flashcards.