DepEd expands foreign languages covered in training courses for teachers

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) has expanded the foreign languages covered by their 2012 Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) summer training courses for teachers.

The SPFL summer training of teachers, being conducted to boost their skills in teaching some of the most widely-used foreign languages in the world, also included Mandarin.

The SPFL was initiated in school year 2009-2010 in selected public secondary schools first with Spanish, French and Japanese languages. The year after, German was added to the list and this year, the inclusion of Chinese language completed the course.

The SPFL annual training program, scheduled from April 12-May 22 this year, is expected to further improve the capability of public school teachers on the diverse aspects of learning and teaching a second or foreign language.

“This is also in line with the thrust of K (Kindergarten) to 12 (Basic education curriculum program) which is to prepare our future workforce for the global arena,” said Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

The SPFL aims to develop students’ skills in listening, reading, writing, speaking and viewing as fundamental to acquiring communicative competence in a second foreign language.

DepEd has coordinated with the Japan Foundation, Goethe Institut, Alliance Francais Manila and Cebu and The Cunfucius Institute of the Angeles University Foundation for the summer training on the languages.

SPFL is implemented in public high schools whose students have demonstrated competence in English and are capable of learning another foreign language.