MMSU Adopts English As Medium of Communication
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Vol. 4 No. 2, February 2020 MMSU adopts English as medium of communication Members of the University Academic Council convene for their 129th meeting at the mini-theater of the College of Medicine. One of the their topics during the meeting is the improvement of English proficiency among faculty, staff, and students. our Language Center, Center for Ilokano he Mariano Marcos State (UAC) in their meeting last February 18 and Amianan Studies, Center for Human University (MMSU) will now as the whole council aims to develop Movement Studies, and Sentro ng Wika T use English as a medium of competent professionals who are at Kultura. “We continue to offer courses instruction and official committed to provide “our students on Ilokano, Filipino, and foreign communication in the university with the right tools to succeed in an languages”, she added. system. increasingly diverse, knowledge-driven, and competitive global environment.” “At the basic education levels, we will MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis continue to observe the principles and said this academic stand will attain its “That is why we have integrated an practices of Mother Tongue Based- ultimate goal of developing the intensive English course, focused on Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE), in proficiency of the faculty, staff, and developing English proficiency for accordance with Republic Act 10533 and students in the English language. academic and communicative purposes, Dep Ed Order No. 74, s. 2009. in all our curricular programs,” Dr. Moreover, we continue to look for ways “This is the University’s response to Agrupis said, emphasizing that the to more effectively and beneficially results of recent surveys and studies enhancement of courses in science and implement multilingual education and which show a decline in the English mathematics are also being developed conduct research in the field in aid of proficiency of Filipino students,” Dr. to boost the skills students learned in the policy,” Dr. Agrupis assured. Agrupis said, adding that her main basic education levels. purpose is to enhance the English The university president, however, competencies of our students, which is “All of these are part of a holistic made it clear that outside academic also one of the primary concerns of the approach to ensure that our graduates contexts and official functions, everyone Department of Education (DepEd). would have the right competencies and is free to use whatever language they are attitudes to not only be employable, but comfortable with. “We encourage the MMSU to become 21st century leaders,” she community to master the English added. “We do not mean to penalize or language as a means to communicate discriminate our staff and students from with the world, especially as we intensify In the light of this, even as the using the language of their hearts, but we our bid for internationalization,” she university pursues to strengthen the use are working to enhance their linguistic said. of the English language, it continues to repertoire and equip them with a wide support, encourage, and promote array of skills and competencies with Dr. Agrupis’ declaration stemmed inclusion, diversity, and multilingualism which they can build a bright future for from the collegial stand of the members through academic, cultural, and research themselves, their families, and their of the University Academic Council activities. These include the programs of communities,” she stressed. 2 Office for Strategic Communication Vol. 4 No. 2, February 2020 Univ intensifies efforts to improve students’ English proficiency will again be tested to know if they By john vincent b. toribio have reached the B2 level of graduating students to further hone proficiency using the Common their skills and competencies in o address the alarming European Framework of Reference, pronunciation, listening, reading decline of English an international standard to describe comprehension, vocabulary, writing proficiency of Filipino T language ability written by the Council and grammar. college students in the country, the of Europe. (B2 is the upper Mariano Marcos State University intermediate level of English in the Like the first program, students will (MMSU) is set to implement two CEFR, by which an English user could take a diagnostic exam in the beginning new English language programs usually say “I am a confident English of the program to enable the Language among its students. speaker.” At this level, students can Center to personalize a 30-hour function independently in a variety of program for identified proficiency University President Shirley C. academic and professional levels. Thirty students will comprise a Agrupis tapped the Department of environments in English.) class to be conducted either early in the Languages and Literature of the morning or after office hours. College of Arts and Sciences and the Those who fail to reach the said university Language Center to create level will be given additional Certificates of Completion will be new programs to improve students’ coursework to pass the class. If issued to students who have skills in the use of the English language. students still fail, they have to re-take participated in at least 75% of the total the said course. class time and have manifested The DLL initially proposed before improvement in their English skills the university Board of Regents (BOR) Additionally, the English language based on the post-test given. to require all MMSU students to take an teachers of the university will be enhancement course called Intensive required to take any of the following Each student will be required to pay English. Meanwhile, the LC proposed to tests before teaching the subject: Test PhP 750.00 to cover class expenses. require all graduating students to of English as a Foreign Language undergo an English Enhancement (ToEFL), International English These efforts of the university Program. The two offices obtained Language Testing System (IELTS) and attempt to face the challenge posed by approval from the BOR. Test of English for International the results of various research. The Communication (TOEIC). They are study conducted by the Hopkins On one hand, the Intensive English also expected to be trained on the use International Partners show that the subject, with a course code of Engl 01, of the CEFR. level of English proficiency of college is already included in all the curricular graduates from the Philippines is lower offerings of the university after having On the other hand, the English than the target English proficiency of been approved during the University Enhancement Program is a non-credit High school students in Thailand. Academic Council last February 18. The course scheduled during the first or Specifically, the English proficiency of course is scheduled on the students’ first second semester of the final academic the Filipino test-takers was at the year of study, either on the first year of students in the university. intermediate level or equivalent to the semester or second semester. Classes will adopt a learner-centered, B1 level. (with reports from Dr. interactive, skills-integrated, and Marlina L. Lino and Dr. Jan Rich A. Classes will employ a holistic content-based approach. This is to help Guira) approach to language learning which aims to improve students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, with focus on communication, grammar and critical thinking skills. In the beginning of the course, the students will take a diagnostic test to determine their level of proficiency. During the course, the students are required to maintain a portfolio showing their improvement in spelling, grammar, organization, and vocabulary. At the end of the course, the students Office for Strategic Communication 3 Vol. 4 No. 2, February 2020 MMSU gets ISO certification By daniel p. tapaoan jr. the agreed ongoing program, to its corrective action plans within 30 successful endorsement of calendar days. he SOCOTEC Certification certification following a yearly audit Philippines, Inc. has and to its compliance with ISO Dr. Agrupis also thanked the T awarded the International 9001:2015 terms and conditions. Development Academy of the Organization for Standardization Philippines (DAP) for providing (ISO) 9001:2015 certificate to the Overwhelmed with joy, MMSU MMSU training and technical Mariano Marcos State University President Shirley C. Agrupis guidance, which made the ISO (MMSU), certifying that the exclaimed that all efforts of the 9001:2015 certification possible. university has an effective and university constituents for the efficient quality management university’s bid for ISO certification MMSU is one of the 19 system (QMS). had finally paid off. government agencies assisted by the DAP in developing their respective With certificate no. SCP000422Q, “This is due to the concerted Quality Management Systems the MMSU’s ISO 9001:2015 efforts of all units, a proof that if we certifiable to the ISO 9001:2015 certification covers the university’s work harmoniously and standard in 2019. provision of advanced, professional conscientiously, we can make things and higher education, research, possible in just a short span of time,” The QMS is one of the mandates extension and support services in its she beamed. of the government through campuses in the City of Batac, Laoag Executive Order 605, s. 2017, which City, and Currimao. The original date of certification seeks to promote and enhance was December 18, 2019. However, public sector performance through Issued