English should be a border, not a barrier, to learning
In a country where education is widely viewed as the most reliable path out of poverty and toward national progress, classroom experiences deserve public attention, especially when they quietly undermine learning rather than strengthen it.
English is extensively integrated into Philippine education, government, and business. It is largely regarded as our ticket to entering the realm of international competitiveness. However, behind most classroom doors, English often generates stress and pressure.
A recent study among young students enrolled in business, entrepreneurship, and other professionally oriented programs reveals that difficulties with academic English knowledge not only hinder knowledge acquisition but also lead to persistent academic stress and test anxiety. Students do not panic during exams because they are unprepared, but because they have exhausted their mental energies beforehand.
What makes this finding especially striking is that stress does not go away with time. First and second year students experience the same level of stress; simple exposure to academic demands does not ease the burden.
When students struggle, the advice is to read more, work harder, or “get used to it.” It is seldom asked whether the system is placing an unnecessary burden on cognition. Language, when left unsupported, can become an obstacle to learning, affecting motivation, confidence, and mental well-being. Students who continue to experience academic overload risk alienating themselves from school, losing faith in their ability, and forgoing their dreams.
Parents who judge success solely by grades may not know that anxiety is affecting achievement even before grades come in. Teachers, who are often pressed for time to cover curriculum requirements, might inadvertently link rigor with difficult language as opposed to complex understanding. However, rigor does not necessarily mean linguistic difficulty. Simple explanations, strategic readings, and consideration for second-language speakers do not dilute education but enhance it. If students grasp what is required of them, they will be more invested, more analytical, and more genuine in their efforts.
An educational institution that prioritizes language-informed teaching is not reducing standards but making them achievable. As such, it emits a strong message to students that confusion is not failure, struggling is manageable, and education is meant to instill confidence, not fear. This is important because these shifts take effort, practice, and understanding, but the rewards are greater than academic performance. They foster resilience, trust in the educational system, and a generation of young people who connect school with learning, not pure distress.
For higher education institutions, curriculum planners, and education policymakers, the message is clear: supporting students’ language needs within content classes is not remedial—it is strategic. Clarity strengthens rigor, and comprehension fuels critical thinking.
The solution is not to abandon English or any global language of instruction. It is to use English more mindfully. Language support must be integrated into content classes, not treated as a separate concern. When we begin to recognize language as central to learning—not merely as a conduit—we move closer to an education system that is both challenging and humane.
Mhel Cedric D. Bendo,
cedricbends@gmail.com
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