Language Practices among Subanen Children in Last-Mile Schools

Authors

Amay B. Ching, Denmark S. Macalisang

Abstract

This qualitative descriptive-interpretive case study explored the language practices of Subanen children in last-mile schools. Twelve Subanen learners in multigrade classrooms participated through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, informal conversations, and document review. Findings showed that Subanen remained strongest in home and family interactions, while Cebuano, Filipino, and English were more prominent in formal schooling and wider community communication. Learners used codeswitching, translation, peer assistance, and their mother tongue as resources for comprehension and participation. However, dominance of school languages, language proficiency gaps, changing language preferences, limited Subanen learning materials, and sociocultural pressures challenged language maintenance. The findings indicate that multilingualism supports learning and adaptation, but sustaining Subanen requires deliberate school-community support, culturally responsive instruction, and opportunities for meaningful use of the Indigenous language.

Keywords

Subanen, Indigenous language, language practices, last-mile schools, multilingual education