With the world continuing to live through the COVID-19 pandemic and the gradual resumption of in-person activities having only recently commenced, the virtual setup is still the go-to format for gatherings and events. In the last two years, the UPLB CAS LITE (Language Instruction Towards Excellence) Program—the extension arm of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of the Philippines Los Banos—has maximized virtual conferencing, launching several webinars that have been venues for learning and collaboration among students, faculty, staff, and all learners from across the region.

For the months of August and September 2022, the UPLB CAS LITE Program held back-to-back webinars via Zoom. In celebration of Buwan ng Wika, the webinar “Ang Pagsulat ng Pananaliksik sa Filipino ay Paglinang sa Kulturang Pilipino,” was held on August 29, 2022 with resource speaker Asst. Prof. Jonelle E. Marin, Head of the UPLB Department of Humanities’ Dibisyon ng Wika, and member of the ad hoc committee overseeing the revival of the UP Sentro ng Wikang Filipino – Los Baños.

In her lecture, Asst. Prof. Marin focused on three main points: (1) Ang pagsulat sa Filipino ay gawaing kultural (writing in Filipino is cultural work); (2) Ang pagsulat sa Filipino ay pagsusulat para sa Pilipino (to write in Filipino means to write for the Filipino people); and (3) Mahalagang may laya ang mga estudyante na pumili ng wika sa pagsusulat ng kanilang pananaliksik (there is importance in letting students choose the language in writing their research). The lecture shed light on the importance of using our own language in writing research, as it is key to producing relevant results for studies, especially those about our own language and culture, as well as help cultivate our culture in general, being that language and culture are tied to each other.

Still in line with the topic of language, the webinar “Code-Switching in Language Classes and Related Conversations” was held last September 19, 2022 with Asst. Prof. Precious Sarah A. Añoso, a faculty of the Department of Humanities’ Language Division, as resource speaker.

Asst. Prof. Añoso offered three perspectives on code-switching, particularly in language classes where there is a target goal of achieving proficiency in a particular language. Presenting three perspectives—the sociolinguistic perspective, the language learning perspective, and the language teaching perspective—she talked about the motivations and reasons that may contribute to code-switching by both students and teachers. Furthermore, she discussed the effects code-switching could potentially bring when it comes to learning a target language, and the dynamics of teachers and learners regarding code-switching practices.

During the Question and Answer Sessions of both webinars, attendees from all over the region actively engaged by sharing their questions, concerns, and relevant experiences to the speakers and fellow attendees. The discussions highlighted possible gaps that institutions and decision-making bodies could consider regarding policies on the topics, revealed different points of view that broadened the perspective on the topics at hand, and ultimately showed the significance language offers—a connection to other fields and broader issues concerning our societies and nation. Based on participants’ feedback, the learnings from the webinars were helpful in their thesis work, pedagogy, and even for personal development.

With support from the CAS Dean, Prof. Maribel L. Dionisio-Sese, Manager of the LITE Program, the LITE Coordinator, Asst. Prof. Kristine K. Adalla, and LITE Assistant Coordinator, Asst. Prof. Jerard Ancel D. Eusebio, the UPLB CAS LITE Program continues to provide spaces for necessary conversations on relevant issues concerning language, making good on its mission to forward language instruction towards excellence.