Peer-Assisted Learning in Language Acquisition: Exploring the 'Buddy-Buddy' System as a Support Mechanism for Learning Filipino
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Traditional teacher-centered modalities often fail to address the affective barriers—such as linguistic anxiety and diminished self-efficacy—that secondary students encounter when acquiring Filipino as a second language. This study explored the "Buddy-Buddy" system, a dyadic Peer-Assisted Learning (PAL) intervention designed to facilitate social mediation and personalized scaffolding. Utilizing a transcendental phenomenological design, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with sixteen purposively selected Grade 9 and 10 students at Maria Montessori International School – Cebu to capture their lived experiences. Thematic analysis revealed four primary outcomes: empowerment through mentorship and safe pedagogical spaces, reciprocal skill enhancement, the utilization of instructional friction as a catalyst for growth, and the development of "communicative courage." Discussions situated these findings within Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and Krashen’s Affective Filter Hypothesis, demonstrating that peer mediation decimates linguistic barriers while fostering a "virtuous cycle" of cognitive and affective development. The study concludes that the Buddy-Buddy system is a transformative socio-cognitive ecosystem that successfully optimizes language acquisition in multicultural settings. It is recommended that educational administrators institutionalize these frameworks by incorporating rigorous tutor training and reflective sessions to ensure a sustainable, inclusive, and learner-centered pedagogical culture.
Institution: Cebu Technological University
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204653922