Cavite teacher becomes Harvard's first-ever Filipino language instructor
A former faculty member of Cavite State University has become the pride and joy of Filipinos after she became Harvard University’s first-ever Filipino language instructor.
In an announcement by the Harvard University Asia Center and the Department of South Asian Studies, Lady Aileen Orsal has been hired to instruct the university's Elementary and Intermediate Filipino (Tagalog) courses, which will begin in fall of this year.
This comes after student publication The Harvard Crimson reported in March that the prestigious institution will begin offering Filipino language classes for the first time in its nearly four-hundred-year history. According to Harvard, Filipino is currently the fourth most spoken language in the US, succeeded only by English, Spanish, and Chinese.
Orsal flew to the US after obtaining her master's degree in Philippine Studies in 2017. She began her teaching career when she became a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at Northern Illinois University in 2018. There, she assisted in teaching Filipino at introductory and intermediate levels.
Orsal then moved on to teach Filipino at Cavite State University, where she graduated with a degree in mass communication.
Now, she busies herself with completing both a master's in communication from Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in Philippine Studies from De La Salle University. Both degrees are expected to be completed in 2024.
Harvard described Orsal as a "dedicated, creative, and effective teacher who is committed to being a leader in Filipino language pedagogy."
Additionally, she prides herself on an impressive background in Philippine culture, history, and politics while also having knowledge of traditional tattoo art, the Philippine coffee culture, and the use of music in political campaign jingles.
In a Facebook post, Orsal expressed her sincerest gratitude to those who congratulated her on this new milestone in her life, while also highlighting that her position wouldn't be possible if not for those who have been advocating the Filipino language.
"Lubos po akong nagpapasalamat sa inyong mga pagbati," she wrote. "Gayunpaman, naniniwala akong maliit na bahagi lamang ako ng istorya at ang pagkakataong maituro ito ay bunga ng pagsisikap ng mga taong patuloy na inadhika na magkaroon ng mayaman at makabuluhang programa ng Filipino sa pamantasan."
"Ang pagpupunyagi nila ang tunay na nais kong ibida. Kasama na rito ang pagsaludo sa lahat ng mga gurong Pilipino at guro ng/sa Filipino sa loob at labas ng bansa. [Sila ang] dahilan kung bakit patuloy akong natututo sa mga istratehiya sa pagtuturo ng ating wika at kultura," she added.
Many of her fellow Filipinos showered her with some words of encouragement for her career.
"I still remember how you teach online classes for foreign[ers], blessed to have you as my teacher. Congratulations and best wishes for [a] new chapter," one user wrote.
"Maalab na pagbati Lady Aileen Ambion Orsal! Ikinararangal ka namin at hangad ko ang katuparan ng iyong mga adhikain! Mabuhay ka po at ingatan ng Maykapal palagi," another one commented.