CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter presented the conceptual literature and studies reviewed by the

researchers which provided insights and information related to the present study. The

collated research literature serves also as background of the study as well as the

variable involved in the research endeavor.

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework

Human interaction is inevitable. It is and everyday act in which we involve

ourselves to act upon another or to communicate with our inner self in terms of

interpersonal aspect. We need it in order to understand and make accordance with

each other. Interaction always includes communication in any aspect, while

communication is intertwined with language which is an instrument used in

communicating.

One way of communicating is through speaking, the action conveying information

or expressing one’s thoughts and feelings in a spoken language. Alternatively, Bygate

(1998, p. 23) advocates adopting a definition of speaking based on interactional skills

which involve making decision about communication.

Speaking is productive skill of language learning. It involves communicative

performance, and other important elements, such as, pronunciation, intonation,

grammar, vocabulary, etc. It should be thought in any language learning to make the

learners able to use the target language to communicate (Nirmawati, 2015).

 Speaking is not simple expressing orally. However, the students need to acquire

some speaking aspects to have a good speaking skill. As proposed by Brown (2001:

168), those aspects are pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and accuracy.

Cases of Speaking Difficulties can be observed as one of the factors which

hinders and affect the Oral Language Proficiency among the Grade 12 students in

Hibunawan National High School for the School Year 2017-2018. In real scenario,

communication does not always play a successful role during interaction; it has been a

common setting when the meaning of the message alters during the process of

communication.

The theoretical bases of this study are the Communication Model by Shannon

and Weaver, and Chomsky’s Generative Transformational Theory. The Communication

Model of Shannon and Weaver show the communication process and factors which

affect the process. Calaude Shannon and Warren Weaver (1949) developed a formal

model of communication. It is a transmission model consisting of five elements: an

information source, which encodes the messages into signals; a channel, to which

signals adapted for transmission; a receiver, which decodes (reconstructs) the

messages from the signal; a destination, where the messages arrive.

According to Lenneberg (1967), lateralization refers to the assignment of specific

functions to either the right or left hemisphere. After the brain becomes less flexible and

language acquisition becomes more difficult. In addition to difficulties in producing

sounds, the difficulty in seeing the differences between sounds is also a reason why
learners might have problems with speaking. He also stated that the capacity to learn a

language is indeed innate, and, like many such inborn mechanisms, it is circumscribed

in time. If a child does not learn a language before the onset of puberty, the child will

never master language at all. This is known as the critical period hypothesis.

Acquiring and learning a language is more meaningful and effective if a child is

expose to language. In order to meet the fluency and accuracy in speaking, a child must

practice to use the target language in meaningful way and making conversation. From

here, came theories which lead to conceptualization of proficiency. The Collins

COBUILD Dictionary equates proficiency with ability or skills. Additionally, proficiency is

a term, that suggests variability, and it has traditionally been related to measurement

and testing in Second Language Teaching and Learning (Llurda, E., 1999).

The paradigm reveals the correlation that Speaking Difficulties and the Oral

Language Proficiency of the Grade 12 students in Hibunawan National High School

Burauen, Leyte. The study will identify the Speaking Difficulties of the Garde 12

students which will vary and depend on the profile characteristics sex and the Language

such as the Age, Sex and the Language Exposure of the respondents.

The concept of the study is made clearer and more understandable through a

schematic diagram show in Figure 1.

 Students
Profile
Speaking
 Age Difficulties
 Sex
 Language  Vocabulary
 Pronunciation
 Grammar
 Fluency
 Interaction
Improved oral
language
Proficiency of
the students

Figure 1. Schematic Presentation of the Conceptual

Framework of the Study
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature

Past literature is the mirror of present and future, which helps to develop a

thorough understanding and insight into previous research works that relates to the

present study. It is the tool, which provides a proper guideline and idea to the

researchers in many studies hence, literature related to the research topic, has been

quoted here. It will make the study authentic, stronger and finds the foundation for the

work (Altman and Hernon, 1998).

Jonson and Morrow (1981: 70) say that the speaker which is popular with term

‘oral communication’, is an activity involving two or more people in which hearers and

speakers have to react to what they hear and make their contributions at a speed of a

high level.

Richards (2008:19) states that the mastery of speaking skills in English is priority

for many second language or foreign language learners. Consequently, learners often

evaluate their success in language learning as well as the effectiveness of their English

course based on how much they feel they have improved in their spoken language

proficiency

Comeron (2001: 40) says that speaking is the active use of language to express

meaning so that other people can make senses of them. Moreover, it is recognized as

an interactive, social and contextualized communicative event. Speaking requires

learners to be possession of knowledge about how to produce not only linguistically

connect but also pragmatically appropriate utterances (Martinez Flor, 006: 139). In

brief, learners need to know how to use the language in context.

Related Studies

The studies stated below shows relatively to this Research study ‘Speaking

Difficulties and Oral Language Proficiency of Grade 12 students in Hibunawan National

High School’. The certain studies cite evidences which prove of the facts and naure of

the factors considered in the research.

According to Lunenberg (2010), Communication Model and identified the

elements of the Communication process. Two common elements in every

communication exchange are the sender and the receiver. The sender initiates the

communication. In a school, the sender is a person who has a need or desire to convey

an idea or concept to others. The receiver is the individual to whom the message is

sent. The sender encodes the idea by selecting words, symbols, or gestures with which

to compose a message. The message is the outcome of the encoding, which takes the

form of verbal. The message is sent through a medium or channel, which is the carrier

of the communication. The medium can be a face-to-face conversation, telephone call,

e-mail, or written report. The receiver decodes the received message into meaningful

information, Noise is anything that distorts the message. Differently perceptions of the

message, language barriers, interruptions, emotions, and attitudes are example of

noise. Finally, feedback occurs when the receiver responds to the sender’s message and
returns the message to sender. Feedback allows the sender to determine whether the

message has been received and understood.

Torky (2006), stated Speaking in her dissertation ‘The Effectiveness of a Task-

Based Instruction Program in Developing the English Language Speaking Skills of

Secondary Stage Students’ as one of the four language skills (reading, writing, listening,

and speaking). It is means through which learners can communicate with others to

achieve certain goals or to express their opinions, intention, hopes and viewpoints. In

addition, people who know a language are referred as to ‘speakers’ of the language.

Lastly, WIDA (2003) as cited by Illinois State Board of Education Division of

English Language Learning (2004), they determined the five language proficiency levels

outline the progression of language development implied in the acquisition of English as

an additional language, from 1, Entering the process, to 5, Bridging to the attainment of

state academic contest standards. The language proficiency levels delineate expected

performance and describe what English language learners can do within each domain of

the standards.

Therefore, the cited studies had given explained facts about the English

Language, the use of Language for communication, the Language Proficiency and the

Speaking domain for the usage of language which measured by proficiency and the

studies verify that there exists the certain issue around the locality especially in the field

of Education in the Philippine setting .