CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

English language proficiency refers to the ability of students or learners to be able to

possess writing skills, listening skills, reading skills and speaking skills in English language.

According to American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL, 2008), language

proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in an

acquired language. The view expressed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign

Language (2008) exposes a line of demarcation between English Language Proficiency and

Academic Performance by the students. The ACFL study which proclaimed that a limited

English Language proficient student is one who comes from a non-English background and who

has sufficient difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding the English language and

whose difficulties may deny such an individual the opportunity to learn successfully in

classroom where language of instruction is English or to participate fully in their society.

Furthermore, considering the importance of English as lingua franca and the Universal

language, many countries including the Philippines has chosen English as their second language.

English has been required in the schools to be included in their curriculum it is both a subject in

its own right and the medium for teaching; for students, understanding the language provides

access to the whole curriculum. English has been part of the curriculum since in elementary days

students have English subject and proficiency in the English language is an essential foundation

for success in all courses. However, the level of proficiency among students often questioned.

Despite learning English for almost 13 years in school, the majority of students still encounter
difficulties in using the language effectively especially in tertiary education and this may result

to poor Academic Performance because most handouts or texts that are being used in the lessons

are written in English.

Therefore, English Proficiency has significant effect on the overall Academic

Achievement of students and that English Language proficiency of the students has a significant

positive relationship with their overall academic achievement. Orgunsiji (2009).

Statement of the problem:

The problem of this study is poor academic achievement among the other CSU students in

some content areas that uses English texts and using English as the medium of instruction. This

poor academic performance may be due to students’ low English language proficiency.

Therefore, the study investigates the effect of the English proficiency on the academic

performance of CSU Students. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of English Language Proficiency of Cotabato State University Students?

2. What is the level of Academic Performance of Cotabato State University?

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study is limited only in questions pertaining to the students of Cotabato City State

University respondents’ experiences as students who encounter difficulty in using the English

language effectively, the effect of this English Proficiency to their Academic Performance. The

study also covers English Language proficiency skills such as reading skills, comprehension

skills and writing skills and the students’ performance in some courses that uses English as a

medium of instruction among the selected students of Cotabato City State University.
 The instrument is validated by subject matter experts. Furthermore, consent forms are

secured. For the selection of respondents, the researchers used purposive sampling. The

respondent are selected to comply with this criteria: the respondent must be an enrolled students

of Cotabato City State University school year 2020-2021

Significance of the Study

This study is important because the result of the study could help in identifying the major

reasons why academic performance of CSU Students in some courses is relatively poor in

comparison with other courses offered. The study could serve as a point of reference on how to

sustain the interest of students learning other content areas that is not related to English like

Filipino subject.it is also expected to serve as catalyst for students learning courses that uses

English as a medium of instruction to improve their reading, writing and comprehension skills.

The outcome of the study will encourage the teachers or instructors in CSU and other

stakeholders to make and implement appropriate curriculum that will give increased attention to

English Language proficiency for attaining higher academic achievement in English courses.

Definition of terms

For the effective understanding of the study, the following terms are defined as

theoretically:

Language proficiency- is a measurement of how well an individual has mastered a

language where proficiency is measured in terms of receptive and expressive language skills,

syntax, vocabulary, semantics and other areas that demonstrate language ability.
 Academic performance- is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has

attained their short or long-term educational goals.

Second language acquisition- it is the name of the theory of the process by which we

acquire - or pick up - a second language.

University students- a student enrolled in college or university

Lingua franca- is a language or mixture of languages used as a medium of

communication by people whose native languages are different.

Proficient- means a well advanced skill level. In terms of language, the “proficient”

label can refer to someone who is very skilled in the use of a language but who uses the

language less easily and at a less-advanced level than a native or fluent speaker.

Fluent- it is the mastery in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking skills

Bilingual- is “using” or able to use two languages with equal fluency.

Factors- something that helps produce or influence a result.