CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Language allows us, humans, to produce utterances and sounds in a means that

other people can understand (Nordquist, 2019). We can socialize and make personal

contact with people around us. With language, it is easy for us to bridge the gap

between cultural differences. Therefore, it is an essential tool in understanding one

another, improving one’s capability in outlining thoughts, and increasing one’s self-

esteem. Language is connected with how we develop our social life. It has an essential

part in improving one’s self-worth, showing credibility, and presenting yourself to the

world. Developing a language drives the learner to interact and make connections with

other people, which allow them to be competent and precise when it comes to

communication.

Students nowadays are struggling a lot in expressing themselves or their ability to

socialize. It creates implications when it comes to self-esteem, which results in fear of

risk-taking, uncertainty, and failure. It limits the ability to develop a social life and make

relationships with other people, as it often causes a lack of confidence and increases

self-doubt. Worst cases can lead to a wide range of social problems including excessive

alcohol use, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, crime, child abuse, chronic welfare

dependency, and poor educational performance.

UNESCO’s 30th session (1999) enables countries to adopt a resolution that

established the notion of multilingual education (30 C/Res. 12). It is the use of at least

three languages in education: the mother tongue(s), a regional or national language and

an international language. Since then, UNESCO has been encouraging, as and when

1
relevant, multilingual education to improve learning outcomes and give life to cultural

diversity.

To be most relevant and to respond to the needs of the learners, literacy

programs and methodologies should be context-related, bilingual, and support

intercultural understanding within the framework of lifelong learning. Multilingual

education has a key role in nurturing respect for diversity and a sense of

interconnectedness between countries and populations, which are core values at the

heart of global citizenship.

English is considered a universal language. The struggles in learning this are

undeniably present, especially in countries whose first language is not English, yet it is

not included in their educational curriculum.

In Malaysia, students’ fluency in oral English was found to be progressively low.

Many English language students in higher education were reported to be facing many

difficulties in speaking English. This issue of students with low English proficiency levels

still exists in community colleges throughout the country.

In Indonesia, English is determined as the first foreign language to be learned by

students. However, they have yet to establish a basis for identifying the success and

failures of learning the said language. National examinations for each degree of

education do not show a real mastery of English (Yufrizal, 2017).

In the Philippines, though English has been part of the curriculum, many students

still struggle to learn the language. It is because most Filipinos who speak English

fluently become more technical each day. It causes beginners low motivation to study

and practice the language.

2
 At Polytechnic University of the Philippines- Maragondon Branch, the same

struggles in communicating in the English language become more challenging due to

lack of confidence, and the fear of embarrassment.

In education, communication is very essential because it allows the learner to

interact and to share their ideas to make connections with other people. However, it

becomes more challenging for schools and universities due to the continuous demand

for societal change, and it impacts the way how students communicate in a social

context.

In relation, communicative competence is the knowledge of what language is and

how one can use it effectively. It is the ability to communicate in a culturally-sensitive

approach to create meaning and execute social tasks effectively and fluently through

extended interactions (Tarvin, 2014).

It serves as a guide for teachers in teaching and dealing with the students, as well

as helps the learners interact with their lesson, teacher, and classmates (Savignon,

2017).

Communication competence is somehow related to self-esteem. It affects

students’ ability to express themselves and the way they communicate with other

people.

According to Adler & Stewart (2004), as cited by Ackerman (2020), self-esteem is

a person's overall sense of value or worth. It measures how much a person accepts,

recognizes, or acknowledges him or herself.

May (2020) states that people who can communicate their feelings and emotions

typically have higher self-esteem and people who can’t communicate their feelings and

3
emotions, typically have lower self-esteem. Hence, concluding that there is a direct

relationship between the variables.

Likewise, it is deemed necessary that the ability to engage students in the

communication process and how they were able to express their thoughts confidently is

connected. In a way, this will make a positive change in their social life and career.

This research study aims to identify the relationship of communicative

competence on the self-esteem of Teacher-education students of Polytechnic University

of the Philippines. It also aims to determine the level of communicative competence of

the students as well as their level of self-esteem.

Teacher education students must show mastery or expertise in communication

because it manifests productivity at work, develop instructional strategy, and being able

to connect with students - for them to improve their capacity to learn and show progress

in every step of the way towards the achievement of their goals.

Theoretical Framework

Knowledge of the Self-

language esteem
Linguistic
Competence
Speaker’s
Performance
Communicative
Competence
Grammatical
Competence in a
Variety of
Communicative
Situations

Figure 1. Communicative Competence and Self-Esteem Theory

4
 According to Noam Chomsky's book, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, two things

affect Linguistic Competence: the knowledge of the language and the speaker's

performance. Dell Hymes (1966) coined the term communicative competence as a

response to Noam Chomsky's (1965) concept of linguistic competence. According to

Bagarić (2007), communicative competence is not only an inherent grammatical

competence. It is also the ability to use it in a variety of communicative situations - thus

bringing the sociolinguistic perspective into Chomsky’s linguistic view of competence

(Hymes, 1972).

Abraham Maslow's paper entitled, A Theory of Human Motivation, in 1943,

proposed the hierarchy of needs in which self-esteem is included because humans have

a deep-rooted need for approval from their social group and environment. Self-esteem is

said to be an element that influences our communicative competence. According to

Greeves (2020), "When your nervous system is stressed, blood moves away from the

cortex and the ‘smart brain’ and moves towards the reptilian brain – to prepare for fight

or flight. This change in blood flow prevents you from thinking, from articulating your

message, and stops you from communicating with confidence. As a result, the lower

your self-esteem the more challenging communication with others becomes and this

creates a vicious feedback loop which ebbs away at your self-esteem even further."

These theories suggest that self-esteem is an important aspect that affects a

person's ability to communicate.

5
Conceptual Framework

Figure 2. Communicative Competence and Self-Esteem of Students

The figure above describes the conceptual paradigm of the study. The input

includes the respondent's communicative competence consisting of the following:

language competence, sociolinguistics competence, and self-efficacy; respondent's self-

esteem that includes self-compassion, personal beliefs, and social relationships; and,

the significant relationship between communicative competence and self-esteem.

The process being used is: data gathering that involves the use of standard

questionnaires given to the respondents; statistical analysis of data gathered using

frequency and percentage distribution, mean, and Pearson's r; and, the interpretation of

findings.

The output is the correlation between the communicative competence and self-

esteem of Teacher Education students.

6
Statement of the Problem

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the Communicative

Competence and Self-Esteem of Teacher Education Students of Polytechnic University

of the Philippines. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of communicative competence of Teacher Education students?

2. What is the level of self-esteem of Teacher Education students?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the communicative competence and

self-esteem of Teacher Education students?

Statement of the Hypothesis

The following hypotheses are tested at 0.01 level of significance:

Ho: There is no significant relationship between communicative competence and

self-esteem of Teacher Educations students.

H1: There is a significant relationship between communicative competence and

self-esteem of Teacher Educations students.

Scope and Limitation

The study focused in identifying the relationship between communicative

competence and the self-esteem of Teacher-education students.

The researchers included a total of one hundred fourteen (114) either male or

female Teacher-Education students enrolled at Polytechnic University of the Philippines-

Maragondon Branch during the conduct of the research as respondents. The

respondents were selected through simple random sampling - using Slovin’s formula.

7
 Each student was given two sets of survey questionnaires. The first one is a 12-

item dichotomous scale that will measure their communicative competence. Meanwhile,

the second is a 10-item 4-point Likert scale that will test their level of self-esteem.

The research was conducted with a limited number of financial resources and

time framework.

The variables in the study are only the students' level of communicative

competence and self-esteem.

Significance of the study

The research titled, “Communicative Competence: Identifying Its Relationship on

the Self-Esteem of Teacher Education Students of Polytechnic University of the

Philippines”, determined if there is any existing relationship between the communicative

competence and self-esteem of Teacher Educations students.

It targets to help the following when it comes to addressing problems of low level

of self-esteem in relation to the development of communicative competence:

Students. It will help learners boost their self-esteem through the development of

their communicative competence while practicing and exposing to the field where they

are influenced by the people that have proficiency in learning English. Any

advancements in the communicative practices and skills of learners will help them

acquire positive relationships with others, build confidence within themselves about their

abilities, and help them to be open when it comes to learning and mastering new skills.

Teachers. The results of the study will be extremely beneficial to the teachers,

especially those who are starting their profession in the upcoming years. The product of

this research will help them to determine the most appropriate materials, strategies, and

8
techniques to communicate with and engage their students with varying characteristics

such as ethnicity, personality, and nationality to learn.

Parents. Tracking the improvements of their child in terms of their

communicative competencies and the build-up of healthy self-esteem of their children

will have the parents rest assured that their children will become functional citizens in

this advancing society. They can also find ways on how to improve their children’s

communication skills and self-esteem.

School Heads and Administrators. The outcomes of this study will help in the

implementation and improvement of current curriculums. It will serve as baseline data to

understand which program for the students’ needs to be improved or changed to

maximize the learning experience. By infusing the findings in this research, the learning

process and results of students in terms of their communicative competencies and self-

confidence will be potentially enhanced.

Future Researchers. The study will help future researchers to have a better

understanding of the relationship between the communicative competence and self-

esteem of Teacher Education students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines. It

may serve as a start for further researches regarding the said topic. It will also help to

further improve the learning environment for the Teacher Education Students.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are either defined conceptually or operationally:

Communicative Competence. It is a learner's knowledge about language and

the ability to use it effectively and successfully (Canale & Swain, 1980; Hymes, 1972).

9
 Discourse Competence. It refers to how to create and understand oral and

written materials in the modes of listening and reading and speaking and writing

(Armostis, 2013).

Linguistic Competence. It is the unconscious knowledge of grammar that

allows a person to use and understand the communicated information according to its

register, given that it correctly materialized from a linguistic approach (Nordquist, 2020;

Tarango & Machin-Mastromatteo, 2017).

Self-compassion. It refers to one's ability to treat oneself with understanding,

acknowledgment, and love even in difficult times (Neff, n. d.).

Self-concept. It is the holistic idea that people have about themselves (Neill,

2005).

Self-confidence. It is a person's sense of competence in his/her capacity to deal

with varying situations (Shrauger & Schohn, 1995).

Self-efficacy. It refers to the belief in a person's capacity to carry out behaviors

that are needed to produce a specific task (Bandura, 1997).

Self-esteem. It is one's attitude toward oneself and the overall evaluation of

thoughts and feelings (Rosenberg, 1965).

Self-image. It refers to the combination of various attributes, such as physical

characteristics, social roles, and personality traits (Rogers, 1959).

Self-worth. It is how humans acknowledge that they are significant human

beings (Hibbert, 2013).

Socio-linguistic Competence. It is the study of language associated with

society (Nisa, 2019).

10
 Strategic Competence. It is the ability to recognize and fix communication

breakdowns (Armostis, 2013).

Students. It refers to the persons enrolled in a school to study and learn.

Teacher-Education. It refers to a process of professional preparation of

teachers (MHRD, 2012).

In this study, it refers to the college program Bachelor of Secondary Education -

Major in English.

Teachers. It refers to the persons who help students in acquiring knowledge and

skills.

11
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents a review of related literature and studies which may have

bearing to the inquiry on terms. The researchers made use of the available literature on

instructional materials made by other researchers that provide substantial background in

the investigation on the effect of communicative competence in the self-esteem of

students. The review studies have provided empirical findings that give direction to the

study.

Communicative Competence

Torres-Gordillo, Guzmán-Simón, & García-Ortiz (2020) affirmed that

Communicative competence has always been part of communicative language teaching

(CLT). The concept keeps upgrading over time.

Savignon (2017) expansion of Canale and Swain’s (1980) CLT model enhances

communicative competence regarding the ‘context’ and emphasizes communication’s

functional character and its interdependence on the context in which it is developed. This

is used to make students more participative in a specific communicative context and the

regulation of the distinct competences to the social context of the classroom where the

learning takes place.

The improvement of the learning processes is formed from assessment and

evaluation of communicative competence. This serves as an investigation that

formulates evidences that the model helps in solving the problem in communicative

competence. The impact of assessment on children’s cognitive development is

enhanced by different modalities of hetero-assessment and self-assessment. Based on

the study, there are three factors that influence communicative competence assessment:

12
(a) the culture and context of observation (the culture of the observers is different and

makes use of distinct criteria), (b) standards (they cannot be applied to all the individuals

of the same community) and (c) conflicts of observation (the valuations of the

observations can apply the assessment criteria with a different measurement).

Furthermore, communicative competence also provides guidelines for discourse

adaptation to the social context that includes situation and cultural context. This

proposes an idea about communicative skills and their relation between verbal and non-

verbal elements.

Overall, communicative competence assessment lays out practices that created

through the analysis of the discourse, taking up some elements of diverse discursive

traditions, such as pragmatic, conversational analysis and the grammar of discourse.

These practices are tools that will acknowledge the levels of the genre, register and

language (textual macrostructure and microstructure).

Ahmed (2018) attempted to explain the term communicative competence in a

foreign language. Dell Hymes firstly used the term in his speech in 1966. He defined

communicative competence as an implicit knowledge of the language and the ability to

use it for communication.

Over the years, communicative competence has been defined by different

authors. It is the rules of language and the skill to use the knowledge of these rules

accurately and appropriately in a concrete and real-life context. It is being competent in

communicating - having the capability to achieve communicative needs. Savignon

(1972) described it as the capacity to function in a communicative setting. Widdowson

(1978) explained it through its use or how a person acts based on the knowledge about

linguistic rules, and its usage or the actual knowledge of linguistic rules.

13
 There are three models of communicative competence, namely:

Dell Hymes’ Model of Communicative Competence. It explained that

sociocultural rules and the knowledge of language structure are both expressed through

language acquisition. Chomsky's linguistic theory is not enough to tell and explain how

competence could fulfill communicative needs.

Canale and Swain Model of Communicative Competence. It discussed that

grammar is relevant for effective and successful communication.

Alcon’s Model of Communicative Competence. It focuses on the characteristics

of a language, as well as its sociolinguistic and cultural aspects.

Okoli (2017) determined the implication of communicative competence as an

attribute of teaching effectiveness in teacher education. Teachers' attributes and

qualities are to be considered in the teaching-learning process. It is necessary to focus

on qualities that make teachers more efficient and effective during class instruction.

Content knowledge and communication skills are remarkable attributes.

Moreover, traditional teacher education focuses only on the mastery of content

and pedagogy. However, it cannot be achieved without associating communicative

competence. Teachers have to have good communication skills to convey content

knowledge.

Effective teaching and learning cause a competent teacher to perform excellently

and accomplish the goal of the university (Ozcelik & Ferman, 2006). Effective

communication is a must. It allows teachers to share information and impart knowledge,

skills, and values to students. Effective teachers are experts in communicating.

14
 Savignon (2017) explained that the concept of communicative competence in

second/foreign language learning began at the early 1970s. It asserted that the

development of a learner’s mastery of language is based on his/her ability to

communicate meaning.

Communicative competence provides a much broader view of language. People

can use more than one language as long as the speaker understand and use it

appropriately. In classroom instruction, the interaction between the teacher and learner

is very important. Here, one can see the development of a learner’s interest and

understanding while communicating (oral or written). Likewise, communicative

competence helps teachers in teaching and dealing with students as well as promotes

interaction between the learner, teacher, and the lesson (Hymes, 1972).

The development of communicative competence is important as language, we

can say that through language one learns to interact and make connection with other

people through listening, reading, and writing. It is also practiced by what a person

experience.

Along with communicative competence, Communicative Language Teaching

(CLT) helps to improve practice on areas where English is taught. As described, "CLT is

not concerned exclusively with face‐to‐face oral communication." It makes the

communication between the reader and the writer, the teacher's lesson and student's

assessment, and how people interpret and make realization on what they read.

Tuan (2017) stated that communicative competence includes the concepts of

competence and communication.

Competence is one of the most uncertain terms in general and applied

linguistics. It is mainly associated with Chomsky - who bordered the dissimilarity

15
concerning competence and performance. Competence is a venerated, non-evident

ability situated as a psychological function. It comprises knowing the language itself,

structures, specifics, and events. Meanwhile, performance is the creation of definite

utterance. It is an explicitly apparent and tangible demonstration of competence.

Ferdinand Saussure defined it as a conscious act of displaying knowledge and aptitude

of the language system (Orillos, 1998). However, it is challenging to evaluate

competence without considering the actual performance.

Several definitions of communicative competence ascend. It is a fundamental

ability to use grammatical competence in communicative situations (Hymes, 1972). It is

the capacity to use knowledge as a means of generating meaning in a language

(Widdowson, 1983). It is the assembly of primary constructs of knowledge and skill

needed for communication. Knowledge is the language and other features of its use –

includes essential grammatical principles, language use in social context to achieve

communicative purposes, and merging utterances and communicative purposes of

discourse principles. Skill refers to how an individual use knowledge in definite

communication. It entails a supplementary difference between core capacity and its

indicator in performance (Canale and Swain, 1920; Canale, 1983).

Moreover, communicative competence is the dynamic interchange in which

linguistic competence familiarize itself with the overall informational input of speakers

(Savignon, 1972, 1983). The nature of communicative competence is dynamic, more

social, comparative, and mostly defined by situation (Savignon, 1972, 1983; Canale and

Swain, 1980; Skehan, 1995, 1998; Bachman & Palmer, 1996).

Besides, communicative competence is a language user’s understanding of the

language that enables him/her to identify time, place, and process of using language

properly - which surges in importance as he/she becomes more proficient (Díaz-Rico &

16
Weed, 2010). Grammatical or linguistic competence, one of the areas of communicative

competence theory forwarded by Canale and Swain, concentrates on the facility of the

language programs. The point is to obtain knowledge and utilize systems of expression

that are grammatically precise and true. It aims to encourage exactness and fluency in

second language production (Gao, 2001).

Yufrizal (2017) cited that communicative competence has been discussed in

many second and foreign language learning paradigm studies (Canale and Swain, 1983;

Savignon (1997). It is a concept related to the situation expected to be achieved by

everyone who learns a second or foreign language.

In linguistics, it is a language user’s grammatical and social knowledge about

how and when to use utterances properly - which grasped a varied view between

performance and competence.

The book, "Theoretical Bases of Communicative Approaches to Second

Language Teaching and Testing," identified four components of communicative

competence (Kees de Bot, 1980; Canale and Swain, 1980).

Grammatical competence refers to phonology, orthography, vocabulary, word

formation, and sentence formation. Sociolinguistic competence involves socio-cultural

rules concerning the learners' ability to adapat with settings, topics, and communicative

functions in different contexts. Discourse competence is the mastery of understanding

and producing cohesive and coherent texts through macro skills. Strategic competence

refers to compensatory strategies in grammatical, sociolinguistic, discourse difficulties,

and performance factors, as coping with background noise or using gap fillers.

17
 After the formulation of communicative competence, attempts to redefine it in

different insights and paradigms emerged. There were debates wherein communicative

competence is seen as a superior model of language than linguistic competence.

Communicative competence consists of two broad areas: language knowledge

and strategic competence. Language knowledge involves organizational and pragmatic

knowledge that complement each other. Organizational knowledge comprises

knowledge of linguistic systems and the rules of forming them into sentences and texts.

On the other hand, pragmatic knowledge includes illocutionary and sociolinguistic

competence. Illocutionary competence is the knowledge of communicative engagement

and the process of carrying it out. Sociolinguistic competence comprises the use of

language appropriately in the social context (Bachman and Palmer, 1996).

In Indonesia, English is determined as the first foreign language to be learned by

Indonesian students. However, their criteria for determining the success or failure of

learning English have not been established. National examination for each degree of

education does not show a real mastery of English. The use of communicative

competence tools or instruments as the final objective of learning English measure those

abilities reliably and validly in a nationwide context. The most significant point in the

development and use of competence-based curriculum in Indonesia is considering

discourse competence as a central idea in the development of second language

acquisition (Murcia, 1993). It creates familiarity with terms like descriptive text,

argumentative, spoof, and others than simple grammatical terms among students and

teachers.

Remache (2016) cited Noam Chomsky's Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, which

defines competence as the speaker-hearer’s knowledge of the language, and

performance as the actual use of language in real-life situations.

18
 Chomsky asserted that linguistic theory tells how people apply the knowledge of

a language in actual performance.

There are various models of communicative competence.

First, Hymes Communicative Competence Model. Hymes (1971) opposed the

idea that the socio-cultural factors are excluded from the study of language. He assumes

that Chomsky’s notion of competence itself needs a theory for its foundations to be

secured. He states that it asserts ideal objects in abstraction from socio-cultural features.

The theory of performance is a sector that might have a specific socio-cultural context.

But while associated with the theory of language use, it is concerned with psychological

by-products of the analysis of grammar. Hymes' model focuses on the production of the

appropriate speech act in a social context without ignoring their grammaticality. His

contribution resulted in creating new ways of approaching a language not in terms of its

syntactic rules but through the notion of communication as based on real instances of

social interaction.

Second, Halliday’s Communicative Competence Model. Halliday (1970) rejected

the difference between competence and performance in a sociological context. He

points out that it is either unnecessary or misleading. In his socio-semantic approach to

language and its use, he declared that the socio-semantic network is somehow a set of

options or alternatives. His model of communicative competence defines language as a

meaning potential available to the speaker. It draws attention to the socio-semantic basis

of linguistic knowledge and indicates its availability to the speaker-listener in translating

alternatives into options in linguistic form. It relates to what a speaker can utter and say.

He argued that the more we know and options we have, the more insight we can have

about the nature that language system has.

19
 Chomsky's views of linguistic competence gave way to communicative

competence and communicative language teaching. Although language teaching does

not adopt a methodology from Chomsky, his idea informed many teaching techniques

and strategies (Harmer, 1991).

Students studying English as a foreign language almost collectively claim that

periods of learning the language at school has been a total waste of time. Their courses

do not equip them with the necessary means that should enable them to take part in a

two-way dialogue in English. They further claim that they often find themselves quite

incapable of expressing their emotions, feelings, and such in an English social context.

They identify their difficulty with English as a problem with vocabulary. But the issue is

that they do not know the right words to use to be communicative. It is confirmed

because they mastered the rules instead of gaining ways on how to use the language

meaningfully in meaningful situations (Widdowson, 1971).

On the other hand, Hymes (1967) refers to communicative competence as a

person's ability to be a communicative member of society.

Numonjohnovna, Oybekovna, & Toshmatova (2015) discussed the development

of the communicative competence of students at the English language lessons in non-

philological higher educational institutions. They argued that it is necessary to include a

variety of practice activities to help learners develop their communicative skills.

Moreover, they aimed to establish a genuine communication among learners.

They encourage educational institutions to provide room for activities and exercises that

will ensure students are practicing the language in a more controlled manner, focusing

on the development of accuracy.

20
 However, activities that focus on fluency development are also a vital part of the

Communicative Approach lesson. It allows learners to communicate meaning.

Lasala (2014) asserted that the goal of every classroom is communicative

competence. Students are expected to be more competent when it comes to using

language in classroom settings. During the discussion, it is aimed to create good

interaction between the teacher and the students. Brown (1994) believes that

authentication of language and real-world tasks within the classroom would be best

enough to make students achieve long term communicative goals. It is a strategic

investment in mastering a target language. The way to improve one’s communicative

competence is to be a handful on his learning process and to focus more on the

application of language in daily tasks.

Communicative competence refers to the knowledge of a speaker to

communicate effectively (Cabalquinto, 1989). Language is a collection of units. Its

primary function is to express meanings and convey these to someone. Tongco, as cited

by Prejoles (1997, stated that difficulties in oral communication have been a challenge

for language educators. Due to this, they searched for ways to make language teaching

relevant and efficient. Students get more dedicated to working on their communicative

skills, practicing some functions within a social context, not just accumulating knowledge

of vocabulary and sentence level structures.

Communicating is a need for people in life. It is necessary to make a living. It is

used to persuade, build relationships, and share information. It means that

communication can be enhanced if the students spend extra effort to learn it in the

process of application and reflection. It is required to pay enough attention to how a

person gets more strategic in learning it, how it reflects real-life situations, and how it

21
helps a person solve a problem using communication effectively to be more

communicative competent.

Sun (2014) studied the shift from communicative competence to interactional

competence in China - which aims to create a new viewpoint to the teaching of Spoken

English. The study asserted that in second language acquisition, communicative

competence is a primary notion to be considered.

Communicative competence is a concept derived from the dissimilarity between

linguistic competence and performance studied by Noam Chomsky. It has been

acknowledged and researched for the past three decades. However, developments

including the concept of strategic competence have been rejected by China in terms of

teaching spoken English.

Constructivist approach was introduced to enable teachers and students to have

better understanding of acquiring competence in spoken English. There are two

discoveries related to this concept: fist, conversational strategies are used for smooth

turn-taking and changes, and; spoken English teaching and testing must be prioritized

because it best manifests a speaker’s co-production of strategic aptitude and

communicative abilities. In here, a strategy-reinforced interaction is taught to expectantly

strengthen abilities of learning for handling interactional activities and be better in

communication.

Self-esteem

Ackerman (2020) explained self-esteem in psychological terms. She associated it

with the phrase "believe in yourself", which people commonly read or heard.

Self-esteem is one's sense of value or worth (Adler & Stewart, 2004). It is one’s

favorable or unfavorable attitude toward oneself (Rosenberg, 1965).

22
 There are various factors believed to influence self-esteem. It includes: genetics,

personality, life experiences, age, health, thoughts, social circumstances, the reactions

of others, and comparing the self to others.

Self-esteem is not fixed. It is malleable and measurable. People can test for and

improve upon it. It is not self-concept, but it may be a part of it.

Self-concept is the perception that peoples have with themselves. It is about

knowing the tendencies, thoughts, preferences and habits, skills, and even weaknesses.

Purkey (1988) describes it as the oneness of a system of beliefs, attitudes and values

that a person holds as true of his/her existence.

Another term associated is self-image which McLeod (2008) defined as how a

person sees oneself based on false and inaccurate thoughts. It is either close to reality

or far from it, but it is generally not completely in line with objective reality or with the way

others perceive.

According to Hibbert (2013), self-esteem is related concept to self-worth. But

self-esteem is what we think, feel, and believe about ourselves, and self-worth is a more

global recognition.

Burton (2015) stated that self-esteem is no self-confidence or the belief in oneself

and the ability to deal with challenges, and successfully engage with the world.

Similarly, self-efficacy is also related to self-esteem but not a proxy for it. Self-

efficacy refers to the belief that one can succeed in a certain task (Neil, 2005).

Finally, self-esteem is also not self-compassion. According to Neff (n.d.), self-

compassion centers on how we relate to ourselves rather than how we judge or perceive

23
ourselves. Being self-compassionate means being kind and understanding to ourselves.

It leads us to a healthier sense of self-esteem.

In relation, self-esteem is mentioned in Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It is at the

fourth level - esteem needs. Although these are connected to the notion of self-

confidence, Maslow's esteem needs are more based on external indicators of esteem,

such as respect, rank, appreciation, achievement, and prestige. Inner-respect and self-

esteem from others must be met to achieve self-actualization and growth.

Sime (2019) discussed that in the field of personal growth, self-esteem can be a

bit of a buzz word. For years now, enhancing self-esteem has been common self-help

material and many individuals still associate satisfaction, well-being and accomplishment

with high self-esteem. However, as it stands, psychologists are gradually challenging the

touted advantages of rising self-esteem.

Self-esteem determines our overall perceived importance and self-worth. People

with high self-esteem will always love and like themselves even more than a person with

low self-esteem. It is not entirely surprising then that high self-esteem was considered a

litmus test for well-being - and is still considered by many. It's possible that if we assess

ourselves positively, we will think, feel and behave more happily and healthily than if we

evaluate ourselves negatively.

Al doulat (2018) identified the connection between self-esteem and academic

achievement in the scientific concepts and methods of teaching course among students.

Results showed that students possessed high self-esteem, and there is a

significant correlation between academic achievement and self-esteem. In relation, most

students had a high level of class achievement. It became their driving force to maintain

their academic performance. It also allows them to feel that at some stage in their lives,

24
they are relevant. Self-esteem is stepping for achieving higher success as an individual.

The idea of self-esteem resulted from the essential needs of man, which has

been discussed by many of the thinkers in the field of psychology in general, such as

"Maslow" who built the ladder of needs. Others also defined the self-esteem as based on

a sense of importance, as well as a recipe based on a sense of worth and productivity

(Yeshodhara, & Vishalakshim, 2012).

The notion of self-esteem is of considerable significance to both educators and

parents. In these aspects, which are taking into account the work to help students feel

good leads to their expertise and capabilities. Several studies have found that high self-

esteem contributes to greater productivity and performance (Rahmani, 2011).

Parvaneh Doodman el al. (2017) explored the relationship between self-esteem

and academic achievement among high school students in Lamerd. The findings of their

analysis show that there is an essential relationship between susceptibility components

and academic performance competence.

Firestone (2017) quoted that low self-esteem is characterized by a lack of

confidence and feeling bad about oneself.

There are two key components to combat negative self-image.

The first is to stop listening to your critical inner voice or harsh inner critic, which

contributes to a negative perceived self. It may result in an individual being shy because

of the feeling that they lack self-worth. Because of that, they will avoid other people and

tend to be alone. Individuals should defeat their inner critic by challenging their negative

thoughts. It would be a hard battle because the criticism is coming from within the self.

But individuals should learn to appreciate themselves more rather than criticizing it.

25
 The second is to start practicing self-compassion or the exercise of treating

yourself like you treat a friend. The self could be our worst enemy, as well as our

greatest ally. It helps us to see more about ourselves. It knows our deeper secrets and

the battles we chose to fight alone. It knows our accomplishment, and deep inside, it

knows our value. If we treat ourselves as a friend, criticism will be constructive and will

not break us down. We could take our criticism as a way to improve ourselves. Also, if

we treat it as a friend, it will not judge us by our mistake. We are the ones to compliment

ourselves.

People must acknowledge and notice suffering, be kind and caring in response to

what they have gone through, and remember that imperfection is part of the human

experience and something all people share.

Abdel-Khalek (2016) stated that self-esteem is a fundamental construct in

psychological functioning studied for many years. It relates to an individual's overall

optimistic self-assessment. High self-esteem consists of an individual who loves himself

and finds himself important (Rosenberg, 1965). It is subjective evaluation of one's self-

worth, self-respect and self-confidence, and the positive or negative perspective of one

to self (Sedikides & Gress, 2003).

Self-esteem is connected to personal values about abilities, talents, and social

interactions. Self-esteem is also defined as a global self-evaluation barometer involving

cognitive assessments of general self-worth and affective self-experiences related to

these global assessments (Murphy, Stosny, & Morrel, 2005). It requires an appraisal of

and emotional response to oneself. In all current concepts and theories of self-esteem,

evaluative and affective components are present (Wang and Ollendick, 2001). Brown,

Dutton, and Cook (2001) explained three (3) manner in which self-esteem is utilized:

26
 a) Global or trait self-esteem. It is the characteristically feeling of one to oneself.

b) Self-evaluation. It refers to the evaluation of abilities and attributes.

c) Feelings of self-esteem. It is a person's momentary emotional states.

Hewitt (2002) tried to transform our perception of self-esteem from a fundamental

psychological attribute and driving power to a mood-based socially constructed feeling.

This point of view was based on the concept of self-esteem by Smith-Lovin (1995) as a

reflexive emotion that has evolved in social processes of creativity over time that people

learn to experience and talk about that arises in predictable social conditions, and that is

subject to social control.

Mbuva (2016) investigated that teachers' self-esteem is relevant in pedagogy and

that it has a positive impact on students' education and self-esteem. Teachers are

recommended to possess high self-esteem because it is significant in the development

of a teacher as a professional, as well as focused on how the enhancement of self-

esteem makes the teaching-learning process effective.

Over the years, administrators, educators, and parents have been concerned

about the students’ self-esteem as a significant ingredient in the process of cognitive

development, social development, cultural development, and learning (Cotton, 2001;

Hawly, 1997; Katz, 1995).

However, the self-esteem of teachers received less attention. Due to this, some

school lost teachers. Teachers seek other jobs, retire early due to boredom, experience

teacher burnout, are stressed, and some are emotionally exhausted. The teaching

profession became futile, fast-track and demanding. Contrary, when teachers received

sufficient attention, they will be able to demonstrate high self-esteem in their daily

teaching, and can engender high self-esteem in their students (Rogers, 1969).

27
 Teachers can influence their students’ self-image by accepting self-esteem as a

dynamic system (Lensen-Botter, n.d.). It is done through:

a) Improvement of teachers’ competencies;

b) Equipping teachers to deal with the cultural and personal diversity of students;

c) Aiding teachers and students to develop in the right way;

d) Enhancement of interpersonal communication skills, professional pedagogic

attitudes, and;

e) Teachers making a concerted effort as more-knowledgeable others to change

students’ self-esteem.

Furthermore, to enhance students’ self-esteem and academic achievement,

teachers should be engaged in unconditional teaching of all students. It is accepting

students for who they are without any strings attached. It is when students know that

they are unconditionally accepted by their teachers, they became more likely to be

genuinely interested in learning and enjoying challenging academic tasks (Koh, 2005;

MakriBotsari, 2001).

Teachers, in the process of embracing positive self-esteem in and outside the

work place, examine desirable personal characteristics, communication, preferred

teaching style, and interaction. Teachers concerned about the well-being of their

students in the processes of enhancing self-esteem and learning are adaptable,

enthusiastic, fair, patient, and responsible, among others. They have high expectations

for their students. (Gao & Liu, 2013; Baumann, 2006; Zhang, 2007).

In relation with, desirable personal characteristics of a teacher would incorporate

acceptance, genuineness, and empathy. Kuhn (2005) & Makri-Botsari (2001) affirmed

that the concept of acceptance is best exemplified when teachers do not pass judgment

28
on their students. They accept their students as they are. Instead of blaming students,

teachers must be compassionate, caring, as well as inspires students. Teachers must be

real and spontaneous. They are appreciating what it feels like to be another person, and

listening to feelings of other people (Cohen, Marion, & Morrison, 2014; Rogers, 1969).

Besides, Feshback (2011) stated that good teachers identify themselves with students in

the way they treat them, understands students when they do not comprehend the

lesson, and being aware of what students are facing in real life situations in and outside

the school learning environments.

Teachers impart knowledge to students through communication. It enhances

self-esteem through the use of words of affirmation as well as being mindful of body

language (Cohen, Marion, & Morrison, 2004; Luhmann, 1992; Rogers, 1969).

Moreover, teachers enhanced their self-esteem by using their preferred teaching

style, and in turn, enhance students' self-esteem. Sheikh & Mahmmod (2014) found out

that different teaching styles have a significant effect on the motivational level of

students.

Daily interaction also helps in enhancing students’ self-esteem. Hence, praising,

smiling, or encouraging students to always do better are enough to make a positive

change in them (Cohen, Marion, & Morrison, 2004; Rogers, 1969).

Additionally, Miller (2012) demonstrates how a good teacher builds his/her

students’ self-esteem in the classroom through ten (10) desirable characteristics:

a) Contagious enthusiasm for teaching

b) Creativity

c) Good sense of humor and allows individual pace for learning

d) Challenges students

29
 e) Encouraging and patient

f) Considers discussions that interest the students

g) Knows grammar well and can explain on the spot if needed.

h) Takes time to answer a question after class.

i) Treats all students equally as a person.

j) Leaves emotional baggage outside the classroom.

Teachers’ self-esteem is linked to self-concept because of self-concept hooks on

how people think and evaluate themselves. Educators being aware of who they are,

means they possess their self-concept. However, if teachers have a distorted self-image

of themselves, they may become weakened in their teaching career (Brookover,

Thomas, & Paterson, 1964; Rosenberg, Schoenbach, & Rosenberg, 1995).

Likewise, self-esteem is linked with teachers’ self-image as it is how we truly see

ourselves. Since self-esteem is how we value ourselves, self-concept and self-image

add to the equation because they bring the needed fuel into the educational and

teaching platform of how they think about themselves as educators and how they see

themselves, respectively (Lawrence, 2006; Brookover, Thomas, & Paterson, 1964;

Shavelson, Hubner, & Stanton, 1976; Bong & Skaalvik, 2003).

Thompson, H., Wojciak, A., & Cooley, M. (2016), indicated that peer relationships

play a significant role in caring for the youth. Furthermore, self-esteem acts as a

potential mediator between peer relationships and the negative outcomes for

adolescents in foster care. There are also several clinical implications from the findings,

such as the importance of therapy in addressing its potential for reduced self-esteem

resulting from negative peer relationships for individual youths. Additionally, rules and

regulations should reflect the importance of peer relationships for the youth. It is

30
because consistency is critically important for young adolescents who may experience

multiple transitions while they are in their foster care system.

Arshad, Zaidi, & Mahmood (2015) evaluated the self-esteem and academic

performance among their university students following the emergence of behavioral and

educational issues.

Many factors, such as personal and family aspirations, peer achievements and

teachers and school standards, are likely to mediate the relationship between the

scholastic performances or achievement of a student and his/her sense of personal

worth or self-esteem.

The results showed that there was a significant relationship (r=0.879, p<.01)

between self-esteem and academic performance. However, there was a significant

difference between the scores of female and male students. Female students have

higher scores on academic performance. On the other hand, male students have higher

scores on self-esteem.

Self-esteem is a common term. It displays a person's overall subjective emotional

evaluation of worth. It is a judgment of and attitude toward oneself (Hewitt, 2009).

Teachers, parents, and therapists, among others, hypothesized that having a high level

of self-esteem can cause positive results and benefits. In this regard, they focused on

boosting the self-esteem of students. They also found out that different factors caused

the varying impact of self-esteem on students. Connections between the variables

indicate that having high self-esteem is somehow a result of good class performance

(Baumeister, Campbell, Krueger & Vohs, 2003).

Self-esteem is an individual’s judgment of his or her self-worth (Rosenberg,

1965). The evaluative aspect of self-esteem is generally regarded as a wider

31
representation of the self, including cognitive and behavioral dimensions as well as

evaluative or affective aspects of the self-concept (Tomaka & Blascovich, 1991). It is the

evaluation of an individual's self. This idea has some common characteristics such as

protection, belonging, identity, worthiness, respect and competence. The idea of self-

esteem was defined by various experts in different dimensions. The expression of self-

esteem is widely used in the available literature (Garrety, Badham, Morrigan, Rifkin &

Zanko, 2003).

Maslow (1943) integrates self-esteem into his hierarchical needs. It is a psycho-

dynamic progression in which there are increasing characteristics. Self-esteem is

directed at an individual's willingness and capacity to cope with apprehension. It is built

by the partnership of integrity and competence.

Additionally, empowerment provides individuals with decision-making authority

(Menon, 2001). Empowerment involves helping people develop their self-confidence;

deal with their impotence, helplessness, and the passion and inherent motivation for the

tasks to be carried out. Empowerment is rooted in people's motivational needs. Any

strategy that enhances the right of determination of workers and their self-sufficiency

would contribute to their empowerment. Empowerment, in reality, is the development of

circumstances to enhance the motivation of individuals to fulfill their obligations by

enhancing their self-esteem (Laschinger, Finegan, Shamian, & Wilk, 2004).

Additionally, Sadaat, Ghasemzadeh & Soleimani (2012) examined self-esteem

and its determined relation to university student academic achievement.

The findings of their study revealed that there is a substantial gap in self-esteem

between male and female students. Male students earned higher scores than female

students for family self-esteem students (t= -2/12), p< 0.05). There was a significant

32
difference in self-esteem among the students of the Faculties of Basic Sciences,

Psychology and Educational Sciences, and Electro-Computer. Academic self-esteem

and family self-esteem were directly and positively related to the academic achievement

of students at the meaningful level of P< 0.05.

The relationship between self-esteem and academic achievement in pre-

university students was highlighted by Mohammad (2010). It was targeted at determining

whether there are gaps in academic performance between boys and girls.

Results showed that the positive correlation between self-esteem and academic

performance was significant (p<0.01). However, there was a substantial disparity in

academic performance between boys and girls. No major variation in self-esteem was

found between males and females.

Self-esteem cannot predict the quality or span of relationships. But, having high

self-esteem enables people to speak up. Also, it makes people more attractive and

creates lasting impressions on others than those people with a low level of self-esteem.

Powell (2015) defined self-esteem as a crucial role for an individual to succeed in

life.

People who refuse to take the challenges of life's head, caused by the fear of

making mistakes, are usually the ones who suffer from low self-esteem. They find it hard

to communicate with the world.

Likewise, there are also people filled with self-esteem. There are some indicators

present among people who have high self-esteem.

First, they feel whole. It means having control and confidence from within a

person. One with high self-esteem displays self-confidence, self-acceptance, self-

33
respect, and control over his/her emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual domains to

feel whole.

Second is showing gratitude. It means recognizing strengths while at the same

time able to utilize weaknesses properly for it to not become a liability. Being open to

criticisms and compliments graciously and being able to give them back shows

confidence, as well as acknowledgment and appreciation of people’s worth.

Third, individuals who exhibit high self-esteem aims to be better, and therefore,

continue to improve themselves. They have the capabilities to learn and improve from

their mistakes in the past, then overcome them in the future.

Fourth, a person exhibiting high self-esteem can respect individual differences.

They know how to respects their peers’ points of view and are reasonable in occasions

where situations do not favor them.

Lastly, they feel comfortable interacting with others. They know how to deal with

crowds, crave praise, and know-how to show off in front of people without bragging too

much.

Communicative Competence and Self-Esteem

Greeves (2020) stated that in comprehending how self-esteem affects

communication, it is necessary to look at what self-esteem is and how the brain

represents it. Self-esteem is self-respect. Likewise, negative experiences enable a

significant fall in the level of self-esteem.

As cited, Schiller’s (2018) revealed that each of us has a social map in the brain.

It plans out our place in the food chain. When a person has a low level of self-esteem,

34
then he interacts with someone whom he views as better than him, the grid and place

cells in his hippocampus register the other person above him in his social map.

Moreover, the brain undergoes neuroplasticity or the ability to form new

connections and reorganize old connections to create new thoughts, decisions, and

perceptions. It proves that self-esteem is dynamic. Improving self-esteem enables a

person to change the way he or she sees himself or herself. To do so, one must do

exercise, meditation, and journaling, among others.

Once the self-esteem improves, so does the confidence and communication

skills. It takes a step at a time to develop and enhance self-esteem and express oneself

completely.

May (2020) discussed the issues between self-esteem and communication and

the way it often complements each other in terms of human psychology.

Many psychologists believe that poor communication skills often impact people

who suffer from loss of self-esteem. In some severe cases, most therapist and

communication professionals agree that self-esteem and communication skills can be

strengthened over time by using conventional counseling as well as medication.

Psychology researchers believe that because of their experiences in the art and science

communication, these same people may sustain valuable relationships with friends,

family, and romantic interests. Their research revealed that issues of self-esteem and

communication frequently see people who are unsafe and lack a good means of

expressing their feelings. It is known that through their atmosphere and experiences with

others, those who suffer from low self-esteem learn poor communication skills at

younger age. It is assumed that a person cannot fully release emotional burdens without

35
an appropriate outlet for the communication of issues and concern. This can lead to

anxiety and stress as well as a tendency to get it from social activities.

Traditional talk therapy is seen by many self-esteem and communication

practitioner as a positive way to relieve mental pressures and provide an outlet or

strategic ways for speech. For people participating in this type of therapy, it is necessary

to slowly integrate various social experiences into their lives. This may help increase

self-awareness and self-confidence in a new situations and activities. Psychiatrists can

recommend such meditations in severe cases of anxiety and self-esteem, but only after

conventional methods of talk therapy and speech have failed.

Perera (2020) discussed that there is a connection between the fear of

communicating with other people as well as having low self-esteem.

Low self-esteem harms communication because of the fear of interacting

(McCroskey, Richmond, Daly, & Falcione, 1977). It affects self-confidence.

Lack of communication skills affects the social life of a person. It causes people

to avoid gatherings and other opportunities to create and develop learning opportunities.

Fear of communicating is common at universities despite it being necessary for success

(McDonald, 1988).

Statistics revealed that more focus should be given to help young ones in honing

confidence in communicating. It benefits the school, work, and daily life.

Ramsperger (2019) stated that being good at something molds how people view

themselves and others. Likewise, effective communication skills help improve

personality and self-esteem.

36
 Communication involves language and its use. It is an expression of personality,

abilities, beliefs, and such.

Being alive signifies being a communicator.

Body movements, language, and pictures are the best mediums that help one to

communicate effectively. It does not only reveal one's personality; it strengthens it as

well. It enables people to overcome negativity and improve themselves.

Maryansyah & Wadison (2017) defined self-esteem as an affective domain of a

person that affects attitude, behavior, and the manner one deals with daily existence. It

takes part in most human activities, including speaking to others.

Many researchers have done studies on self-esteem. They aimed to understand

self-esteem in various contexts, such as in English teaching and learning.

In line with this, Naouel (2015) and Navita (2016) discovered that there was a

positive and significant relationship between self-esteem and language speaking

performance. Also, it directly affects students’ level of academic achievement.

Additionally, Nurdini (2017) stated that students with low self-esteem employed

fewer communication strategies (CS) compared to those with high self-esteem. They

only employ non-linguistic means, appeal for help, and fillers or hesitation devices as

CS. On the other hand, the students with high self-esteem level used six kinds of

communication strategies such as message abandonment, non-linguistic means, literal

translation, code-switching, appeal for help, and fillers or hesitation device.

Marham (2015) investigated the relationship between students' self-esteem and

communication skills.

37
 In Malaysia, graduates' global competitiveness is a must to achieve the country's

goal of becoming a developed and independent state. It means becoming equipped with

great self-esteem as it is herewith related to the way they can communicate with people

around them. A good communication skill is a criterion considered for business and

employment (Davidson, Metcalfe, & Mueller et al., 2012). A report on graduate

employability claimed that more than half of the fresh graduates' population couldn't

communicate effectively and appropriately with others (SinarHarian, 2012). It becomes a

foremost concern for employers and the education system.

Finset & Del Piccolo (2010), as cited in Watzlawick et al., (1967), defined

communication as human behavior. Besides, Abdul Aziz (2003), as cited in Hashim

(2001), stated that communication is the transmission of ideas and feelings to others.

Without it, information can't be passed on from one another. It is a way to express,

inform and persuade people. Likewise, it is highly related to one's self-esteem. It

influences people's confidence and in turn, the manner people communicate. As defined,

self-esteem is how we feel and value ourselves. Low self-esteem leads to negative

perception about a person's worth and vice versa (Eastwood, 1979).

Unfortunately, findings revealed that there is no significant relationship between

self-esteem and communication skills among FKP USIM students. There may be

another factor affecting the variables of the study.

Glotova & Wilhem (2014) concludes that teachers' self-concept involves their

estimation as a communicator which influences their well-being and occupational

satisfaction.

The overall vision of a teacher about his/herself as a professional makes up the

professional self-concept and self-esteem. As a communicator, this perception of oneself

38
plays a relevant part in their self-concept. High-quality pedagogical communication is

necessary for effective teaching (Patrick, Kaplan, Ryan, 2011; Reyes, Brackett, Rivers,

White & Salovey, 2012; Südkamp, Kaiser, & Möller, 2012; Kunter, Klusmann, Baumert,

Richter, Voss & Hachfeld, 2013). Teachers must evaluate their perception of their

communicative competences and image of communicative behavior.

Findings of their study revealed that different competencies of teachers' self-

image, as well as varying levels of professional self-esteem, have different roles in the

correlation between the variables: low self-esteem is associated with the competencies

of patience, empathy, and ability to listen; average self-esteem relates with the ability to

converse and listen, and adequately behave even in a conflict situation; lastly, high self-

esteem involves the capacity to engage students and use various means of

communication. The way these competencies are connected to different groups of

teachers must receive focus and attention.

Vatankhah, Daryabari, Chadami, & Naderifar (2013) examined the effectiveness

of communication skills training on assertiveness, self-concept, and self-esteem of

students.

Communication skills training programs in schools contribute positively to the

lives of different people. It enables them to efficiently express themselves and

understand that others have needed to (Fooladi, 1982).

However, shyness causes a deterioration of academic participation among

students. If it is not treated, it will lead to negative perceptions such as lack of motivation

and a low level of self-esteem (Jamali et al., 2004).

Moreover, learning courses that increase self-esteem also increase students'

ability to cope (Shover, 2003).

39
 Self-esteem is a life-long self-seeing of abilities and development among

students. Such students that possess poor confidence views themselves as not able to

make sound judgments and always depend on others.

Findings revealed that communication skills improve self-esteem.

Juhana (2012) investigated the psychological factors that hinder students from

speaking, its underlying causes, as well as possible interventions to overcome.

Psychological factors including fear of making mistakes, shyness, anxiety, lack of

confidence, and lack of motivation among others prevent students from participating in

English class. These were commonly caused by students' fear of being laughed at by

their classmates.

The finding of the study suggests that the teachers should be more aware of their

students' hindrance to speaking in English class, and motivating them can help them to

become more confident when speaking in English. It also engages them to have active

participation in class and creates an environment that supports learning.

Synthesis of Reviewed Literature and Studies

Communicative competence is the knowledge of language rules and how it is

used in the actual communication process effectively (Cabalquinto, 1989; Hymer, 1972;

Widdowson, 1978; Savignon, 2017; Yufrizal, 2017; Ahmed, 2018). There are various

models of communicative competence established depending on varying views of

authors (Remache, 2016; Ahmed, 2018). It is necessary to be included in classroom

settings (Lasala, 2014; Numonjohnovna, Oybekovna, & Toshmatova, 2015). Through

language and the manner it is used, people learn to interact and make connection.

40
 Self-esteem is a person's overall psychological perspective of self. It involves

values, attitudes, self-worth, and importance one holds as true to oneself (Rosenberg,

1965; Adler & Stewart, 2004; Abdel-Khalek, 2016; Sime, 2019; Ackerman, 2020). The

term is closely associated with but not the same as self-concept, self-image, self-

efficacy, self-worth, self-confidence, and self-compassion (Purkey, 1988; Neill, 2005;

McLeod, 2008; Hibbert, 2013; Burton, 2015; Neff, n.d.). It is an essential need of man as

stated on the fourth level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Yeshodhara & Vishalakshim,

2012; Ackerman, 2020; Arshad, Zaidi, & Mahmood, 2015).

Communicative competence and self-esteem are somewhat related to each

other. A low level of communicative competence affects the perception of a person

about his/her ability negatively. Likewise, a high level of communicative competence

positively impacts self-esteem (McCroskey, Richmond, Daly & Falcione, 1977; Juhana,

2012; Vatankhah, Daryabari, Chadami, & Naderifar, 2013; Glotova & Wilhem, 2014;

Naouel, 2015; Navita, 2016; Nurdini, 2017; Greeves, 2020; Perera, 2020).

41
 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents in detail the methodology of the study. Included herein are

descriptions concerning sample design, instruments used by the researcher for data

collection and analysis.

Method of Research

The study utilizes the correlational descriptive design as a method of gathering

data.

Correlational design is a type of research design in which a researcher seeks to

learn and understand what kind of relationships does two variables have with one

another. It pursuits to discover either variables have a direct relationship with one

another or, there is no relationship between the variables. According to Leonard Tan

(2014), it investigates whether a change in one variable corresponds to a change in

another variable. In this study, the researcher utilized this design to find out if the

communicative competence of the students affects their self-esteem.

On the other hand, to accurately and effectively understand the population,

trends, and characteristics of a study, it is best to use the descriptive design. It responds

to questions about the events ongoing in the present time. It is a method of discovering

new information as well as describing the frequency with which a phenomenon occurs

(Dulock, 1993). Researchers used this to gather information concerning the level of

communicative competence and self-esteem of the students.

42
Population, Sample Size and Sampling Technique

The participants are Teacher Education students enrolled at Polytechnic

University of the Philippines, Maragondon Branch during the conduct of the study.

Table 1

Population and Sample Size

Section Population Sample

BSEDENMR 1 38 32

BSEDENMR 2 55 38

BSEDENMR 3 35 17

BSEDENMR 4 31 27

Total 159 114

There are a total of 159 Teacher Education students: 38 from BSEDENMR 1, 55

from BSEDENMR 2, 25 from BSEDENMR 3, and 31 from BSEDENMR 4. One hundred

fourteen (114), either male or female, were randomly selected by the researchers as

respondents. In order to identify the sample size, the researchers used Slovin’s formula:

N n
n= %n= x 100
1+ N e 2
N

Where:

N = population size

e = error of tolerance

43
 n = the desired sample size

%n = percentage of the desired sample size

N
n=
1+ N e 2

159 159
¿ =
1+159 ( 0.05 )
2
1+0.3975

159
¿
1.3975

n=113.77∨114

______________________________________________________________________

n
%n= x 100
N

114
¿ x 100
159

%n=71.70

Description of the Respondents

The respondents are Teacher-Education students of Polytechnic University of the

Philippines, Maragondon Branch. They are found relevant participants of the study since

they are the future educators who will use English as a teaching medium in class.

In College, Teacher-Education students acquire different subjects concerning the

use of English language and its relevance in communication, and how it impacts their

self-esteem.

44
 Self-esteem is necessary part of the growth of Teacher-Educations students,

since they interact in varied capacities daily. Moreover, having a high self-esteem among

teachers is an effective way to become a good speaker and facilitator, and to enhance

students’ self-esteem as well.

Further, Teacher-Education students mainly focus on improving their English

language since it is their major specialization and applying it into context through oral

presentation and activities that will hone their communication skills. In that way, they will

achieve better performance accomplishments when it comes to academics and in other

area.

Research Instruments

The following research instruments were used to gather data:

1. McCroskey’s Self-Perceived Communicative Competence Scale. It is a 12-

item scale used as a self-report measure of how competent the respondents feel

they are in a variety of communication contexts and with a variety of types of

receivers answered on a dichotomous scale from completely incompetent (0) to

competent (100). It is adopted from McCroskey, J.C., & McCroskey, L.L. (2013).

Self-Perceived Communication Competence Scale (SPCC). Measurement

Instrument Database for the Social Science. Retrieved from www.midss.ie

2. Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale. It is a 10-item Likert scale used as a self-report

instrument for evaluating individual self-esteem with items answered on a four-

point scale from strongly agree (4) to strongly disagree (1). It measures self-

esteem by asking the respondents to reflect on the extent to which they agree or

disagree with the given statements. Five (5) items have positively worded

statements, while five (5) have not. It is adopted from Rosenberg, Morris. 1989.

45
 Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Revised edition. Middletown, CT:

Wesleyan University Press.

Table 2

Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale

Data Gathering Procedure

Permission to conduct a survey and approval of the handout questionnaires will

be asked. The questionnaires will be distributed to the 114 respondents of the chosen

sample group after securing the permit. Copies of the approved questionnaires will be

distributed in order to gather the necessary data for the study. There will be two sets of

questionnaires that will be given. The first set aims to measure their communicative

competence, while the second one aims to measure their self-esteem. After the

respondents have finished answering the survey, their respective questionnaire papers

will be retrieved.

46
Statistical Treatment

Data were statistically analyzed to answer specific questions. For the statistical

treatment of data, the following were used.

1. Frequency and Percentage Distribution. It displays data that specifies the

percentage of observations that exist in every data point of a grouping of data

points. The process of creating frequency and percentage consists of the total

number that identifies observations which is to be presented and the total

number that adds up the observation within each data point of the grouping of

data points. It is used to determine the level of communicative competence and

self-esteem of students.

FORMULA:

f
P x100
N

Where:

P = Percentage

F = Frequency

N = Number of respondents

2. Mean. It is simply the mathematical average of a set of two or more numbers

(Hayes, 2021). It is used to interpret the level of self-esteem of students

described in each question of the scale.

47
FORMULA:

x́=
∑x
n

Where:

x́ = Mean

∑ x = sum of all the values in the data set

n = number of values in the data set

3. Pearson Correlation Coefficient (or Pearson’s R). It is used in determining

and measuring the strength between varieties and relationships. It is used to tell

if there is a significant relationship between the communicative competence and

self-esteem of the students.

FORMULA:

r=
∑ ( x i−x ) ( y i− y )
√ ∑ ( x i−x )2 ( y i− y )2
Where:

r = correlation coefficient

x i = values of the x-variable in a sample

x = mean of the values of the x-variable

y i = values of the y-variable in a sample

y = mean of the values of the y-variable

48
 CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data

according to the problems formulated in the study, which aimed to determine the

relationship between communicative competence and the self-esteem of Teacher

Education students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Maragondon Branch.

The findings are also discussed in the light of previous research findings and available

literature, where applicable, to identify similarities and differences between this study

and previous studies and literature.

1. What is the level of communicative competence of Teacher Education students?

Table 3

Communicative Competence of Teacher Education Students

Communicative Distribution of Students

Frequency Distribution
Competence Level (in percentage)

Low 38 33.33

Average 49 42.98

High 27 23.68

49
Total 114 100
Table 3 shows that the percentage of Teacher Education students that belong to

a low level is 33.33%, the average level is 42.98%, and the high level of communicative

competence is 23.68%.

Findings revealed that the majority of the Teacher Education students have an

average level of communicative competence.

This means that Teacher Education students are competent enough when it

comes to using language in classroom settings. But it can still be developed and

improved if given focus by the school and the students themselves.

As students, they are active and more participative in classroom and

communication contexts where the learning takes place. They perform excellently,

effectively, and accomplish the university goals (Ozcelik & Ferman, 2006).

As future educators, it helps them be experts in communicating meaning. It

supports the study of Lasala (2014), Okoli (2017) & Savignon (2017) that states how

effective communication should be considered in the teaching-learning process. It allows

teachers to share information and impart knowledge, skills, and values to students. It is

necessary to focus on qualities that make teachers more efficient and effective during

class instruction. Through communicative competence, teachers can teach and deal with

students easily (Hymes, 1972).

50
 2. What is the level of self-esteem of Teacher Education students?

Table 4

Descriptive Statistics of Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

Questions Mean VI

On the whole, I am satisfied with myself. 3.04 High

At times I think I am no good at all. 2.89 High

I feel that I have a number of good qualities. 2.88 High

I am able to do things as well as most other people. 3.18 High

I feel I do not have much to be proud of. 3.06 High

I certainly feel useless at times. 2.14 Average

I feel that I'm a person of worth, at least on an equal

2.58 Average
plane with others.

I wish I could have more respect for myself. 2.34 Average

All in all, I am inclined to feel that I am a failure. 1.98 Average

I take a positive attitude toward myself. 2.95 High

Table 4 presents the summary of 114 respondent’s answers on each question of

the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. In these results, the mean of 4 out of 10 question

falls under the average level, while the remaining 6 belongs to the high level.

Table 5

Self-Esteem of Teacher Education Students

Self-Esteem Level Frequency Distribution Distribution of Students

51
 (in percentage)

Low 0 0

Average 63 55.26

High 51 44.74

Total 114 100

Table 5 shows that the percentage of Teacher Education students that belong to

a low level is 0%, the average level is 55.26%, and the high level of self-esteem is

44.74%.

Findings revealed that the majority of the Teacher Education students have an

average level of self-esteem.

This means that students think positively of themselves, are well-aware of their

abilities as individuals, and are confident enough in presenting themselves in classroom

and communication contexts. Sime (2019) identifies self-esteem as the overall perceived

importance and self-worth. As evident, students who possess average and high levels of

self-esteem like and love themselves even more than a person with low self-esteem.

They think, feel and behave more happily and healthily. Moreover, it became their

driving force to become better in class (Al doulat, 2018). A high level of self-esteem is

associated with greater productivity and performance (Rahmani, 2011).

As a future educator, it greatly helps to have a high level of self-esteem as it is

relevant in pedagogy and positively impacts students' education and self-esteem. It aids

in the development of a teacher as a professional as well as the benefits of enhancing

self-esteem to make the teaching-learning process more effective (Mbuva, 2016). In this

aspect, taking into account the work to help students feel good leads to teachers’

52
expertise and capabilities (Rahmani, 2011). Accepting self-esteem as a dynamic aspect

helps teachers influence students’ self-image (Lensen-Botter, n.d.). In the process of

embracing positive self-esteem in and outside the school context, future teachers,

concerned about the well-being of their students in the progressions of enhancing self-

esteem and learning, should possess desirable characteristics, communication

competence, and effective teaching styles (Gao & Liu, 2013; Baumann, 2006; Zhang,

2007).

3. Is there a significant relationship between the communicative competence and

self-esteem of Teacher Education students?

Table 6

Correlation between Communicative Competence and Self-Esteem

Correlations

ave_s ave_m

Pearson
1 .284**
Correlation

ave_s Sig. (2-

.002
tailed)

N 114 114

ave_m Pearson
.284** 1
Correlation

Sig. (2- .002

tailed)

53
 N 114 114
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
Table 6 shows the relationship between communicative competence and self-

esteem of Teacher-Education students.

Findings revealed that there is a low positive significant correlation between

communicative competence and self-esteem of Teacher Education students. The

decision is to reject the null hypothesis (Ho). As the level of communicative competence

increases, self-esteem also increases. This is true but not in all cases.

There is a connection between peoples’ ability to communicate and their self-

esteem (Perera, 2020; May, 2020; Ramsperger, 2019; Maryansyah & Wadison, 2017;

Glotova & Wilhem, 2014; Vatankhah, Daryabari, Chadami, & Naderifar, 2013; & Juhana,

2012). The two complements each other in terms of human psychology.

Poor communication skills often affect people who suffer from loss of self-esteem.

They felt unsafe and is lacking a good means of expressing their feelings. They

employed fewer communication strategies compared to those with high self-esteem

(Nurdini, 2017).

On the other hand, effective communication skills help improve personality and

self-esteem. It does not only reveal one's personality; it strengthens it as well. It enables

people to overcome negativity and improve themselves.

As future educators, self-concept involves the estimation as a communicator

which influences well-being and occupational satisfaction. The overall vision of a teacher

as a professional makes up the professional self-concept and self-esteem. High-quality

pedagogical communication is necessary for effective teaching (Patrick, Kaplan, Ryan,

2011; Reyes, Brackett, Rivers, White & Salovey, 2012; Südkamp, Kaiser, & Möller,

54
2012; Kunter, Klusmann, Baumert, Richter, Voss & Hachfeld, 2013). Evaluating the

perception of communicative competence and image of communicative behavior is a

must.

It supports the claim of Naouel (2015) and Navita (2016) that there was a positive

and significant relationship between self-esteem and language speaking performance.

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

To recapitulate the main objective of this study was to determine the relationship

between the communicative competence and self-esteem of Teacher Education

students of Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Maragondon Branch.

The subject of the study was 114 Teacher Education Students randomly selected

for the study.

55
 All of the respondents were given two sets of survey questionnaire: McCroskey’s

Self-Perceived Communication Competence and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale. The

data gathered were statistically analyzed using frequency and percentage distribution,

mean, and Pearson’s r.

Below is the summary of the findings:

a. Majority of the Teacher Education students have an average level of

communicative competence.

b. Majority of the Teacher Education students have an average level of self-

esteem.

c. There is a low significant positive correlation between communicative

competence and self-esteem of Teacher-Education students.

CONCLUSIONS

In the light of the findings, the following conclusions were drawn:

1. Communicative competence helps Teacher Education students actively

participate in contexts where learning takes place and prepares them to be

effective communicators of meaning.

2. Effective communication should be considered in the teaching-learning process.

3. Self-esteem is not only about feeling relevant and confident. It is the holistic

perception of a person, determined by stability and growth, and how it can affect

the way people behave and present themselves and their abilities.

4. Teachers are standing in front to teach the whole class. It is the reason self-

esteem and communication competence should work side by side. It affects

teachers' pedagogical approaches and methods, as well as students’ learning

and participation.

56
 5. As the level of communicative competence increases, the level of self-esteem

also increases. However, it applies not in all cases.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In the light of the conclusions, the following recommendations were drawn:

1. The Teacher Education students should lift their self-esteem through the

improvement of their communicative competence. They should expose

themselves to English language proficient peoples, be open to learning and

mastering communicative skills, and build confidence within themselves

about their abilities.

2. The teachers should incorporate appropriate materials, strategies, and

techniques in communicating with, engaging their students, and enhancing

their abilities when it comes to using the English language, which, in turn, will

help them be more confident to participate in class.

3. The parents of the students should encourage their child to practice more in

communicating effectively especially with the use of the English language,

and build up healthy and positive self-esteem while doing so. They should

follow the improvements of their child and establish various platforms at

home where their children can express themselves and their ideas.

4. The school heads and administrators should offer reflective learning

opportunities such as the implementation of Communicative Language

Teaching wherein learners can experiment and practice what they know as

well as link various skills they possess like speaking, reading, and listening

together, as it naturally occurs in school and real-life contexts. ‘Speak English

Always’ policy would also be of great help.

57
5. Future researchers, to better see the relationship between communicative

competence and self-esteem, should consider other factors that may impact

the communicative ability and self-esteem of students like environment and

motivation.

58