RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME SPENT WATCHING ENGLISH MOVIES TO THE

LEVEL OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

Name of Researchers
Esperidion, Leizel P.
Dela Cruz, Richland Joy B.
Camano, Laren A.
Caniban, Trixie Ann Joy J.
Enriquez, Jenefer M.

A Research Proposal
Presented to the Faculty Member of the
College of Education
PHINMA University of Iloilo
Iloilo City, Philippines

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for course

EDU 163: Language and Educational Research
Language Education Research

November 20, 2021

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE
Title Page i
Table of Contents ii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study 1-2
1.2. Statement of the Problem 2
1.3. Rationale or Justification of the Study 2-3
1.4. Research Questions 3-4
1.5. Hypothesis 4
1.6. General Objectives of the Study 4
1.7. Scope and Limitations of the Study
4
CHAPTER 2: REVIEWS OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Review of Related Literature and Studies 5-9
Conceptual Framework 10
Definition of Terms 10

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1. Research Design 11
3.2. Respondents 11-12
3.3. Instruments 12-13
3.4. Procedures 13

References 13
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Time is essential in learning and teaching language. Language can’t be learned in just an

instant it requires time, passion to learn, and patience for language is so variegated. Once we deal

and talk about language, we should expense a lot of time for it. Language is usually taught in

school. Here in our country, English language is part of our curriculum. We can’t deny the fact

that language is so deep that it requires ample of time for it to learned. But due of the reason that

schools are offering 8-10 subjects, the focus on learning and teaching language may not be that

as effective as to what was being desired.

Movies has been one of the main sources of entertainment since its massive

popularization in the United States in the 1910s. With the numerous narratives that can be

transformed into motion pictures right in front of the audience’s eyes, it is no doubt that the

movie industry will have a strong impact on the vast population. For more than one hundred

years, the film industry has become more engaging and advanced as the result of the broad

spectrum of today’s available technology. With the emergence of social media and multiple

movie streaming platforms, the mass production of films has also sky-rocketed. This led to a

series of trends that has generated a certain appeal to the public. Movies have since then

influenced the people’s thinking, actions, culture, and even language. 

Although the world is consisting of many countries with different primary languages,

American movies have stood out the most in terms of popularity. Other than the country’s rather

1
high-budgeted filming production, one of the factors that made American movies well-known is

for the language being used in most of their movies. In fact, according to a research by Stephen

Follows Film Data and Education (2018), across the 8,798 movies studied, 81.4% featured

English as one of their main languages. Having English as our “universal language”, it is quite

inevitable for English movies to travel overseas. And because of the fame held by these works,

American movies have been distributed around the world. Since then, it has become one of the

reasons why learning English can be now achieved in viewing films. 

Statement of the Problem

Movies that use English as their primary language, like American movies, have been used
as a language-teaching tool for many years. It seems that most of the existing studies focus on
enhancing students’ motivation and listening skills by using English language movies. But
American movies as a form of entertainment are far more enticing to the youth’s eyes and film
viewing became an activity that allows them to acquire knowledge by themselves.

Rationale or Justification of the Study

Many educators have different methods of teaching with the purpose of giving their

students a better understanding in learning English. Most of it involves interpreting meanings

and integrating real-life examples through simulations that are inclined with the language they

are learning. The effectiveness of these methods is mainly due to the sense of familiarity and

comfort it provides to the learners thus, creating a more interesting and less intimidating

approach in learning the English language. This brings us to the type of method called film

viewing. Film viewing can mean a lot of things, but everyone can strike a bargain that it has

always been one of the effective methods that allows people to understand information and

absorb knowledge from foreign sources. Using film viewing as a method of teaching and

learning English is usually done by non-English speakers.

2
 In relation to this study, it is worth emphasizing that most adolescents nowadays

preferred to watch American movies than locally produced cinema. This allows them to adapt to

the American movies’ language of use which is English. As adolescents spend more time

viewing this specific content, they are more likely to adapt and convey the language skillfully. In

fact, many students nowadays often said that they have learned to speak English more from

absorbing content from films rather than from an academic setting. This certain phenomenon can

be a potential learning method for the improvement of English comprehension and speaking

skills for students.

It is often said that English is one of the hardest languages to learn (Oxford Royale

Academy, 2020). For people who do not have English as their primary language, learning a new

language is a complex process that demands a huge investment of time and effort. Second

language educators often provide different methods of teaching by using different English

resources to find the most effective way of learning and teaching the language (Cook, 2016).

Research Questions

In this study, the researchers conducted this research that will lead us to know the
relationship between watching American movies to the level of English proficiency among
Senior High School students

This research aims to provide an answer to each of the following questions:

1. How often do the students watch American Movies?

2. Does their time spent watching American movies have a significant impact
on their level of English proficiency?

3
General Objectives of the Study

Generally, the stud aims to determine the relationship between time spent watching

American movies to the level of English Proficiency

Specifically: 

1. To determine the time spent watching American movies of the respondents.

2. To determine the level of English Proficiency of the respondents.

3. To determine if there is any significant relationship between the time spent

watching American movies to the level of English proficiency of the participants.

Scope and limitation of the Study

The study entitled “RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TIME SPENT WATCHING

AMERICAN MOVIES TO THE LEVEL OF ENGLISH PROFICIENCY” is aiming to conduct

the study on the Senior High students that are enrolled in the school year 2021-2022.The study

does not include any information that is not relevant to the intended goal and expected findings.

The participants will only be the students that will provide legitimate information regarding the

study.

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

4
 This chapter is composed of the review related literature of this research and how it

includes the researcher’s efforts to put reliable and strong evidence in proving the study. And it

also aims to help put the spotlight in the study.

The Common-Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens

A census conducted by Common Sense (2015) focused on documenting the basic facts

about the media activities young people engaged in (such as playing video games and using

social media) and the devices they use (such as computers and smartphones). The purpose is to

document the frequency of young people’s use of media; the amount of time devoted to these

activities and devices per day; how much young people enjoy each media activity; and the

differences among young people by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES).

This report was based on a nationally representative survey of 2,658 U.S. children age 8

to 18 years old, conducted from February 6 to March 9, 2015.

Results show that 36% of teens spend 2 to 4 hours screen time. Among teens, an average

record of 2 hours and 38 minutes are spent watching movie, DVDs, or videos.

Learning English through Watching Movies

A study conducted by Uzzaman et al (2015) at the Rajshahi University, Bangladesh,

sought to determine the effectiveness of watching movies in learning English. The study

gathered necessary data through structured interviews with the students and ELT experts in the

University of Dhaka.

5
 Major findings of the study showed that watching English movies has positive impact on

improving listening skill as well as on speaking skill (Uzzaman et al, 2015). The findings also

show that watching movies made significant improvement to the viewers’ vocabulary, grammar,

and pronunciation.

BFI Statistical Yearbook Audiences, 2018

In 2018, a census conducted by the British Film Institute shows the socio-demographic

profile of movie viewers. Findings show that people in the age bracket of 7-14 years old and 15-

24 years old spend a significant amount of time going to the movies. According to the results,

42.1% of movie viewers are from ages 7-14 years old and 15-24 years old. Furthermore, the

whole population of the study was composed of 51.2% males and 48.8 females.

The results of this census suggests that movie-viewing are particularly large among the

youth. In terms of gender, we can see that both men and women equally enjoy watching movies.

English First English Proficiency Index, 2020

The EF English Proficiency Index is a study of the acquisition of English skills by

secondary and tertiary students. A worldwide data collection is administered annually to

determine the English Proficiency band of every country across the globe. A yearly ranking

among the top 100 countries are released every year to assess the progress of English Proficiency

of the countries.

6
 In the 2020 index released by EF English Proficiency Index shows that the Philippines

placed 27th among the rankings. This means that the Philippines has a “High English

Proficiency” band. Although the ranking of the Philippines has went seven ranks down since the

year 2019, the country still proved its competence in possessing good English proficiency skills.

The Impact of Using Movies on Learning English Language at University of Halabja

A study conducted by Balambo Jamal Tahir (April, 2015) shows a significant

relationship between using movies to learning the English language at the University of Halabja.

In the research, the author was interested in determining how students at the university level are

getting benefit from watching English movies in order to support their learning process.

A survey was conducted in order to explore opinions and expectations of 50 students as a

sample from the 2nd, 3rd and 4th stages in the department of English language at the University

of Halabja. The results display the educational impacts of watching English movies to improve

their language learning. The research seek to determine the extent watching movies beneficial for

students to learn English language at the university and to determine the extent if students prefer

movies as a pedagogical tool for learning English Language in the department of English

language.

The results of the research showed that using movies in EFL classroom can increase the

interaction among learners; they improve learners’ speaking skill and offer learners more

opportunities to use English (Ismaili, 2012). “They also claim that they faced difficulties while

selecting suitable movies for different proficiency levels and that watching a movie might be

very time consuming” (Ismaili, 2012, p.125). Students believe that using movies in the

7
classroom was new and very pleasant experience for the students. They claim that they enjoyed

the assigned activities in the classroom. Students were more excited to see and hear real-life

situations in spite of to follow the activities in a book, and movies also provide a relaxed

atmosphere for students (Ismaili, 2012).

Furthermore, it was expressed that “…films provide an invaluable extension of what we

might call the technologies of language acquisition that have been used to teach students the

basics of English learning in elementary and high schools or institutes”(Sabouri, Zohrabi &

Osbouei, 2015, p. 110).

Using Movies in EFL Classrooms: A Study Conducted at the English Language Institute

(ELI), King Abdul-Aziz University

Research published in February 22, 2016 in King Abdul-Aziz University in Saudi Arabia

by Raniah Hassen Kabooha sought to examine the attitudes of Saudi English as a foreign

language (EFL) learners as well as teachers towards the integration of English movies in their

classes as a tool to develop students’ language skills. In the research, fifty female intermediate

level students studying English in their Preparatory Year Program (PYP) in the English

Language Institute (ELI) at King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,

participated in the study. The researcher used a mixed-method approach and administered

questionnaires and semi-structured with both the teachers and students interviews to explore their

perceptions towards the use of movies in their classes. In addition, teachers were required to

write reflective journals regarding the use of movies in their classes.

The findings of the study indicate that both students as well as teachers had positive

attitudes towards the use of movies in their classes to improve students’ language skills. The

8
study offers pedagogical implications for EFL instructors with respect to the integration of films

in their classrooms to improve students’ language learning. Well-selected movie materials could

enhance students’ language learning process and increase their motivation to learn the target

language.

The results of the study concluded that movies are powerful instructional tools that can

help in developing students’ language skills. The participants in the study have positive attitudes

towards the integration of movies in their classrooms to improve their English. The study also

indicates that using movies in the foreign language classroom could enhance the students’

motivation to learn the language. Teachers in the study stated that movies increased students’

participation and engagement in the classroom. The students also believed that movies could

help improve their vocabulary acquisition as they provide them with a wealth of information

about a variety of vocabulary, phrases, and colloquial expressions. However, it was also stated

that in order to fulfil its pedagogical purpose, movies should be strategically selected based on

the course syllabus, students’ interests, and their proficiency level. While designing the tasks and

the materials that incorporate the movies into classes, the main goal of using this authentic

material and the objectives of the specific lesson should always be kept in mind. In addition,

language teachers should not ignore the importance of planning useful and meaningful tasks for

students before and after viewing in order to make the teaching focus more explicit, hence

students want treat it as a pure source of enjoyment and entertainment.

Conceptual Framework

9
 The concept of the study was about identifying if there is any significant relationship
between the time spent watching American movies to the level of English proficiency among the
students who were officially enrolled in the S.Y 2021-2022. It suggests that as students spend
more time watching American movies, they are more likely to achieve high level of English
proficiency.

This research and its underlying theory can be visually represented and interpreted as:

Level of English Proficiency

Dependent Variable

Figure 1. Schematic Diagram of the Relationship Between the time spent watching American
movies to the level of English proficiency.

Definitions of Terms

The following terms are defined conceptually and operationally to set the scope of the
study and how these terminologies will be used.

English Language Proficiency. It is the ability of Students to use the English language to make
and communicate meaning in spoken and written contexts while completing their program of
study. (USQ Defined)
Senior High School. It is the last phase in the implementation of the K-12 program. It covers
Grades 11 and 12. Students have four general programs or tracks to choose from. Under each
program, there are various specializations or strands to specialize in. (Edukasyon.ph)

Define terms, which are presented in your research title. Please observe samples of how terms
are being defined operationally and conceptually. Indicate as well, proper citations.

10
 Chapter 3

METHODOLOGY

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact to the level of English proficiency

among high school students in watching movies. In this research, the researcher used

qualitative research to address the relationship on watching movies to the level of English

proficiency of the students.

In this chapter, it consists of research design, respondents, and instruments that will be

used in the study. Also, the threat is inevitable to the validity of the research study.

Research Design

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the time spending

of watching movies to the level of English proficiency. The major objectives of this study are

to examining the impact of watching movies and the relationship between the time spent

watching movies to the level of English proficiency. Others argue, that watching movies

negatively influences the English proficiency. The population in this study was all the first -

semester student in the academic year 2021/ 2022 consist of 100 students, sample taken was

about 30 students by using random sampling. The method used in this study was Qualitative

method in the descriptive design.

Respondents

11
 The participants of the study were randomly pick because most of them are Learners

who tend to learn and improve proficiency because movies aren't just for entertainment after

all, They also give you cultural education that enriches your language comprehension. Movies

also expose you to a natural form of language with authentic vocabulary and slang , and they

teach you to connect words with associated body language. The study are consist of 100

participants but randomly 30 students taken for sampling , 15 girls and 15 boys age of 17-18

years old answering the questionnaire were given by researchers . Major findings of the study

showed that watching movies English movies has positive impact on improving listening as

well as speaking skill , Correct pronunciation is also help to increase vocabulary. All these

impacts could have a long term effect on the viewers according to the experts. Those who

watch regularly , could have further benefits.

Research Instrument

In this study, the researcher will be using the questionnaire as an instrument in

collecting facts, data, and or information. It is carefully designed intended to answer by a

respondents. The instrument will be distributed to 30 Senior High School students. The survey

consist of 10 questions pertaining to two questions related to demographic participants

(Gender, age), 5 items were intended to gather data pertaining to the Level of proficiency in

watching American Movies, and three items were set up to assess students’ dis-fluency.

1. Name
2. Age
3. While watching American movies, to what extent do you understand what
you hear?
4. Do you think watching American movies helped you to pronounce word
correctly?
5. Does American movies can help expanding your vocabulary? How do
you say so?

12
 6. How frequent do you watch do you watch American Movies?
7. Does watching American movies helped you to speak naturally?
8. During your speech, do you notice frequent pauses?
9. Why is it when you make or construct your own sentence is difficult for
you. But, when you teach others it is somehow easy?
10. Do you notice repetitions and self- corrections during speech and oral
presentation?
By answering these questions, do you think the data gathered will substantiate the
objectives of your study?
Validation of Instrument
To test the validity of the instruments, the researcher will present to the research adviser
and panelist the questionnaires for the validation of content.
Procedure of the Study

In conducting this study, the researcher will seek permission first to the Dean of College
of Education in conducting the study. Upon the approval of the Dean, the researcher will also ask
permission to the advisers of Senior High School and to the students who were the respondents
of the study. Secondly, the researcher will gather the number of students through random
sampling technique. After, they will provide a questionnaire for them to answer. Then,
researchers will collect the responses and analyze the result of the data gathered, encode the
exact data, and finalized the stud.

References

1. Balambo Jamal Tahir (April, 2015) shows a significant relationship between using movies to
learning the English language at the University of Halabja.
2. Using Movies in EFL Classrooms: A Study Conducted at the English Language Institute
(ELI), King Abdul-Aziz University Research published in February 22, 2016 in King Abdul-
Aziz University in Saudi Arabia by Raniah Hassen Kabooha
3. BFI Statistical Yearbook Audiences, 2018 In 2018, a census conducted by the British Film
Institute shows the socio-demographic profile of movie viewers.
4. Learning English through Watching Movies A study conducted by Uzzaman et al (2015) at the
Rajshahi University, Bangladesh,
5. The Common-Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens A census conducted by
Common Sense (2015)
6. THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ HABIT IN WATCHING MOVIE AND
LISTENING SKILL of June 2017ETERNAL (English Teaching Learning and Research Journal)
3(1):97-106 (Abdullah and Indah Fadhillah Rahman)
7. English First English Proficiency Index, 2020

13
8. THE CORRELATION BETWEEN STUDENTS’ HABIT IN WATCHING MOVIE AND
LISTENING SKILL of June 2017ETERNAL (English Teaching Learning and Research Journal)
3(1):97-106 (Abdullah and Indah Fadhillah Rahman)
9. The Effects of Watching Movies on Enhancement of EFL Students’ Vocabulary Learning
December 2016 By Yusuf Aygun

14