WHEN ENGLISH IS NOT YOUR MOTHER TONGUE:

A BIRD’S EYEVIEW ON LEARNING ENGLISH

AS SECOND LANGUAGE

A Research Paper
Presented to
The Department of Teacher Education
St. Thomas More School of Law and Business
Tagum City

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the Subject
Language Education Research

PEDELYN JOY GAUM

JOHN REY PACENA
RIZADALLE RAGANIT

May 2020
CHAPTER 1
 INTRODUCTION

Rationale

"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door

along the way." - Frank Smith. English language is the Lingua Franca of the world

and is also known as the melting pot of all languages. Nowadays, English

language became one of the prominent needs of a human being (Eisenschmidt

and Oder 2018).In the case of The Philippines, English is not our native language

but it is only our second language. Though English is our second language yet

we are performing in this field in our own ways and many are already successful

with it. Aside from those who are successful, other Non-native speakers of

English (NNS) also have problems with pronunciation, accent, grammar and

fluency.

Pakistan is a multilingual country, with English being taught as a second

language and as a medium of education. It is also taught in schools, colleges, and

universities as a required topic. At the university level, it is taught as a required

course in all BS programs, coupled with English communication skills. It was

found that students had a high level of self-efficacy when it came to learning

English and placed a high value on it. On the necessity of repetition in learning

spoken English practice, and agreed on the concept of different aptitudes for

specific abilities in foreign language learning. Learning strategies, in turn, may

influence learners' beliefs about language learning, according to the researcher.

Yang (1999)

Filipino and English are the two official languages of the Philippines,

according to the constitution (Bernardo, 2006). When Spain ceded the Philippines

to the United States in 1889, English language schooling was adopted, and the

US government declared English the common language of communication.

(Hayashi, et al., 2000). In the Philippines, English language education begins in

the first year of elementary school, and English is utilized as the medium of

teaching in mathematics and science-related courses in primary and secondary

schools, as well as in all courses at tertiary institutions (Nakahara, 2006).A

multilingual country, such as the Philippines, Although there is no national

border, the Philippines is an example of a country where English is utilized as an

international language since it is utilized across linguistic and cultural barriers

(McKay, 2002).In Davao del Norte, it was evaluated the oral proficiency of

students according to their level of exposure to English linguistic environment.

In Tagum City, some parents speak to their children in English even before they

start school. When speaking on the phone, e-mailing, or chatting, middle- to

upper-class people utilize English. This simply emphasizes the importance of

people becoming capable players not only in their own countries, but also in the

region. Because competency is intimately linked to a worker's ability to

communicate, non-native English speakers are confronted with issues that cause
them to consider whether they are on par with or better than their counterparts

in nearby nations (Amurao 2012).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to know how call center

agents learn the English language. This aims to obtain experiences, tips and

insights coming from the call center agents from their journey in learning the

language that could help other learners to be successful with the target language.

We believe that this study will help not just those who are learning the target

language but also for those who are teaching the language particularly in non-

English speaking countries. Awareness and understanding of the experiences of

the informants upon learning the language is a great help and advantage for the

new and old learners, teachers and individuals who are related to the field of

English language.

Learning English language is not as easy as counting 1 to 3. It requires a

lot of factors such as emotional, physical and cognitive factors. Language

learning is one of the essentials in life to survive. Upon learning, there will

always be challenges along the way and such challenges are the spice of the

language learning journey. It depends as to how learners absorb such challenges

but we cannot deny the fact that every individual had different tolerance. Good

for those individuals who have high tolerances on everything but how about

those who are not? This paper will be their Salvatore.

 This phenomenological study would add to the growing body of

knowledge about the English language learning of a non-native speaker. This

study also visualizes documenting the different experiences of the fourteen call-

center agents; seven for in-depth interviews and seven in the focus group

discussion both the positive and negative one from their own experiences in

Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Philippines. Moreover, the intent of this study is

to seek, listen and understand the unheard stories of the participants as they

willingly share their experiences during the interview.

Research Questions

This study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What are the experiences of call-center agents engaged in learning the

English language?

2. How did call-center agents cope with learning the English language?

3. What are the insights of call-center agents engaged in learning English

language?

Theoretical Lens

Universal Grammar theory shows the innate device for language

acquisition. This theory concerns that it should be done with a little to do when

learning a second language. All languages share universal grammar that enable

us to acquire language when we were a child, this implies the critical or sensitive

period of acquiring a language, when this period is done it’s not impossible for a
child to learn the language. Furthermore, he believes that every child has the

natural need to use language to meet their needs. The existence of universal

grammar will help us to know the ability of every child to acquire and learn

language consciously and unconsciously (Chomsky, 1960).

The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis discusses that students have two

different ways of developing skills in a second language: learning and

acquisition. Learning is a conscious process that focuses the students’ attention

on the form of the language (structure). Acquisition, unlike learning, is a process

similar to that by which we acquired our mother tongue, and which represents

the subconscious activity by which we internalize the new language, putting

emphasis on the message (meaning) rather than on the form. Acquisition is, thus,

the untutored or naturalistic way. In most classrooms, learning is emphasized

more than acquisition (Ellis 1985; Krashen and Terrell 1983; Littlewood, 1984).

The Natural Order Hypothesis discusses that conscious language learning

is thought to be helped a great deal by error correction and the presentation of

explicit rules. Error correction is maintained and it helps the learner come to the

correct mental representation of the linguistic generalization. Error correction has

little or no effect on subconscious acquisition, but is thought to be useful for

conscious learning. It supposedly helps the learner to induce or "figure out" the

right form of a rule. If, for example, a student of English as a second language

says "I goes to school every day", and the teacher corrects him or her by

repeating the utterance correctly, the learner is supposed to realize that the /s/
ending goes with the third person and not the first person, and alter his or her

conscious mental representation of the rule (Fanselow and Long 1977; Krashen

and Seliger, 1975).

The Monitor hypothesis posits that acquisition and learning are used in

very specific ways. Normally, acquisition "initiates" our utterances in a second

language and is responsible for our fluency. Learning has only one function, and

that is as a Monitor, or editor. Learning comes into play only to make changes in

the form of our utterance, after is has been "produced" by the acquired system.

This can happen before we speak or write, or after (self-correction) (Krashen,

1975).

Human Language Development theory suggests that every human uses

both assimilation and accommodation in order to learn language. It emphasizes

the significance of social interaction to language learning development. Learning

language is inherently part of conceptual development that requires social

interaction to develop the ability to learn language in logical understanding.

Children must create mental structures within his/her mind (schemas) and with

this language development happens. This theory emphasizes the ability to adapt

the simulation process of the changing environment, this implies that language

learning development must adapt changes constantly in order to learn language

(Piaget, 1980).

Significance of the Study

 We are confident that this phenomenological study would append to the

substance and significance of knowing how call center agents learn the English

language. It is through this study that we are able to obtain information about

the challenges, experiences, insights, and tips as to call center agents become

successful in learning the target language. Moreover, the result of the study shall

be beneficial to the English teachers to evaluate their skills and practices in

providing appropriate learning activities and programs that would promote

smooth and positive affective factors that eliminate learning anxieties and other

affective filters in the process of second language learning.

Moreover, this study will also benefit classroom advisers in their

evaluation and interpretation of students' behavior and response to their

learning endeavors. Accordingly, this study will also benefit the students in the

development of their positive personality and affective factors that are beneficial

in learning the second language. Lastly, this study will somehow assist other

researchers in the future who are interested to conduct a study related to second

language learning as they can use this as a valuable and reliable reference that

will help them conduct their own related studies.

Definition of Terms

The following terms used in this study are defined operationally and

conceptually:
NNS (Non-Native Speaker) - It is a person who is able to learn the unusual

language that is used in day to day life. A non-native speaker undergoes process

on its own merit.

VT (Visible Thinking) – It is a process wherein a person is able to think deeply.

Much of what we learn, especially our fundamental knowledge, is internalized to

the point that we forget we know it.

FL (Foreign Language) - A foreign language is one that is spoken in a country

other than one's own. It is also a language that is not spoken in the person's

native nation.

SLA (Second language acquisition) - The method of acquiring a second

language, also known as second-language learning or L2 acquisition, is the

process by which people learn a second language.

EOP (English Only Policy) – It is a pervasive belief where a person should be

exposed in English language using this policy. EOP- English Only Policy- This is

one of the basic rules in a call center company most especially if the agents are

inside the workplace. This rule was made in order to let the agents learn English

language easily most importantly that they will be talking to a foreigner

specifically Americans.

ESL (English as Second Language) - It is an educational program aimed at

assisting English-language learners. ESL classes teach students how to read,

write, and converse with an emphasis on conversational and job-related

communication.

Limitations and Delimitations

This study is qualitative, phenomenological in nature, and focused and

aimed only at exploring the experiences of people who are call center agents. The

informants will be 14 in total; 7 for in-depth interviews and 7 for focus group

discussions who are call- center agents in Alinq Global Solutions residing in

Tagum City, Davao del Norte of Davao Region, Philippines who had an

experience of learning the second language. They will be asked through the use

of an interview guide which has undergone content validity.

Furthermore, we acknowledge the weaknesses of this study which may

not allow this research to achieve the expected generalizability of this study. Due

to the small sample that participated in this study, the results may not be

generalized and cannot sufficiently support the aims of achieving valid

conclusions. Also, One the weaknesses that we have encountered is the

limitation that this pandemic had bought us. Moreover, we cannot guarantee the

perfect recollection of all the experiences of the informants due to the fact that the

real stories that they've shared were past events and these were subject to human

error in terms of memory.

Organization of the Study

Our research is presented into an organized manner. The following parts of

phenomenological study are:

Chapter 1 this chapter discusses the phenomenon being studied. Second,

the purpose of the study is being elaborated to know the exact main reason why

call center agents is eager to learn the English language. Third, research

questions are presented and used in interviewing the participants of the In-depth

interview and focus group discussions. Fourth, the presentation of the theoretical

lens where we cited authors that strongly support our study, and then after is the

significance of the study to know the people who will benefit from this study.

For the clearer definitions of the significant words in the study, definition of

terms can also be found in this chapter. Lastly, the delimitations and limitations

of the study which presents the details to whom and to where we limit and

conduct our study.

Chapter 2 discusses the review of related literature about the English

language learning. It discusses what are the reasons why a call center agents

learns English language, and how these indicators affect their journey upon

learning that language.

Chapter 3 this chapter contains the following: research design, role of the

researcher, research participants, data collection, data analysis, trustworthiness,

and ethical considerations.

 Chapter 4 offers the summary of the study. This will help the readers to

understand this paper in an easiest way. Conclusions and recommendations are

being stated here.

Chapter 5 contains the results and the discussion of call center agents to

learn the English language.

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter covers the review of literature related to this study. After

discussing the significance of knowing how call center agents learn the English
language, we as a researcher will now present some previous studies that are

relevant and will support our study. Our study will become strong, credible, and

reliable for it has supporting documents and these are the literature related to

this study that is to be presented in this chapter.

Motivation

The success on foreign language learning is infused with many factors like

intelligence, attitudes, abilities and motivation. Among the following factors,

motivation is the major affecting factor to foreign language learning because it

mediates the attitudes toward the target language and the output in the process

of learning it. Motivation is a complex psychological process that involves

cognition, behaviour, emotion, decision-making process and biological aspects. It

is an essential part of the learning process because this drives an individual to

continue learning. It is also considered as autonomous because researching

something is not enough (Mantiri, 2015; Santara et al, 2016).

Early exposure advantage to effective communication

Bilinguals and those subjected to a multilingual setting were both better

than monolinguals at interpreting the speaker's meaning. In the field of writing,

bilinguals also have advantages compared to the latter. Besides that, children

who are always exposed to a second language performed equally well as

bilinguals. As a result, bilinguals' conversational potential benefits occur even

with minimal access to a second language. It suggests that a multilingual

environment could really help students develop point of view skills and

interpersonal understanding, and both are essential for effective communication

(Liberman et al, 2015).

Attitudes toward language diversity

Learning another language requires a positive attitude and motivation to

gain it. Negative attitude with no motivation will only result in failure. The

observations revealed that the maximum rates of competency in multiple

languages, residence abroad, and higher education sectors are related to higher

levels of confusion tolerance and positive attitudes toward language diversity.

Learning a second (or multiple) language requires individuals to face uncertainty

in language norms and social meaning, which contributes to greater openness to

variation in language and greater adaptability in general (Compernolle, 2016).

Second-language learning promotes intercultural understanding

When a certain nationalities have a common language it is easy for both to

understand one another, thus, tolerance towards cultural differences will rise

and not conflict. Learning other languages will help individuals to have an

understanding of other cultures or traditions and it promotes respect and

intercultural understanding. The research found that second-language learning

combined with an online exchange has a high potential for promoting effective

communication among learners by enabling the growth of imagination and

inclusiveness to another way of life. Whenever the results are compared of this

project in higher education to major programs at the college level, it was

discovered that the young people learned more about cultural similarities than

differences and were less likely to engage in cultural misunderstandings (Peiser,

2015).

Second-language learning can benefit in the trade effects

In the modern world, globalization dominates the entire world—be it in

any forms. Learning a second language creates a mutual understanding for all

nations in the world. Thus, it is essential for every country to invest in learning a

second language, especially English because it is the universal language of the

world and so, all nations can understand one another. As a result, many

countries will want to invest in one’s nation and vice versa. According to the

observations, the greater a country's concentration of linguistic skills, the greater

its trade intensity. Consequently, whether it is a second language or a shared

official language, the ability to communicate in a specific language can affect

trade flows between two countries.  The results indicate that, while second

language learning is not a free investment, it does provide benefits in trade flows

such as those in the labor market, education and science, and the social realm

(Fidrmuc, 2016).

Visual impairment
 English language learners with visual impairment are an underserved,

under-researched group. One particular challenge faced by educators is

conveying content knowledge in the secondary setting, particularly if students

lack the expected background knowledge for coursework. In this study, an

English language learner with visual impairment was taught biology vocabulary

using tactile representations, along with the more traditional strategies of

vocabulary in context and morphology. Using a multiple baselines design, the

intervention was found to improve the student’s knowledge. Results support the

use of tactile representations along with language-based vocabulary teaching for

English language learners with visual impairment (Leavitt and Athanasiou,

2018).

English-as the medium of instruction

Given the language barriers that international students face while

studying abroad, this could raise the question of whether learning a foreign

language has an effect on academic success. Language proficiency was measured

and academic success was defined in this phenomena. A most remarkable

finding is the observation of a cut-off point in the relationship between English

proficiency and academic success. The performance disparity between race and

class demonstrates the failure to provide all children with an effective and equal

education. Scholars believe that this lack of competition stems from disparities in

national performance among ethnic groups. Specifically, bilingual learners’

advancement in science, language, and literacy has lagged behind that of

mainstream English speakers for at least three decades. Furthermore, science as a

discipline and science as a subject have historically had a low representation of

individuals who are linguistically and culturally diverse. Given the growing

prevalence of English language learners, who currently account for 4.4 million as

expressed in public school enrolment, the presence of linguistically diverse

learners has significant implications for science educators across the country.

(National Center for Education Statistics, 2016).

Usage of Thinking Routines for teaching ESL

Visible thinking (VT) is achieved by observing students as to how they

internalize their thoughts in English language classrooms. It is a teaching method

that helps teachers observe their student’s thinking processes and discover their

prior knowledge, their reasoning abilities and the difficulties and challenges they

face or encounter. It helps teachers create situations that allow students to

participate and share with others to develop and enhance their intellectual

development. Thinking routines are easy-to learn structures, mostly taking the

form of simple sets of questions or metaphors that naturally involve students in

thinking processes. These routines may expand the students’ repertoire of

cognitive strategies, because the routines constitute a major form of organizing

memory and thinking. Involving students in the learning process and providing

them with opportunities to work in pairs or in groups, helps them create a

culture of thinking through which they can reflect upon the different responses

and perspectives they receive from their peers (Ritchhart, 2015).

The Use of Technology in English Language Learning

Teachers should encourage learners to find appropriate activities through using

computer technology in order to be successful in language learning. Computer-based

activities provide learners rapid information and appropriate materials. They continue

that internet materials motivate learners to learn more. Technology provides teaching

resources and brings learning experience to the learners’ world. Through using

technology, many authentic materials can be provided to learners and they can be

motivated in learning language (Iter, 2015).

Speaking Anxiety among ESL learners

Anxiety has been a matter of considerable interest in the language

education setting for educators since it is a major obstacle to FL learning that L2

learners need to overcome. Most of the university students face the problem of

public speaking anxiety. The fear of delivering a speech or a presentation ranks

as the number one fear among most people, including students as well as adults

from many diverse backgrounds. Speaking in the target language has been seen

as the most threatening aspect of FL learning. Numerous studies have been

conducted on the subject of English speaking anxiety in the FL classroom and

has been such a difficult part that can provoke great anxiety for SLA (Elaldi,

2016).

Telegram App in Learning English

The current generation of EFL students is growing up in a digital world.

Using of mobile devices is an enormous part of their daily experience inside and
outside educational situations. In the mobile world, the use of mobile devices has

been integrated rapidly into EFL teaching and learning in all their aspects. Both

instructors and students use mobile devices to achieve variety of educational

purposes. Moreover, a countless number of English learning apps encourage

students to practice different language skills without limitations of time, place, or

cost. One of the mobile apps is ‘Telegram.' It is a cloud-based app which allows

users to exchange videos, pictures, audio, or any file stored in a server without

occupying space in their mobile device. Many previous studies proved the

effectiveness of the Telegram app in teaching and learning the English language.

The adoption of Telegram in English language learning ameliorate different

angles of EFL learners’ English language skills, such as reading comprehension

ability, vocabulary, writing skill and improving speaking skill (Ozer &Kiliç, 2018;

Zou et al., 2018).

Willingness to Communicate

Willingness to communicate shows great importance in the perspective of

L2 learners. WTC (Willingness to communicate) helps investigate the

relationships between individual and situational factors that impact L2 WTC and

L2 achievement in formal classroom settings. SDT (Self-determination Theory) is

a core model addressing both individual learners’ agency in a formal classroom

setting and the social context of language learning. The constructs of SDT and

WTC address not only how satisfaction of basic psychological needs (e.g.,

autonomy, competence, and relatedness) can lead to autonomous forms of

motivated behavior in the language classroom. They are also well-suited to

integrating situational factors—such as the classroom social environment—into a

combined framework for investigating cognitive choices and behavioral

outcomes in L2 instructional settings (Fatemi& Choi et al, 2016).

Synthesis

The above-mentioned articles discuss the different factors that helped and

influence learning ESL. It also presents readings on the relevance of the topics

concerning the process and factors in learning ESL and they have become the

bases of the researcher in the formulation of the support to the problem

presented, conclusions and recommendations. The readings also elaborated the

importance of the different factors in the language learning process. This has

become the backbone of the study in learning English as a second language.

 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

This paper aims to examine the experiences of the call-center agents in

learning the English language. This chapter presents the research design, role of

the researcher, research participants, data collection, data analysis and the

trustworthiness that includes the four criteria: credibility, dependability,

conformability and transferability. All individuals that were concerned with this

study were also included as well as the process of the ethical considerations.

Research Design

Phenomenology is an approach to qualitative research that focuses on the

live experiences of the particular group and understands it. The fundamental
goal of the study is to arrive at the nature of the phenomenon. The researchers

must interview a group of individuals who have first-hand knowledge of the

event, situation or experience about it. Phenomenology deals with the

experiences of a particular group or individual. In order for us to understand

why the problem occurs, we need to ask questions in a matter of interview.

Inquiring can help us analyze and understand the situation or experiences that

we are not exposed to. To understand is to listen. The less we talk and the more

we listen, the more we understand (Creswell, 2013).

We as the researchers of the study must know the context, the situation,

why it happened and how did they manage it so that we can understand and

gain knowledge that is relevant to our study. We cannot come up with a better

result and analyze it if the information coming from the informants is lacking

and insufficient so in order for us to make it, we must ask questions. Questions

that will not intimidate but encourage them to speak more of their experiences

willingly and comfortably because having a feeling of being intimidated with

something or someone hinders the purpose to be achieved.

The interview session of the study must answer the questions asked and

the type of questions must be a broad one. Broad questions can lead to high data

collection. We can understand the problem well if our questions are deep that

could penetrate the emotional aspect of the respondents. Through broad

questioning we can get the data that we want from the respondents and could
help us understand and formulate possible solutions to such problems

(Moustakas, 1994).

An example of a broad question is an open-ended question. Having this

type of questions can really lead to high data collection if used properly. The

power of this type of questioning varies from the interviewer too. There are

instances that interviewees have this attitude to talk less and less but you can

extract relevant and much information from them if you as an interviewer knows

how to handle it through your questioning and strategies. A battle of the mind

maybe, if necessary.

Phenomenology attempts to extract the purest and unattained data from

the respondents. When conducting a study, researchers must document the data

coming from their respondents and bracketing is one of the ways and means of

the researcher to do it. Documenting data while conducting a study is the most

powerful tool for us to understand and to manage all the data we collected in

order for us to also be successful in the study. Phenomenology needs clear and

concise information coming from the respondents. In order for us to understand

their data, we, the researcher should be able to listen and to comprehend it well.

One method of bracketing is writing a memo. Writing a memo is central to the

process of investigating a certain phenomenon (Maxwell, 2013).

Asking questions after questions may have the possibility to irritate the

person we are questioning but it has a better chance to satisfy our goal. It may

result in better extraction of information that will only be attained if we use

questions that dive deep and strike the informants. Ask and you’ll be answered.

The formal form of asking a series of questions with permission prior to it is

called “Interview”. Researchers must provide tools and materials to record

information during the interview. Materials and tools can be automated, manual

or both. Automated in a sense that you can use camera, video or audio recording

to record everything during the interview session. Manual in sense that you’ll

use pen and paper to jot down information from the interview session.

Automated and manual are also good when used together at the same time.

This phenomenological study investigates, discovers and understands the

experiences of the students through in- depth interview and focus group

discussion. This phenomenon develops deeper understanding of the people from

their own references and experiences by their own frames (Turner, 2016).

The focus of this chapter is a qualitative concentration on

phenomenological study. We want to understand and discover more about their

experiences as call-center agents who learn English given the fact that it is their

second language already. According to Husserl “Phenomenology is a Philosophy of

experience for it is the ultimate source of all meaning and value in the live experiences of

human beings” and since we seek to aim and gather information through the

informant’s experiences, phenomenology is the best study for this phenomena.

Conducting a phenomenological study seeks to understand all the

experiences of a person. Experiences are the main source of a phenomenology

aforementioned above. The researchers should value their statements in our

interviews for us to be a listener and at the same time a learner of their

experiences. Also, to dig deeper into certain information that will aid the

phenomenological study that is somehow essential in the occurrence of the

problem.

Role of the Researchers

This phenomenological study involved participant-observation in the role

of interviewer, data collector and translator. The researchers formulate exact

questions, and questions will be open-ended to encourage the respondents to

give long elaborated answers and the researchers meet the respondent

personally. The researcher structured interviews are essentially and verbally

administered with questionnaires in which a list of predetermined questions

areasked with little or no variation and with no scope for follow-up questions to

responses that warrant further elaboration. The researcher will not only translate

the literal meaning of the language but also the culturally informed

conceptualization of the contextual meaning of the participant’s words (Fink,

2000).

With regards to our basic roles, we followed the principles which state

that qualitative inquiry is for the researchers who are willing to commit extensive

time to collect data, engage in data analysis, do reflexivity, and write long

passages by themselves. Hence, we played many roles as a researcher such as

interviewer, transcribers, translator, analyst, and encoder. As an interviewer, we

established first rapport and friendship with our participants. We called all the

informants through the help of our gatekeepers for some introductions, and

asked them if they are willing to participate in our study. As an interviewer, we

used personal empathy to make the participants feel more willing to tell their

stories. During the interview and observation, we applied some techniques like:

asking probing questions, then listening and thinking, then asking more probing

questions to get to deeper levels of the conversation. As a transcribers and

encoder, we transcribed all the recorded interviews, and translated correctly and

organized them into standard English statements. Lastly, as an analyst, we

employed suitable analysis methods and procedures fitted for qualitative

research, such as thematic analysis, numeration, and cross- case analysis. Based

on the concepts of Corbin and Strauss, it is the duty of the researcher to interpret

the meaning of hidden in data because it is a primary instrument for data

collection and analysis (Creswell, 2013; Corbin & Strauss, 2014; Miller, et al.,

2012).

Research Participant

This phenomenological study involved participant-observation in the role

of interviewer, data collector and translator. The researchers formulate exact

questions, and questions will be open-ended to encourage the respondents to

give long elaborated answers and the researchers meet the respondent

personally. One of the most significant duties in the study design phase is to
recognize suitable informants because they are the very individuals who can best

provide information based on their lived experiences, culture, awareness,

knowledge, and expertise regarding the phenomenon under study. The

judgment about selection was based on the research questions and theoretical

perspectives. In addition, our informants were chosen through purposive

sampling techniques. Creswell explains that purposive sampling believes a

particular group of people or when the yearned population for the study is rare

or arduously found, it may be the only alternative (Creswell, 2007; Creswell,

2013; Lingard, Albert & Levinson, 2008).

We take some criteria for selection of informants like the type or nature of

the phenomenon, proper characteristics of the subjects, and theoretical

perspectives. The informants of this study are fourteen call center agents,

currently working or had experienced in the BPO companies and living in the

Province of Davao del Norte, Philippines. These informants had undergone rigid

processes, training and actual experience in learning English language as their

second language and as a medium of communication in the job. Interviews are

conducted with a group of people who have direct knowledge of an event,

situation or experience. The interview(s) aims to answer three broad questions

(Moustakas, 1994). Seven of them will undergo in-depth interviews because they

have more experience and are more capable in speaking English that could

provide sufficient information with regards to the needed data of our study.

Moreover, the other seven informants will do the focus-group discussion for
their experiences in learning the language for other supporting information that

might be relevant to the research study. It is recommended for a

phenomenological study that they should have 5 – 25 informants (Creswell,

1998). These suggestions can help us gauge how many participants we will need,

but in the end, the required number of informants should rely on when

saturation is hit.

Data Collection

The following steps were employed in gathering the data:

First, the participants were requested to sign the consent form, and agree to

the conditions of the consent. The participant is done voluntarily to impart their

knowledge in the study.

Second, the researchers conducted an in-depth interview and focused

group discussion to know their experiences upon learning the second language

and what they've done to achieve it.

Third, the researchers analyzed all the data that has been given by the

participants which are call center agents here in Davao del Norte.

Data Analysis

Thematic analysis is a grounded theory and development of cultural

models which requires more involvement and interpretation from the

researchers. Supporting data is what links thematic analysis to grounded theory.

Grounded theory is a set of inductive and iterative techniques designed to

identify categories and concepts within text that are linked into formal

theoretical models. Thematic analysis moves beyond explicit words or phrases

and focuses on identifying and describing the implicit and explicit ideas within

the data and that is what we called, themes. Codes are developed to represent

the identified themes and applied and linked to raw data as summary markers

for later analysis. Reliability is of greater concern with thematic analysis than

word-bases analysis because more interpretation goes in defining the data items

as well as applying the codes to chunks of text. Thematic analysis seeks to

capture the complexities of meaning. As suggested by Boyatzis (1998), we

performed the following steps in analyzing the data as to mention: familiarize

data, generate initial codes, search for themes, review the themes, define and

name themes, and construct the report (Corbin & Strauss, 2018; Glaser & Strauss,

1967).

Eliminating data not relevant to the analysis is the simplest form of data

reduction. Data reduction is a form of analysis that sharpens, sorts, focuses,

discards, and organizes data in such a way that “final” conclusions can be drawn

and verified. This does not separate from analysis but is part of the analysis. The

researcher’s decision which data chunks to code and which to pull out, which

evolving story to tell- are all analytic choices. (Miles & Huberman, 1994).

Data reduction was used in analyzing the data, which means deleting

unnecessary data and modifying them into a useful material for the study so that

many readers can easily understand it. In this method, we asked the help of an
expert, a data analyst particularly in handling, sorting, and organize voluminous

qualitative data for us to merge, manage, sort, and categorize data in easier way

(Namey et al, 2007; Atkinsol and Delamont, 2006; Suter, 2012).

Trustworthiness

The aim of trustworthiness in a qualitative inquiry is to support the

argument that the inquiry’s findings are “worth paying attention to”.

Trustworthiness is referred to as validity and reliability of the study. Qualitative

researchers do not use instruments with established metrics whereas use

credibility, dependability, conformability, and transferability to validate the

study (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).

Credibility is how confident the qualitative researcher is in the truth of

the researcher’s study findings. Researchers must ensure that those participating

in research are identified and described accurately (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Polit &

Beck, 2012).

Dependability is the extent that the study could be repeated by other

researchers that the findings would be consistent. It also refers to the stability of

data over time and under different conditions (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Polit &

Beck, 2012).

Conformability is the degree of neutrality in the research study findings.

This helps establish that the research study’s findings accurately portray

participants’ responses. It refers to the objectivity, that is, the potential for
congruence between two or more independent people about the data’s accuracy,

relevance, or meaning (Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Polit & Beck, 2012).

Transferability is how the qualitative researcher demonstrates that the

researcher’s study findings are applicable to other contexts. Researchers can use

thick description to show that the research study findings can be applicable to

other contexts, circumstances, and situations. It relies on the reasoning that

findings can be generalized or transferred to other settings or groups (Lincoln

&Guba, 1985; Polit& Beck, 2012).

Ethical Consideration

It is a privilege and involves great trust the moment the informants give

their personal information and experiences to help our study. As researchers, it is

our duty and responsibility to safeguard their information, give them safety and

give them full protection to avoid conflict that might lose their trust to us. We

followed the ethical standards in conducting this study as pointed by (Boyatzis,

1998; Mack et al, 2005), these are the following: respect for persons, beneficence,

justice, consent and confidentiality.

Respect for persons needs an obligation of the researcher not to exploit

the weaknesses of the research participants. Self-sufficiency was avoided in order

to maintain friendship, trust, and confidence among the participants and the

researcher. Beforehand, we asked permission from the companies to where our

informants work and possibly where data collection belongs to. Next, we sought
permission from the different call-center agents before giving them standardized

tests and proceeded to conduct the research. This was done to pay respect for the

individuals concerned in the study (Creswell, 2012).

Consent is another most important way of showing respect to persons

during research. This is to let all participants become aware of the purpose and

objectives of the research study that they are going to involve. Written consent

was provided for them to get their approval. After receiving their approval, they

have actively participated in in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Of

course, they were informed on the results and findings of the study (Creswell,

2012).

Beneficence is an action that is done for the benefit of others. Beneficent

actions can be taken to help prevent or remove harms or to simply improve the

situation of others. We are responsible enough for any ethical violations that

could affect our participants and we will ensure them that they will mostly

benefit in this study rather than us (Pantilat, 2008). Also, this requires a

commitment of minimizing risks to the research participants rather maximizing

the profits that are due to them. Anonymity of the interviewee was kept in order

not to put each participant into risks. At all times, participants were protected, so

every file of information was not left unattended or unprotected (Bricki and

Green, 2007).

Confidentiality towards the results and findings including the safeguard

of the participants, coding system were used. Meaning, the participants’

identities were hidden. As recommended by (Maree and Van DerWesthuizen

2007), all materials including videotapes, encoded transcripts, notes, and others

should be destroyed after the data were being analyzed. Some of the informants

were hesitant to be interviewed at first because they were afraid what to say but

because of our reassurance to them in regards to the confidentiality of their

responses, they later gave us the chance and showed comfort in answering the

interview questions. We are extra careful with our questions and due respect was

given importance to this study.

Justice is sometimes defined in terms of equality. Everyone should get or

have the same amount, regardless of how hard they work, or “what they put in.”

other people define “justice” in terms of equity. People should get benefits in

proportion to what they contributed to producing those benefits. As the

researchers we will not abuse the opportunity we had with the participants and

we will protect their rights to ensure that their dignity is safeguarded and to

have justice in participating in our study (Otpic, 2005). It also requires a

reasonable allocation of the risks and benefits as results of the research. It is very

important to acknowledge the contributions of all the participants as they

generally part of the success of the research. They must be given due credits in

all their endeavors (Bloom and Crabtree, 2006). They were not able to spend any

amount during the interview. Sensible tokens were given to them as a sign of

recognition for their efforts on the study. We are hoping that through this study,

they will be set free into whatever negative experiences they learn ESL and
maintain a good name into what positive contributions they could offer in this

study.

CHAPTER 4

RESULTS
 This chapter is segregated into four parts. The first part is all about the

data of the participants from which the qualitative data were assembled. The

second part discusses the data analysis dealings and the steps in the

classifications of the emergent themes collected from the in- depth interviews

and focus group discussion of the participants. The third part deals with the

answers to the in- depth interviews and the focus group discussion questions

under each research problem. Lastly, part four includes the outline of responses

from the different informants.

Participants

Key informants. There were seven key informants in this study, all of

them were call center agents who are all working in ALinq Global Solutions

Corp. located in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. They have different experiences

upon learning the English language in their workplace. They were selected based

on the results of the standardized exam given by the researchers. The different

experiences of these informants on learning the English language would be a lens

in resolving issues and concerns of English as second language. The informants

were given pseudonyms in order to preserve confidentiality and privacy as

presented in Table 1.

Table 1

PROFILE OF THE INFORMANTS IN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW

Informants Gender Position Type of Industry

Eduardo Male Customer Service Business Process
Assistant
Outsourcing (BPO)

Marites Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Luzviminda Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Roberto Male Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Adelaida Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Remedios Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Esmeralda Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Focus Group. A focus group discussion was conducted with seven

informants. All of them call center agents who are all working in ALinq Global

Solutions Corp. located in Tagum City, Davao del Norte. The discussion was

conducted to achieve more insights and to develop social constructions among

the learners in learning the English as their second language. The original names

of the participants were not mentioned vividly instead, pseudonyms were used

to make their identity obscure. They were presented on Table 2 according to their

number.
 Table 2

PROFILE OF THE INFORMANTS IN FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION

Informants Gender Position Type of Industry

Josefina Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant
Outsourcing (BPO)

Joselito Male Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Rodrigo Male Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Ricardo Male Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Carmelita Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Gregoria Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Erlinda Female Customer Service Business Process

Assistant Outsourcing (BPO)

Categorization of Data

Upon accomplishing the in-depth interviews and the focus group

discussion, data from the audio- tape recordings were directly transcribed and

for those answers in vernacular were carefully translated into English. Following
the steps suggested by Boyatzis (1998), we first listened cautiously to the sound

recordings. This was transformed the data into texts and so that it would be

easier for us to code the data later. Three steps were being taken during the data

analysis that consists of data reduction, data display, drawing conclusion and

verification. These were done in order to identify core and essential themes about

the phenomenon under investigation (Burns and Grove, 2007).

To delete unnecessary data from the transcription, data reduction was

employed to convert those data into essential and logical material, simply

understood by many (Moustakas, 1994; Creswell, 2012). Thematic analysis was

the approach used in pairing and separating data, a way of sorting and

categorizing. Through data reduction, the lengthy and large volumes of

qualitative data gathered came out consolidated and manageable, easier to

control and understood. We also asked for assistance from a professional who

was expert on analyzing data.

The experiences of call-center agents engaged in learning the English

language.

During the in-depth and focus group discussion interviews, the following

question is asked in order to generate a wide-ranging discussion for the above

research problem. What are your strengths and weaknesses in learning the
English language? What are those instances or situations that you have difficulty

in learning the English language? What are the challenges you have experienced

in learning the English language? What you think are the skills needed in order

to be a call center agent?

There were three major themes emerged from the data collected on the

experiences of the study participants as presented in Table 3 such as Difficulty in

Speaking English Language, Susceptibility on Speaking English Language with

the Public or Other People and Harnessing Oneself through Reading, Listening,

and Communication.

Difficulty in Speaking English Language. Call center agents are having trouble

speaking the English language most especially when talking to their clients that

are Americans. One of the reasons also is that English is not the first language

that they have spoken. They are having difficulties in expressing their words

using the English language since they are just using it inside their workplace.

The informants mentioned that:

Though it’s hard because basically English is our second language

and we are not used to it cause were bisaya right? So it’s hard for

us to translate though not all of us can speak fluently (FGD, 002)

 It’s hard (FGD, 003)

Speaking with clients is very difficult (FGD, 004)

It’s somewhat like difficult especially of course when you’re in a

BPO company. (FGD, 005)

For me it’s very hard because we only engage English language

(FGD, 006)

Susceptibility on Speaking English Language with the Public or Other People.

Call center agents are vulnerable in speaking English language because they

have no confidence most especially in communicating with their peer. They are

unsure in using English language particularly in having interactions with people.

Telling oneself that learning the English language is one of their weaknesses

specifically in public speaking.

The informants mentioned that:

My weakness is I’m not able to speak with it in public and with us

as a group. (FGD, 002)

When I speak directly to them, I lose my tone of voice the way I

speak to certain people. (FGD, 004)

Weaknesses on the other hand, is that I have no confidence in

speaking to. I mean communication to my peer (FGD, 005)

 One of my weaknesses is speaking English specially in public

(FGD, 001)

Doing an interaction with other people, I believe it is one of my

weaknesses in learning English. ( IDI, 004)

Harnessing Oneself through Reading, Listening, and Communication. Call

center agents should make use of reading novel books and English stories in

enhancing one’s language learning. They should have good listening skills

particularly in talking with their clients. They should also have an active

listening and good communication skills for it are a must for their job and also an

advantage for their work.

The informants mentioned that:

I use to read language novel books that help me enhance English

capacity (FGD, 002)

I always read novels (FGD, 003)

I always read English stories (FGD, 006)

Reading (IDI, 006)

Of course, read lots of books. (IDI, 003)

For me, reading is the best way to learn English (IDI, 001)
 Hearing skills is a must if you are a call center (FGD, 001)

Good hearing (FGD, 002)

Have good hearing (FGD, 003)

Be a good listener to your client (FGD, 005).

You need to be a good listener a (FGD, 006)

I believe that includes active listening (IDI, 004)

Have a good communication skill is just an advantage (FGD,

001)

Communication skills (FGD, 003)

Communication skills. (FGD, 007)

You should be good at communication skills (IDI, 002)

You should be a great communicator (IDI, 003)

To be a call center agent is that you need to be good at

communication skills (IDI, 007)

Table 3. Experiences of call-center agents engaged in learning the English

Language.
Essential Themes Thematic Statements
Difficulty in Speaking English Language  Difficulties in speaking with the
clients
 English is not the first language
spoken.
 Having difficulty in speaking
English, since one is only engaged
during work periods at BPO.

Susceptibility on Speaking English  Having no confidence in

Language with the Public or Other People communicating with peer.
 Uncertainty in direct interaction with
people using English as the
Language.
 Telling oneself that learning English
Language is one of his/her
weaknesses especially in speaking
with the public or other people.

Harnessing Oneself through Reading,  Reading novel book in enhancing

Listening, and Communication one’s language learning.
 Reading English stories.
 Good listening skills with the clients.
 Active listening that is a must for the
type of job.
 Having good communication skills is
an advantage for the work.
 Work needs that one must be good
in communicating.

Coping of the call-center agents in learning the English language.

 During the in-depth and focus group discussion interviews, the following

question is asked in order to generate a wide-ranging discussion for the above

research problem. Is self-correction effective to you? How about error-correction?

Do you like direct or indirect correction? Do you think it is applicable to your co

call-center agents? Is initiative important in learning English language? How did

you adapt constant changes in your workplace?

There were two major themes emerged from the data collected on the

experiences of the study participants as presented in Table 4 such as Talking with

the Clients and Constant Practice.

Talking with the Clients. Call-center agents used their weakness as a strength n

order to communicate effectively with their clients. Accepting the foreign

language is a basic step in learning the English language in the workplace.

Accepting the English language will help them to become more efficient as they

are often exposed in using that certain language whenever they’re taking calls.

Learning does not stop in the workplace; it should be continuous.

The informants mentioned that:

Speaking to clients will also help to cope up with the problem as

you speak and engaged with your client and customers they are

naturally born English speakers and as you communicate with

them every day, you learn something and you actually you know

be like one of them. (FGD, 003)

 I spoke many Americans every time I speak with them my brain

you know adapt the lengths and the words they have said and its

just helping me to learn English more (FGD, 004)

Learning through phone calls that is relatable in the work (IDI,

007)

Constant Practice. Call center agents strive for progress, not perfection. By

applying what they’ve learned in the workplace in a day to day basis will give

them a winning formula. English language might be difficult to learn but you

will surely learn it with constant practice and application.

The informants mentioned that:

Nothing is impossible with practice because practice makes

progression. (IDI, 003)

By constantly using the English language. (FGD, 005)

Well constant practice and apply it. (FGD, 007)

Table 4. Coping Mechanisms of Call Center Agents in Learning English

Language
Essential Themes Thematic Statements
Talking with the Clients  Communicating with native English
speakers helps cope with speaking
difficulties.
 Adapting to the foreign language
when one is talking with a client.
 Phone calls in relation to work using
English as language.

Constant Practice  Practice makes progression.

 Constant use of English Language
 Practice and application of English
Language

The insights of call-center agents engaged in learning English language.

During the in-depth and focus group discussion interviews, the following

question is asked in order to generate a wide-ranging discussion for the above

research problem. As a call-center agent, did you noticed any changes in yourself

as an individual? Do you think those skills are relevant to your life outside your

workplace? How would you describe your experiences in learning English

language in your workplace? What are the greatest lesson you’ve learn in your

journey of being a call-center agent? Do you think that being a call-center agent is

the only reason why you have learned English language?

There were three major themes emerged from the data collected on the

experiences of the study participants as presented in Table 5 such as One’s

Amusement Feeling, Open-mindedness to Criticisms, and Composite Learning

from School to Workplace.

One’s Amusement Feeling. Call center agents are having fun talking with other

people. They also had the chance to get to know others as well. It can also make

an enjoyable experience in learning the English language in having mutual

feelings with people.

The informants mentioned that:

It’s fun (FGD, 001)

Learning is supposed to be made in a funny way. (FGD, 002)

It’s not a bad way and it’s not a good way but yeah its fun. (FGD,

003)

Well for me I really had a great fun (FGD, 004)

It’s quite fun (FGD, 005)

It’s quite fun actually cause people here are fun, they are fun to be

with. (FGD, 006)

Well ah... its fun (FGD, 007)

It’s actually fun (IDI, 002)

It’s fun and you’ll be able to get to know people (IDI, 003)

Enjoyable experience learning English language (IDI, 004)

Open-mindedness to Criticisms. Call center agents can learn and expand their

knowledge to English language learning by taking criticisms be it good or bad. It

can also allows them to have a strong heart. It can also lead to accepting what

others may see from one’s characteristics.

The informants mentioned that:

Always take criticism even if it’s bad or good because it can make

you learn more and build your knowledge about English. (FGD,

006)

You have to be heart strong. You have to have a strong heart.

(FGD, 005)

Need to accept what others sees you. (FGD, 001)

Composite Learning from School to Workplace. Call center agents who use

English constantly in school makes it easier for them to become high-yielding in

the workplace. College academic course’s improve learning in integrating their

knowledge at the workplace. Through conversing English language with their

colleagues can expand its usage throughout the workplace.

The informants mentioned that:

 English is what we still use that even though it’s not our primary

language. (FGD, 001)

Even at school we have this (FGD, 002)

We already learned English back in our elementary days (FGD,

003)

Most of my friends speak in English and in my course like today

in college (IDI, 002)

What i’ve learned in my school time in college, I improved it as a

call center agent (IDI, 004)

You can still learn English language at school (IDI, 007)

Table 5. Describing one’s experiences in learning English Language in the

Workplace.
Essential Themes Thematic Statements
One’s Amusement Feeling  Having fun talking with other
people.
 Getting to know others.
 Mutual feelings with people which
makes an enjoyable experience in
learning English language.
Open-mindedness to Criticisms  Taking criticisms maybe good or bad
for one to learn and expand
knowledge to English Language
learning.
 Having a strong heart.
 Accepting what other may see from
one’s characteristic.

Composite Learning from School to  Using English constantly in school

Workplace learning makes it easier to be
productive at the workplace.
 Improved learning from collegiate
academic courses to integrating one’s
knowledge at the workplace.
 Talking with friends and using
English as the language for
communication and expanding it’s
usage throughout the workplace.
 CHAPTER 5

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

This chapter deals with the discussions and conclusion of the major themes and

analysis, which were drawn from the research questions.

This phenomenological study was able to capture the social meanings of

the informants in learning English as their second language. This study is very

much concern on the human perception of events or phenomena created from

the concrete proceedings in the real world (Creswell, 2007). These concrete

proceedings are given “breath” based from the experiences of the participants

involved in this study through lengthy discussions for phenomenological study

describes the common meaning of the “lived experiences” for several individuals

about a concept or phenomenon (Creswell, 2012).

This study supports the theory of social representation concerning its

potency in understanding human beings’ meaning- making. Using the theory as

a lens also helps give a clearer picture of the understanding of various groups

about a social phenomenon. The results have added to the growing knowledge

concerning the experiences of call-center agents in learning English language.

Phenomenological qualitative approach is perfect in explaining the

experiences of call-center agents in learning English as their second language.

Bracketing is taken into consideration to look into the things to discover (Ariola,

2006). It is in this structure of situation that 14 participants, 7 from the in- depth

interviews and 7 for the focus group discussion were asked to contribute and

share their experiences with learning the English language, as well as their

insights and views to what had happened to them. All of them are currently

employed in ALinq Global Solutions, Tagum City Davao del Norte Philippines.

Difficulty in speaking English language

It is one of the common cause of call-center agents in having no confidence in

communicating the English language. Based on this study, it is displayed

through the different acts of call-center agents such as; difficulties in

communicating, uncertainty in direct interaction with people in using English

language, and having weakness especially in public speaking and talking with

the clients.

Anxiety has been a matter of considerable interest in the language

education setting for educators since it is a major obstacle to FL learning that L2

learners need to overcome. Most of the university students face the problem of

public speaking anxiety. The fear of delivering a speech or a presentation ranks

as the number one fear among most people, including students as well as adults

from many diverse backgrounds. Speaking in the target language has been seen

as the most threatening aspect of FL learning. (Elaldi, 2016).

 Susceptibility in speaking English language with the public or in other

people

We can relate to this thing in terms of having fear in speaking English

language in most especially when you are doing it publicly. There are mixed

emotions that will arise such as; excessive sweats, intense nervousness and the

likes. It was also evident in the answers of our informants particularly when they

spoke to their clients.

In a formal speech context, speakers of a second language frequently see

language as the major communication obstacle. This expectation is backed up by

studies, it might be less damaging to n individual positive self-image to blame

their communication problems on a lack of desire or general aptitude rather than

on language that isn't as fluent as it "should" be. (Milan, 2017).

Harnessing Oneself through reading, listening and communication

In order to improve we should not settle ourselves for less, we should be

open for these things that will make us improve as an individual. We should

read more books in order for us to understand things well, we should open our

ears to listen and easily adapt things, and lastly if we are able to do both we are

now able to communicate well. These things are apparent base on the answers of

our informants, that in order for them to learn more and communicate well they

should read varieties of books and watch English movies.

 Verbal skills are generally divided into four parts: listening, speaking,

reading and writing. All of these skills has its degree of importance and

usefulness and has an impact on oral communication with the audience (Nasrin,

2016).

Talking with the clients

Found in the informant’s responses, form the time that they will

communicate with their clients through phone calls enables them to learn and

enhance their communication skills most especially in learning the English

language as they are conversing it with the Americans. In order for them to

express their ideas better they should have the heart of willingness to

communicate.

It shows great importance in the perspective of L2 learners. WTC

(Willingness to communicate) helps investigate the relationships between

individual and situational factors that impact L2 WTC and L2 achievement in

formal classroom settings. SDT (Self-determination Theory) is a core model

addressing both individual learners’ agency in a formal classroom setting and

the social context of language learning. The constructs of SDT and WTC address

not only how satisfaction of basic psychological needs (e.g., autonomy,

competence, and relatedness) can lead to autonomous forms of motivated

behavior in the language classroom. They are also well-suited to integrating

situational factors—such as the classroom social environment—into a combined

framework for investigating cognitive choices and behavioral outcomes in L2

instructional settings (Fatemi& Choi et al, 2016).

Constant Practice

Practice makes progression. We will be able to learn things and make our

life full of good formulas. Everything that we wanted to get will be driven by our

motivation to learn it. We strive in order for us to progress and not to become

perfect. According to the informants responses, constant practice and with

application can make you improve more.

Motivation is a complex psychological process that involves cognition,

behaviour, emotion, decision-making process and biological aspects. It is an

essential part of the learning process because this drives an individual to

continue learning. It is also considered as autonomous because researching

something is not enough (Mantiri, 2015; Santara et al, 2016, Stoen and Haugan,

2016).

One’s amusement feeling

Eventually, you will know when you are enjoying things if you are

learning at the same time. Having the joyfulness to deal things in your own pace

can make your learning more productive. If you are in the workplace wherein

you can find happiness and also enjoy at the same time, learning wouldn’t be

that hard according to the informant’s response.

 It was determined from the data that an individual should have fun in

learning second language in terms of providing an atmosphere for ESL learners

in which there are motivation, fun, and high learning performance (Kopinak,

2016).

Open-mindedness to criticism

In all we do, people will have the word to criticize you, why not give your

best and let them speak ill behind you. When there is criticism, there is

improvement. They don’t have the courage to criticize you if you are not that

good. Because after all correction is love. Base on their answers everyone should

be open for criticism and correction in order for them to grow and improve more.

Dispositions that can be seen as attitudes or habits of mind, include open

and fair-mindedness and a desire to be well-informed, and a respect for and

willingness to entertain different points of view (O’Malley, 2017).

Composite Learning from School to Workplace

Based on the informants answers the learning that they possess in the

school are still being use form the time that they’ve work as a call-center agent

particularly the English language. Learning should not be isolated inside in the

four corners of the classroom but it should be use also in to whatever craft you

are in.

Learning English in the school will help increase the chances to get a job,

participate in discussions, and improve your communication skills (Devi, 2016).

Implications in Learning the English Language

The result of the analysis in learning the English language could be use in

teaching the second language in classroom context. It could also be helpful in

explaining how call-center agents developed their second language to

communicate with each other and to their clients. This will also be helpful on

explaining how second language affects the informants and how they are able to

cope with those situation.

The results would also concretize the learning of English language. This

will also motivate other learning institutions in the country to study the English

language that developed in their locality. They could use the classifications made

as references in conducting their own study.

Implication for Future Research

The result in the focus group discussion gave an overview of call center

agents on learning English as a second language in the workplace. This study

would add to the growing body of knowledge about the English language

learning of a non-native speaker. This will aid research in the future who are

interested in doing a study on second language learning since they may use it as

a helpful and trustworthy reference to help them perform their own similar
investigations. The English language learning of call center agents are much

deeper and should be given credit by conducting further studies.

A larger community as the setting for further research would be relevant

to give wider perspective as to how second language was learned throughout the

workplace. This research enables people to learn about the challenges,

experiences, insights, and recommendations that call center agents use to be

successful in learning the target language.

Concluding Remarks

When we first conceptualized this qualitative research, we hesitated. We

contemplated that this research would raise controversy and would do us harm

than good most especially right now that we are facing this pandemic. We

originally considered of having a simple dissertation title so that we could finish

early. We spent countless hours and sleepless nights just to come up with a

simple title for our dissertation and to have a unique title for our research. We

hesitated that time as to how, where and when we will conduct our research

because of the limitations that this pandemic had bought us.

Since the beginning of our research, there have been several hurdles that

we have encountered, most notably at the BPO center where we would perform

the study since they were apprehensive due to the current circumstances.
Fortunately, Alinq Global Solutions permitted us to perform the study, though

with limited time and agents who will engage in the study.

We are very grateful to everyone who took part, especially our

informants, because they provided us with a wealth of information on how they

learnt English as a second language.