LEVEL OF SUPPORT OF CONTENT-FOCUSED

INSTRUCTION IN ENHANCING LEARNERS’

ORAL ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL

2022
Volume: 6
Pages: 400-410
Document ID: 2022PEMJ443
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7467282
Manuscript Accepted: 2022-17-12
Psych Educ,2022,6: 400-410, Document ID: PEMJ443, doi:10.5281/zenodo.7467282, ISSN 2822-4353
Research Article

Level of Support of Content-Focused Instruction in Enhancing Learners’ Oral English

Proficiency
Marivic O. Jornales*, Gregerlin I. Lambenicio
For affiliations and correspondence, see the last page.

Abstract
This study explored the relationship between content-focused instruction and its influence on developing oral
English proficiency among hospitality and tourism students. It specifically aimed to determine the level of
support provided by content teachers to enhance the student’s speaking skills and to identify strategies they used
to integrate this learning goal in teaching content. Data gathering and analysis for the study used quantitative and
qualitative methodologies. A survey of teachers (21 respondents) and students (83 respondents), interviews (10
participants), and observation of video recordings of online classes were carried out to collect data. Results
reveal that both teachers and students perceived that the level of support of content- focused instruction in
enhancing students’ oral English proficiency was moderately low. Although it may seem intuitive that this is the
case since content teachers are not English language teachers, this study indicates that content teachers also
participate in the oral English proficiency development of students since they also use strategies such as oral
presentation, group discussion, role play and demonstration that promote speaking skills development in the
major courses. This study recommends providing content teachers adequate training in the teaching and
assessing of speaking to highly contribute to the speaking skills development of students in the tertiary levels in
the Philippines.

Keywords: content-focused instruction, oral english proficiency, content and language-

integrated learning, teaching speaking

Introduction (Santos et al., 2022). For instance, in the 2021

Effective communication is essential to the survival
and success of the hospitality and tourist sectors.
Adequate communication guarantees that the
knowledge, skills, and information required to
complete a task or job are transferred from one
individual or group to another. Effective management
and job performance in this sector are based mainly on
the quality of communication (Zahedpisheh et al.,
2017). Employees are thus required to possess the
excellent communication skills necessary to meet all
the requirements of the sector, especially excellence of
service and pleasant guest experience (Bilodid &
Vorobel, 2022). Based on a study on employment
offers for the tourism sector, 79% of job posting
demands English language proficiency as a
requirement. This sounds logical since businesses are
now borderless in today’s globalized world, and
En g lish has been the g lo b al lan g u ag e of
communication. Most businesses even invest millions
of dollars in staff training to increase productivity and
effectiveness (Misra, 2018).
English language proficiency is one of the benefits of
graduating from a Filipino university. However, the
Test of English for International Communication
(TOEIC), the EF English Competency Index, and the
average IELTS score of Filipino test takers indicate
that it may deteriorate among Filipinos over time
Education First (EF) report, the Philippines ranked 18 th
globally or second in Asia in the English Proficiency
Index (Sunil, 2022).
The country's English proficiency index is still
considered "strong," although, during the previous
several years, there has been a decline in the rankings,
from 13th in 2016 to 15th in 2017, 14th in 2018, 20th
in 2019, and 27th in 2020. This decline has been
attributed by Turao (2018) to the failure of schools to
teach good English; unfortunately, teachers usually get
the blame. Employment in various industries that
require a specific level of English communication
skills is still unfilled due to the fall in the quality of
English in the Philippines. Thus, the country must
intensify its efforts to enhance English teaching and
learning to become a necessary skill for the workforce
(Cabigon, 2015). The Philippines will benefit from
opportunities, especially in the hospitality, tourism,
and maritime sectors, if English instruction is
improved and corporate social responsibility initiatives
are put into place by representatives of the private
sector to aid in the professional growth of teachers,
particularly those who teach other courses in English
(Cabigon, 2015).
Teaching English to the hospitality and tourism
industry has recently received much attention
(Orzibekov, 2022). In the Philippines, colleges and
universities that offer Hospitality Management and

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Research Article
Tourism Management courses emphasize the
importance of English language skills development
among students to provide them with more
employment opportunities in the labor market. Though
Filipino is the national language in the country,
English has been the primary medium of instruction
and serves as a communication and educational tool at
the tertiary level. In most content areas in college,
English has been used by students as the medium of
communication in almost all their academic tasks,
from writing to speaking.
Because English is widely recognized as the universal
language of international commerce, people in the
hospitality and tourism industries know the benefits of
having English language skills in the workplace. Due
to its unique nature and contents, there is a demand for
teaching English to individuals who wish to enter the
workforce because it is necessary for professionals in
this industry to understand it (Zahedpisheh et al.,
2017). English for Specific Purposes (ESP) refers to
English used in the tourism and hospitality industries
(Zahedpisheh et al., 2017). Thus, it is necessary for
educators in this field to understand how this strategy
can be applied in their teaching since they hold the
knowledge of the contents and goals for learning that
help learners carry out job-related functions and
demonstrate a set of professional competencies in their
future work (Lorenzo, 2005). Learners need to achieve
a certain level of English proficiency to perform the
job responsibilities requiring them to use specific
language, communication strategies, vocabulary, and
speech in professional conversations or interactions
with customers (Lertchalermtipakoon et al., 2021).
Moreover, the introduction of the K to 12 Program in
the Philippines has resulted in curriculum revision at
the tertiary level. All English and literature subjects in
the old higher education curriculum were moved to the
Senior High School curriculum. At the tertiary level,
purposive Communication is now offered in the
General Education Curriculum (GEC). Therefore, the
responsibility for developing learners’ English
language proficiency at the tertiary level lies now in
teachers handling major courses and other non-English
subjects.
Speaking is one of the abilities students in hospitality
and tourism schools need to improve (Bobanovic &
Grzinic, 2011). Speaking is a fundamental language
skill since it is the primary communication medium.
Speaking entails not just using words to express what
one thinks in real-time. There are numerous elements
involved in speaking, such as knowledge, grammar,
fluency, vocabulary, etc., that speakers need to achieve
Jornales & Lambenicio
clarity, accuracy, spontaneity, and fluency. Consistent
practice and exposure to the language are necessary for
learners to be able to speak fluently on a variety of
topics. Unfortunately, not all learners receive as much
opportunity to speak English in class, particularly in an
online learning modality. Therefore, this study aims to
determine the level of support of teachers handling
significant courses in the hospitality and tourism
programs to the learners’ oral English language
proficiency.
Gregory (2014) stated that various factors influence
language learning. One way to continue language
learning at the tertiary level is to find strategies to
combine content and language to fulfill the learners’
demands for English proficiency development. This
scenario suggests that regulations or policies should be
made to achieve change rather than having individual
teachers make changes on the fly. It also emphasizes
the need for greater cooperation between language and
subject-matter educators, one in which all educators
are responsible for the language proficiency
development of all students, one in which subject-
matter and language instruction are intricately linked,
or one in which both subjects must be taught at the
same time (Gregory, 2014). “The integration of
language learning and content learning within
academic classes is a new challenge, and to meet these
rigorous new standards, all teachers will need to be
language teachers to some extent” (Gregory, 2014).
However, studies on how teachers handling hospitality
and tourism courses contribute to developing learners’
communication skills or integrating language learning
into teaching content need to be more comprehensive.
The lack of research on this area may compromise the
quality of instruction in the hospitality and tourism
programs, and the achievement of an eligible level of
English proficiency students must have to function in
an English-speaking workplace.
Few research works concentrated on the strategies
used by content teachers in helping their students
develop their speaking abilities or integrating the
teaching of speaking into the learning intent. Most
studies strongly emphasize teaching content-area
pupils’ pupils to understand challenging vocabulary
better and read lengthier, more complicated texts.
Therefore, this work aims to close this research gap
and advance the linguistic and educational research
field.
Research Objectives
This study set out to (1) ascertain how content teachers
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Research Article
assist their students in improving their oral English
proficiency and (2) identify the common strategies
content teachers employ to support oral language
development in content classrooms.
Literature Review
It is undeniable that academic material and language
must be taught concurrently, considering the relevant
literature and studies that have been uncovered.
Oral English Proficiency
Oral language competency is communicating
effectively and fluently in a foreign language. Higher
oral proficiency demonstrates applying language
knowledge to new situations and contexts (Omaggio,
1986). According to Goh and Burns (2012), cited in
Pangket, oral language proficiency is a critical skill
that necessitates several simultaneous tasks and
demands the speaker to use their knowledge and skills
in context (2019). Iwashita (2010) stressed that
vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and fluency are
essential factors that influence oral language
proficiency. However, during assessments,
grammatical accuracy is the main deciding factor.
Demand for English Speaking Skills Development
in the Hospitality and Tourism Programs
Numerous research in the hospitality and tourism
industry acknowledged the demand for English
language proficiency, particularly the English verbal
ability among its workforces. Zahedpisheh et al.
(2017) stressed that learners taking hospitality and
tourism programs know this, so they may have varying
expectations and demands when using their English
communication skills. Besides, developing a
curriculum that meets students' language needs is
necessary (McKay, 2018).
Employees in the hospitality and tourism sectors need
to have a high degree of proficiency in the four
English language skills, according to Prihandoko et al.
(2019), in order to support sustainable tourism. Prima
et al. (2022) stated that, although not receiving enough
attention, listening and speaking abilities are crucial
communication skills in the sector (Ghany & Latif,
2012; Yasmin et al., 2016; Bury & Oka, 2017).
Additionally, research by Prachanant (2012) and
Kaharuddin et al. (2019) asserted that speaking
abilities are more crucial for employees than listening,
reading, and writing. Idiomatic terms and time clauses
are challenging for both students and workers to use in
Jornales & Lambenicio
interactive communication, according to Bobanovic
and Grzinic (2011). They suggested that learning and
understanding English idioms require their use in
conversations.
Speaking Problems Faced by Students
A learner needs adequate knowledge of the English
language to carry out all the academic tasks, from
speaking to writing (Maramag-Manalastas & Batang,
2018).
Chand (2021) emphasized that speaking English
proficiently in everyday contexts or formal settings is a
language skill that every language learner must
acquire. Nunan (1991) said students’ success in
developing speaking abilities is determined by their
capacity to participate in English language
conversations. Learners should be aware of
sociocultural norms, the language's structural
elements, such as pronunciation, syntax, and
vocabulary, and the many communication actions,
such as expressing questions, requests, greetings, and
complaints (Burnkat, 1998: cited in Chand, 2021). As
a result, speaking is frequently seen as the most
difficult ability to learn when learning a second
language.
In Chand’s study, students identified the common
issues they encountered when speaking English:
shyness, lack of confidence, fear of speaking and
committing mistakes, unsuitable speaking
environment, and lack of teacher motivation.
However, the study was able to identify several factors
that contributed to the speaking issues, including
teacher-centeredness, the classroom teacher's active
role, the overuse of the mother tongue when
instructing, classroom culture, and a lack of emphasis
on improving students' speaking abilities in the course
content of university courses. Thus, Chand’s (2021)
study recommended: “creating a favorable English-
speaking environment in the classroom, modifying
existing English courses, and changing the teaching
pedagogy and role of the teacher in the classroom” to
facilitate an environment where English is spoken
(p.58). To enhance opportunities for English practice,
the study also recommended fostering student group
discussions and hosting speaking occasions like public
speaking contests and debates.
The Need for Oral Eng lish Pro ficie ncy
Development Support and Teacher Language
Training in Content Classrooms
Samson and Collins (2012) argued that most teachers
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Research Article
lack the training to fulfill learners' language and
learning needs and promote academic success. They
added that all teachers who work with ESL students
need to have a firm understanding of how language
operates as a system and the roles played by the
various speech and language components.
Eisenhart (1990) listed five elements of effective oral
language instruction: fostering auditory memory,
teaching a range of spoken contexts, establishing a
language learning environment, teaching, and
increasing vocabulary, and constructing a language
learning environment.
In her research, Akbari (2016) outlined a few concerns
with learning English. She claimed that learning
strategies improve students' capacity for learning. She
linked students' struggles with language acquisition to
their ignorance of the value of English in their daily
lives. For students to be adequately motivated to learn
English, they must be made aware of how important
English is in their daily life. The rationale is, therefore,
crucial for learning a language.
Using instructional resources, including videos,
graphic organizers, and visuals by content teachers is
advised by Newman-Gonchar (2014) to develop
guidelines and support for spoken and written English
language instruction in subject-specific teaching.
Teachers of specific subjects, however, can be against
using class time to help pupils improve their speaking
and writing abilities. To encourage the development of
speaking and writing, he also recommends specific
training in academic and general terminology. Even
yet, teachers may lack the abilities and understanding
to incorporate them into lesson plans. Additionally, he
advises giving students real-world experiences so they
may discuss the subject matter in pairs or small
groups.
Cregan’s (2012) study suggests that teachers must be
well-versed in the appropriate pedagogical approaches
to help students develop their oral English proficiency
and comprehend the language usage necessary for
academic success. The study recommended that
officials stream instructors' expertise for students to
learn an oral language effectively. Wang et al. (2018)
further noted that instead of focusing solely on fault
repair, teacher feedback should also prioritize the
development of oral presenting and communicative
abilities.
English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in
Content Classrooms
Jornales & Lambenicio
English has been the primary language of instruction at
all levels of the Philippine educational system for a
long time (Gonzalez, 2003). English is supposed to be
the primary language of teaching. Hence EMI teachers
must instruct students in English. Two constructs,
namely the language of teaching and the language of
interaction, were found by the Classroom Language
Assessment (CLA), and they may be a sign of the
language's functional nature in the EMI classroom
(Education Bureau of Hong Kong, 2011, cited in
Wang, 2021). It would be beneficial to use the phrase
"English-for-Teaching," which has lately been
discussed in teaching English as a foreign language
(EFL), to comprehend the language used in the
classroom by EMI teachers (Freeman et al., 2015).
According to Young et al. (2014), cited in Wang,
"English for Teaching" is defined as "the fundamental
English language skills a teacher needs to be able to
prepare and deliver the lesson in a standardized
(typically national) curriculum in English in a way that
is recognizable and understandable to other speakers
of the language" (2021). (p. 5). Thus, EMI teachers
must have linguistic and discourse competence to
effectively deliver content teaching (Elder, 2001).
In their study, Maramag-Manalastas and Batang
(2018) discovered that students in the English-Only
Class outperformed those in the Multilingual class
regarding accomplishment test results. In order to
boost their confidence in learning the English
language, they emphasized that teachers must provide
a rich atmosphere and that learners must be exposed to
English. The choice to use English in the classroom
significantly impacts how well students achieve
academically in non-English-speaking nations.
According to a particular study, teaching students a
second language does not always result in language
proficiency or the improvement of students' content
understanding, according to Habbash and Troudi
(2015). However, the Briggs et al. (2018) study
validated teachers' beliefs that employing English as a
medium of instruction (EMI) would impact students'
acquisition of academic content and English language
proficiency. Teachers at the secondary and university
levels concurred that giving pupils more exposure to
EMI would help them acquire the English language.
Strategies that Promote Speaking Skills in Content
Classrooms
The study by Pangket (2019) claimed that teachers
struggle with encouraging the students to participate or
speak in class which hinders their progress in
developing their oral English proficiency, so there is a
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need for more significant effort on the part of the
teachers to think of teaching strategies that would help
students master fundamental English language skills.
In light of this, language studies have provided
instructors with a choice of ways to support children’s
language talents as they develop and to meet their
expectations; teachers must choose which appropriate
techniques to utilize (Pangket, 2019).
Heron (2019) pointed out that oral presentation has
evolved into a fundamental ability across academic
domains and has been considered a must-have skill for
all college graduates. Today’s students must be able to
deliver a speech in English before a large crowd
(Heron, 2019). Cooper (2005, cited in Waluyo &
Rofiah, 2021) stated that oral presentations are
frequently incorporated as a course activity or learning
objective into many courses offered in higher
education. The ability to carry out oral presentations is
highly needed since students are always required to
discuss a topic in front of the class in most academic
courses. For this reason, there is still concern regarding
students’ oral presentation skills (Waluyo & Rofiah,
2021). Thus, teachers are urged to prepare college
students for oral presentations to meet industry
requirements in the communication skills area (DuPre
& Williams, 2011). English proficiency is shown to be
the most crucial aspect in helping students build their
presentation skills by Waluyo and Rofiah (2021).
Group collaboration, role-playing, problem-solving,
and debate are the most often used techniques in
language lessons, according to Pangket (2019).
Numerous studies focused on teachers’ strategies for
improving classroom speaking skills (Wulandari,
2022; Shahini & Shahamirian, 2017; Rianingsih, 2015;
Maulidar et al., 2019; Anjaniputra, 2013; Mulyanti,
2021; Handayani, 2019). Other studies concentrated on
specific strategies to develop learners’ oral language
proficiency, such as through group work and
cooperative learning (Siahaan, 2019; Divya, 2017;
Johnso et al., 2014; Oakley et al., 2007; Kriflik &
Mullan, 2007), picture (Wulandari, 2012; Nagauleng,
2022; Nizzu, 2016; Karsono, 2014; Murni, 2020),
storytelling (Sharma, 2018), reporting news (Sahril,
2018), questioning strategies (Satriani, 2022; Al-
Zahrani & Al-Bargi, 2017; Eliasson et al., 2017),
repetition technique (Kuliahana & Marzuki, 2020;
Nashruddin & Ningtyas, 2020; Sujariati, 2016), debate
technique (Widyaningsih, 2016), role play (Rahayu,
2015; Meilyaningsih, 2015), small group discussion
(Bohari, 2019), interview (Makassar, 2019) and games
(Dewi et al., 2017).
Jornales & Lambenicio
Methodology
In this study, the researchers sought to ascertain the
extent to which significant courses in the hospitality
and tourism programs supported content-focused
training to improve students' English-speaking
abilities. The study also aimed to identify content
teachers’ strategies to integrate speaking skills
development in teaching content. This also
investigated the recommendations of content teachers
on what they could do to improve the learners’ oral
English proficiency.
This study used a mixed-methods approach to gather
and analyze quantitative and qualitative data. Surveys,
interviews, and observations of recorded Google Meet
classes taught by a few chosen content teachers were
used to collect data.
Participants
This study sought both the student and content teacher
views. Data collection involved a survey of students
(83 respondents), content teachers (21 respondents),
interviews (10 participants), and classroom
observations (four content teachers, with recorded
online classes, observed for each). The teachers who
participated in this study handled significant courses
under the hospitality and tourism programs from
different colleges in Camarines Sur, Philippines. The
students were also enrolled in the said programs at
various colleges in the province during the first
semester of SY 2022-2023. To validate the study's
results, the researcher interviewed the selected faculty
and students and observed recorded Google Meet
classes of four content teachers.
Research Instrument
This study used two sets of questionnaires with parts
modified and validated from the Test Language
Teacher Questionnaire for PISA 2018 (OECD, 2017)
to gather data on lecturers' and students' perceptions of
the level of support for content-focused instruction in
significant courses within the hospitality and tourism
programs in order to improve students' oral English
proficiency. Data from teachers were gathered using
one questionnaire, while student data was gathered
using the other. A total of 43 items covering six
dimensions – English as a medium of instruction
(EMI), language instruction, learning activities,
instructional materials, assessments, and motivation –
were included in the surveys with five-point Likert-
type response scales. Interviews and observation of
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video recordings of Google Meet classes were Table 1. Students’ Perceptions on the Level of Support
conducted after the respondents had answered the of Content Instruction in Enhancing their’ Oral
survey items. English Proficiency

Data Collection and Analysis

Data for this study were acquired through interviews, a

survey of students and professors, and observation of
Google Meet classes that were videotaped. The
interview and classroom observations were conducted
to identify the teachers’ instructional practices that
help build students’ oral English proficiency in
content-focused classes. The results of the surveys
were collected and tabulated for analysis and
evaluation. Weighted mean was used to determine the
level of support of content-focused instruction in
significant courses for enhancing students' oral English According to the interviews, most of the students'
proficiency. Thematic analysis was also used for content professors utilized English as their primary
interview and observation results. language of instruction and frequently prompted their
use in class. Only a few, however, were permitted to
talk because they were using the online learning
Results modality. All the respondents said they need more
practice and confidence in speaking English. They
This study sought to ascertain the extent to which suggested they be guided on grammar, sentence
content teachers in the hospitality and tourism construction, and vocabulary use since they think they
programs supported improving their students' English- need help in these areas. Respondent 2 emphasized
speaking skills and the methods they employed to do that content teachers should correct students if their
so. The findings are shown in this section in the grammar is wrong. They also suggested that content
following ways: teachers provide them with interactive activities other
than recitation, reporting, paired work, or group
Students’ Perceptions on the Level of Support of discussion (Respondents 1, 2, 5). Two respondents
Content Instruction in Enhancing their English- also said they would want to receive comments and
constructive criticisms from their teachers after the
Speaking Skills
speaking tasks.
Table 1 summarizes the survey conducted among
Additionally, Respondents 1, 2, and 3 emphasized that
students on the level of support of content-focused
only some of their content teachers possess the
instruction in their major (content) subjects in
necessary expertise to teach speaking. To be able to
enhancing their oral English proficiency.
"deliver and explain the lessons clearly" in the target
language and to "demand students to speak English in
The findings indicate that significant courses only
class," some teachers must also advance their English-
slightly improve students' oral English skill growth the
speaking abilities (Respondent 5). Respondents 2, 4,
viewpoint of students (3.34). Subject teachers
and 5 even proposed implementing an English-only
employed English as a medium of teaching (3.67) and
policy in the classroom to increase the student’s
activities that encourage the growth of speaking skills
comfort level with the language. Respondent 1
to provide a solid support for motivation (3.80),
expressed that some online classes were boring
speaking evaluations (3.74), and English language use
because their content teachers would give lectures.
in topic classrooms (3.50). However, content-focused
Another respondent added:
instruction provided low support for using
instructional materials that integrated language
Primary subject teachers should create a friendly
learning goals and speaking tasks, with a weighted
environment where students feel comfortable
mean of 2.71. In contrast, the level of support on
expressing their thoughts. Creating a space where
language instruction was low at 2.60, which indicates
students can seek assistance is crucial for their
that students received minimal instruction on the
academic achievement. This polite environment must
essential aspects of speaking, such as grammar,
be promoted during the educational process
pronunciation, fluency, and vocabulary.
(Respondent 5).

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Content Teachers’ Perceptions on the Level of
Support of their Instruction in Enhancing
Learners’ Oral English Proficiency
Table 2 presents the perceptions of content teachers on
the level of support of their instruction to the
development of oral English proficiency of their
students. Based on the findings, the overall level of
support of content area (primary subject) instruction to
the student’s oral English proficiency was moderately
low at 3.30. English, the primary language of
instruction, has helped students enhance their speaking
skills. Under this heading, participants in learning
activities had to speak English (e.g., recitation,
discussion, reporting). Through activities that let
students engage with others or speak the target
language, content teachers also provided solid support
(3.47) for developing their English language abilities.
At 3.80, there was significant encouragement for
students to speak the language.
Under the dimension of language support through
EMI, most content teachers used English in their
lectures and discussions at a 4.14 weighted mean.
Most of them also required students to use English in
their presentations, discussions, and recitations and
engaged students in mutual conversation in the target
language. They also believed they provide students
with relevant experiences and opportunities to help
them practice the full range of speaking skills
necessary for participation in authentic contexts –
however, only a few teachers imposed English-only
policies in their classes.
However, teachers perceived that their level of support
for integrating language instruction in teaching content
was moderate, only at 2.62. Under this category,
teachers provided limited support to teaching
important components of speaking such as grammar,
vocabulary, fluency, and pronunciation to help
students develop their speaking skills.
Results also show a moderately low level of support
provided to students in assessing their speaking
outputs and in preparing and using contextualized
materials that include language learning objectives and
varied speaking activities that promote speaking.
Jornales & Lambenicio
Table 2. Teachers’ Perceptions on the Level of
Support of Content Instruction in Enhancing Students’
Oral English Proficiency
Based on the survey results, only 23.8% of the content
teachers imposed the English-Only Policy in the
classrooms, and 57.1% used code-switching (50%
Bicol and 50% English) in their instruction. The most
common speaking activities provided by teachers to
help students speak English were group discussion
(95.2%), reporting or oral presentation (90.5%),
demonstration (61.9%), group work (52.4%), role play
or simulation (52.4%), and pair work (38.1%). When it
comes to giving feedback, content teachers believed
that they put more emphasis on the students’
organization of ideas (90.5%), content/knowledge
(81%), confidence (81%), clarity (81%), grammar, and
vocabulary, both at 52.4%. Their most minor concerns
in the speaking assessments were accented at 9.5% and
sentence structure, fluency, and pronunciation all at
38.1%.
Moreover, interview results show that most content
teachers focused primarily on teaching content, and
minimal support was provided for classroom language
learning. One respondent said that grammar and
spelling guidelines were provided for oral
presentations but only discussed after the start of the
speaking task. Also, only a few monitor their students
when they speak English to check on their correct and
appropriate language use. Some of them pointed out
that they were not obliged to teach language since it is
not their specialization.
When asked what they could do to help students
improve their speaking abilities, subject teachers said
they would give them more chances to use the target
language. They declared that they would begin by
enhancing students' self-confidence. One respondent
stated that building students' speaking confidence is
the first thing teachers should do to assist students in
improving their English-speaking skills. Most students
are reluctant to talk because they fear being corrected
and humiliated for using incorrect grammar,
pronunciation, etc. Teachers would find it much
simpler to urge students to embrace proper grammar
usage and other facets of the use of the English
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Research Article
language after they have gained confidence in
themselves and to demonstrate the value of doing so
for their future careers in the tourism and hospitality
industry. (Respondent 2)
The majority (90.5%) of the content teachers in this
study expressed their willingness to receive adequate
training on content and language-integrated learning
approach. They said they need sufficient knowledge on
how to teach speaking. They also aimed to reduce their
speaking time to increase interactive activities among
students.
Content Teachers’ Strategies that Promote
Speaking Skills Enhancement of Students
From surveys, interviews, and observations, content
teachers identified common strategies they employed
to help learners improve their English-speaking
abilities.
Reporting / Oral Presentation. The students
identified reporting or oral presentation as the most
used speaking teaching method utilized by their
content teachers at 91.6%. In contrast, teachers
identified it as only second to group discussion at
90.5%. In one of the recorded online classes, it was
observed that three students from the class were asked
to report with the aid of PowerPoint.
Group Discussion. Teachers identified group
discussion as their primary speaking teaching method
at 95.2%, whereas students considered it second to
reporting or oral presentation at 74.7%. Teachers used
this method regularly to get students to talk in class. In
the observation, teachers created opportunities for
interaction between students and teachers through
group discussions. In the recorded Google Meet
classes, two teachers presented a topic to discuss and
gave students time to prepare an answer. Teachers then
called students to participate in the discussion based on
the topic provided. There was sharing of ideas and
insights during class discussion. However, only ten out
of 18 students present were able to speak. Some of the
students were also switching from L1 to L2.
Demonstration. Another speaking method used by
teachers was a demonstration (61.9%). Students also
identified demonstration (61.4%) as the third teaching
strategy employed by teachers. However, in the
recorded classes, the researcher did not observe any
demonstration carried out by students. This can be
attributed to the limited classes observed.
Role Play or Simulation. Both teachers and students
Jornales & Lambenicio
identified role play or simulation as the fourth
speaking method to enhance students’ oral English
proficiency, 52.4% and 49.4%, respectively. Due to
the limited class observation, the researcher did not
observe this speaking activity in recorded classes. This
can be attributed to the limited classes observed.
Discussion
This study explored the level of support of content-
focused instruction of significant courses to the oral
English proficiency development of students enrolled
in the hospitality and tourism programs and the
strategies commonly used by teachers to integrate
speaking tasks in content teaching. Cabigon (2015)
argued that the Philippines must step up efforts to
improve English instruction and to learn so that it
becomes a required skill for the workforce. Suppose
English instruction is improved and corporate social
responsibility initiatives are put in place by
representatives of the private sector to support the
professional development of teachers, particularly
those who teach other courses in English. In that case,
the Philippines will benefit from opportunities,
particularly in the hospitality, tourism, and maritime
sectors (Cabigon, 2015). According to Gregory (2014),
all teachers are responsible for the language
proficiency of all students or in which subject matter
and language instruction are intricately related to one
another or must be taught concurrently, and strategies
must be developed to combine language and content
with meeting learners' desires for the development of
their English proficiency. Gregory (2014) stated that to
optimize the opportunities for language acquisition
given to children, all teachers will need to be at least
part language teachers.
To provide students with solid linguistic support for
developing their speaking abilities, subject teachers
continued to utilize English as a language of teaching
and communication in the content classes, according to
surveys, interviews, and observations. Based on
students’ responses, content teachers motivated them
to use the target language. They also offer students
high motivation to use and practice the target
language, as manifested in the findings. They also
offer speaking assessments that focus on content,
organization of ideas, confidence in speaking, and
clarity, which are valuable aspects of language.
Pangket (2019) claimed that teachers struggle with
encouraging the students to participate or speak in
class which hinders their progress in developing their
oral English proficiency, so there is a need for more
significant effort on the part of the teachers to think of
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Research Article
teaching strategies that would help students master
fundamental English language skills. Language studies
have given teachers several techniques to help
students' language abilities in this situation and to
satisfy the students’ demands, teachers must choose
which pertinent tactics to use (Pangket, 2019).
On a positive note, the study’s findings show that
students have received a high level of support from
content-focused instruction in terms of motivation,
English use, and learning activities in the content
classrooms. Subject matter experts believed that using
English in the classroom for instruction and
communication would provide significant linguistic
support, just as their students believed. Maramag-
Manalastas and Batang (2018) stressed that teachers
must cultivate a rich environment and expose pupils to
the language to increase their confidence in learning
English. They also asserted that using English in the
classroom considerably impacts students' academic
achievement, particularly in non-English speaking
nations. This claim is also supported by Briggs et al.
(2018), confirming that the belief that EMI supports
content learning and students’ English proficiency
development is strongly upheld by content teachers.
Besides the high level of support to students’ English
use in the content classrooms through English as a
medium of instruction, content teachers also provide
students with high motivation. Akbari (2016) drew a
correlation between students' struggles with language
acquisition and their ignorance about the value of
English in their everyday lives. For students to be
adequately motivated to study the language, they need
to be made aware of the importance of English in their
daily life (Akbari, 2016). Therefore, motivation
provided by content teachers is a contributory factor
for learning a language, as manifested in this study.
The findings of this study also show that content
teachers identified the use of learning activities like
reporting or oral presentations, group discussions,
demonstrations, and role-playing or simulation as their
primary methods to support students' development of
oral English proficiency in the content classrooms.
Pangket (2019) stressed that teachers find it
challenging to get their students to speak up or
participate in class, which impedes their progress in
improving their oral English proficiency. As a result,
teachers need to put in more effort to develop
instructional strategies to help their students master the
fundamentals of the English language. Considering
this, language studies have provided instructors with
ways to support learners' language abilities as they
develop and meet their expectations. Teachers must
choose appropriate techniques to utilize (Pangket,
Jornales & Lambenicio
2019) since they improve students’ capacity for
learning (Akbari, 2016).
Language classes' most frequently used techniques
include group work, role-playing, problem-solving,
and discussion. In this study, reporting or oral
presentation is the most popular teaching speaking
method employed by content teachers. Heron (2019)
emphasized that an oral presentation has become a
necessary skill across academic areas and for all
college graduates, and Cooper (2005), referenced in
Waluyo & Rofiah (2021), claimed that it has often
been used as a course requirement or learning
objective in many higher education courses. Since
most academic courses require students to
communicate their ideas orally in front of the class, the
ability to do so is crucial. Because of this, there is
ongoing worry about students' ability to give oral
presentations (Waluyo & Rofiah, 2021). Teachers are
therefore urged to get college students ready for oral
presentations. According to Wang et al. (2018),
teacher feedback should emphasize developing
communicative and oral presentation skills rather than
just error correction.
However, based on the findings, content teachers had
moderately low support for teaching speaking
components such as grammar, fluency, pronunciation,
and vocabulary. Iwashita (2010) claimed that these are
the most critical factors that affect oral language
proficiency. However, content teachers acknowledged
that teaching these speaking components is not
included in their learning objectives since their
instruction is content-focused. Although they have
provided students with speaking tasks such as group
discussion, reporting or oral participation,
demonstration, group work, role-play, or simulation.
Pair work, their assessment criteria highly emphasized
students’ organization of ideas, content/knowledge,
confidence, and clarity rather than the significant
components of speaking skills such as grammar,
vocabulary, fluency, and pronunciation. Burnkat
(1998), cited in Chand (2021), claimed that students
should know the different factors that influence
speaking, such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary,
the different communicative functions like asking
questions, requesting, greeting, complaining, etc., and
the socio-cultural norms.
However, Samson and Collins (2012) explained that
most teachers need training to fulfill learners’
language and learning needs and promote academic
success. Therefore, it is recommended that teachers
who work with English language learners have a firm
understanding of the various components of speech
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Research Article
and language and how language functions as a system.
Eisenhart (1990) identified five elements of effective
oral language instruction: fostering auditory memory,
teaching a range of spoken contexts, establishing a
language learning environment, teaching and
increasing vocabulary, and constructing a language
learning environment. Newman-Gonchar (2014) also
advised content teachers to use instructional resources,
including videos, graphic organizers, and
visualizations, to create guidelines and support for
spoken and written English language instruction in
subject-specific teaching.
Conclusion
The present study portrays the level of support of
content-focused instruction for the speaking skills
development of students. It is also possible that
content and language-integrated learning techniques
will be introduced in content courses to suit students'
language needs and the strict communication skill
requirements of the hotel and tourism industries.
Considering content teaching with the integration of
English language learning will help boost the
employability of HM and TM graduates in the
workforce and bridge the gap between what is missing
in the skills of graduates and the demands of the
industry.
The results also show that, despite subject instructors
lacking proper expertise in teaching language skills
like speaking, they have contributed significantly to
helping language teachers improve students' oral
English ability. Content teachers frequently interact
with students using English as a medium of instruction
(EMI) because English courses added to the senior
high school curriculum in the Philippines provide a
foundation for incorporating language learning
objectives into teaching content. Therefore, it is crucial
to consider the instructional strategies that content
teachers can employ to develop students’ language
proficiency and content understanding.
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Affiliations and Corresponding Information
Marivic O. Jornales
Mariners' Polytechnic Colleges, Inc.
Bicol, Philippines
Gregerlin I. Lambenicio, PhD
University of the Cordilleras,
Baguio City - Philippines
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