ABSTRACT

EXPOSURE TO ENGLISH LANGUAGE MATERIALS AND SUBJECT-VERB

AGREEMENT COMPETENCE OF THE SCHOOL PAPER STAFF
By
Wyonna Capatan- Caldito
This study was primarily conducted to find out the level of exposure to English language
materials and competence in subject-verb concord of the school paper staff among the public
secondary schools in the Second Congressional District of Iloilo. It specifically determined the
relationship between exposure to English language materials and competence in subject-verb
concord of the school paper staff among the public secondary schools in the Second
Congressional District of Iloilo when taken as a whole group and when classified as to gender
and position in the school paper.

The descriptive research design was used in collecting the data from the total population
of 102 school paper staff from the 8 public secondary schools in the Second Congressional
District of Iloilo for the academic year 2007-2008. A test based on English textbooks,
instructional guides and related studies in English served as the data gathering instrument. The
descriptive statistics employed were frequency count, means, standard deviation and cross
tabulation which were computed through the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) while the Pearson-r set at 0.05 level of significance was used as inferential statistics.

The findings of the study revealed that: 1.) The level of exposure to English language
materials of the school paper staff when taken as a whole group and when classified as to gender
and position in the school paper was "fair," 2.) The school paper staff when taken as a whole
group and when classified as to gender and position in the school paper was competent, and 3.)
The school paper staff rated "fair" in their exposure to English language materials and "very
competent" in subject-verb agreement. Based on the findings, it is recommended that members
of the school paper staff should be sent to English language and Journalism seminars and
workshops in order for them to become proficient in the English language. They should have
enough exposure to such a language to enhance their skills and techniques in school paper work.
School paper advisers and English teachers should also keep abreast of the modern trends in
English to improve their knowledge and skills in dealing with the school paper staff and the
students as a whole. The school administration should provide adequate reading materials for the
staff and students and should conduct remedial classes and other enhancement activities geared
towards English language exposure such as debates, plays, oration contests, spelling contests and
the like.