The Linguistic And Speaking Competencies In English Among 1st Year Education Students Of

St. Peter’s College of Ormoc

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
English language proficiency is an essential skill for individuals in today’s globalized

world. It serves as a medium for communication and interaction in various aspects of life,

such as education, business, and international relations. In the Philippines, English is

recognized as an official language, and its competence is highly valued.

This research aims to explore the linguistic and speaking competencies in English

among first and second year english students of St. Peter’s College of Ormoc. Understanding

the proficiency levels of these students is crucial in assessing the effectiveness of the English

language curriculum and identifying areas that need improvement.

In recent years, there has been growing concern regarding the decline in English

language proficiency among Filipino students. Factors such as the rise of technology, which

exposes students to more non-English media, and the emphasis on local languages have

contributed to this decline. As a result, it is essential to examine the linguistic and speaking

skills of students specifically in non-English speaking provinces like Ormoc, where English

proficiency may vary.

St. Peter’s College of Ormoc is chosen as the research site because it is a widely

recognized educational institution known for its commitment to providing quality education

to its students. By focusing on first and second year students, we are targeting a crucial

stage in their academic journey, where they are expected to have acquired a foundation in

English language skills.

The research will employ a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both quantitative and

qualitative data collection techniques. Quantitative methods will involve administering a

1
language proficiency test, which will assess various linguistic competencies such as reading

comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary. Additionally, a speaking test will be conducted to

evaluate their oral communication skills.

Qualitative methods will include in-depth interviews on the selected students. These

interviews will provide insights into the challenges faced by first and second year education

students in enhancing their linguistic and speaking abilities. Additionally, it will help identify

potential strategies and interventions that can be implemented to address the identified

issues.

The findings of this research will be significant for St. Peter’s College of Ormoc and

other educational institutions facing similar challenges in enhancing English language

proficiency among their students. The results will enable educators to identify specific areas

that require attention and develop targeted interventions to improve the linguistic and

speaking competencies of first and second year education students.

Ultimately, this study endeavors to contribute to the ongoing efforts to enhance

English language education in the Philippines. By focusing on first and second year education

students in St. Peter’s College of Ormoc, it aims to shed light on the linguistic and speaking

competencies among this specific group, providing valuable insights for future curriculum

development and language enhancement programs.

I. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Speaking is one of the important part in English skills that should be mastered by

students besides reading, writing, and listening. The function of speaking skills are to express

an idea, someone’s feeling, thought, and it express spontaneously orally. Speaking is one of

the language art of talk as communication interaction with someone, and it is very difficult

to master it. Speaking skill is have closely relationship with listening skill, in speaking act, the

students must be listening and speak up, because speaking is not only remembering and

2
memorizing the sentences in written but speaking is spontaneous to show the students idea

by orally.

According to Chaney (1998:3), “speaking is the process of building and sharing

meaning through the use of verbal and non verbal symbols in a variety of contexts. Speaking

is a crucial part of second language learning and teaching.” It means students should be able

to communicate with the others to get or to share information and/or to express what they

feel.

“Speaking Is not merely speaking but it is more than talking, therefore, language

learners should be able to use their thought and sensitivity”, (Oxford Advanced Leaner’s

Dictionary, 2003-414 & 443). “The classroom activity that is suitable used in teaching

speaking has to make students to talk to each other in pairs or groups. They should more

active to stimulate discussion and information trading transaction. Such activities may

include role playing games, problem-solving, songs, and Discussion”, (Fauziati, 2002:127).

Linguistic Competence also known as Language Performance is the subconscious

knowledge, possessed by the native speakers in order to apprehend and unfold the sounds,

meaning language, and patterns in constructing words, phrases and sentences that could

relate to the academic performance of an individual. Language is the foundation of all

human relationships. All human relationships are established on the ability of people to

communicate effectively with each other. In the same way, proficiency in a language enables

students to access, process, and keep abreast of information, to engage with the wider and

re diverse communities, and to learn about the role of language in their lives, and in their

own and other cultures.

3
 THE PROBLEM AND IT’S SCOPE

II. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Variables

Independent Dependent
Variables Variables

Linguistic Speaking
Competencies Competencies
in English

III. SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

Scope

The study will be conducted at St. Peter’s College of Ormoc, targeting a population

of first-year and second-year college students taking English courses. The study will assess

linguistic competencies encompassing vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension. It

will also explore speaking competencies, including fluency, pronunciation, and

communication skills in English. Also, identifying it’s strength and weaknesses. Utilizing

mixed-methods approach involving surveys and interviews to evaluate linguistic and

speaking competencies. The research will be conducted over two weeks for data collection

and analysis.

Delimitation

The study may exclude students who are not enrolled in English courses. Potential

constraints related to resources (e.g., time, budget) may limit the population size or the

depth of data collection. External factors such as cultural diversity, previous language

exposure, or socio-economic backgrounds of participants may impact the findings but will be

4
acknowledged as limitations. Due to the specific focus on first-year and second-year college

students in a particular context, generalizing the findings to a broader population of college

students might be limited.

IV. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The research aims to investigate the linguistic and speaking competencies in English

among 1st and 2nd year English students. The study seeks to identify the strengths and

weaknesses on each competencies, determine the challenges students face in speaking

English, understand the factors influencing these competencies, and explore potential

solutions to enhance English language proficiency among this demographic.

To achieve this goal, the study will focus on the following specific questions:

1. What are the factors contributing to their strengths and weaknesses in this
area?
1.1. Linguistic Competence
1.2. Speaking Competence
2. What are the common challenges college students face in understanding spoken
English in academic settings?
3. What socio-cultural, educational, or personal factors contribute to the variance
in English speaking abilities among 1st and 2nd year English students?
4. What language enhancement activities that could influence the linguistic and
speaking competencies of 1st and 2nd year college students in English.

V. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

 Evaluate the proficiency levels of college students in areas such as

vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension in English.
 Analyze the speaking abilities, including fluency, pronunciation, and
communication skills, among college students studying English.
 Determine the specific areas of strength and weakness in linguistic and
speaking competencies among college students.
 Investigate potential factors influencing language learning, such as
socio-economic background, previous language exposure, or teaching
methodologies.
 Offer recommendations or interventions to improve the linguistic and
speaking competencies of college students based on the study’s
findings.

5
 VI. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to comprehensively evaluate the linguistic and speaking

competencies in English among 1st year education students. The research aims to identify

the strengths and weaknesses in students’ language skills, explore the factors influencing

their proficiency, and recommend effective strategies or interventions to enhance their

English speaking abilities. Ultimately, this investigation seeks to contribute insights that can

assist educators, policymakers, and stakeholders in devising tailored approaches to improve

English language learning outcomes among 1st and 2nd year English students.

VII. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will provide research-based information on the preferences of the

students on the linguistics and speaking competencies in English among first year education

students in St. Peter’s College of Ormoc. More specifically, this study will benefit the

following individuals.

a. Future Researchers: The study provides future researchers in the

field of linguistics or education with insights into the relationship between linguistics

and speaking competencies among first year education students. It can guide them

in developing further studies or interventions that can contribute to the

enhancement of language skills and proficiency among students.

b. Students: This study is significant for students as it aims to explore

the importance of linguistic knowledge in developing speaking competencies. It may

help them understand the relevance of linguistic concepts and how they can be

applied in improving their own speaking skills. By understanding the connection

between linguistics and speaking competencies, students can potentially adopt

effective language learning strategies and gain confidence in their communication

abilities.

6
 c. Educators: The study can be significant to teachers as it provides

insights into the relationship between linguistics and speaking competencies. It can

help teachers understand the possible factors that influence speaking competencies

among first year education students and guide them in developing appropriate

instructional strategies to enhance the language skills of their students. The findings

may also encourage teachers to incorporate linguistic concepts into their lessons,

thus enriching the learning experience of students.

d. Parents: The study may be significant for parents as it highlights the

significance of linguistic knowledge in developing speaking competencies among

first year education students. It can raise awareness among parents about the

importance of language skills and encourage them to support their children’s

language learning endeavors. The findings of the study may provide parents with

insights into the potential challenges their children may face in developing speaking

competencies and guide them in providing appropriate support and resources at

home.

e. Policy-makers: The study is significant for policy-makers in the field

of education. It can highlight the importance of incorporating linguistics into the

language curriculum at a high school level and beyond. By emphasizing the role of

linguistic knowledge in developing speaking competencies, the study can advocate

for policy changes that prioritize linguistic proficiency in language education

programs. This can lead to enhanced language learning opportunities for students

across various educational institutions.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

7
Competence – the ability to do something successfully or efficiently
Comprehensively – in a way that includes or considers all aspects or elements
Demographic – relating to the study of the characteristics of human populations, such as
size, growth, density, and distribution
Dependent – relying on or influenced by something else
Endeavors – efforts or attempts to achieve a goal
Ethical – relating to moral principles and values
Evaluate – assess or appraise the value or worth of something
Foreign – of, from, in, or characteristic of a country or language other than one’s own
Independent – not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.
Interventions – actions taken to improve a situation or prevent a problem
Linguistic – relating to language or linguistics
Limitation – a restriction or constraint
Literature – written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit
Locale – a place where something happens or is set, or that has particular events associated
with it
Methodology – a system of methods used in a particular area of study or activity
Methods – a particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a
systematic or established one
Perception – the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses
Proficiency – competence or skill in a particular area
Relevance – the quality or state of being closely connected or appropriate to the matter at
hand
Scope – the extent of the area or subject matter that something deals with or to which it is
relevant
Significance – the quality of being worthy of attention; importance
Socio-cultural – relating to the combination of social and cultural factors
Spontaneously – occurring as a result of a sudden inner impulse or inclination and without
premeditation or external stimulus
Statistical – relating to the use of statistics or the effect of numerical data
Variables – factors or quantities that can be changed or measured in an experiment or study

8
 CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter primarily presents the different researches and other literatures from

both foreign and local researchers, which have significant bearings on the variables in the

research. It focuses on several aspects that will help in the development of this study.

A. FOREIGN LITERATURE

Competence is simply defined as the one’s ability established by knowledge and

experiences to reach their purpose. In the psychology dictionary, Colman (2009) defined the

competence as the capacity, skills, or the ability in doing something correctly and effectively.

In line with Colman, Beams (2008) defined the competences as the quality of ability caused

by the qualification and the ability in doing a task. Richards & Rodgers (2003) defined the

competences as the description of essential skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors

required for effective performance of a real-world task or activity. So, the competence is the

useful ability includes skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors acquired by the students in

doing the real-world task or activity in the real life in form of social networking.

Speaking Skill

Speaking is oral productive skill. Brown (2001) defined speaking as activity that

involves two or more people in which the participants are both listeners and speakers having

to act what they listen and make contribution meaningfully. It means that speaking involves

two people or more in participating and contributing as the listener and speaker. Richards

(2008) firmly stated that the success of ESL or EFL learners in learning English depends on

their ability in speaking. Harmer (2007) explained that the ability of one’s speaking fluently

depends on the prior knowledge about language features and the ability in processing the

information and language in the same time. It means that the ability of speaking fluently

9
does not depend on many or less vocabulary acquired but the most important the speaker

can speak their words, idea, or utterances spontaneously. Fulcher (2000) explained that the

elements of speaking ability are grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, fluency, and accuracy.

Grammar is important in composing sentences correctly. Vocabulary is the basic

composition in arranging sentences, the more vocabularies, the more expressive the

learners. Correct pronunciation helps the listener to understand the speaker’s utterances.

Fluency is needed to make the conversation running well. The communication will have

distraction when the communication is not fluent. Accuracy is also important in speaking

because the conversation involves two people or more who needs the understanding of two

people or more.

Harmer (2007) stated that there are few speaking genres. They are transactional and

interpersonal; interactive and non-interactive; and planned and unplanned. Transactional

genre aims to deliver the message and facilitating services or things, while interpersonal

genre aims to maintain and continue the relationship between the speaker and listener.

Interactive genre happens in two ways communication while non-interactive happens when

someone leave the message on the phone. Then, planned genre happens in the class or

speech, while unplanned genre happens spontaneously when the people meet in the street.

The process of speaking generally divided into four steps. They are pre-speaking,

while-speaking, post-speaking, and extension practice. First step is pre-speaking. In pre-

speaking, the students are given a sequence time to prepare their speaking and teacher

gives the correction on their speaking. There are three ways in doing pre-speaking; pre-task

planning, pre-speaking support, and authentic input. In pre-task planning, the students are

given the time to formulate the idea for their speaking. In pre-speaking support, the

students are given the advise in vocabulary and information used for their speaking. While in

10
authentic input, the students are given the example to speak through authentic media to

make their speaking easier such as videos, audios, or audio visual media.

Second step is while-speaking. In the while-speaking activities, there are few

activities that can be carried out such as speaking task, fluency technique, and forming

automaticity. In speaking task, there are three activities; information gap, problem solving,

and social monologue. In the information gap, the students can bridge the differences and

do brainstorming. In the problem solving, the students can solve the problem collaboratively

using English. In the social monologue, the students can discuss a certain issue in the society.

The fluency technique can be carried out by asking the students to retell the topic being

discussed for a few times. In the forming automaticity, the students are obligated to

memorize vocabularies given by the teacher. Through this memorization, it is expected that

the students use the vocabularies automatically.

Third step is post-speaking. In the post-speaking step, there are three activities of

the accuracy on student’s speaking. They are language focus, self-repair, and corrective

feedback.

Language focus activity refers to the student’s ability in using the language

accurately from the observation on target language, find the similarity and difference

between target language and mother tongue and then integrate the new language into

English language. In the self-repair activity, the students are directed to analyze and evaluate

their own speaking based on their pronunciation, grammar, and vocabularies used. While in

the corrective feedback, there are two kind of feedback;

Teacher and peer feedback; by analyzing the student’s audio from previous speaking

activities. The extension practice is carried out by doing task repetition. Task repetition is

11
giving the revised task to the students. It aims to develop student’s accuracy and fluency in

using oral language.

Significance of speaking and related research

While reading and listening are considered to be the two receptive skills in language

learning and use, writing and speaking are the other two productive skills necessary to be

integrated in the development of effective communication. Of all the four macro English

skills, speaking seems to be the most important skill required for communication (Zaremba,

2006). Effective communication by means of speaking usually creates a number of benefits

for both speakers and business organizations. For example, effective speaking skills result in

achievements during ceremonial speaking activities, job training activities, job interviews,

and many other business purposes (Osborn, Osborn, & Osborn, 2008). Zaremba (2006) also

pointed out a study indicating that speaking skills or communication skills were usually

placed ahead of work experience, motivation, and academic credentials as criteria for new

recruitment for employment. Students who study English as a foreign language (EFL) usually

have limited opportunities to speak English outside the classroom (Zhang, 2009) and also

limited exposure to English speakers or members of the international community. This might

be one reason for teachers to provide more situations and activities for students to

strengthen their speaking competence. Speaking for special communication usually

occurs in contexts where speaking performance is conducted for an audience in differing

circumstances. The principles of public speaking are also intertwined with the development

of speaking for special communication. When a speech involving an audience is taken into

consideration, the act of speaking is considered to be more complicated than general

everyday conversation and a number of other skills are therefore included in the speaking

delivery process, e.g. choosing topics, organizing thoughts, tailoring the message, and

adapting to listener feedback (Lucas, 2001).

12
Strengths and weaknesses of speaking for EFL speakers

There are a number of factors relating to speaking skills to be considered for

effective English speaking performance. Pronunciation, vocabulary, and collocations are

singled out as important factors to be emphasized in building fluency for EFL speakers.

Providing students with a variety of situations and frequent speaking tasks plays a significant

role in the improvement of students’ fluency when speaking (Tam, 1997). Confidence and

competence usually lead to strengths of English speaking skills. Patil (2008) asserted that

building up the learner’s confidence to eliminate fear of making errors was a priority that

the teacher should consider in order to make the learner feel comfortable with their

language use. Confidence and competence in speaking could be developed from

appropriate syllabus design, methods of teaching, and sufficient tasks and materials (Bailey,

2005; Songsiri, 2007). For effectiveness of speaking, Shumin (1997) pointed out a number of

elements involved, including listening skills, sociocultural factors, affective factors, and other

linguistic and sociolinguistic competence such as grammatical, discourse, sociolinguistic, and

strategic competence. In order to convey meaning, EFL learners must have an understanding

of words and sentences; that is, they must understand how words are segmented into

various sounds, and how sentences are stressed in particular ways. This grammatical

competence enables speakers to use and understand English language structures accurately

and unhesitatingly, which contributes to their fluency, which, in turn, develops confidence in

speaking.

Language Competency

According to Hermanto (2008), One of the best known models of language

ability is known as “communicative competence”. This model was developed to account

for the kinds of knowledge people need in order to use language in meaningful interaction.

This term was originally coined by anthropologist Dell Hymes as a means of describing

13
the knowledge language users need in addition to the grammatical forms of the

language. The term was then adopted by the language teaching community after it had

been developed into a model for that field by Michael Canale and Merrill Swain (1980),

then by Sandra Savignon (1997).

This model includes four components: (a) grammatical competence, the ability

to use the forms of the language (sounds, words, and sentence structure), (b) discourse

competence, the ability to understand and create forms of the language that are no

longer than sentences, such as stories, conversations, or business letters. It includes

understanding how particular instances of language use are internally constructed.

Discourse competence also includes understanding how texts relate to the context or

situation in which they are used, (c) sociolinguistic competence, the ability to use

language appropriately in different context. It is our sociolinguistic competence that allows

us to be polite according to the situation we are in and to be able to infer the intentions

of others, (d) strategic competence, the ability to compensate for lack of ability in any of

the other areas. Language learners who really need to communicate in their adopted

language tend to develop a number of strategies for making themselves clear in spite of

their incomplete knowledge.

Perception of Speaking in English

Sukrutrit and Praweerata (2023) investigated the students' perceptions of speaking

English in front of the class versus speaking English via self-recorded videos posted on a

private Facebook group. In Thailand, most Thai students are shy and have less confidence in

speaking English. Providing them with a new type of practicing English might encourage

them to have more confidence when speaking English.

14
 The results revealed that most students preferred speaking English via self-recorded

videos posted on the private Facebook group as opposed to speaking English in front of the

class. They gave various reasons such as gaining more confidence, feeling more relaxed,

having more fun, and experiencing learner autonomy. Thus, using self-recorded videos

posted on the private Facebook group can be an alternative English teaching and learning

tool for English classes in order to enhance students' confidence in speaking English.

Learner’s Speaking Strategies

According to Mitra, Hojjat, and Solmaz (2022) although the ability to speak is often

considered a determining factor of learners ability in the target language, research has given

scant attention to strategies that can be used to improve this skill. The study aimed to shed

light on the speaking strategies that learners use to deal with problems they encounter

when using the target language or to improve the quality of their L2 performance. The study

deployed the Oral Communication Strategy Inventory (OCSI) developed by Nakatani (2006)

to measure the strategies that students use in oral communications. In doing so, adopting

the mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, this study investigated the use of

speaking strategies of low and high proficiency English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners

in performing speaking tasks. The participants of the study were 23 low and 25 high

proficiency students learning English in an institute in Iran. After performing the speaking

tasks, the participants filled out the OCSI questionnaire and answered two open-ended

questions.

The results indicated that low and high proficiency students employ different

strategies. While advanced learners used “accuracy-oriented” strategies the most and

“message abandonment” strategies the least, “message reduction” strategies and “thinking

in English” strategies, respectively, were found to be the most and the least frequently used

by elementary learners. The Mann-Whitney U test indicated that of the six speaking

15
strategies, only “message abandonment” and “thinking in English” strategies were found to

be significantly different between elementary and advanced English learners. This study

contributes in some ways to the understanding of how students’ proficiency level relates to

their strategy use and provides English teachers with a variety of pedagogical methods to

motivate students and enhance their oral production via speaking strategies.

The Challenges While Speaking English

Speaking is taken as the toughest skill to get mastery by the students of EFL contest,

so is the case of Nepal too. Based on the research findings, mainly learners get four major

speaking difficulties such as personal problems, linguistic problems, social problems, and

environmental problems. Lack of confidence, poor vocabulary power, hesitation, anxiety

towards speaking, fear of making mistakes, not having a suitable environment to practice

english, no strong motivation from teachers were some common difficulties students faced

while speaking in English. The second part or objective of the study was to explore the

causes of speaking difficulties. Deducing the themes from the participant’s responses, the

researcher categorized causes into four main themes: teacher/teaching factors,

environmental factors, course content factors, and classroom culture factors. Among the

various causes mainly teacher-centered teaching method, the active role of the teacher in

the classroom, lack of proper environment for speaking practice, poor schooling, overuse of

L1 while teaching English in the classroom, classroom culture, and lack of intense focus on

speaking skills in the course content of the university courses were found major causes of

speaking difficulties. To eliminate these difficulties, the study also suggested 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. The study also

suggested maximizing the group discussion among students and conducting speaking

16
activities such as speaking contests, debate, public speaking, and other activities to offer

learners speaking practice.

B. LOCALE LITERATURE

According to Tapel (2023) with the advent of the 21 st century, English has become

one of the core standards. With this truth, it has become clear that communicative

proficiency in English is an essential skill to become a globally competitive individual. In the

case of the Philippines, students have been shown to gain exceptional grades in the English

subject, but when asked to exhibit their actual abilities, they fall short of what was expected

of them. The information is mostly seen in the students of the old curriculum namely the

RBEC (Revised Basic Education Curriculum) and most probably even the ones before that.

But with the K-12 curriculum that focuses on fixing that problem by allowing students to be

more active in class through various constructivist, collaborative, and integrative activities,

the students of today have shown to be more open and well-versed in the English language.

From the results that were gathered, calculated, and interpreted, it was affirmed that there

is a definite relationship between a student’s perceptions of his communicative competence

and his actual communicative competence.

Furthermore, results show that linguistic competence has the highest rating, making

it the most widely used language ability amongst the respondents, with sociolinguistic

competence coming in as not practiced often. Senior High School students have learned how

to deal on English grammar and word meaning all throughout their school life. They can

speak and pronounce words well and even deliver the lines with better understanding.

However, they do not have much knowledge of other countries’ language code, making it

difficult to communicate to foreigners of various kinds. This outcome tells us that the

school’s English program is doing an exceptional job in enhancing the students’ linguistically,

17
but falls short in the sociolinguistic department. Therefore, it was suggested and imposed

that improvement in the program concerning sociolinguistic competence must continue.

Linguistic and Sociolinguistic Competence

In their study, lonell Jay R Terogo et al. (2018) aimed to determine the linguistic

competencies of Senior High School students in English. The researchers utilized quantitative

and qualitative research methods to gather survey data. The analysis of the random datasets

revealed that the majority of students obtained satisfactory ratings in both the Perceptions

and Abilities Categories. The application of a Chi Square Statistic yielded significant values,

leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. Furthermore, the correlation statistic

indicated a strong relationship between the students’ perceptions and abilities in speaking

competence. The overall results showed that Linguistic Competence was the most

prominent language skill among the students, while Sociolinguistic competence was the

least practiced. This indicates that the students excelled in areas such as phonetics,

pronunciation, Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, and Semantics, while aspects related to

vocabulary, politeness, and language style were less developed. (Terogo et al., 2018)

18
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

I. Research Design

The study on linguistic and speaking competencies in English among first-year

education students at St. Peter’s College of Ormoc will involve the use of survey

questionnaires and interviews. The survey questionnaires will collect quantitative data on

language background, exposure to English, competencies, and confidence. The interviews

will provide qualitative insights into students’ experiences, challenges, and strategies in

developing linguistic and speaking skills. The combination of survey questionnaires and

interviews will enable a comprehensive analysis of the students’ English proficiency,

identifying it’s strength and weaknesses, considering both quantitative and qualitative

aspects.

II. Respondents

This study was conducted at Saint Peter’s College of Ormoc, Ormoc City Leyte. Only

38 First Year and Second Year College of Education Students who were enrolled under the

Bachelor of Secondary Education, Major in English, were made as respondents of this study.

III. Instruments

The survey questionnaire will gather information regarding their English language

proficiency, while audio-recording cellphones in an interview will be used to observe and

evaluate their speaking skills. By combining both quantitative and qualitative data, the study

will provide a comprehensive understanding of the students’ ability to communicate

effectively in English.

19
 IV. Data Collection and Management

The survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview are used in collecting the

data. To measure the strengths and weaknesses of the linguistic and speaking abilities in

English of the respondents, we made use of a multiple choice questions followed by an

open-ended interview. The results in a multiple choice questions were tallied and the

answers for the interview were analyzed to measure the linguistic and speaking

competencies of the respondents.

V. Statistical Treatment

This study used a descriptive statistics to summarize and analyze the data collected.

This will provide a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses in linguistic and speaking

competencies in English among first-year and second-year english students. Creating

frequency distributions of responses to various questions in the survey questionnaire,

showing the number of students with high, moderate, or low levels of linguistic and speaking

competencies. Measures of central tendency such as mean, median, and mode can be used

to describe the average or typical level of linguistic and speaking competencies among the

first-year and second-year English students. These measures will provide an overall

understanding of the competencies of the student population. The measures of dispersion

like range, variance, and standard deviation can be utilized to assess the variability or spread

of linguistic and speaking competencies. This will help identify if there are significant

differences or similarities between the first and second-year students. Graphical

representation can also be used to visually represent the distribution and patterns of

linguistic and speaking competencies among the first-year and second-year English students.

This will allow for a quick and easy understanding of the data.

20
 References

Bailey, K.M. (2005). Practical English Language Teaching: Speaking. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Faculty of Arts, (2004).Undergraduate catalog. Nakhon Pathom, Thailand: Silpakorn University Press.

Goh, C. (2007). Teaching speaking in the language classroom. Singapore: SEAMEO Regional
Language Centre.

Koshy, V. (2005). Action research for improving practice: a practical guide. London: SAGE.

Lucas, S. E. (2001). The art of public speaking. (7th Ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill.

Noon-ura, S. (2008). Teaching listening speaking skills to Thai students with low English proficiency.
Asian EFL Journal. 10(4). 173-192. Retrieved from
http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/December_08_sna.php

Nunan, D. (2006). Task-based language teaching in the Asia context: Defining ‘task’. Asian EFL
Journal, 8 (3),12-18. Retrieved from http://asian-efl- journal.com/Sept_06_dn.php

Osborn, S., Osborn, M., & Osborn, R. (2008). Public speaking guidebook. Boston: Pearson.

Patil, Z.N. (2008). Rethinking the objectives of teaching English in Asia. Asian EFL Journal.10 (4), 227-
240. Retrieved from http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/December_08_zn.php

Shumin, K. (1997). Factors to consider: Developing adult EFL students’ speaking abilities. English
Teaching Forum. 35 (3), 8. Retrieved from
http://eca.state.gov/forum/vols/vol35/no3/p8.htm

Songsiri, M. (2007). An action research study of promoting students’ confidence in speaking English.
(Dissertation of Doctor of Education Degree), School of Arts, Education and Human
Development, Victoria University, Australia. Retrieved from
eprints.vu.edu.au/1492/1/Songsiri.pdf

Tam, M. (1997). Building fluency: a course for non-native speakers of English. English Teaching
Forum, 35(1), 26. Retrieved from http://eca.state.gov/forum/vols/vol35/no1/p26.htm

Trent, J. (2009). Enhancing oral participation across the curriculum: Some lessons from the EAP
classroom. Asian EFL Journal, 11(1), 256-270. Retrieved from http://www.asian-efl-
journal.com/March_09-jt.php

Wei,Y. & Zhou, Y. (2002). Insights into English pronunciation problems of Thai students. Paper
presented at the Annual Meeting of the Quadruple Helix (8th, April 6, 2002). 12 p. ERIC
(ED476746).

Zaremba, A. J. (2006). Speaking professionally. Canada: Thompson South-Western.

Zhang, Y. (2009). Reading to speak: Integrating oral communication skills. English Teaching
Forum,47(1), 32-34. Retrieved from
http://exchanges.state.gov/englishteaching/forum/archives/2009/09-47-1.html

21