ATTITUDE OF GRADE 12 SHS ACADEMICS TRACKS

STUDENT TOWARDS SPEAKING IN ENGLISH

John Lexter V. Jadraque

Patrick Omar K. Sanduyogan
Juharto P. Mansag
Shahannah W. Mokamad
Monaim A. Maguid
John Al Michael M. Chua
Bryan D. Basco
Geron Mikaelry B. Galaura
Kim R. Daquiado
Mc Gil Lance R. Samson
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Introduction

English as the global language has undoubtedly dignified its standing in

global communication essentially targeting both oral and written skills,
however, as observed by the researcher, speaking in English seems to be
very difficult, especially for students at the secondary level. Various factors
affect the learning of speaking English, one of which is attitude. Attitude is
determined by the individual's beliefs about outcomes or attributes of
performing the behaviors (behavioral beliefs), weighted by evaluations of
those outcomes or attributes.

The concern about the learners' attitudes toward the target language was
emphasized by Gardner (1985). He stated that the learners' attitudes towards
learning another language play a key role in enhancing and motivating them
to learn that language. Kara (2009) as cited by Abidin (2012) stated that
attitudes toward learning besides opinions and beliefs have an obvious
influence on students' behaviors and consequently on their performance. It is
argued that those students who possess positive beliefs about language
learning tend to increase more positive attitudes toward language learning.
Attitude is considered an essential factor influencing language performance
and received considerable attention from both first and second-language
researchers.

There are many reasons why student's attitude toward language learning is
important Attitude is one of the factors that influence foreign language
learning because how much effort students put into language learning
depends partly on attitude (Gardner, Lanlonde, and Moorcroft, 1985). Thus,
it can be inferred that learners with a positive attitude towards speaking
English will be more involved in speaking activities and may try to make use
of more strategies that help them deal with their difficulties in the course of
conversation; and learners with a negative attitude will be less willing to
participate in speaking activities. Conversely, negative beliefs may lead to
class anxiety, low cognitive achievement, and negative attitudes (Victori &
Lockhart, 1995).
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Moreover, gender has been an important perspective in second language learning

investigations; highlighting females execute more interests, positive behaviors, and
performances, in comparison to males (Keller, 1983; Aacken, 1999; Dornyei & Shoaib,
2005). These gender differences are due to students' unlike levels of motivation,
attitudes, and anxiety towards language learning, further influenced by their learning
characteristics and styles, lesson content and teaching strategies, social environment
and supportive mechanisms, family influences and peer pressures, cognition levels, and
so forth (Williams, Burden & Lanvers, 2002). Thus, investigating affective aspects has
become vitally important, especially from the gender perspective order to enhance
students' interests and outcomes in second language learning.

Furthermore, in the study concluded by Cabansag (2013) titled "The Attitudinal

Propensity of Students towards strategies in English Language Learning," it was found
that a positive attitude towards English may lead to awareness of the importance of
English and learning it as a compulsory subject. The attitude concept is considered an
essential component in language learning. So, a positive attitude should be the
umbrella of language learning. It is so important to study learners' personalities. For
that reason, the enactive perspective, especially attitude, should be considered in
language research. Senior High School students are expected to have better English
language proficiency, especially their oral communication ability.
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Statement of the Problem

This study looks into the concept of attitude as one of the major affective factors for
success in speaking the English language amongst students. More specifically, it
investigates senior high school students' attitudes towards speaking in English, taking
into consideration their profile variables such as gender and strand.

Objectives of the Study

The present study aimed at investigating the attitude of the students toward speaking in
English, examining whether the attitude of the students towards speaking in English
significantly differs according to their profile variables such as their academic track
strand and sex.
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Significance of the study

The result of the study will be a great benefit to the following: Students. This research
will help the Students gain confidence in speaking English and so it will not be
difficult for them once they enroll in big universities. Teachers. Additionally, this
research will also help the teachers deliver English language instructions to pupils in
the most effective way possible.

Scope and Limitation

The study is focused on the attitude of SHS students of NOTRE DAME OF

MIDSAYAP COLLEGE towards speaking in English .This study intends to determine
the challenges and coping mechanisms of all SHS students towards speaking in
English. This study is only for the SHS students of NOTRE DAME OF MIDSAYAP
COLLEGE
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Definition of Terms

The following are terms from this thesis that the researcher believes should be defined.
This is vital to ensure that future readers of this thesis can easily comprehend its
contents. Language attitude- are evaluative reactions to different language varieties,
they reflect , at least in part, two sequential cognitive Process: social categorization and
stereotyping . It is how people see and perceive the world, and it is also related to
learners difficulties in learning a language. Coping Mechanism- it gives us way dealing
with our problrm kr attitude towards speaking English, and loe knowledge. Gender and
language acquisition- while gender plays an important grammatical role in most
language ( with masculine, feminine and sometimes neither nouns as well as personal
pdo nouns or verbs) Englis makes life little easier for us in this respect. But this hasn’t
always been the case.

Hypothesis

We have observed that most of the Grade 12 SHS Academics Tracks Students who
speak English as it employed descriptive-correlational methods describe their profile
and their attitude. This data was collected from Grade 12 Senior High School
Academic Track students with the use of the English Speaking Attitude Questionnaire
(ESAQ). Results show that both HUMSS and ABM strand students have a positive
attitude towards speaking in English and that speaking in English is important to them
in general. Interestingly, however, these students admitted that they do not speak
English well, and are also worried about making mistakes when they speak English and
afraid of being laughed at when they make mistakes in speaking. this means when
some of us have an assured dialect and use it as our own, we won't get nervous when
speaking and this will lead to good communication, and more confidence for students
to speak.
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Review for Related Literature

 
Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the attitudes of students towards
speaking in English. This literature review aims to summarize the findings of previous
research related to Attitude of Grade 12 SHS Academics Tracks Students Towards
Speaking in English.

Related Literature

A research study that aimed to understand the attitudes of first semester students of the
English Education Study Program at Tanjungpura University towards speaking English
during the academic year 2014/2015. The research used a descriptive method and data
was collected through a questionnaire given to 70 students. The questionnaires were
distributed on December 15th 2014 to 3 classes, A, B, and C, of the English Education
Study Program. The results of the study showed that 63% of the students had a positive
attitude towards speaking English, while 37% had a negative attitude. The study also
found that 63% of students had low language anxiety, 37% of students had high
language anxiety, 63% of students had high self-confidence and 37% of students had
low self-confidence, 63% of students had high willingness to communicate and 37% of
students had low willingness to communicate (Tambunan, et al., n.d.). A similar study
titled "Japanese University Students' Attitudes toward Speaking Situations" conducted
a study that used three main variables, language anxiety, self-confidence and
willingness to communicate, to describe students' attitudes. The findings of this study
showed that when students felt less anxiety, they had more self-confidence and a
greater willingness to communicate in English (Iwamoto 2009).
 
Another previous research study was also conducted by investigating the relationship
between the attitude towards speaking in English, exposure to oral communication in
English, and the use of communication strategies by English majors in Vietnam. The
study found that students who held a positive attitude towards speaking English
reported a higher frequency and greater variety of strategy use than those who held a
negative attitude. Additionally, the study found that students who held a negative
attitude towards speaking English tended to have average or low levels of oral
proficiency and may not like to speak the language due to a lack of self-confidence in
their conversational ability (Bui 2013).
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

The work of Gardner (1985), has highlighted the significance of learners' attitudes
towards learning another language in terms of motivating and improving the learning
process. According to Kara (2009), attitudes towards language learning, in addition to
opinions and beliefs, have a clear impact on students' behaviors and performance.
Those who hold positive beliefs about language learning are more likely to develop
positive attitudes towards language learning. However, learners with negative attitudes
are less likely to engage in speaking activities, and negative beliefs can lead to negative
attitudes, anxiety, and poor cognitive achievement (Victori & Lockhart, 1995).
 
Gender has been a significant area of focus in second language learning research, with
studies suggesting that females tend to exhibit more interest, positive behaviors and
better performance compared to males (Keller, 1983; Aacken, 1999; Dornyei & Shoaib,
2005). These gender differences are thought to stem from dissimilar levels of
motivation, attitudes, and anxiety towards language learning, which are further
influenced by factors such as learning characteristics and styles, lesson content and
teaching strategies, social environment and support, family influences and peer
pressure, cognitive abilities, and more (Williams, et al., 2013).
 
The literature suggests that the attitudes of students towards speaking in English are
generally positive. However, the attitudes may vary depending on the specific context
and the opportunities provided for students to speak in English in class. Previous
research on students' attitudes towards speaking in English has highlighted the
importance of attitudes in language learning and their impact on students' behaviors
and performance. Studies have found that students with positive attitudes towards
speaking English tend to have higher levels of self-confidence, lower language anxiety,
and a greater willingness to communicate. Research has also shown that exposure to
oral communication in English and the use of communication strategies can influence
students' attitudes towards speaking English. Additionally, gender has been identified
as a significant factor in second language learning, with studies suggesting that females
tend to exhibit more positive attitudes and better performance compared to males.
Factors such as learning characteristics, social environment, and family influences can
also play a role in shaping students' attitudes towards speaking English
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Reference

Tambunan, E. R., Sutapa, G., & Susilawati, (n.d.) The Attitude Towards Speaking
English.
https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/213730-the-attitude-towards-speaking-engl
ish.pdf
Iwamoto, N. (2009) Japanese University Students’ Attitudes toward English Speaking
Situations No. 19. 1-18. http://id.ndl.go.jp/bib/10999506
Bui. (2013). The Effect of Attitude towards Speaking English and Exposure to Oral
Communication in English on Use of Communication Strategies by English Majors in
Vietnam. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Vol.3 (2).
https://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0213/ijsrp-p14139.pdf
Gardner, R. (1985). Social Psychology and Second Language Learning: The Role of
Attitude and Motivation. London: Edward Arnold. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0083787
Kara, A. (2009). The Effect of a ‘Learning Theories’ Unit on Students’ Attitudes
towards Learning. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 34(3), 100- 113.
http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol34/iss3/5
Victori, M. & Lockhart, W. (1995). Enhancing metacognition in self-directed language
learning. System. https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251X(95)00010-H
Keller, J. (1983). Motivational design of instruction. Instructional design theories and
models. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203824283
Aacken, S. V. (1999). What motivates L2 learners in acquisition of kanji using CALL:
A case study. Computer Assisted Language Learning.
https://doi.org/10.1076/call.12.2.113.5723
Dornyei, Z. & Shoaib, A. (2005). Affect in lifelong learning: Exploring L2 motivation
as a dynamic process.
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/ba734f_55dd63002e47426496ebfd5ed0f0dd52.pdf?inde
x=true
Williams, M., Burden, R. & Lanvers, U. (2013). French is the language of love and
stuff: Student perceptions of issues related to motivation in learning a foreign
language. https://doi.org/10.1080/0141192022000005805
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Theoretical Framework

Attitude of grade 12 SHS academic tracks student towards speaking in English

theoretical the attitude of grade 12 academic track students towards speaking in
English is the Social Identity Theory. According to this theory, individuals identify
with certain social groups based on shared characteristics and experiences, and their
attitudes and behaviors are influenced by how they perceive their group to be evaluated
by society. Therefore, the attitude of grade 12 academic track students towards
speaking in English may be influenced by how they perceive their social group (i.e.
academic track students) to be viewed by society in relation to their proficiency in the
language. Additionally, The Social Identity Theory can be used to explain the influence
of the school culture and the teacher attitude on the students attitude towards speaking
in English. In the context of the attitude of grade 12 students in academic tracks
towards speaking in English, a theoretical framework would include concepts and
assumptions related to language acquisition, motivation, and self-efficacy. One
theoretical that could be used to understand this phenomenon is the Social Cognitive
Theory (SCT) of language acquisition. This theory states that language acquisition is a
result of a combination of social factors, cognitive processes, and individual
characteristics. According to SCT, a student's attitude towards speaking in English is
shaped by their past experiences, perceived capabilities, and the attitudes of those
around them. Another theoretical that could be used is the Self-Determination Theory
(SDT), which posits that individuals are motivated to engage in activities that they
perceive as being in line with their values, beliefs, and goals. In this case, students who
feel motivated to speak English well and see it aligning with their goals and aspirations
would tend to have a positive attitude towards speaking in English. Finally, the Self-
Efficacy Theory of Bandura may be used as a theoretical framework. It suggests that a
person's belief in their ability to perform a task affects their motivation and
performance. Hence, students who have a high sense of self-efficacy towards their
English speaking ability would tend to have a positive attitude towards speaking in
English. It's worth noting that these theories are not mutually exclusive and could be
used together to gain a comprehensive understanding of the attitude of grade 12
students in academic tracks towards speaking in English.
 Notre Dame of Midsayap College
Senior High School Department
Quezon Ave., Poblacion 5, Midsayap, Cotabato

Conceptual Framework

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

• Age • Emotional state

• Gender • Attitude

Figure 1.0 Schematic Diagram showing the relationship between independent and
dependent variable As show in the figure ,this study is made up of two different
variables .

The independent variables is the Age and Gender. The dependent variables are the
emotional states and attitudes of SHS of Notre Dame of Midsayap College and how
they cope with the difficulties of learning English language