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Difficulties in English

This chapter introduces the background and context of the study. The study aims to understand the reasons for difficulties in English communication faced by Humanities and Social Sciences students in St. Anthony's School of Matain, Inc. The chapter outlines the research questions, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework. The study will focus on understanding how students' profiles, education, motivation, and practices impact their English communication skills development. The results intend to help students, teachers, the school, and community. Key terms are also defined for clarity.
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100% found this document useful (2 votes)
2K views39 pages

Difficulties in English

This chapter introduces the background and context of the study. The study aims to understand the reasons for difficulties in English communication faced by Humanities and Social Sciences students in St. Anthony's School of Matain, Inc. The chapter outlines the research questions, theoretical framework, and conceptual framework. The study will focus on understanding how students' profiles, education, motivation, and practices impact their English communication skills development. The results intend to help students, teachers, the school, and community. Key terms are also defined for clarity.
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 39

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction

English is the language of science, technology and global communication. It plays a

vital role in an individual's development in coping up with the growing society. English

being the universal language, should be a student’s fundamental skill. Students use

English more frequent only inside the class while less frequently outside

(Hetrakul,1995). Whereas, students might be learning English inside the class but is not

practiced once outside in order to be more familiar with the language.

Communication is defined as a process by which information is exchanged between

individuals through a common system. Having it done through verbal and written is easy

as long as the speaker uses his mother tongue.

In Senior high school, Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS) students have to

be skilled in this language because of their field of study. Well-developed

communication skills, especially English is one major need in this field of study.

In this research, the researchers aim to know the reasons behind the difficulties of

HUMSS students in English communication. The research also aims to know the factors

existing and affecting these difficulties.

The research will help the students to be aware of their own difficulties. It will also

be more helpful to the teachers discover these difficulties encountered by their students,

1
and consequently, help them grow and develop to be more effective and productive when

these factors are considered.

1.2 Research Locale

Figure 1: Map Showing the Research Locale

Legend:

- St. Anthony’s School of Matain, Inc.

The researchers wanted to know the difficulties faced by students in St. Anthony’s

School of Matain, Inc. so the study was conducted at the specified school which is

located at Matain, Subic Zambales.

The respondents are the Academic Strand-Humanities and Social Sciences students

of the school’s Senior High School Department.

2
1.3 Framework of the Study

1.3.1 Theoretical Framework

English being the universal language is a must to study especially to a Humanities

and Social Studies student but English communication has been a difficulty for the

students, whether speaking or writing is a struggle. English grammar made it difficult

because of its complex rules, preferred and accepted words and grammars.

The study is focused on factors affecting the difficulties in English communication.

1.3.2 Conceptual Framework

The focus of this study was undertaken by the following conceptual framework

shown in figure 2 below which has three parts process: input, process, and output.

Input. This includes the profile of the student respondents including their age,

gender, and grade level so we can be able to identify their answers. Students in Senior

High School have different strengths according to their and sense of maturity in

processing with their own thinking and perception. The researchers have identified the

connection between their profile and the difficulties in English Communication they

face; their ability to communicate in English as well as the exercises in the past and

present to improve their communication skill.

Process. The research process includes distributing the questionnaires to the students of
the specified track and strand, tallying the data gathered and using the statistical tools:
frequency count and percentage. The questionnaire aims to know the level of self-
awareness of the students themselves to these difficulties they currently face.

3
Output. This study will be able to provide awareness to English Communication

Difficulties that is encountered by Humanities and Social Sciences students of St.

Anthony’s School of Matain. Inc. This can be used as a basis for teachers, especially of

English subject to counter the problem with these students. The students themselves will

also be aware that students of the same strand encounter the same difficulties.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT


Part 1: Profile of the
Student A. Questionnaire Improvement to English
 Age Communication Skills of
B. Tallying of Data
 Gender
Humanities and Social
 Address C. Statistical Tools
Sciences Students of St.
 Grade Level
 Frequency Count Anthony’s School of
 Family Background
Matain,Inc.
 Percentage
Part 2: Difficulties in
English Communication
 Ability to speak in
English
 Exercises done to
improve English
communication skill

Figure 2: Conceptual Framework of the Study

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1.4 Statement of the Problem

The study aimed to find out the reasons behind the difficulties in English

communication of Humanities and Social Studies students in St. Anthony’s School of

Matain, Inc.

Specifically, the researchers intend to answer the following questions:

1. What are are the reasons behind the difficulties in English communication of

the students?

2. How does the relationship between the student’s origin affect this difficulty as a

factor?

3. How does the relationship between the student’s current education affect this

difficulty as a factor?

4. How do previous and current teachers motivate the students as a factor affecting

the difficulties in English communicaton?

5. How do previous and current teachers practice the students as a factor affecting

the difficulties in English communicaton?

6. How do students respond in the practices given by the previous and current

English teacher?

7. How does the way of motivation and educating of previous and current teachers

affect the development in English Communication of HUMSS students?

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1.5 Hypotheses and Assumption

The researches formulated the following hypotheses in attempt to solve the problem:

1. Students face difficulties in English communication.

2. There is no significant relationship with the student’s origin and current

education status and the difficulty in English communication.

3. The student’s motivation, practices, and performance affect the development

of the student’s English communication skills.

4. These English communication difficulties of the students are affected by how the

previous and current teachers educate and motivate them.

1.6 Scope and Limitation

The study focused on the factors affecting the difficulties in English communication

of the Humanities and Social Sciences students of St. Anthony’s School of Matain, Inc.

with respect to the student’s profile which includes name, grade level, age, gender,

address and family background: mother and father’s name, age, occupation, educational

attainment, and number of siblings. The study was conducted during the first semester of

the school.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The researchers viewed that the following benefits may be derived from the study:

6
To the students, the result of the study will be helpful in particularly for those who

are having the same difficulties. They will learn more about their weaknesses and as a

response, learn to overcome these weaknesses. The students will be able to adjust in

these difficulties as a result.

To the English teachers, the output of the study will help them to determine which

lessons require more focus. It will help them to seek more helpful strategies as counter

measurements. The result of the study could serve as baseline information to further the

knowledge of the teachers in the factor that could possibly be affecting the development

of the learners.

To the school, the result of the study will help to achieve higher quality education as

a result of aware and well-trained teachers and better performance of the students.

To the community, the study results can help stabilize the condition of the society

through competent teachers and high performing students.

To the other researchers, it can be used as future guide and basis in knowing the

difficulties in English communication of the students.

1.8 Definition of Terms

The following terms have been defined operationally to provide a clearer

understanding of the variables in the study.

Autonomy. It is defined as self-directing freedom and especially moral independence.

Baseline. It is used as a line serving as a basis.

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Consequently. It means as a result.

Communication. In this study, it is a process by which information is exchanged

between individuals.

Competent. It is defined as having requisite or adequate ability or qualities.

Complex. It is used as a whole made up of complicated or interrelated parts.

Factors. It means a circumstance, fact, or influence that contributes to a result.

Fundamental. In this study, it is forming a necessary base or core.

Humanities and Social Studies. In this research, it is used as a strand in senior high

school.

Mother Tongue. This is the language which a person has grown up speaking from early

childhood.

Respondents. The persons who responded to the study’s survey.

Society. The community of people living in a particular country or region and having

shared customs, laws, and organizations.

Vital. It means that something is absolutely necessary.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES AND LITERATURE

This chapter includes books, ideas, finished thesis, generalization or conclusions,

methodologies and others. Those that were included in this chapter help in familiarizing

information that are relevant and similar to the present study.

2.1 Local

The Philippines is recognized globally as one of the largest English-speaking

nations, with the majority of its population having at least some degree of fluency in the

language. English has always been one of the country’s official languages, and is spoken

by more than 14 million Filipinos. It is the language of commerce and law, as well as the

primary medium of instruction in education.

Proficiency in the language is also one of the Philippines’ strengths, which has

helped drive the economy and even made it the top voice outsourcing destination in the

world, surpassing India in 2012. The influx of foreign learners of English is also on the

rise due to the relatively more affordable but quality English as a Second Language

(ESL) programs being offered locally.

Linguists and language specialists have concluded that there is nothing wrong with

code-switching, i.e., using English and Filipino, when discussing difficult concepts in

subjects like Science and Math. Moreover, they found out that students in their early

years (Grades 1 to 2) learn concepts better when they are taught in their native languages.

In short, one’s first tongue – or the language one has imbibed like mother’s milk – is best

in laying the foundations for learning.

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But this doesn’t indicate the uselessness of English. Learning in English can be

introduced in Grade 3 for those whose first language is not English, and we are talking

here of a majority of Filipinos. The foundations having been prepared, the students can

now navigate the shoals of concepts and arrive at insights using another, borrowed

tongue. How so? It is because they would already have the confidence to form concepts

and insights without translating them in their minds three times, i.e., from Ilocano to

Tagalog to English.

The Philippines has a long relationship with the English language, beginning at the

turn of the 20th century with the American occupation of the country, following the

Spanish-American War and the subsequent Philippine-American War. More than 100

years later, the Philippines is officially a bilingual nation under the country's constitution,

which distinguishes Filipino as the national language with both Filipino and English as

official languages for communication and instruction.

English-language policy in the Philippines in recent decades has resulted in many

fundamental changes in Filipino society. These changes have made the country more

attractive to visitors from English-speaking countries. In fact, tourism in the Philippines

is booming. In the years from 2004 to 2014, the annual number of foreign tourists

visiting the Philippines more than doubled from 2.3 million to over 4.8 million.

In 2017, the total number of visitors to the nation was 6.6 million, a 50% increase

from just three years prior. Four of the top 10 nationalities visiting the Philippines were

from English-speaking countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and

Australia.

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Bachelor of Secondary Education and Master of Arts in Education graduate, Donita

Canceran’s study “Attitude of Grade 12 SHS Academic Tracks Students towards

Speaking in English” concluded that the matter of learner’s attitude is acknowledged as

one of the most important factors that impact on learning language. Hence, this study

employed descriptive-correlational method as it described the students’ profile and their

attitude towards speaking in English. It also ascertained the relationship between the

students’ attitude towards speaking in English and their profile variables and the

difference of their attitude when grouped by sex and strand. The data were 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 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 thus they are worried about making mistakes

when they speak English and they are afraid of being laughed at when they make

mistakes in speaking. The students also believe that they need to learn speaking in

English because they might need it in their future job and that practicing it will make

them better speakers of English. The study found no significant relationship between the

attitude of the respondents towards speaking in English and their profile variables.

Likewise, it ascertained no significant difference in the attitude of the students towards

speaking in English when grouped according to sex and strand. The implication of these

results redounds to the emphasis on the importance of classroom motivation to improve

students’ attitude towards speaking in English.

11
Pardon the irony, but if there’s one trait Filipinos are proud of as a people, it is their

capacity to speak a foreign language. Speaking fluent English is our country’s strategic

edge that has attracted foreign investors to set up companies and outsource labor.

Some pertinent questions arise from the incident: what does it mean when Juana

dela Cruz uses a foreign language to belittle her fellow Filipina? Why do we use English

to intimidate our countrymen who cannot speak it fluently? How did we come to this

point where we use English as a tool for division in our nation?

It all starts in our schools. For one, our curriculum and subjects are severely

disjointed. We may be teaching English well, but there is a lack of integration with other

subjects. Take Values Education. Wouldn’t it be worthwhile if English classes could also

discuss the ethical considerations of being fluent in a foreign language because of the

privilege of being enrolled in a renowned private school? The class could discuss how

people abuse this entitlement to make it to the top echelon of companies simply because

other employees could not afford steep tuition fees.

More importantly, we detach the teaching of English from our country’s history.

Ambeth Ocampo quoted a historical document from 1918 that contains then US

Secretary of Education Charles Yeater proudly reporting how English has been taught

successfully in the Philippines. Through Ocampo’s research, we find that Yeater wrote,

“The English language will not only be the common medium of exchange among people

but will be the language which will practically be exclusively used in the government

and legislative service ... The native dialects will continue to be used for home purposes

for many years, possibly for one or two generations. They cannot afford a medium of

12
intellectual exchange because of the poverty of their vocabularies and because those

speaking the various dialects are unable to understand each other.”

Considering this historical context of how English was taught to replace and

displace our own “dialects,” it is evident then how English can have the capacity to

divide the nation between the westernized haves and the aboriginal have-nots. By

detaching our teaching of English from History, we have taught our students to wield a

double-edged sword highlighting only its advantages but cowering away from discussing

the wounds it has wrought and inflicted on our sense of nationalism as Filipinos.

Fluency in English will continue to be a most useful skill set of every educated

Filipino. It is already part of our culture and global identity as a bilingual nation. For this,

we should be proud. But languages, because of their capacity for communication, must

only be used to unite people and never to divide us by distinguishing the educated from

the underprivileged. 

If teachers continue to be negligent in encouraging students to rethink and reflect on

how they should use the skills learned in school, then we would continue to perpetuate

the practice of some people who use their education to advance self at the expense of the

disadvantaged other. Christian writer CS Lewis counseled, “Education without values

makes us clever devils.” Are Filipino teachers content with producing English-speaking

ones?

To say that our students’ knowledge of the English language has deteriorated is a

gross understatement.

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The first, and the most crucial, reason for their bad English is their negative attitude

today toward the language.  Students often say, “Mag-Filipino tayo, Pilipino tayo eh.”

Or: “Pa-English-English pa!”

These statements give the impression that they consider it unpatriotic to be talking

in English, but do they really? Aren’t these words that they have picked up from their

parents and their non-English teachers? It is disappointing that students who are taught

critical thinking in school mimic the words of fools.

Saying “Makabayan ako, magpi-Filipino ako” is, in many cases, just an excuse not

to learn English, a way to cover up insecurities about speaking the language.

But even when they do not say anything, you can sense there is something wrong about

how students regard English.

Whenever you ask someone to speak in front of the class, some of the students give

one another meaningful looks, or make faces at their classmate who is speaking. Others

simply do not listen.

They do not realize that whenever they sneer by words or facial expressions—“Pa-

Ingles-Ingles pa!” “Nosebleed!”—they discourage their classmates from using the

language for fear of being ostracized. (I hope my students are reading this.)

English is taught as early as Kindergarten in most schools, so it is shocking for me

to find some high school students who cannot even construct a sentence. What happened

during their six years of elementary school education?

It seems that English is not taught clearly and adequately in grade school,

particularly the parts of speech. If students acquire the necessary knowledge and skills in

14
the language in their formative years (teachers, you know this), they will not have a hard

time in high school.

As we know, the older a student gets, the harder it is for a student to learn a new

language.

A second problem is that many Filipinos feel intimidated by someone who speaks

fluent English. This should not be the case.

No language should be viewed as superior to others. We teach and learn English not

because it is a better language than the others but because, for now at least, it is the

global language for business, media, science and many more human activities.

We need to actively teach our students the value of English as a second language

and the benefits they can derive from being able to write and speak it fluently.

English is not only for intelligent people, but for everyone who is educated.

If we are fluent in the language, there will be no feeling of intimidation. English

does not make one better; it makes one equal to others.

Lack of practice is another problem. Students have so little time to speak and write

English.

In school, they spend an hour in English class where they are supposed to learn to

be conversant in the language. But that is not often the case because English teachers

have to make time for other language macro-skills.

At home, many students spend hours playing computer games and logging on to

Facebook and other social networking sites. The games are hardly verbal and the

language in social media is often faulty. Where is the opportunity for the young to learn

correct English?

15
If there is lack of practice, there is also malpractice.

News reports tell us of errors in textbooks, especially those to be used in K-12

(Kindergarten to Grade 12). The errors can be corrected, but what is beyond our control

is the students’ choice of reading materials when they are on their own.

It may surprise and worry you that the trending books are not those with superb

literary value, written by William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe and other literary giants.

Inside the books that our students are reading these days are comma-spliced and

run-on phrases, instances of incorrect subject-verb agreement and sentences that end not

just with one but a whole set of punctuation marks (!?!?!…?!).

It is disturbing that anyone can publish books in the Philippines without having

them checked by good editors, and even sell them through reputable bookstores.

We learn to write by reading. So, let us not expect our students to write well if the

books they are reading are full of errors.

What students hear also affects how they learn English. What we hear most of the

time, we tend to say unconsciously. This is why you find yourself singing a song that you

hear constantly although you don’t particularly like it.

Even if I say “se-re-MOW-nee” (stress on the third syllable, mow) in class, my

students still put the stress on the second syllable because other teachers keep

pronouncing “ceremony” that way (“se-RE-moh-ni”).

If there is one English teacher who uses the right pronunciation but there are seven

or eight others who do not, there will be no transfer of learning in a one-hour English

class.

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The truth is, all of us using the language in school are indirectly teaching English.

So let us follow this simple guide: If you cannot teach the students proper English, do not

confuse them with your English.

All teachers, even those who do not teach English, have to participate in the task of

changing our students’ attitude toward the language. We should give them more

opportunities to use English, to correct improper usage and to be proficient in the

language.

2.2 Foreign

MA completer in 2014 and ME and Professional Studies in Research completer at

Griffith University, Eunjae Park’s study “International students’ accented English—

Communication difficulties and developed strategies” states that the purpose of the

present investigation is to explore the communication challenges caused by accented

English along with strategies of international students in the Australian context. A

quantitative approach was employed in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of

the linguistic experience of the students. Participants comprised 182 international

students who spoke English as a second language and were undertaking undergraduate

and postgraduate programs at three universities in South East Queensland. Results

revealed that they experienced accent-related problems particularly in an educational

setting. Their preferred strategies to overcome such difficulties were in conflict with

what they regarded as the most effective strategies.

Dr. Ahmed Maher Mahmoud Al Nakhalah study “Problems and Difficulties of

Speaking That Encounter English Language Students at Al Quds Open University” aims

at exploring the speaking difficulties encountered by English language students at Al

17
Quds Open University. The study more over aims at exploring the causes of such

difficulties. The researcher used the experimental method so as to show and measure the

speaking difficulties encountered by English language students at Al Quds Open

University. The researcher designed an interview to be applied on the sample of the

study. Such interview will be applied for each student to investigate speaking difficulties

and the causes of such difficulties. The results showed and indicated there some

difficulties in the speaking of the students due to some reasons such as fear of mistake,

shyness, anxiety and lack of confidence. The researcher adopted some recommendations

the most important one is to establish an environment support and encourage the students

to speak English frequently, and he suggested carrying out more researches and studies

regarding speaking difficulties encountered by English language students.

English Education Study Program, Language and Arts Education Department,

Teacher Training and Education Faculty of Tanjungpura University, Pontianak,

DeaAriesFitriani, RahayuApriliaswati, Wardah’s “A Study On Student’s English

Speaking Problems in Speaking Programs” focuses on student’s English speaking

problems and the aim of this research is to find out the most dominant problem in

speaking performance faced by the third semester students of English Education Study

Program of FKIP Tanjungpura University Pontianak in their speaking performance. The

research method used in this research is the descriptive method. The writer uses

questionnaire and video recording as the tools of data collection. From the questionnaire

findings, psychological problems is the most dominant problem faced by the third

semester students of English Education Study Program of FKIP Tanjungpura University

Pontianak with mean percentage 20.70%; lack of self-confidence 20.11% and anxiety

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21.27%. It is followed by linguistic problems with mean percentage 19.53%; grammar

22.16%, vocabulary 20.19%, and pronunciation 16.25%. In conclusion, psychological

problems is the most dominant problem faced by the third semester students of English

Education Study Program of FKIP Tanjungpura University Pontianak.

English has achieved prime status by becoming the most widely spoken language in

the world – if one disregards proficiency – ahead of Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.

English is spoken in 101 countries, while Arabic is spoken in 60, French in 51, Chinese

in 33, and Spanish in 31. From one small island, English has gone on to acquire lingua

franca status in international business, worldwide diplomacy, and science.

But the success of English – or indeed any language – as a “universal” language

comes with a hefty price, in terms of vulnerability. Problems arise when English is a

second language to either speakers, listeners, or both. No matter how proficient they are,

their own understanding of English, and their first (or “native”) language can change

what they believe is being said.

When someone uses their second language, they seem to operate slightly differently

than when they function in their native language. This phenomenon has been referred to

as the “foreign language effect”. Research from our group has shown that native speakers

of Chinese, for example, tended to take more risks in a gambling game when they

received positive feedback in their native language (wins), when compared to negative

feedback (losses). But this trend disappeared – that is, they became less impulsive –

when the same positive feedback was given to them in English. It was as if they are more

rational in their second language.

19
While reduced impulsiveness when dealing in a second language can be seen as a

positive thing, the picture is potentially much darker when it comes to human

interactions. In a second language, research has found that speakers are also likely to be

less emotional and show less empathy and consideration for the emotional state of others.

For instance, we showed that Chinese-English bilinguals exposed to negative words

in English unconsciously filtered out the mental impact of these words. And Polish-

English bilinguals who are normally affected by sad statements in their native Polish

appeared to be much less disturbed by the same statements in English.

In another recent study by our group, we found that second language use can even

affect one’s inclination to believe the truth. Especially when conversations touch on

culture and intimate beliefs.

Since second language speakers of English are a huge majority in the world today,

native English speakers will frequently interact with non-native speakers in English,

more so than any other language. And in an exchange between a native and a foreign

speaker, the research suggests that the foreign speaker is more likely to be emotionally

detached and can even show different moral judgments.

And there is more. While English provides a phenomenal opportunity for global

communication, its prominence means that native speakers of English have low

awareness of language diversity. This is a problem because there is good evidence that

differences between languages go hand-in-hand with differences in conceptualization of

the world and even perception of it.

In 2009, we were able to show that native speakers of Greek, who have two words

for dark blue and light blue in their language, see the contrast between light and dark

20
blue as more salient than native speakers of English. This effect was not simply due to

the different environment in which people are brought up in either, because the native

speakers of English showed similar sensitivity to blue contrasts and green contrasts, the

latter being very common in the UK.

On the one hand, operating in a second language is not the same as operating in a

native language. But, on the other, language diversity has a big impact on perception and

conceptions. This is bound to have implications on how information is accessed, how it

is interpreted, and how it is used by second language speakers when they interact with

others.

We can come to the conclusion that a balanced exchange of ideas, as well as

consideration for others’ emotional states and beliefs, requires a proficient knowledge of

each other’s native language. In other words, we need truly bilingual exchanges, in

which all involved know the language of the other. So, it is just as important for English

native speakers to be able to converse with others in their languages.

The US and the UK could do much more to engage in rectifying the world’s

language balance, and foster mass learning of foreign languages. Unfortunately, the best

way to achieve near-native foreign language proficiency is through immersion, by

visiting other countries and interacting with local speakers of the language. Doing so

might also have the effect of bridging some current political divides.

Learning a second language is never easy. Learning English as a second language is

even less easy. Particularly if you are learning English outside of an English-speaking

country. For instance, English language learners in African countries like Nigeria,

Ghana, Liberia, Zambia, Malawi, and some other African countries face a lot of

21
challenges because English is not the native language of these countries. Just as there are

problems faced in learning English as foreign language, so there are challenges in

learning English as second language.

These English language learners often face the following challenges.

Unqualified teachers-this is the most significant and the most overlooked problem.

What makes this problem so difficult to solve is that, since many communities are

English language learners, they cannot determine who is a good English teacher and who

isn't. Whatever the teacher says, whether correct or incorrect, will be taken as correct by

the learner.

This has led to a lot of confusion among learners because different teachers tell

them different things. One of the main causes of this problem is the difficulty teachers

have translating from their native languages. For instance, the word ‘cup’ is pronounced

by different teachers as either [kap], [kop], or with a vowel sound that does not exist in

English. For instance, the sound /Λ/ does not exist in the sound systems of many African

languages, so even teachers sometimes have problems pronouncing it.

Limited Learning Environments-When I talk about limited learning environments,

I'm not referring to the weather, the availability of furniture in the classrooms, or the

location of the school. While all of these factors can affect learning, in learning English,

what happens outside of class matters most. In most cases, students only make an effort

to speak proper English in the classroom when they are under supervision. Moreover,

students don’t always hear people around them speaking proper English. As a result, it

becomes more difficult to learn correct English.

22
Learning materials refer to items that aid in the learning process. Books may be a

necessary material, but books are not enough by themselves. Audio tools are also needed.

As observed above, if a student sees a sound symbol in a book, how does he/she know

how to pronounce it? The fact is, students of English Language graduate into teachers of

the English language without ever getting to hear the correct pronunciation by a native

speaker.

Students also study haphazardly. They have books to read but they can’t tell how

certain words are said. How would a student know how to pronounce the word ‘ewe’?

He/she must hear the right pronunciation from his/her teacher or from a native speaker of

English. Students tend to learn from movies they watch but they often learn the wrong

things because movies contain slang and dialects that are not appropriate in many forms

of communication.

Students don't take their study seriously

In this case, students often think that the same English they speak at home or on the

street is the same they will write in their exams. However, because communication

doesn't have to be grammatically correct in order to be intelligible, students don’t always

always abide by the rules they learned in school and therefore do not get fully educated

and/or pass their tests.

It is also the case that students don’t study English as much as they study other

subjects. In most cases, students study English only in the classroom when the teacher is

teaching. After the class, they drop their books and wait for the next class. They don’t

study pronunciation, they don’t study essay writing, and they don’t make an effort to

learn new words. They bring every little problem to the teacher during classes, even

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things they could just look it up in the dictionary. When learners make mistakes and are

corrected, they often say “It is not my language after all.” This greatly affects their

ability to learn English.

Other problems can also be considered. Even with qualified teachers, adequate

materials, and exposure to native English speakers, there are still a number of problems

that any ESL student will face.

Over-use of native language in the classroom

Students learn another language best when they're forced to use it. Teachers must be

vigilant about requiring students to communicate in English and only in English—even if

they're just talking to each other. If you know the students' native language, pretend in

the classroom that you don't—as that will force them to make requests and respond to

questions in English. This problem comes from the cultural demands of the family and

society.

Students become too dependent on the teacher

Part of learning anything means figuring out how to solve problems on your own. If

a student goes to the teacher with every little problem s/he runs into, then the student will

never be able to learn the language on their own. If students insist that they don't know

how to say or do something on their own, they need to be reassured that they actually can

with positive feedback and encouragement.

Strong students dominate the class

No matter how well students are sorted, there will still be differences in how much

students know and how quickly they can learn. Setting the pace of the class to to keep up

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with the strongest students will leave the weaker ones behind. Weaker students shouldn't

be forgotten in classroom discussions and activities.

CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

As it is indicated in the title, this chapter includes the research methodology of the

study. In more details, in this part, the author outlines the research method or design, the

population or respondents, the validation of instruments, the methods of data collection,

the selection of the sample, the research process, the type of data analysis, the ethical

considerations and the research limitations of the study.

3.1 Research Design

This study was conducted to assess the difficulties in English communication

Humanities and Social Sciences students of St. Anthony’s School of Matain, Inc. utilized

by causal-comparative using survey research. Present research have been done,

interpreted, reviewed and examined by the researchers. A questionnaire comprised of

twelve questions is used for survey. For this purpose, students were given survey forms

individually. The data collected by this survey was analyzed to present figures and

graphical explanation. The questionnaires were distributed one by one and get back at the

same time after they finished. The research is designed to address the two following

questions:

 What are the reasons why Humanities and Social Sciences students of St. Anthony’s

School of Matain, Inc. are having difficulties in English Communication?

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 What are the factors that contribute to the existence of these communication

difficulties?

3.2 Population/Respondent

The researchers prepared 19 survey questionnaires with 10 questions and answered

by 19 Humanities and Social Sciences Students of St. Anthony School of Matain, Inc.

both grades 11 and 12.

3.3 Validation of Instrument

To ensure the validation of instrument, the survey questionnaire was submitted to the

Research teacher for corrections, comments, and suggestions. The questionnaire was

returned and reproduced and proceeded with distribution.

3.4 Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers distributed the survey questions individually through direct

approached with the Humanities and Social Sciences students of St. Anthony’s School of

Matain, Inc. receiving the permission to conduct the survey. After data was gathered

from the survey, frequency and percentage were computed to interpret the data. Since the

researchers were students of the same track-strand, the researchers were able to easily

acquire the data needed for the study. Given the fact that they were of the same track-

strand of the same school, the opinion and personal insights of the researchers became of

help to the study.

3.5 Treatment of data

All gathered by the instrument were tallied, calculated, analyzed, and interpreted.
26
The data was treated by the following:

Formula:

% = F ÷ N × 100

Where:

% = Percentage

F = Frequency

N = Total number of respondents

100 = Constant value

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CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

In this chapter, the frequency and percentage of the survey results will be shown

including the first part which is the profile of the respondent; grade level, gender, and

age, and the second part which includes questions finding the factors affecting the

English communication difficulties of the respondents.

4.1 Profile of the respondent

The profile of the respondents in terms of grade level, gender, and age are

shown in this part.

4.1.1 Grade Level

Grade Level Frequency Percentage

11 10 52.63%

12 9 47.37%

Total 19 100%

Figure 1: Table showing the Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondent

According to Grade Level

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4.1.2 Gender

Gender Frequency Percentage (%)

Male 7 36.84%

Female 12 63.16%

Total 19 100%

Figure 2: Table Showing Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the

Respondent According to Gender

4.1.3 Age

Age Frequency Percentage

16 3 15.79%

17 6 31.58%

18 6 31.58%

19 4 21.05%

Total 19 100%

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Figure 3: Table Showing Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Respondent

According to Age

4.2 How does relationship between the students’ grade level, age, and gender affect

their difficulties in English communication?

Figures 1, 2, and 3 shows the frequency and percentage of the students grade level,

age and gender. These can be factors affecting the development of a student’s learning

and interest in English subject.

4.3 What are the possible factors affecting the difficulties in English

Communication of HUMSS students?

Figures 4 and 5 below shows the frequency and percentage of part 2 survey results

which answers the possible factors affecting these difficulties.

4.4 What are the solutions that the respondents can imply to deal with their

difficulties in English communication that they experience?

Since Figure 4 and 5 shows the possible factors affecting the difficulties in English

communication, the respondents must understand the analysis of data in order to deal

with the difficulties cited in the research.

4.5 Presentation

The survey conducted to find out the reasons behind why Humanities and Social

Sciences (HUMSS) students in St. Anthony’s School of Matain, Inc. (SASMI) find it

difficult to speak in English result:

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QUESTIONS FREQUENCY

YES NO

1. Do you speak English at home?

10 9

2. Do you speak English in school?

15 4
3. Are you aware of the basic knowledge
in English?
19 0

4. Can you speak in English?

17 2

5. Can you write a letter in English?

18 1

6. Can you express yourself in English?

13 6

7. Have you learned anything about your


English subject?
17 2

8. Do you exercise your English


communication skills through the
activities from your English class? 17 2

Figure 4: Table showing the Frequency of the Survey Results

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Percentage

100%
95%
90% 89% 89%

79%

68%

53%
47%

32%

21%

11% 11% 11%


0% 5%
1 2 3 YES
4 5NO 6 7 8

Figure 5: Graph Showing the Percentage of the Survey Results

4.3 Analysis and Interpretation

The survey conducted shows that 10 (52.63%) are sure to speak English at home,

while 9 (47.37%) says they do not. Aside from that, when asked if they speak English at

school, 15 (78.95%) says they do, and 4 (21.05%) says no. This shows that most of the

students exercise their English communication whether at home or school.

The awareness of the students about the basic knowledge in English raises to 19

(100%) which is the total population of HUMSS students in SASMI. 17 (89.47%) out of

19 respondents say that can speak in English while the other 2 (10.53%) say they do not.

In addition, 18 (94.74%) say that they can write a letter in English and only 1 (5.26%)

says he cannot. Hence, 6 (31.58%) of these students cannot express themselves in

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English but 13 (68.42%) can. Although students can speak and write in English, we must

not ignore the fact that there are students who cannot freely express themselves in the

language that they can only speak and write it basically.

Most students, 17 (89.47%) agrees to have learned from the activities in their

English class to improve their communication skills while only 2 (10.53%) says no.

Moreover, the same percentage is shown when asked if the exercise their English

communication skills through the activities from their English class: 17 (89.47%) says

yes and 2 (10.53%) says no. This proves that the students have learned from the English

class they attended and the teachers had adequately taught the students in the field they

teach.

The survey question includes “How does yourr strand help you in improving your

English communication skills?”. Most of the students answered that the strand focuses

on communication itself. Interacting with people, reporting through verbal and written

which is very helpful to improve their communication skills. However, English verbal

communication is less practiced because students or even people they interact with are

used to speak in their most comfortable language which is, their Mother tongue.

Although the strand helps them in improving their communication skills, it deteriorates

the practice of improving their English communication skills.

The reasons behind why these students have difficulties in English are found out

to be the following according to their own knowledge: shyness, anxiousness, fear of

having grammatical errors, and lack of knowledge and practice. These students are not

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confident enough to step up and express themselves in English because of these reasons

that are believed to be developed as they grow up.

Chapter V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter states the deduction from the findings. This presents the conclusion

due to the findings of the researcher and recommendations prior to the findings and

conclusion of the study. It presents the significance of the study, and tells how the

situation described in the beginning of the thesis has changed because of the research.

5.1 Summary of the Problem

The study aims to determine the difficulties faced by the Humanities and Social

Sciences students of St. Anthony’s School of Matain, Inc.

Specifically, this study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the students respondents in terms of:

1.1 Name (Optional);

1.2 Grade Level;

1.3 Age;

1.4 Gender;

1.5 Address; and

1.6 Family Background

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2. How does relationship between the students’ grade level, age, and gender affect their

difficulties in English communication?

3. What are the possible factors affecting the difficulties in English Communication of

HUMSS students?

The research was with utilized by causal-comparative using survey research to

acquire information answering the questions formulated by the researchers. A total of 19

HUMSS students from grades 11 and 12 answered the survey questionnaire to identify

the difficulties in English Communication and factors affecting it. The data collected was

then statistically analyzed using frequency count and percentage.

5.2 Findings

To identify the factors affecting the difficulties in English Communication of

Humanities and Social Sciences students, the researchers were able to identify the

findings of the study as follows:

1. Profile of the Respondent

The profile of the respondents is in terms of grade level, age, gender, and

family background.

1.1 Grade Level

The grade level of the student affects the learning of the student in terms

of English Subject. As we know, the higher the grade level, the higher the level of

education was mastered. Figure 1 in chapter 4 shows that 10 (52.63%) of the

respondents are grade 11 while 9 (47.37%) out of 19 are grade 12.

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1.2 Gender

Studies claim that females are more interested in communication

especially casual once. This affects the English communication skills of a student

in terms of gender. The survey shows that majority of the students are female, 12

(63.16%) out of 19 and only 7 (36.84%) are male.

1.3 Age

The age of an individual affects the development of his mind due to the

ability to adapt with what it learns. Around 17 and 18 years old students dominate

the respondents which are both 6 (31.58%) out of 19 students. Hence, there are 3

(15.79%) students who are 16 years old and 4 (21.05%) are 19 years old.

2. How does relationship between the students’ grade level, age, and gender

affect their difficulties in English communication?

Grade level, age, and gender affect the individual abilities of one student.

These are minor factors affecting the English communication skills of a learner.

3. What are the possible factors affecting the difficulties in English

Communication of HUMSS students?

Possible factors affecting the difficulties in English Communication

include the following:

a. Profile affecting growth (Gender, Age, Grade Level, etc.)

b. Often use of Mother Tongue especially at home

c. Lack of exercises that develop the English Communication skill


36
d. Previous English classes taken

5.3 Conclusion

By using the data gathered by the researchers, the following conclusions were

formulated:

1. There are 10 (52.63%) grade 11 Humanities and Social Sciences students while the

other nine (47.37%) are grade 12 and majority are female which is 12 (63.16%) out

of 19. Around 17 and 18 year old students dominate the respondents with both six

(31.58%) comprising of 12 (63.16%) out of 19 students.

2. All HUMSS students of SASMI experience difficulties in English communication

and these are affected by factors that will be further discussed.

3. There is a significant relationship between the students use of language at home

and/or community which can be identified as his origin to the difficulties the student

experiences.

4. The students’ difficulty in English communication was affected by motivation,

practices, and performances during the previous and current English class he attends.

5. The lack of practice, as a factor of difficulty, was a result of anxiety, fear of

judgment, and other forms of mental-related factors.

5.4 Recommendation

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Based from the conclusions identified by the researchers, the following

recommendations were formulated to help overcoming the factors affecting the

difficulties in English Communication of students.

1. The students themselves must understand that English communication is a vital skill

they must learn if they plan on pursuing the work in line with their track-strand.

Moreover, they should try their best to interact more through English in order to exercise

this skill.

2. The teachers must assess the individual ability of students and place them accordingly

to deal with the difficulties that will be identified individually. They must also be

monitored even outside of the English class and require them to express themselves in

English.

3. In line with recommendation number 2, English Only Policy (EOP) should be

implemented inside the school at least for HUMSS students and they must only speak in

Filipino during subjects that use it as a language.

4. The parents and/guardian of students must be informed to supervise their children at

home to exercise the ability of the student to speak in English in order to improve this

vital skill.

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Abstract:

The study focuses on the student’s English communication problems and the aim of

this research is to find out the dominant factors affecting the problem in speaking

performance faced by the Humanities and Social Sciences students of St. Anthony’s

School of Matain, Inc. in their speaking performance. The research design used in this

research is the causal-comparative design. The writer uses questionnaires in survey form

as the tools of data collection. After data was gathered from the survey, frequency and

percentage were computed to interpret the data. From the questionnaire findings, it is

found out that all of the students face difficulty in English Communication and it is

affected by several factors. The motivation, practices, and way of educating of previous

and current teachers are one of these factors. It is also found out that the development

and growth to a non-English community is a also a factor. Moreover, anxiety, fear of

judgment, and other mental-related factors affect the English Communication ability of

the students.

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