Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

English Language is regarded as the world's most widely spoken language. We may converse or

collaborate using the English language. Interact with individuals from all around the globe. We might even be

able to alter the world by doing so. Understanding how to communicate in English for the purpose of Students

might learn more about the subject. They could utilize the English language to obtain jobs both inside and

outside of their nation. The English language may also be a key to unlocking a person's actual potential in terms

of speaking, writing, and listening.

In 21st-century learning, it was said that students should be able to meet the requirements of not just

their own nation, but also those of other countries. Learners need to be able to speak successfully in English as

they learn to operate and communicate to cope up with other students who have advanced knowledge on

English Language. Some Learners, on the other hand, may find learning and using English extremely

challenging, and they may make little progress over time. Learners who are having difficulties or making

sluggish progress may not be aware of the causes or problems that are causing them, or how to address them.

(Natalia, 2015)

Instructors and directors of ESL programs may be uninformed of the causes of or remedies to a learner's

issues. learners who are not making expected progress must be assisted by ESL teachers and program directors

in determining the most likely causes of their situation, making recommendations, and, if required,

implementing accommodations to help them overcome barriers to learning. According to Rahayu Natalia

(2015), an Analysis of Students’ Problems In Speaking English Daily Language Program, English is an

international language that is spoken in almost every country on the planet. English Language is taught in the

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Philippines from kindergarten to university. the college or university The most crucial foreign language to learn

and transfer is English because it is the medium of instruction used in discussions and instructions. It is known

to be the worldwide cooperation in the fields of knowledge, science, technology, art, and culture relationship.

Susanto (2007:3) claims that “English is becoming more popular.’’ For e.g., to comprehend literature, one of the

most significant languages in all parts of life in the entire nations is English Language. Students should

understand how to utilize language, but they will be unable to do so. if they do not communicate on a daily

basis. (Susanto, 2007)

Choosing and recommending the appropriate language(s) for use in instruction has always been a

difficult task for any country's educational policy. The language of instruction, whether employed within or

outside the classroom, refers to the language used to teach the educational system's core curriculum. Some

nations choose to utilize only one language, putting learners who speak their mother tongue at a significant

disadvantage in the educational system because they are being taught in a different official language. Other

countries, on the other hand, have chosen to implement educational techniques that include national or

indigenous languages in the classroom. Language as a basic right was articulated among Indigenous Peoples

claims as the world's political landscape changed and evolved. (UNESCO MotherTongue Based Bilingual

Multi-Lingual Education, 2016)

In the Philippines, as the educational curriculum evolved, teaching methods had to evolve as well. Every

strand of the Kindergarten to Grade 12 Curriculum demands learners, indigenous and non-indigenous, to master

teachings as they progress through various educational levels. Teachers in mainstream classrooms in the

Philippines must pay close attention to characteristics of excellent language instruction and consider tailored

educational programs such as intervention as part of their pedagogical practices. To make learning feasible,

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teaching methods and learning activities must take into account elements from the three facets: academic

excellence, a good learning environment, and the effects of learning. (Department of Education, 2016)

English is feasibly the most essential topic in the Philippine school curriculum, and a student must have

a decent understanding of the English language to properly comprehend his or her professors in all other

courses. All other topics are said to be based on the English language. A student must pass English language at a

credit or distinction level in order to be admitted to universities and other higher learning institutes. In Southeast

Asia's university communities, notably in the Philippines, English is also the sole means of communication. The

Challenges experienced by many learners and Filipinos are the fear of learning new language as a means of

instruction, lack of time, lack of opportunity, hesitation of learning new concepts, therefore, all of the challenges

are known as the English Proficiency. As learners, never doubt your abilities and never have a loss of

motivation.

Challenges encountered by many learners in the province of lanao only emphasizes that it is deemed

timely and therefore undertaken by the researchers due to the Importance Of English as a means of instruction

in the Philippines. English serves as the medium of instruction in our country. English can be used to promote

and teach the Filipino ideals, culture, and traditions which can imbed a love for one's country in the young. 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 country's strengths that have helped drive the economy. The Purpose of this

Proposed Study is to determine the challenges encountered in English Language as a means of instruction as

perceived by the respondents. Its results will provide the learners the challenges that they are encountering in

English language as a medium of instructions be given the ideas on how those challenges be resolved in

accordance to the responses of the respondents. This research is conceptualize with the desire to provide help to

the people become aware in using English language. The findings of this study, in collecting the data, the

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researchers collected information from the sole source of information which is the self-constructed

questionnaire answered by the respondents.

Theoretical Framework

This proposed study is anchored on the theories of Skinner’s Theory of Behaviorism (1948),

Schumann’s Acculturation Model (1973), Locke’s Tabula Rasa (1689), Structuralism theory (Ferdinand

de Saussure 1857) and Social interactionist theory (Lev Vygotsky 1896).

In the mid-twentieth century, B.F. Skinner took Locke's concepts of sensory input and ran with them,

resulting in The Theory of Behaviorism in Relation to the Challenges Faced in English Language as a Means of

Instruction. All conduct, according to Skinner's radical form of behaviorism, is only a response to external

stimuli, and there is no intrinsic programming within a human being to acquire a language from birth. The

degree of detail Skinner went into when linking behaviorism with language development sets him apart from

many who came before him. Language acquisition arose via a process of reinforcement and punishment in

which humans are conditioned to speak the appropriate thing, according to his notion of "operant conditioning."

If you're hungry and can say "Mommy, I'm hungry," for example, you could be rewarded with food, and

your behavior will be reinforced since you received what you wanted. To put it another way, Skinner uncovered

a method for language learning that had never existed previously on the tabula rasa side of the language

acquisition debate. If his hypothesis is even partially correct, this indicates that we must go through a

conditioning process in order to succeed as language learners. We must be rewarded when we speak the correct

thing. When we express anything wrong, we must make that apparent as well. To put it another way, we require

feedback in order to succeed as language learners.

Schumann’s Acculturation Model (1973) is the chumann’s Acculturation Theory as presented in The

Pidginization Process: A Model for Second Language Acquisition (1978) predicts that the degree of a learner’s

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success in second language (L2) acquisition depends upon the learner’s degree of acculturation.The social and

psychological factors influence the acculturation process and the second language learning. According to

Schumman the naturalistic or untutored SLA is a by-product of acculturation, which is defined by him as "the

social and psychological integration of the learner with the target language (TL) group." It refers to the

acquisition of knowledge from the immigrants or international language in the country. Understanding the

second language from other tribes and ethnic groups. We communicate with other immigrants and in that way,

we will be able to master English language as a means of instruction.

The Blank Slate, or Tabula Rasa, is a concept that most people familiar with Locke's philosophy have

heard about. This is the concept that all information comes from outside ourselves through sensory experience

rather than intrinsic knowledge that we have at birth, to put it short and simply. This naturally extended to

language theory, with Locke dismissing the concept that language had an intrinsic logic.

Obviously, these theories do not address the practical, day-to-day aspects of language learning. They are

considerably less comprehensive and philosophical than the contemporary scientific ideas that we are familiar

with. However, they have far-reaching effects. If Plato and the Cartesians are correct, language acquisition

should focus on what we already know, allowing us to use our natural skills to grasp the nuances of a particular

language. If Locke is correct, we must concentrate our attention on sensory input in order to obtain as much

external information as possible.

According to Ferdinand Saussure's structuralism theory (1857), you cannot grasp the second

language until you master the first. It explained that (a phrase or statement) does not begin and finish with the

speaker's experience or purpose. Speaking and intending necessitates the presence of a language on which the

speaker must rely in order to communicate at all. Many linguists were affected by Saussure's Course. In

America, for example, Leonard Bloomfield (1933) used a behavioristic theory of meaning, in his textbook

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Language, defining the meaning of a language form as "the context by which the speaker utters it the response

will provide from the hearer"

Social interactionist theory by Lev Vygotsky (1896). He coined the term "social interactionist" to

describe learning and development that occurs when a learner interacts with other people, objects, and events in

a collaborative setting. Catherine A. Sanderson (2010), she coined that Social interactionist is a perspective that

explains how behavior and mental processes of a person is influenced in accordance of their social and/or

cultural interactions, such as gender, race, and nationality. According to this view, children can learn a language

because they want to interact with their environment and the world they belong with. As a result, language is a

product of social interaction and emerges from it. Our language is dependent on who we hang out and with

whom we want to communicate, according to the theory, because it evolved out of a desire to engage in

communication and to speak in the other opponent. The theory basically states that our background has a

significant impact on how quickly and well we learn to communicate. For example, an infant raised by a single

father will learn the words "dada" or "baba" before learning the term "mama." Rather than attempting to explain

human behavior in terms of massive social structures, fundamental conflicts, or societal cleavages, they focus

on a smaller scale, acknowledging that persons have agency and are not swept away by events beyond their

control, and that they are capable of creating their own meaning. Weber noted that human behavior was

influenced by small-scale interactions and social systems. As a result, integrationists argue that learning occurs

when students converse with native English speakers.

Conceptual Framework

This section discusses the interplay of variables in determining the challenges encountered in English

Language as a means of instruction as perceived by the selected Junior High School Students of Maito Basak

National High School. The variables are reflected in the schematic diagram of the conceptual framework of this

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study. The attributes cited along the boxes under independent variables are of two aspects such as: (i)

Respondents’ profile about age, sex, civil status, tribe, Grade Level in Junior High School, Language used at

home; (ii) challenges encountered in English Language as a means of instruction by the respondents? The flow

of the study is shown on Figure 1.

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Independent Variables Dependent Variables Output

I
A. Profile of the Respondents M
A. The Challenges
P
1. Age; encountered in L
2. Sex;
English I
3. Civil Status;
Language as a C
4. Tribe;
means of A
5. Grade level in Junior
instruction as T
High School; and
perceived by I
6. Language Used At
the respondents. O
Home.
N
S

Figure 1.

Schematic Diagram of the Conceptual Framework of the Study

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Statement of the Problem

This study focuses in determining the challenges encountered in English Language as a means of

instruction as perceived by the selected students of Maito Basak National High School. Specifically, it sought to

answer the following questions:

1. What is the descriptive profile of the respondents in terms of the following variables?

1.1 Age;

1.2 Sex;

1.3 Civil Status;

1.4 Tribe;

1.5 Grade Level in Junior High School; and

1.6 Language Used at Home Frequently?

2. What are the challenges encountered in English language as a means of instruction?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the profile of the respondents and the challenges

encountered by the respondents in English as means of instruction?

4. From the findings and conclusions of the study, what implications can be drawn?
Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.

Ho1: There is no relationship between the respondents’ profile and the challenges encountered in English

Language as a means of instruction as perceived by the selected Junior High School Students of Maito Basak

National High School.

Significance of the Study

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 This research hopes to be valuable information in addition to the growing number of studies regarding

challenges faced by the respondents. It is hoped that results derived from the study will specifically benefit the

following stakeholders.

School Administrators. The results of the study will help the school administrators to conceive and

implement measures or programs designed to help children and adolescents cope with the needed adjustments

inside the classroom with regards to English Language as a medium of instruction.

Teachers. The results of this study may help teachers find ways to provide support and understanding

to learners in coping and adjusting with the newly implemented concepts.

Pupils/Students. While they may not be able to read the results of this study, this research may help

them become better in terms of emotional, academic and societal well-being because their teachers and their

schools understand them better and would like to help them on their journey to master English Language

wherever they go and communicate with people who speak English Language.

Parents. This research will help parents realize that it is their responsibility to guide and monitor their

children’s well-being and progress at home.

Future Researchers. This study will hopefully serve as a handy reference for those who wish to

conduct similar studies.

Scope and Limitations

This study focuses on determining the challenges encountered in English Language as a means of

instruction as perceived by the selected junior high school students of Maito Basak National High School. These

respondents will be delimited to those Junior High School students studying at Maito Basak National High

School. Other Departments of students studying at the said school are not included. Limitations for this study

include time, resources and other factors which are beyond the control of the researchers, as well as the

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respondents’ honesty in answering completely the indicators describing every variable in the research

instrument. The survey questionnaire used in the study is the sole source of data.

Definition of Terms

To facilitate greater understanding, the following terms were operationally and conceptually defined.

Adjustment. It is defined by Amato (2004) as the process in which alterations or changes are made in

order to still function under difficult or stressful situations. In this study, it refers to the life changes that the

respondents have to make in order to cope with the implementation of newly found concepts that English

Language is the books’ medium of instruction.

Challenges. It is defined as a called to take part in a competition or challenge. (Oxford Dictionary). In

this study, it refers to the challenges they face in English language as a medium of instruction.

Teachers. It is defined as the person who teaches, especially in school. (Oxford Language Dictionary).

In this study, English language as a means of instruction.

Family. It is characterized as a social construct with a complex structure that shares a shared history,

togetherness, and an emotional tie, as well as an individual action plan to satisfy the requirements of the entire

family (Nazli, 2003). Furthermore, because it is where education begins, the family is regarded as one of the

most efficient and effective institutions for guiding children's growth, integration, and socialization. Yavuzer

(Yavuzer, 2001). Students who were the topic of this study's perspectives and challenges. In this study, family

members will be the tools in monitoring their children’ education.

Means of Instruction. It is a direction or order. (Oxford Dictionary). In this study, it refers to the mode

of instruction that will be used during discussion which is English Language.

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 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter talk over the various related literature and studies which the researcher has resolute to be

pertinent to the study. There are two main coverage of this chapter to wit: Related literature and related studies.

These are presented in thematic approach.

Related Literature

Learning a second language is never simple, according to Jacob Ado Ama (2019). It's even more

difficult to learn English as a second language. Especially if you are learning English in a place where English is

not spoken. Because English is not their mother tongue, English language learners in African nations such as

Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Zambia, Malawi, and other African countries face various challenges. It may be

difficult to learn English as a second language, just as it can be difficult to learn English as a foreign language.

Teachers who are unprepared to deal with newly implemented concepts, limited learning environments,

students who do not take their studies seriously, learning materials, overuse of native language in the classroom,

students who are too reliant on the teacher, and strong students who dominate the class, according to his

statements. These must be supported and taken into account by the local government in order for the learners'

and teachers' well-being to be prioritized.

According to Pachina (2020), when issued by an English council a few years ago, the Philippines was

one of the countries in Asia that was known to be the largest English speaking nation. The English language is

used in the country as an international language for communication and because the majority of the population

is fluent in it. However, most people outside of the Philippines are unaware that English learners in the

Philippines are having difficulty acquiring the language. Some Filipinos are unable to communicate in English.

Those people are part of the "Indigenous People" group, which includes tribes and people who live in mountains

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and villages. Also, people and parents who did not have the opportunity to attend school during their childhood.

And low-income children.

Because English is taught as a topic in schools and colleges from kindergarten to college, and because

competence is one of the country's assets that helps drive the economy, the demand for English is rising for

BPO (Business Process Outstanding) services, As a nonnative English speaker, the Philippines is one of the

most English-speaking countries in the world. There is a growing need for English teachers and online English

teachers in the Philippines since many Asian countries are coming to learn English there because university

costs are less.

As schools across the United States turn to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns

are being raised about the quality of instruction that English learners—students whose English proficiency

affects their ability to meaningfully participate in school—are receiving, according to Carrie Parker (2020).

Even during normal times, English learners make up almost 10% of all public school students in the United

States, and they face significant academic challenges. Such issues are exacerbated when it comes to online

learning. English learners and teachers are plainly having difficulties. Many of the distinctive strategies utilized

by English teachers with students do not easily translate to an online environment. Students, for example, must

be able to converse in English, and professors must provide scaffolding to help them during academic

discussions. This can be tough in a large online classroom. We also know that a huge majority of English

learners lack technological access. Obtaining stable Internet connectivity is challenging for families in severe

financial situations or for those who are undocumented. Even companies that give free internet access require

some form of identification, which some families may be unable to supply. English learners may not be able to

utilize laptops or tablets reliably, even if schools or districts supply them—and not all schools or districts are

equipped to do so.

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 According to Mike Cabigon (2018), the Philippines is one of the world's largest English-speaking

countries, with the majority of its population speaking the language at some level. More than 14 million

Filipinos speak English, which has long been one of the country's official languages. It is the principal medium

of instruction in education, as well as the language of trade and law. Language proficiency is another of the

country's assets that has aided in the economy's growth and has helped the Philippines become the world's top

voice outsourcing destination. The number of international English learners is increasing as a result of the

comparatively cheaper but high-quality English as a Second Language (ESL) programs offered locally.

At a recent roundtable discussion hosted by the British Council, key stakeholders from the government,

academia, private sector, and non-government sectors acknowledged that, while the Philippines is doing well in

terms of English proficiency, questions about how much of a competitive advantage it still is for the country

were raised.

The stakeholders agreed that the country needed to increase its efforts in enhancing English teaching and

learning in order to develop it as a critical workforce skill. This is an endeavor that has the potential to

strengthen the Philippines' distinguishing edge in this region of the world, especially with ASEAN economic

union on the horizon.

Princess H. Policarpio (2021), the article's proponent, stated that, while still in its infancy, Standard

Philippine English has become one of the most popular issues in the English language community in recent

years, pending the development, documentation, and research of its linguistic traits. Several research and books

have looked into the current perspectives, attitudes, and characteristics of Standard Philippine English.

This article aims to deconstruct the historical and linguistic elements of Standard Philippine English, as

well as the arguments and justifications for including it in the Philippines' English curriculum. The

conversations provided insight into how Filipino English speakers, English teachers, and English curriculum

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architects might recognize and explore incorporating Standard Philippine English into the English Curriculum

from primary to tertiary levels. As a result, the debates intend to contribute to the ongoing study on Standard

Philippine English and spark future qualitative and quantitative research investigations.

According to Rappler News (2019), there are around 6,000 languages in the globe. More than half of

them are endangered, and by the end of the century, they may be extinct. Many of the Philippines' original

languages are in decline, and this is no exception. The Philippines is one of the world's most linguistically

varied nations. It has around 3% of the world's languages (wrongly called "dialects") but only 0.2 percent of the

Earth's geographical area, with 175 native languages (wrongly called "dialects"). To put it another way, the

Philippines is roughly 15 times more varied than the typical country.

The Philippines has been named one of the top ten “language hotspots” in the world by the Living

Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, which implies that the Philippines has a diverse range of

languages that are being lost at a faster rate than we can fully document them. This is extremely concerning, as

language diversity is an integral aspect of Filipino culture and mankind in general. As we covered in our

previous two pieces, language diversity benefits both people and society.

Local languages are still spoken in family gatherings, sari-sari stores, and barangay halls, but not in

public venues such as parks, banks, fast food restaurants, or schools. Passengers have been said to speak in their

own tongues until the bus reaches the main city, at which point they switch to Tagalog. It occurs in many

countries; as a result, in Marawi City, we constantly utilize the English language because our textbooks are

written in English. What is causing this? A lot of elements, such as migration and media, play a role. It could

also be a hangover from our colonial era, when Americans labeled English as the language of civilization while

dismissing native languages as dialects. This hierarchical approach to languages has persisted. Filipinos, for

15
example, would call persons who speak their mother tongue "parang ibon magsalita" (talk like a bird) and

"matigas ang dila" (stiff tongue).

Related Studies

In Jugo's study (2020) entitled “Language Anxiety in Focus: The Case of Filipino Undergraduate

Teacher Education Learners”. he discusses how difficult it is for Filipino teachers in the Philippines to adjust to

the usage of English as a medium of instruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the amount,

sources, and causes of foreign language anxiety among students enrolled in teacher education courses in the

Philippines, as well as how language anxiety affects the respondents' English proficiency and language

acquisition. A total of 242 students from a Philippine-based educational institution completed an English

proficiency exam (EPE) and a questionnaire that was divided into two parts: a 30-item English Language

Anxiety Scale (ELAS) and a set of questions about the causes of anxiety and their effects on language learning.

To describe linguistic anxiety level, origins, and causes, mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage

were determined and employed.

The language anxiety variables and the respondents' English competency were then subjected to

correlation and regression analysis. In order to further understand the nature and process of the analyzed

relationships, follow-up interviews with chosen respondents were conducted. The findings revealed that

speaking activities, error correction, and communicating with English speakers cause significant anxiety in

Filipino learners, but writing activities, negative self-perception, and no comprehension cause moderate anxiety.

Foreign language anxiety has a significant negative association with all kinds of worry, and simple regression

analysis demonstrated that foreign language anxiety is a significant predictor of English competency.

However, using multiple regression analysis to examine the various sources of anxiety, speaking

activities anxiety was found to be the only significant predictor of English proficiency. seeks to improve

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learners' proficiency in both Filipino and English at the national level. The teaching of English as a medium of

instruction is an important part of the Philippine educational system. Its use is so widespread that it has been

embedded in practically every facet of communication. The English proficiency of Filipinos is, in fact, one of

the country's recognised assets, which has helped propel its economy and made it the top source of voice

outsourcing.

Aiden (2018) writes in his study entitled “Problematizing the Commodification of ESL Teaching in the

Philippines: Mediating Expectations, Norms and Identity(ies)”. That the Philippines, as the world's third-largest

English-speaking country, has become a popular location for English language learning, particularly among

those in Southeast Asia. However, regardless of how you dress up popularity, we need to go past the headlines

to discover what type of story is being told. A closer look at the empirical evidence from published research

studies reveals issues that are frequently overlooked in press headlines. This paper examines the issues

surrounding the commodification of English language teaching in the Philippines, including cost factors, learner

expectations and satisfaction with courses and teaching quality, Filipino teachers' (FTs) pronunciation and the

Philippine English (PhE) accent in comparison to native speaker norms, and their implications for pedagogy and

other sociolinguists. Stakeholder recommendations will be presented.

In the study of Deocampo (2020) entitled “Issues and Challenges of English Language Teacher-

Trainees’ Teaching Practicum Performance: Looking Back and Going Forward”. Teachers are urged to develop

‘a reflective mind' to gain an understanding of what is going on in the classroom and decode what works and

what does not work. Teachers, particularly English language teachers, are likely to confront numerous obstacles,

not only in the global economy and competitive market of English education, but also in the demanding nature

of their profession. As a result, the purpose of this study is to identify the concerns and challenges that 15

teacher-trainees had throughout their teaching practicum.

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 To identify the concerns and challenges of their teaching performance, they adopted a narrative inquiry

approach. Reflection papers and semi-structured interviews were utilized as data collection instruments, with

convenience sampling used to choose the samples. The concerns and challenges that the trainees faced were

teacher voice, classroom management, teaching techniques, learning strategies, English communication barriers,

vocabulary knowledge, lesson planning, teaching appraisal, and classroom motivation, according to the

findings. The evidence suggests that by looking back, teacher-trainees will gain a better understanding of what

makes an effective language (English) teacher, as well as the ability to reflect, self-critique, assess, and improve

a portion of their teaching. Being aware of the concerns and obstacles that face teacher-trainees in the real world

can help shape their personal and professional development and serve as a valuable resource for moving

forward and succeeding in their careers as educators.

The purpose of this study, according to Amir Hosain (2018) study entitled “Difficulties of Learning

English Language”. It was to analyze the challenges of learning English Language among SSC level learners of

Lahiri High School in Thakurgaon District, Bangladesh's northern region. Because of skilled teachers, financial

constraints, a lack of multimedia project teaching and learning system, and the absence of an English Language

Club, many kids do not obtain Standard English Education. It attempts to motivate young learners so that they

can build the fundamental understanding of four talents while without having access to current facilities. The

current researcher gathered data for this aim through a questionnaire and an interview approach.

15 pupils were given 15 sets of questions to determine their basic mastery of the English language.

Thirty-one people were interviewed in the field survey, including 15 male and female pupils, six teachers, and

ten guardians. Teachers and parents voiced opposing viewpoints on the difficulty of English language learning.

Students' English Grammar, Vocabulary, and Speaking Skill were rated as weak by participants. After they

realized how difficult it was for them to learn English. Some people have trouble learning and adapting to new

18
concepts, and their progress is slow. When children first learn a new foreign language, they have a wide range

of reactions, owing to the fact that it is so different from their native tongue. The structure, rules, and system of

a foreign language are frequently different. What occurs is that some youngsters adapt well with the language,

while others require more time to acquire their skills, and yet others struggle from the start. Those who begin to

struggle with learning a foreign language can be either youngsters with a learning disability or children who do

not have a learning disability but nonetheless struggle with the language.

In the study of Qutaiba (2015) entitled “The Difficulties of Learning English as Perceived by A Group of

International Students: A Case Study”. It explored the challenges of learning English faced by a group of

overseas students while enrolled in an intense English program at a prominent Midwestern American

university,. One of the study's tenets is that social learning is important in L2 learning because it allows learners

to participate actively in the language learning process. Twenty students (9 graduate and 11 undergraduate)

from the intensive English program were chosen at random to participate in this study. They ranged in age from

19 to 26 years old and were from a variety of nations, including Saudi Arabia, China, Pakistan, India, Jordan,

Ghana, Nigeria, and Algeria. The information for the study was acquired through the qualitative research

approach of interviewing. The study's findings revealed that social contact is one of the most difficult aspects of

learning English for overseas students. Additionally, the results of the students' interviews revealed some

challenges with oral output, understanding, pronunciation, and lexical usage.

In the study of Thulha (2016) entitled “Barriers to Learning English as A Second Language”. Language

efficacy necessitates providing users with the necessary information to deal with the language's complexity and

demanding character, particularly in the field of writing. In this way, the purpose of this thesis was to highlight

some of the key characteristics of writing and speaking skills in the English language at two Namibian higher

education institutions. Students at these colleges speak English as a second language. The Namibian

19
Constitution states in Articles 3 and 20 that the language policy must promote the use of English in schools (The

Namibian Constitution) (1990). Although English has been used as a medium of instruction in schools and

academic institutions for 24 years, some students' English competence remains low, particularly in writing and

speaking communication abilities. The impediments that prohibit students from writing and speaking English

fluently at University A and University B were explored in this study.

Syllabi/study guides were used to investigate writing and speaking skills, as well as a lack of practical

training of oral communication and writing abilities, such as morphology and syntax. The survey included 57

participants, including Heads of Departments (Language, Communication, and Language Centre), Course

Coordinators, professors, and English students from the two institutions studied. Students were purposefully

chosen for the survey to highlight the challenges they experience while writing and speaking English as a

second language. The lecturers were also chosen since they were the ones who were in the classrooms with the

pupils. The material for this study was gathered by qualitative research methods such as observation, interviews,

open-response questionnaire items, document analysis, and verbal reports.

There were no explicit teaching objectives in the syllabi for oral communication and written skills, and

students' inability to create correct sentences, as well as the restricted time allotted to these classes, all played a

part. The study's conclusion is that pupils' communication skill is quite low. As a result, this researcher believes

that syllabus content, teaching methodologies for speaking and writing skills, students' admission standards, and

the time allotted for different courses all need to be improved.

To respond to the research question, the time allotted to some English courses is insufficient, there is a

lack of approaches to teaching and learning oral and written skills, and the syllabi were planned and designed in

such a way that they do not significantly improve the teaching and learning of the second language. There aren't

many tasks in the study guides that can help pupils improve their conversational skills. Subject and verb

20
agreement, passive and active forms, sentence structure, word-building utilizing prefixes and suffixes,

auxiliaries, and other activities that allow children to practice a specific feature of language should all be

included. Furthermore, because English is a second language for many Namibian students, educational

institutions must carefully consider the time allotted to the courses they offer so that lecturers can effectively

teach writing and speaking abilities.

21
 Chapter 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses in detail the study’s research design, population and sampling method, research

locale, research instrument and its validity, data gathering procedure and statistical tools used in the treatment of

data gathered.

Research Design

This study will use the descriptive-correlation research design, with the use of a survey. The descriptive

part will describe the challenges encountered in English Language as a means of instruction, while the

correlation part will seek to determine the relationship between the profile of the respondents and challenges by

the respondents. In this study, by definition, descriptive correlation cannot make a prediction or determination

but it simply identifies the behavior and the participants. The researchers looked into their a perception on the

challenges encountered in English language as a means of instructions with the help of the self-constructed

questionnaire disseminated to the respondents of this study.

Locale of the Study

The locale of the proposed study will be Maito Basak National High School, Lanao del sur, specifically

in selected academic unit which is the Junior High School Department. The locale was chosen due to its number

of respondents and its accessibility to the researcher, in addition to the fact that as a public institution, MBNHS

is one of the schools that is under the department of education that implements English Language as a means of

Instruction in the Philippines. The M&S MAITOBASAK NHS headed by School head Hadja Fairosah H.

Yusoph Ismael. The Vision of MAITOBASAK NHS is we dream of Filipinos who passionately love their

country and whose values and competencies enable them to realize their full potential and contribute

meaningfully to building the nation. As a learner-centered public institution, The Department of Education
22
Continuously improves itself to better serve its stakeholders and the Mission of MAITOBASAK NHS is to

protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based and complete basic education

where; Students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe and motivating Environment. Teachers facilitate

learning and constantly nurture every learner. Administrators and staff, as stewards of the Institution, ensure and

enabling and supportive environment for effective learning to happen. Family community and other

stakeholders are actively engaged and share responsibility for developing life-long learners.

23
 Figure 1.

Administrative Map of the Locale of the Study

24
Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study will be the Junior High School Students of Maito Basak National High

School. The researcher intends to get one hundred (100) respondents. The Respondents must meet the

following inclusion criteria to be included as respondents: first, he or she must be a student from the Junior

High School Department in the said school; second, he/she must be Meranaw, either married or single,

because the research instrument to be used in the study is Meranaw-centric in terms of content and context;

and third, he or she must be an official enrollee of the school for this school year.

Research Instrument and its Validity

An Instrument that will be used to gather the needed data for the study. This is a survey questionnaire.

The self-constructed survey questionnaire is structured to obtain the profile of the respondents and the

challenges encountered in English Language as a means of instruction. Part 1 of the questionnaire obtains the

respondents’ data in terms of age, sex, civil status, Grade Level in Junior High School Department, Language

used at home frequently. Part 2 of the said instrument will attempt to obtain answers to questions regarding the

challenges faced by the respondents. Modifications will be made in terms of structure, content and question

formulation.

To ensure the reliability of the survey instrument, a pilot testing will be carried out on non-respondents

to test the questionnaire for reliability; afterwards corrections will be done in order to obtain reliable data

needed for the research. The researcher, in order to validate the data and instruments (questionnaires) used in the

research, will consult the adviser and experts on their representativeness and suitability. Corrections and

additions will be made whenever necessary.

Data Gathering Procedure

25
 Primary Data will be used to get pertinent information from respondents and other sources. Primary data

collection will be conducted by the researcher to obtain data from the field in which questionnaires will be

utilized. A survey questionnaire will be used to obtain data from the respondents as to unveil the reasons, and

the challenges encountered in English Language as a means of instruction.

The researchers gathered the data thru following steps; first, before conducting the survey questionnaire,

the researchers’ self-constructed questionnaire has undergone a pilot testing to check its reliability and validity.

Second, after passing the pilot testing and recommended for acceptance and approval the researchers sent

permission to the head of the locale of the study to conduct a survey to the selected respondents of the said area.

Third, the researchers distributed the questionnaires to the respondents. Lastly, the data gathered from the

respondents is tallied, analyzed and interpreted to come up with the findings of the study with the guidance of

the statistician.

Statistical Tools Used

To analyze the data of the study, the following statistical tools were utilized:
1. Frequency and Percentage Distribution were used to describe the respondents’ profile in terms

of age, sex, civil status, and grade level in junior high school department, language used at home

frequently.

Percentage (P) = x 100%

Where:

f = frequency

N = total number of respondents

100 = constant

26
 2. Mean and standard deviation- were used to determine the responses of the respondents for

every statement in the indicators.

Mean (X) = ∑

Where:

f = frequency

N = total number of respondents

i = weights

3. Pearson Product Moment coefficient of correlation (r) was used to establish correlation

among the independent and dependent variables.

4. Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient rs is a measure of the correlation between two ordinal

variables. It was used to test the correlation between factors,

Formula:
r= 1- 6∑(X₁-Y₁)
___________
n (n²- 1)

27
 Appendix A
LETTER TO THE SCHOOL HEAD
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education
PHILIPPINE MUSLIM TEACHERS’ COLLEGE
037 Barangay Green, Marawi City

October 4, 2021

Sir/ Ma’am:

The undersigned is currently undertaking a study entitled “CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE AS A MEANS OF INSTRUCTION AS PERCEIVED BY THE SELECTED STUDENTS
OF MAIBO BASAK NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL” in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree,
Bachelor of Elementary Education, Major in General Education.
In view of this, we are asking your approval for the distribution of questionnaires. Rest assured that all their
answers would be kept confidential in accordance with “the ethics of research.”
Hoping for your positive response. Thank you and more power!
Respectfully yours,
Abdullah, Sophia
Banisil, Arapiah
Said, Sahaya
Salic, Princess Saliha
Researchers

Noted by:
(Sgd.) Ahmad Abbas B. Cuaro, CSE, LPT
Thesis Adviser

28
 Appendix B
LETTER TO THE RESPONDENTS
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education
PHILIPPINE MUSLIM TEACHERS’ COLLEGE
037 Barangay Green, Marawi City

October 4, 2021
Dear Students:

The undersigned is currently undertaking a study entitled “CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED IN ENGLISH

LANGUAGE AS A MEANS OF INSTRUCTION AS PERCEIVED BY THE SELECTED STUDENTS
OF MAIBO BASAK NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL” in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree,
Bachelor of Elementary Education, Major in General Education.
In view of this, we are asking your cooperation and honest response in every question written on the
questionnaires. Rest assured that all your answers would be kept confidential in accordance with “the ethics of
research.”
Hoping for your cooperation. Thank you and more power!
Respectfully yours,
Abdullah, Sophia
Banisil, Arapiah
Said, Sahaya
Salic, Princess Saliha
Researchers

Noted by:

(Sgd) Ahmad Abbas B. Cuaro, CSE, LPT

Thesis Adviser

Appendix C.
29
 SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE AS A MEANS OF INSTRUCTION AS
PERCEIVED BY THE SELECTED JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT MAITO BASAK
NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
DIRECTIONS: Answer the items as indicated. Your honesty in answering this questionnaire will be
appreciated. Rest assured that your responses will be kept confidential and will only be used for purposes of
research.

I. Respondent's Profile

* Indicates needed or required information

Name(optional)______________________________________ Sex* (please check) ___ Male ___ Female

Age* (please check) ___ 20-25 years old ___ 26-30 years old
___ 31-35 years old ___ 35- 40 years old ___ Above 40 years old

Civil Status * (please check) ___ Single ___ Married ___ Divorced/Separated ___ Widowed

Grade Level in Junior High School* (please check)

___ Grade 7 Student ___ Grade 8 Student
___ Grade 9 Student ___ Grade 10 Student

Language Used At Home*(please check)

____ Meranao ____Tagalog ____English

II. Challenges encountered in English language as a means of Instruction * (please check)

Please indicate your agreement or disagreement regarding the challenges facing Junior high school students as
follows: 1) Strongly Disagree 2) Disagree 3) Neutral 4) Agree 5) Strongly Agree.

Indicators 1 2 3 4 5
1. I need to provide plenty of time in my Vocabulary
in English Language by understanding
concepts/discussions.
2. Learning Environment – It is difficult to be able to
learn English Language as a medium of instruction
if we always the Mother Tongue Frequently outside
the classroom.
3. I do not have textbooks or any materials that may
support my learning and enhancing my skills in
English Language and adapt it as the means of
instruction inside the classroom.
4. I may not take the class seriously due to my
30
 incapability of not being able to grasp or
understand quickly the ideas and instructions in
English.
5. I depend on my teacher too much that is why I
don’t study with regards to English Language.
6. I am ashamed or intimidated by my classmates who
know more than me.
7. I do not talk in English Language that is why
Understanding it is way difficult.
8. I may be laughed by my classmates/friends due to
my pronunciation in speaking English that is why
learning it is hard for me especially making it as a
means of instruction.
9. Tribe – This influences my way of talking and
grasping ideas.
10. Problems in Pronunciations
11. Fear of Making Mistakes When Speaking English
Language to respond to teachers’ instructions.
12. Perceptions that learning it is difficult.
13. Difference in Language in terms of dialect provides
a hindrance in English Language as a means of
instruction.
14. Number of Usage of English Language – using it
constantly enhances your English language.
15. I don’t have a self-confidence because I am not
used to public speaking.

16. I can’t handle to speak in front of many people.

17. I feel trembling when I know that I am going to

speak English.

18. I get anxious of the accent I have.

19. I lack of motivation due to the mother tongue I am

using constantly at home.

20. I lack of interactions with my classmates.

21. I have less opportunity to interact with English

speakers.

22. I can speak in front of non-native speaker but not in

31
 a fluent English speaker.

23. I have weak background in English.

24. I am uncomfortable to speak English in front of the

instructor.

25. Speaking English outside the class is easier for me

than speaking inside the class.

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