Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Speaking is an important aspect for the people in their lives. In speaking people

can communicate their feelings, share ideas and opinions. As a language skill,

speaking is sometimes underestimated or in some circles considered normal. In other

words, speaking English is one of the skills that are used to indicate that a person has

an advantage in mastering English. The most crucial element of communication is

language, which is used by people all over the world as a tool for communication.

Without speaking abilities, communication will also suffer. It is among the most

crucial components of communication. It is now recognized as a crucial language

ability and a requirement for interpersonal communication. In the age of globalization,

people speak English to increase their chances of surviving, and those who can

converse in the language get along with others easily. (Estanislao, 2013)

According to Cameron (2001) speaking is the active use of language to express

meaning so that people can make sense of them. Thonburry (2005) considers speaking

or oral communication as an activity that includes two or more people in which

hearers and speakers have to react what they hear and make their contributions at

speed high level. Based on the definition of speaking above the researcher can

conclude that speaking is one way to communicate with other people verbally. Based

on competency-
 based curriculum speaking is one of the four basic competencies that the

students should gain well.

In China, the study conducted by Amoah and Yeboah (2021) reveals that

Chinese-speaking EFL students struggle to talk well when given the opportunity. The

elements that influence their speaking abilities are either linguistic relating to

vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammar or psychological relating to shyness, or fear of

making mistakes, as well as a lack of desire.

In Indonesia, English as the first foreign language is a compulsory subject from

junior high school to college. Most of the public schools are making an effort to

support students in learning English, not just in reading and writing but also in

speaking. Sometimes the students have trouble communicating in English because

they are reluctant to use foreign words. They typically worry about making mistakes,

feel uncomfortable, or are just afraid of the attention that their speech may to

communicate, they would prefer to utilize Indonesian rather than English.

Additionally, English language learners in China have several challenges, particularly

when it comes to speaking (Amoah & Yeboah, 2021).

In the Philippines, several academic programmers have traditionally required

proficiency in English. At all educational levels in the Philippines, English instruction

is a must. Throughout their academic careers, this approach aims to help students'

mastery of the English language. Except for classes taught in the student's original

language, all students are expected to be able to speak and write the language with

ease.
 People frequently feel more incompetent when forced to communicate in

English because of their attitude towards the language. The speech patterns,

vocabulary, grammar, how others interpret them, and even the simple presence of

native speakers in discussions become too distracted for ESL learners. The worries that

Filipinos could have when engaging in communication duties that call for the usage of

the English language are summed up by all of these and probably more (Separa,

Generales, & Medina, 2020).

According to Alabado, Perez, and Caballero (2018), students struggle to use

English successfully. Students exhibit caution and unwillingness to talk in English as a

result of the challenges they have learning how to have conversations in English. As a

result, Pantukan National High School students frequently grammatically

mispronounce words when speaking the language. While students struggle with

English grammar and lack confidence while speaking in front of others and this is

usually caused by not giving sufficient encouragement and motivation to speak

English in public (Alabado et al. 2018). Therefore, it is necessary to carry out this

research.

English is seen by students as being intimidating and hard to master.

Depending on the person's life experiences and their interactions with the relevant

language, it may change for a variety of reasons. This claim will make the study more

urgently pursued since it will enable students to discuss their experiences studying the

English language and honing their speaking abilities (Barnes, & Lock, 2010)
 We found that the majority of English majors were stereotyped since, when

they took English courses, it was assumed that they would be fluent in the language.

In
 reality, however, they had many difficulty speaking the language, but their

challenges were disregarded. This study identified institutional challenges that are

unique to English major students, who are the focus of this study. The need for this

investigation should be urgent given the statement above. The results of this might

also be used as a basis for developing language programmers that specifically address

the difficulties that students, teachers, and society have when trying to use their

speaking talents.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the

difficulties of English major students of Kolehiyo Ng Pantukan in speaking, and to

explain the causes of those difficulties and academic struggles. This study will explore

the reasons why English major students of Kolehiyo Ng Pantukan were in

predicament with regards to speaking in English, and to elaborate the grounds on the

struggles they were facing.

In this study, the phenomenon on the difficulties of English Major students in

their grammatical competence was defined as the negative encounters of the students

in speaking and using the language in their quest to achieve fluency and proficiency of

the target language. As a result, this offered recommendations that might help the

teachers, institutions, community and specifically the students in building activities

that could aid, overcome and reduce these factors affecting their inability or lack of

English language acquisition in speaking skills under grammatical competence.

Research Questions

This study answered the following questions:

1. What are the lived experiences of English major students in grammatical

competence towards their speaking skills?

2. How do English major students cope with grammatical competence

issues in English?

3. What are the insights of English major students in their grammatical

competence? 

Importance of the Study

This research endeavor was conducted because of the huge benefits that it

would impart to the authorities and individuals in the educational institution of

Kolehiyo Ng Pantukan. The study would not only be benefited by the researcher, but

also to the people involved in the study particularly the following:

Students. This research enables students to develop their speaking skills both

inside and outside the school. They will be motivated because the school addresses

their struggles in speaking and to have awareness on the different factors that could

affect their ability to create and construct an English language in speaking.

Throughout, their confidence will progress as well as the learning the English

language.
 Teachers. This study will allow teachers to supply resources that match the

needs of students to help them in speaking skills specifically in constructing proper

English grammar.

Institutions. The school’s goal in this study is to implement programs that

encourage students to participate in a communal activity. Speaking difficulties will be

addressed and be founded as important skill to be developed by learners.

Future Researchers. This study will serve as a direction to future researchers

who may wish to further their investigation on similar topic.

Definition of Terms

To fully understand the study, the following terms were defined conceptually

and operationally:

Speaking is defined as the productive skill in the organ of speech to express

meaning in which can be directly and empirically observed (Brown, 2004 as cited by

Ahmadi, 2017). In the study, it refers to the student’s capabilities in expressing the

language verbally.

Phenomenology is a phenomenological study that explores what people

experienced and focuses on their experience of a phenomena (Husserl, 2003). In this

study, phenomenology refers to understanding the meaning of people's lived

experiences.
 Grammatical Competence refers to the implicit knowledge of structural

regularities of language in the mind and the ability to recognize and produce these

distinctive grammatical structures (Chomsky, 1960). In this study, it refers to the

ability to understand English language structure accurately and expressing meaning

by producing and recognizing well-formed phrases and sentences.

English Major Students. This is defined as a humanities degree option of

students specializing English language (Pincus, 2019). In the study, it refers to the

participants who are enrolled in the BSED English program of Kolehiyo Ng Pantukan

who encountered struggles in speaking the English language.

Scope and Limitation

The study is limited to the experience of English Major Students in Speaking

the target language in Kolehiyo Ng Pantukan in the Province of Davao de Oro in

which the participants are bona fide students of the school in all levels under the

Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in English which was the basis of choosing

them as the research key informant. There were sixteen (16) participants, eight (8) for

In-depth interview and eight (8) for Focus Group Discussion. It is relative on the

challenges they encountered in using the English language in speaking skills and how

they cope with the challenges.

Organization of the Study

This study is organized and arranged in an order way which can be significant

for the understanding of the readers. Below is the comprehensive arrangement of the

study.
 Chapter 1 presents the introduction which includes the struggles of

grammatical competence in speaking English language in global, national, and local

context with the authors view pertaining to the possible influence of grammatical

competence around the world. This chapter also introduced the purpose of the study,

research questions, theoretical lens, importance of the study, definition of terms, scope

and limitation and organization of the study.

Chapter 2 shows the related literature, readings, studies, concepts, theories that

underwent the same study that were directly associated with issues concerns for this

study. Also, the concepts of some authors and findings of other researchers were cited

in this chapter. The citations and other information presented in this chapter were

obtained in the internet, books, articles and other publications.

Chapter 3 reflects the research method, research participants, role of the

researchers, data source and research instrument, data collection procedure, data

analysis procedure, validity and reliability, and ethical consideration. This introduces

the methodology used in this investigation.

Chapter 4 provides the thematic results from the In- Depth Interview (IDI) and

Focus Group Discussion (FGD) of English major students towards their grammatical

competency in speaking English. A detailed response among the students during the

interview is thoroughly presented in this chapter.

 Chapter 5 presents the discussion of the results based on the essential themes

supported by various studies conducted. It also presents the implications for

education practice and the concluding remarks of the researcher.

Theoretical Lens

This study is anchored on the Theory of Learning by Edward Lee Thorndike

which suggested that learning is a phenomenon that expands associations. Stimulus is

the term for the transition from one event to the next, with response. A stimulus is a

change in the external environment that signals an organism to respond and take

action. Additionally, a response is an action that a stimulus raises. Additionally, trial-

and-error learning, or choosing and integrating learning Thorndike's theory of

learning is frequently referred to as connectionism or association theory as a result.

Thorndike is credited as being a pioneer in educational psychology as a result of this

contribution. There are three key ideas to consider when analyzing Thorndike's law of

learning; they are the Law of Readiness, Law of Exercise, and Law of Effect.

According to his Law of Readiness, every organism develops new capabilities,

behavior, and if this behavior's implications lead to satisfaction, then connection will

grow stronger. In his law of exercise, it maintains that practicing or exercising the

proper response helps to make the connection between the stimulus and the matching

response stronger. In Law of Effect, this law states that the sequence of stimuli and

responses is insufficient for learning to take place. Reinforcement is necessary in order

for learning to take place. This is because an act tends to repeat itself when it is

accompanied by a reward, and when it is followed by a punishment, the likelihood of

repetition reduces.
 Furthermore, reactions to a circumstance that result in a satisfying outcome

will be enhanced and turn into a habitual reaction to that event.

Applying Thorndike’s law of learning in this study the learner's enthusiasm

and the preparation of the subject can contribute to the learning in speaking of English

major students. In other words, the subject disposition of English major students in

learning will arise if actions are formed. In law of exercise explained that through

drilling or practicing increases the effectiveness and longevity of learning specifically

in speaking under grammatical competence. An English major students’ needs

frequently practice and experiment in order to respond to stimuli in a proper and

satisfying manner. And through learning, appropriate and contented action can be

learned. Additionally, the behavior throughout trials is an effort to strengthen the

student's competency in speaking. Lastly, law of effect, states that any action of

learning in speaking of English major students that results in positive outcomes will

likely to be repeated. Also, the encouragement of English major students will help us

to determine the significance of this law.

This study is also seen through the concept of Theory of learning; Operant

conditioning by B.F Skinner which will help investigate the difficulties in language

learning, behaviors and conditions through reinforcements. He referred to this as any

behavior that acts on the environment and leads to consequences.

In the context of this study, fear is one of the students’ reasons as to why

students find it difficult to speak using the English language. As they are studying the

language, it causes them more pressure when they are trying to put the language into
words and speak in front of people. As observed from the students, some fears were

committing mistakes and being laughed about, so they tend to use their mother

tongue instead. This shows how an individual’s learning development, sometimes,

depend on their psychological aspect. Moreover, operant conditioning will help

students to be motivated, and practice their grammar in speaking to strengthen their

ability with the help of reinforcements which will be the response by providing a

stimulus for certain behavior such as rewards after achievements specifically in their

speaking skills.

Chapter 2
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the related literature and studies of experts and authors

which are significantly interrelated to the phenomenon being investigated. The

literature on this chapter aims to discuss the importance, impact and difficulties of

grammatical competence in speaking which considered to be relevant to the theories

of other scholars. Included in this endeavor is the possible factors affecting the

grammatical competence in speaking skills of students and other issues concerning the

research study.

Speaking

Speaking is one of the productive talents that many individuals utilize to

process for developing and exchanging knowledge with one another. Speaking ability

differs from other talents in the English language since it is one of the capacities to

carry out conversation. As a result, speaking is the most important communication

ability. According to Bashir et al. (2017), speaking is a productive talent in the oral

form that is used to communicate and express ideas or opinions. This implies that

students might express their ideas or opinions vocally. Furthermore, Louma (2018)

defines speaking as an interactive process of meaning construction that comprises the

production, reception, and processing of information. It indicates that speaking is an

interactive process for everyone who is learning to speak to contribute knowledge and

opinions. Speaking, according to those criteria, is one of the English abilities aimed at

interacting, communicating, and sharing information.

 Furthermore, Namaziandost et al. (2019) discovered that information-gap

activities are more successful than opinion-gap and reasoning-gap activities in

increasing students' speaking fluency on Iranian EFL students. On the posttest, the

three experimental groups outperformed the control group. Roleplaying is a "whole

spectrum of communication tools to stimulate student participation in the classroom,

to build language fluency, to raise student motivation, and to share duties between

instructor and students" (Kusnierek in Rojas Rojas, 2018). Students portray several

roles while speaking the language they are learning. They determine the necessary

roles, vocabularies, and expressions (Waffa, 2018 in Rojas & Villafuerte, 2018).

According to a research conducted by Krebt (2017), engaging role play helped the

experimental group of students significantly enhance their speaking abilities. In

addition to being utilized as entertainment, storytelling is a powerful teaching strategy

in language classrooms (Mokhtar, Halim, & Kamarulzaman, 2017). By employing

narrative tactics, the pupils' motivation and speaking ability can both increase

(Sharma, 2018). The shy students might begin speaking in English in class. The

students will be able to engage in meaningful learning where they are able to

communicate ideas, reflect on the dialogs utilized, collaborate in groups, and create

new understanding from what they have learnt Alterio (2018).

Additionally, studies have demonstrated the advantages of using task-based

learning to enhance students' speaking abilities. The results of a research by

Namaziandost, Hashemifardnia, and Shafiee (2019) show that task-based learning, as

opposed to traditional learning, results in students being able to speak effectively after

completing opinion-gap, reasoning-gap, and information-gap activities. Similar to this,

Albino (2017) discovers that when a teacher employs recast and prompt tactics during

a task cycle, students' speaking abilities, particularly in the area of grammar, can

improve. Students rate their performance more favorably the more often they

complete various activities (Meng & Cheng, 2017).

Furthermore, a research by Namaziandost, Hashemifardnia, and Shafiee (2019)

found that task-based learning, as opposed to traditional learning, enabled students to

communicate clearly after completing opinion-gap, reasoning-gap, and information-

gap activities. Similar to this, Albino (2017) discovers that students' speaking abilities

might improve if their instructor uses prompt and recast tactics during the task cycle,

notably in the area of grammar.

Communication

Thai students, particularly those with poor ability, seem to have trouble

speaking in English as a second language, according to Chuanchaisit and Prapphal

(2019). This may be due to a lack of proper communication tactics as well as a lack of

fundamental grammar and vocabulary. Low-ability students have trouble deciding

which communication tactics are best in a variety of situations. In order to improve

low-ability students' oral communication skills, this study attempts to collect empirical

data on the kinds of communication techniques they choose. The first phase of this

study involved 300 Thai university students, 100 of whom were randomly chosen to

complete the Techniques Used in Speaking Task Inventory, which was designed to

elicit responses on the usage of communication strategies. The quantitative analysis

was also supported by content analysis. Low-ability pupils were shown to frequently
use risk-avoidance strategies, particularly time-gaining ones, and to require help

developing risk-taking strategies including social-affective, fluency-oriented, help-

seeking, and circumlocution methods.

Furthermore, Lai (2018) identified several factors that contribute to poor

communication in language classrooms. He first highlighted the persistence of non-

interactive communication patterns in English classrooms, where learners'

opportunities to take part in classroom communication are constrained. Second, the

majority of students lack confidence when speaking English in class. Finally, three key

elements that influence students' confidence in engaging in classroom dialogue are

noted. They are factors of low self-esteem, a source of linguistic difficulty, and a factor

of unfavorable communication patterns and opportunities in the classroom. These

elements were shown to be notably influenced by the students' opinions of their

inadequate English proficiency and the teachers' perspectives on the students'

performance in class. As a result, this view will have an impact on how well students

learn, which is comparable to what Bernat and Gvozdenko (2017) asserted about how

students' conceptualizations of their learning would either help or impede their

language-learning activities. Jahbel (2017) shows in his research there are some

problems or barriers in learning to speak English;

Fear of Mistake and Shyness

When speaking in a foreign language in class, students are frequently restricted

because they are afraid of making a mistake or are just embarrassed by the attention

their speech will get. Shyness is seen as an emotional component and one of the key
elements that may have the greatest impact on the language acquisition process,

according to a research by Jahbel (2017).

Lack of Motivation and Confidence

Students struggle to find the right words to express themselves and are only

motivated to talk out of a sense of obligation. Students may not have anything to say

since the teacher picked a topic that is inappropriate for them or they may not know

anything about it (Juahana, 2016).

 Lack of Vocabulary and Incorrect Pronunciation

However, some students find it challenging to answer when asked to speak in

English about a subject they are unfamiliar with or when deciding what sort of

vocabulary or grammar to use. According to Jahbel (2017), in order for learners to do

well while speaking, they must master the three components of speaking: vocabulary,

grammar, and pronunciation. When asked to explain a certain subject and having

trouble expressing themselves, learners switch to their mother tongue. Mother

language represents one of the factors attributed for students' poor speaking abilities.

Using their native tongue in class is simpler for the students since it comes off as more

natural. As a result, the majority of students lack consistency in their use of the target

language during the process of learning.

 Low of Vocabulary Mastery

 When the instructor has a discussion in English, the students still find it

challenging to respond to each question individually. Some language learners

admitted that they do not know how to pronounce a term in English that they truly

wish to use. The students' ability to master vocabulary was often low. Meaning that

the majority of them also have limited English proficiency. Naturally, it was not just

their responsibility to learn as many different words as they could, but it was also the

instructor's significant responsibility, especially their English teacher (Juahana, 2017).

Pronunciation Trouble

Learners occasionally pronounce some English words incorrectly. Even when

the learner repeats the phrases incorrectly despite the teacher providing an example of

how to pronounce the words in English, due to their lack of self-confidence, it will

cause the students to improve their speaking skills. Most students are terrified of

making a mistake in their word pronunciation. The majority of them lacked

confidence while pronouncing English words since they knew their peers would make

fun of them if they made a mistake (Gan, 2016).

Shyness, Nervousness, and Fear of Making Mistakes

The majority of students experienced shyness, nervousness, and a fear of

speaking English incorrectly. All of those emotions prevented them from speaking
English. When a student makes an error when speaking English, they are frightened

that their teacher will become irate and their friends will make fun of them. That

circumstance will have a bad psychological impact on the students who attempted to

appear in front of their buddies. Perhaps some students are reluctant to speak in front

of the class. For some students, it was traumatizing like that. Therefore, the instructor

should instruct students who make mistakes that it is a very normal part of learning

and that making mistakes is not something to be laughed at. Nervousness was another

issue they ran through when learning to speak English. The students were quite

anxious when it was their turn to speak in front of the group. Even though they had

prepared beforehand, they still felt apprehensive when it came time to speak. Once

they start speaking English, this will become a new issue. When students are anxious,

it is very conceivable that they may forget what they were going to say and lose their

words in their minds (Juahana, 2017).

Limited of Practice

If they consistently practice, language learners may become fluent in any

language, even English. Even if students memorized a large number of words, even if

they were proficient in all forms of grammar, nothing would be accomplished if they

never put what they had learned into practice (Gan, 2012).

Minimum Opportunities

Every student needs opportunities in their classroom so they may practice

speaking English. It is sometimes important for students to seize every opportunity.

The ability to learn English is influenced by a number of things, including

opportunity. Due to their teacher's possible lack of time, some students only have a

brief chance to speak in front of their peers. This is consistent the study where

students reported giving special attention to writing, reading, and listening tasks that

are similar to exam items, and both teachers and students reported that they gave least

attention to speaking tasks in the textbooks because speaking is completely excluded

from exams (Al-Lawati, 2017)

Environment Factors

Environment is one of the aspects that affects learning to speak English since it

will make them used to doing so. The teacher mostly utilized Indonesian during the

teaching and learning process. It would be preferable if the teacher utilized English

during the class activity to help the students become accustomed to the language. By

doing so, the students would be able to speak English and expand their new

vocabulary (Jahbel, 2017).

The Use of Mother Tongue

The instructor mostly employed Tagalog or Bisaya language/dialect during the

teaching and learning process for the purpose of ensuring that the students

understood what the teacher was saying. It would be hard for the students to

understand the lessons if the teacher spoke English more often than their native

language. The instructor students would become more passive, unable to speak

English, and yet have low learning on it if the instructor and students will only use to
speak their mother tongue more than the target language. The development of

communicative skills can only take place if learners have the motivation and

opportunity to express their own identity and relate with the people around them

(Littlewood,2017).

Low Motivation

The drive is a key factor in improving speaking skills, yet most students lack

strong enthusiasm to study, particularly English. The students do not dislike English

as much as they formerly did. Their perception of English fluctuated depending on the

subject matter, the instructor, the teaching style, and the period of time. For instance, if

the student found the content to be too challenging, they would not be like English;

yet, if the material was simple and easy to comprehend, they would be. As we know

that native have more places in oral communication teaching in Thailand because the

local English teachers have inadequately creativity to make a deal (Juahana 2016).

 Poor of Teaching English Strategy

The methods used by the teacher help students focus on and enjoy the process

of teaching and learning. Making students interested in English is the first step in

developing their proficiency in the language since students cannot succeed in English

if they are not motivated to study it. Therefore, the instructor should be skilled in

various teaching methods for English speaking. The researcher comes to the

conclusion that there are many elements that contribute to the hurdles in the teaching

and learning process based on the explanations provided by some of the experts
mentioned above. According to previous explanations, both internal and external

factors contribute to obstacles. Internal factors are the factors that appear from inside

of the learners themselves, the factors include: (1) motivation, (2) nothing to say

include lack of vocabulary, incorrect pronunciation, and grammar as a stumbling

block, (3) shyness that included confidence, fear of mistake, nervousness, and fear of

criticism, (4) mother tongue, (5) age, and (6) identity and language ego. Meanwhile,

the external factors are different like internal factors. The external factors come from

outside of the learners or other people. The factors are: (1) teacher factors, (2) learner’s

autonomy, (3) school factors that consist of limited time, large class, limited practice,

minimum opportunities, facilities problems, poor teaching English strategy that cause

low participant and identity and language ego, and (4) environment factors.

The grammatical error is one of the factors that makes it difficult for Clarita,

(2020), pupil to communicate. Students who struggle with grammar frequently do so

as well, in addition to having difficulties speaking in English. Hanifa (2018) asserts

that because children are unconfident in their grammatical skills, they find it difficult

to speak up in class. Grammar, sometimes referred to as sentence structure and

formula, is introduced to students and begins to hinder their capacity to communicate

in English. Due to their lack of comprehension of the grammar and syntax of

American English, they lack motivation to learn. In addition to a lack of linguistic

resources, learners are hampered by a lack of foundational knowledge across a range

of subject areas.
 To synthesize, difficulties of grammar in speaking are considered as unending

problems on why students didn't communicate whether in a conversation or

expressing their ideas in front of the class. These are noticed since the most important

skill to be developed by students is speaking. The related studies above show that the

difficulties such as lack of vocabulary, grammar and etc. have affected the individuals

in speaking the English language. Thus, there is a need to understand students’

difficulties in speaking. Further, it implies that there are a lot of reasons how the

students deal with the phenomenon and ways in addressing the problem.

Chapter 3
 METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research method, research participants, role of the

researchers, data source and research instrument, data collection procedure, data

analysis procedure, validity and reliability, and ethical consideration. This introduces

the methodology used in this investigation.

Research Method

To better understand the experiences of English major students, we used the

qualitative method, particularly the phenomenology. Phenomenology study focuses

on experiences, events and occurrences with disregard or minimum regard for the

external and physical reality. It is more in exploring the human experience compare to

the other form of research design. In phenomenological approach, it can help

understand people’s meanings and adjust to new issues and ideas as they emerge. The

credibility of gathered data is secured true and based on reality (Methodology, 2017).

It is descriptive in the sense that it only described the experiences of the English major

students in their grammatical competence in speaking.

The process of qualitative research comprises developing questions and

techniques, data collection that generally takes place in the participant's environment,

inductive data processing that builds from specifics to broad themes, and our

assessments of the significance of the findings. Most frequently, phenomenology is

employed to comprehend the essence of a certain set of people's lived experiences

(Creswell & Poth, 2018).

 Through interviews, we used qualitative approach to comprehend and dive into

the obstacles faced by English majors in their grammatical competence in speaking

abilities with the English language. To go further into the experiences and

comprehend human issues, this design has been used. Additionally, focus groups and

in-depth interviews, which can be organized, semi-structured, or unstructured, were

employed to collect data for qualitative research. Observations, reflective field notes,

texts, images, and other items also used to produce data.

Phenomenological approach is philosophical and psychological inquiry in which

the researchers describe the lived experiences of individuals about a phenomenon as

described by participants. This design has strong philosophical underpinnings that

involve conducting interviews (Giorgi, 2017). It employs a variety of procedures,

including interviews and focus group discussions, to gather experiences and

perceptions about the issue being researched. Events are observed, and interviews that

are semi- or unstructured are conducted as a result. In unstructured interviews, the

interviewer and interviewee's conversation generates the questions.

In this study, it was appropriate to use qualitative phenomenological research

since we gathered data about the experiences and difficulties of the English major

students of Kolehiyo Ng Pantukan in speaking English through interview. All the data

gathered has been interpreted, analyzed, and understood to describe the phenomena.

Research Participants
           In this phenomenological inquiry, there were 16 participants. They were

students of the institution of Kolehiyo ng Pantukan (KNP), specifically were part of

the program of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English. We decided to have

them as part of this research study because they are usually the one who are studying

and learning the language related subjects and they are the one who is fit and is

related in our study. The participants were four (4) each from first, second, third and

fourth year level. As emphasized by Creswell (2013) and cited by Gonzaga (2021), the

participants will be grouped for In-Depth Interviews (IDI) participants with eight and

also eight participants for Focused Group Discussion (FGD) which is strengthened

with the principle of phenomenological studies which consist of 5 to 25 participants

for such particular design.

In this study, we employed the purposive sampling method for the selection of

the participants. Purposive sampling refers to intentionally chosen sample according

to the needs of the study. This means we selected participants because they indicated

their willingness to participate in the study. Likewise, this strategy enabled us to

collect relevant and useful information for answering the research question.

Furthermore, as for the inclusion criteria in identifying the participants, the

students must be (a) a bona fide students of Kolehiyo Ng Pantukan (b) lives in the

province of Davao de Oro (c) enrolled under the Bachelor of Secondary Education

Major in English (d) are currently in their 3rd year and (e) experiencing difficulty in

speaking English. Each participant signed an informed consent to signify their

permission before we conducted the interview.

Role of the Researchers

In this study, first we became someone who ensured the ethical conduct of the

research. We made sure that the identity of the participants’ remained confidential, as

well as the data that we gathered from them.

Second, we became the interviewee of this study. We interviewed the participants

to gather the data for the phenomenon being studied. This was done through in-depth

interviews and focus group discussion.

Third, we became the moderators for the focus group discussion. We served as

the facilitators of the whole duration of the discussion. We asked questions during the

session and provided follow-up questions when needed. We made sure that all the

participants were given the same amount of time and chance to give their answers.

Fourth, we became someone who ensured the entire interview was properly

recorded. We used video and voice recorder every detail of the discussion being

included. Aside from that, we also used pen and paper to scribble down the important

information through the process.

Fifth, we became the transcribers who turned the recorded data into more

comprehensive statements for data analysis. After which, we send the data to the data

analyst and the data has been analyzed with the help of our adviser to generate a

comprehensive theme from specific to general ideas. We organized the data by

providing codes and pseudonyms and ensured the anonymity of the participants.
 Sixth, we became the translators for the information that the expected

participants give during the interview. This was done whenever there would be a

word or phrase that needed to be translated for the better interpretation of the

information especially when the participants used their mother tongue during the in-

depth interview and in focus group discussion.

Seventh, our Research Director became the primary data analyst after gathering

information from the expected participants. He analyzed the text in order to

understand and to have a reliable discussion and interpretation of the data. We

ensured in providing truthful and appropriate analyses of the data given.

Finally, we became encoders. We finalized all the responses and data in the

appropriate columns in a table to make sure that the information in the table would be

clear to anyone who sees it. Also, during the conduct of the interview, we were

responsible for keeping the gathered information from them.

The assurance to credible, valid, and acceptable data was the dynamic role of the

researchers. Thus, one of the most important instruments in the study are the

researchers (Lincoln, 2003 as cited by Al-iadeh, et al., 2016).

Data Sources and Research Instrument

 In this study, the data gathered through focus group discussion and in-depth

interview served as data sources in a qualitative inquiry. In order to come up with

more credible and valid responses, we employed both in-depth interview and focus

group discussion. In-depth interview and Focus group discussion had been used to

gather information on the participants with regards to their grammatical competence

in speaking using English language. Their shared experiences is the basis for data

analysis and to suffice the necessary information needed for the study.

In this study, we used observation and interview to collect the data. We used in-

depth interview and focus-group discussion to reduce and to cross-examine the

integrity of the participants’ response in this study. It facilitated validation of data

through cross verification from more than two sources or the triangulation.

Data Collection Procedure

The interview questionnaire was the only instrument used in the inquiry. It

served as a guide in conducting the in-depth interview and focus-group discussion.

Basically, queries were based on Phonological know-hows of participants,

participants’ perspective and experiences on the phenomenon (Braun & Clarke, 2019).

In conducting a data collection procedure, we ensured and sought informed

consent from the participants as a voluntary agreement. In the field, we, as

researchers, always remember to gain such approval from any informants who were

not forced to agree to be part of the study. In addition, we also informed the

participants about the necessary things they needed to know like the purpose of the
study, types of questions, manner and extent of using their utterances, potential risks

and benefits, and method of anonymity. 

On the other hand, it is also part of the extent of our study that we researchers

must keep in touch with confidentiality; this means that it is best to retain the

anonymity of our participants instead of revealing their full identity. In our case, we

ensured and clarified the interviewed students that their identification was kept

unknown, yet it’s their permission and decision to agree to even spill their identity. 

Furthermore, after the step, we set and conducted the in-depth interview and

followed with focus group discussion. Since, there were students who could not

attend in actuality, we decided to have a video call via zoom or google meet for

meeting them and actualize this step. By screen recording, we did not miss any

information out from the interview and in order for us to retrieve the exact things that

happened during collecting data. Most of all, we also ensured that their permission to

let us record such was in their hands. With that reason, we had freely ask anything

aligned to our topic and without bragging about their sides. On the other hand, the

data from the interview had been written and recorded, and as part of it, it transcribed

for analysis of data in addressing the established research questions. Lastly, to ensure

that we must achieve the purpose of the study, before the interviews we had this set of

research guide questions that was made for gathering information, significantly.

All the information we got from our participants were recorded through in-

depth interview and audio recording in assurance of not missing any piece of details

and to avoid misinterpretation. Data remained confidential as we stored the

documents and files in a flash drive or in a laptop for transcribing their answers out

after taking the interview, then we processed thematic analysis. Mostly, to guarantee

that the analysis would be right, we were advised and consulted an analyst or an

adviser to make sure the correctness of the analysis of the data. 

Data Analysis

In this qualitative study, there were five separate stages that made up the data

analysis. These techniques are referred to as data logging, anecdotes, vignettes, data

coding, and thematic analysis. To emphasize the significance of its application, only

the data coding and theme analysis phases will be discussed. Focused Group

Discussions (FGDs) and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) are both coded based mostly on

the responses given by study participants to interview questions. Coding would make

the archiving and analysis possible (Mikalef et al., 2021).

In the review of each participant’s transcript, the “meaning units,” the words and

sentences that conveyed similar meanings, were identified and labeled with codes

(Graneheim & Lundman, 2004 as cited by Belotto, 2018). The coding process allowed

for the interpretation of large segments of text and portions of information in new

ways. The assessment of these meanings is related which led to the identification of

themes.

In the context of this study, we made physical and software codebooks using

Microsoft Excel containing where we highlighted the text which were significant

themes. We also separated the texts according to groups and labeled the themes based

on their responses.
 In a qualitative research, thematic analysis is one of the most common forms of

analysis. It refers to the emphasis of identifying, analyzing and interpreting patterns of

meaning or themes within qualitative data. It is an appropriate method of analysis for

seeking to understand experiences, thoughts, or behaviors across a data set (Braun &

Clarke, 2019).

In the context of this study, we used the thematic analysis to improve the themes

for synthesis and categorized the responses from specific to general for a set of

comprehensive themes to be generated. Furthermore, codes were assigned to the

participants to maintain their confidentiality.

Theme formulation is one of the most extensively utilized qualitative approaches

and psychology research (Farias et al., 2020). Furthermore, it is a qualitative data

analysis method that is typically used to a series of texts, such as interview transcripts

(Caulfield, 2019).

Formulation of core ideas is critical especially before the beginning of a new

research that intends to explore an existing uncertainty in a problem area and

indicates to a need for purposeful examination (Ratan et al., 2019).

Trustworthiness of the Study

Trustworthiness of a research study is important to value its worth, which involve

establishing credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability (Lincoln &

Guba, 1985 as cited by Shenton, 2005).

 Credibility is the quality of being believed or accepted as true, real or honest. In a

research study, credibility is an evaluation of whether or not the research findings

represent a “credible” conceptual interpretation of the data drawn from the

participants’ original data. There were series of techniques that can be used in

establishing credibility. Prolonged engagement and iterative questioning and member

checking were adopted in this study (Lincoln & Guba, 1985 as cited by Shenton, 2005).

There was a prolonged engagement in the study. According to Cohen and

Crabtree (2006) prolonged engagement is spending sufficient time in the field to learn

or understand the culture, social setting or phenomenon of interest. The researcher

spent adequate time observing various aspects of the setting, spoke with range of

people and developed relationships, trust and rapport with the participants.

To address credibility in this study iterative questioning was used. According to

Lincoln and Guba (1985) as cited by Shenton (2005) it is a process of questioning in

which the researcher returns to the matter previously raised by an informant and

extracts related data through rephrased questions. In this way, falsehood was detected

and discarded. During the in-depth interview, the researcher repeatedly asked the

same questions but worded differently to the participants. This is to ensure the

consistency of participants’ responses.

Moreover, member checking was employed by the researcher. According to

Lincoln and Guba (1985) as cited by Shenton (2005) it is the single most important

provision that can be made to bolster the credibility of the study. Checking of the

accuracy of the data may take place on the spot, in the course or at the end of the
conversation. Also, the participants were given an opportunity to read the transcripts

of the dialogues, interpretations and conclusions. In this manner the participants had a

chance to clarify their intentions and correct some misunderstood statements.

Transferability, as stated by Lincoln and Guba, (1985) as cited by Shenton (2005)

is the degree to which the findings of this inquiry can be applied or transferred

beyond the bounds of project. Likewise, Shenton asserts that to ensure transferability

the researcher must give thick of description of the method and phenomenon to allow

other researcher to determine if the environment is similar to other area and whether

the findings are applicable to other setting.

To ensure transferability of our study, we provided detailed and thick description

of the method and phenomenon to convey the actual situations under investigation.

Dependability in a qualitative research refers to an inquiry that provides other

researcher or audience with the evidence that if the study will be replicated with

similar participants and similar setting it would result into similar findings. Shenton

(2005) asserts that the meeting of the dependability criterion is difficult in qualitative

work, although researchers should at least strive to enable a future investigator to

repeat the study.

To ensure dependability of our study, we had a detailed account of the research

processes. This would allow other future researchers to repeat the same study, if not

necessarily to gain the same results.

 Confirmability refers to the degree to which the findings are the product of the

focus of the inquiry and not on the researcher’s bias, motivation and interest.

Likewise, confirmability is a measure of how well the findings of the inquiry are

supported by the data collected. Also crucial to confirmability is in depth

methodological description and audit trail (Lincoln & Guba, 1985 as cited by Shenton,

2005).

In depth methodological description allows the reader to know how far the data

and the constructs that emerges from it may be accepted. On the other hand, audit

trail allows any observer to trace the course of the study through the decisions made

and procedure described (Lincoln & Guba, 1985 as cited by Shenton, 2005).

To address confirmability in this study, we used audit trail. There was a

transparent description of the research steps taken from the start of a research project

to the development and reporting of findings.

Ethical Consideration

The main concern of this study were the English Major Students of Kolehiyo Ng

Pantukan. Therefore, their safety and full protection must be ensured. This was to

preserve the trust they gave to us, the researchers. Thus, we will followed the ethical

standards in conducting this research study.

Respect for people, according to Punch (2005) as cited by Albite (2017) is doing

research which involves collection of data from people about people. The researchers

need to protect and respect the research participants and trust must be considered. In
our study, after identifying the participants, we ensured to send a consent to them.

The participants were not minor and at the legal age ranges from 19-23-year-old. They

will be from the Municipality of Pantukan and studying at Kolehiyo ng Pantukan.

Also, we made sure to present to our participants a consent stating our purpose and

asked them to sign the letter signifying that they were voluntary participant in our

study as our research participants. Also, the letter was written in English only due to

the reason that the students are English Majors. They were also informed that they

might withdraw their participation since it was voluntary. They were not forced to

provide information which they were not comfortable with. Furthermore, codes and

pseudonym were used to each of the participants.

Beneficence. Ford and Reutter (2019) stated that beneficence includes the

professional mandate to the effective and significant research so as to promote the

welfare of our constituents. In the context of our study, we did not disclose any

information that may lead to the identification of the interviewee. The beneficence or

no harm to the participants were considered through making the participant’s safety

and comfort. In addition, based from the result of this study, the participants may get

some idea on how can they help their community especially students who are possible

to encounter the same endeavor.

Justice. Those who undertake the burden of research must be likely to benefit

the research. Justice demands equitable selection of participants like avoiding

population that may be unfairly coerced in participating (Adams, 2018). In our study,

we will presented the result of our research study to the participants, as well as to the
community for them to be aware on what were the difficulties of English Major

students encountered in their speaking skills. With these, they migh be able to craft

some interventions or strategy to minimize the problems related to the phenomenon

being studied. Also, the participants could have an idea that their difficulties might

also experienced by others and not to feel embarrassed. They might find other means

on how they would cope with their difficulties.

As researchers, we ensured that all of the above-mentioned principles were

addressed appropriately, with manner, and justice to protect the rights of the

participants in order to strengthen data processing security. We considered the

rigorous obedience of the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10173), which

pertains to the right of an individual not to disclose his or her information (Ramos,

2019). Moreover, prior to the interview, we asked the participants' consent to record

their responses in gathering the information and also, we asked for their most

convenient time before conducting the in-depth interviews and focus group

discussions, so that we would not interfere with their personal activities.

Chapter 4

RESULTS

This chapter presents the collected and analyzed data by the researchers with the

guide and consultation of the research adviser. Data were gathered through the

cooperation of the participants and by following the ethical needs to abide. The data

were presented to summarize the themes that were generated during the in-depth
interview and focus group discussion conducted. There is a narrative prior to every

table to provide an overview of the content of the each table.

The Lived Experiences of the English Major Students in Learning English

Lived Experience is the foundation of any practice from different aspects in life

and thus, can be considered as the constant thing in life. From the data given using the

first question that stated, “What are the lived experiences of English Major Students in

grammatical competence towards their speaking skills?", the participants have shared

their experiences and perspectives on English language. It shows that upon learning

the English language, the participants have encountered both positive and negative

impacts of it.

After conducting the interview, making use of transcription and translation and

vigilant analysis of the gathered data, the subsequent themes had emerged and gave

analysis to: difficulty in learning English Speaking and overcoming challenges

through Learning Strategies. The following were the themes that emerged under the

first question: 1) Communication Difficulties 2) Alleviating Grammatical

Apprehensions 3) Linguistic Competence Assumptions.

Table 1 presents the major themes and core ideas that emerged from the

analysis of the transcripts.

Table 1

Major Themes and Core Ideas on the Lived Experience of the English Major
Students in Learning English Speaking
 Major Themes Core Ideas

 Struggle with English

grammar.

 Struggle with oral recitations

and reports.
Communication Difficulties
 Encounters grammatical

slips and difficulties.

 Difficult to compose

sentences, particularly in

speech.

 Speaking doesn't give you

time to check grammar, but

writing does.

 Vocabulary and self-

exposure are key.

 Poor sentence construction

may influence grammar.

 Speaking is different from

Alleviating Grammatical writing, thus one must be

 Apprehensions confident.

 Lack of vocabulary also

affects grammar and

sentence structure while

speaking.

 English language majors

Linguistic Competence may struggle with speaking.
Assumptions
 As an English major, people

expect you to talk

eloquently.

 Not confident enough to

express their perspective or

insight.

 Perplexed on how to convey

the topic's meaning in their

phrases.

 Not push oneself to study

new things since it would

affect grammar.

 Find it really nerve-

wracking, particularly when

 called on to engage in class

impromptu.

Communication Difficulties

Communication difficulties might arise when learning a language. Grammar,

pronunciation, and vocabulary difficulties are what one should anticipate to encounter

when learning a language. As a result, communication difficulties can be seen in the

participant experiences.

As stated by FGD-3:

“Sa akong experience kay maglisud jud ko when it comes to

constructing sentences especially, if speaking kay lahi ra man

gud kong mag written ug lahi ra pud kung speaking. Ang spe

aking man gud kay dili ka-kahuna huna pa unlike sa written

nga pwede nimo siya i-check kung mali ba or tama imuhang

grammar.”

(In my experience, I find it difficult when constructing

sentences especially in speaking unlike written tasks.

Speaking will not give you enough time to think more

unlike in written, you can check if your grammar is in

correct or not.)

FGD-7 also added and mentioned that:

 “For me, it can greatly affect the student itself if he or she

is grammatically incompetent. Why is it so? It’s because

most especially mga oral recitations, or even reporting, a

side sa lack of confidence, dili niya ma-relay ang gusto ni

ya na ipasabot sa mga audiences.

(For me, it can greatly affect the student itself if he

or she is grammatically competent because most of

the students have lack of confidence and cannot pro

perly relay the messag or suggestions towards their

audiences especially in a reporting and oral recitati

on.)

It is also seen that students are preferred to utilize the use of writing rather than

speaking due to the difficulties in speaking English.

This idea was anchored by what FGD-4 stated:

“I describe my grammatical competence in speaking eng

lish in the sense nga naa jud koy kalisud pud kay especi

ally mas ganahan ko mag express sa akong thought if m

agsulat lang in terms sa written, while kung mag expre

ss ko sakong thought in english speaking, maglisud ko,

magkabunga-bunga ko, so di man jud nato mapagkaila

na even though we are in the college level na pero naa

gihapon tay mga kalisud in terms sa grammatical comp

etence in speaking English.”

(I describe my grammatical competence in speaking

English in the sense that I also have difficulties in

it. I do like expressing my thoughts through writing

while if I express it through speaking, it’ll be difficult

for me. We cannot deny the fact that even if we are at

a college level, we still also have difficulties in terms

of grammatical competence in speaking English.)

IDI-7 also shared that:

“Ang idea nako is lisod giyud magtuon ug English grammar,

specially na very broad ang area ani na specific subject. Naa ta

mga difficulties specially na dili tanan students is faster nga

maka catch up. Need pa nila ug slow process of learning for

them to analyze giyud ani ug tarong.”

(In my opinion, it is really difficult to learn English

grammar especially because the subject has broad

areas. Of course, we have difficulties because not

all students can easily cope up with English, it

needs a long process to learn for us to analyze

well.)

As stated by IDI-1:

“Dili kayo fluent tapos usahay kay mag mali ang grammar,

syempre kung magstorya ka sa atubangan sad kay ang kul

ba, kay kung mag answer ka ug mali kay ang frustration a

na magsagol.”

(I'm not fluent and sometimes I have grammatical

errors. And, I feel nervous whenever I’m talking in

front and for instance, if your answers are wrong, it

could lead to frustration.)

FGD-7 mentioned that:

“For me, it can greatly affect the student itself if he or she is

grammatically incompetent. Why is it so? It’s because most

especially mga oral recitations, or even reporting , aside sa

lack of confidence, dili niya ma-relay ang gusto niy a na ipa

sabot sa mga audiences. Most especially sa mga student itself,

it’s because maglisud siya ug construct a sentences ug magli

bug siya unsa na mga words iyang gamiton in order to relay

those messages sa mga audiences niya na maka relate sa iya

hang topic. So in that way maapektuhan siya a s a student

and in line pud sa iyahang profession nga dili siya equipped

ug naa siya’y mga difficulties when it comes to speaking

English.”

(For me, it can greatly affect the student itself if he or

she is grammatically competent. It is because most of

the students have lack of confidence and cannot prope

rly relay the message or suggestions towards their au

 diences especially in reporting and oral recitations.

Sometimes they are confused about what words they

are going to use in their sentences in relaying the

message related to the topic given. Also, in line with

his profession, he is not that equipped which resul

ted in having difficulties in speaking.)

Having communication difficulties in constructing grammar issues have an

impact on students' ability to speak English. Correct language, appropriate words, and

pronunciation were all difficult for them to use. The majority of students are

concerned about their speech and the manner in which they express it. In the area of

speaking English, this led to a lack of linguistic proficiency.

Alleviating Grammatical Apprehensions

Grammatical apprehension is a common experience for many students which

can seriously impede efficient communication in speaking. It is a fear related to the

proper application of grammatical rules, lack of vocabulary and structures that makes

it challenging for people to express themselves confidently and accurately. Speech

difficulties is broadly used to refer to the apprehension experienced by a student when

required to speak in English language. Hence, alleviating grammatical apprehensions

are essential in reducing speaking apprehension and enhancing grammatical

knowledge. Students must address their grammatical apprehension as soon as feasible

because it can be a significant barrier to academic success.

 The participants shared their experiences they had encountered by stating the

factors of their grammatical apprehensions. By investigating this phenomenon, issues

including a lack of vocabulary and lack of self exposure are found, which are claimed

to be the causes of grammatical apprehensions in speaking English fluently.

As stated by FGD-7

“One thing factor nga naka affect jud sa difficulty when

it comes to grammatical competence is that the lack of

vocabulary, maybe, as well as dili ko expose ko but then

again I am trying to dili mugawas sa akong comfort

zone nga mu-explor e ug things that will be affect

my grammatical competence in speaking.”

(One of the factors is the lack of vocabulary as well

as not exposing yourself. I did expose myself but

then I am trying to not go outside of my comfort zone

to explore things, in that case, that would affect my

grammatical competence.)

IDI-4 supported by stating:

“So the factor is first imuhang practice competence murag

nagapractice ka ba sa imuhang self, mangita kag pamaagi a

unsaon nako ni na ma-hawud ko or ma improve ko ani akoang

grammatical, basta about n grammar, construction of gram

mar sentences.”
 (For me, the factor is first when we are practicing

ourselves to find ways to become better and to im

prove our grammar.)

Grammatical apprehensions, however, are a normal part of learning and do not

indicate intelligence or talent. Reading books, self-exposure and watching educational

videos are some suggestions for alleviating grammar apprehensions and

strengthening language abilities which are being proposed and the responses of the

participants.

IDI-7 supported by stating:

“Naga basa ko ug books, and then naga practice ko sa akong

sarili ug gina enhance jud nako akong speaking skills.”

(I mostly read books, that's one of the things and I

am practicing myself to enhance my speaking skills.)

FGD-7 also added that:

“For me, effective ni na ways na maka help siya when it

comes to speaking or writing grammar. Indulge yourself

in activities that may develop your expertise when it

comes to your grammatical competence or in the word

of English language. Mag download ka ug mga English

movies or educational videos about proper usage of gram

mar and ang mga basic niana.”

 (For me it is effective when it comes to speaking

or writing grammar. Indulge yourself in more

activities that may develop your expertise when

it comes to your grammatical competence or in

the word of English language because in that

way such as watching English movies or educa-

tional videos about proper way of using grammar.)

Despite the grammatical apprehensions of students they are still able to

overcome the problem. Even though it’s difficult to learn, they’re still satisfied with

the strategies they have gained and progress they have achieved.

Linguistic Competence Assumptions

Language production skills include the capacity to comprehend, understand

and produce meaningful language with appropriate grammar. If we are an English

language student, then we will have to undergo things related to learning the

language since most of the people are expecting the student to be highly eloquent in

speaking and linguistically competent. Understanding the principles of language,

learning through exposure, using language effectively in various settings, and

realizing how social factors influence language use are all part of the complex skill of

linguistic competence. These assumptions serve as the foundation for language

acquisition and proficiency, and it is crucial to comprehend them in order to improve

one's language abilities. By frequent exposure to the language, learners can acquire
confidence in their ability to use language effectively and communicate their thoughts

and ideas to others.

On the other hand, a number of assumptions about what it means to know a

language, how it is learnt, and how language usage differs in various circumstances

form the foundation of linguistic competence that greatly affected the students. In the

classroom context, these assumptions have been a challenge to the participants as they

are supposed to learn the language which leads to a major idea of difficulties in

linguistic competency.

FGD-2 supported by stating:

“Regarding factors that somehow affected my grammar

when speaking. I am an English major and they assume

or expect that you have the capacity to speak fluently and

at a good pace. So, ga expect sila na english major kabalo

sila mag speak English”

(Regarding factors that somehow affected my grammar

in speaking, I think it would be you as an English major

which people assume and expect that you have the capa-

city to speak fluently or at a good pace.)

FGD-5 added and shared:

“In terms of difficulties in speaking English, I find it really

nerve wracking especially being called in the class, kuntahay

 impromptu siya tapos manawag lang ug pinakalit, I find it

difficult.”

(In terms of difficulties in speaking english, I find it really

nerve wracking especially when I am being called in the

class to participate. Like if it is impromptu or more than

that.)

By acknowledging these assumptions, future researchers and educators can

create more efficient methods for teaching and learning languages that take into

consideration the contextual and social elements that affect language use and

meaning.

Coping Mechanism of English Major Students in Learning English

Changes are difficult because they force us to adapt and adjust. The

participants may have trouble speaking English because it isn't their first language,

but there are coping mechanisms or resources that can help them. Confusions and

challenges thus form a part of the shaping and learning process.

The core ideas and major themes of how learners managed their grammatical

competence in speaking English are the following: (1) Facilitative Approaches, (2)

Introspection, and (3) Maximizing Technology Use. These themes were duly

supported and justified by participants’ responses during Focus Group Discussion

and In-Depth Interviews.

 Table 2 presents the major themes and core ideas that emerged from the

analysis of the transcripts.

Table 2

Major Themes and Core Ideas on the Grammatical Competence in Speaking

of English Major Students in Kolehiyo ng Pantukan.

Major Themes Core Ideas

 Use basic words in recitation.

We had school-based
rewards and incentives.
 Absorb the question to
respond correctly to the
teachers and pupils.
 Utilized clear, easy-to-
Facilitative Approaches
understand phrases.
 Avoid stress and use
comfortable language.
 Asking for help is the best
method to improve English.
 Employ simple concepts
instead of complicated ones
to be more expressive.

 Use your instincts and use

basic language to progress.
 Motivate by setting
objectives and finding
Introspection
methods to improve.
 Acknowledging worries
means recognizing that you
must improve.
 Motivate yourself by
assuming that English majors
should be brilliant at it.
  Further studying is needed to
perfect The biometrics is one
disciplining machine because
Maximizing Technology Use if teachers are tardy, they
will be deducted for their
salary.
 Watch YouTube or other
English-speaking
applications.
 Engage in extra activities to
improve your English or
grammar skills.
 Watching English movies or
grammar videos improves
grammatical skills.
 Remember that oral
recitations usually include
dread, thus you must
embrace it.

Facilitative Approaches

The foundation of facilitated learning trains and educates students to be

more successful if a student assumes more responsibility for it. It helps and supports

the participants as they create and sculpt their own learning objectives and successes.

The participants discussed how they overcome their difficulties in speaking English by

sharing their experiences.

FGD-7 stated by saying:

“ So my way is to construct sentences in front of my

classmates. I often used simple words that can be easily
understood by my classmates and in that way safe ka sa
mga judgement. If you have the guts to see whatever
 you want aside sa pag gamit ug simple words, you can
actually do that one because after all there's progress.”

(My way for that is I used only simple words that can
be easily understood by my classmates, in that way
you feel safe, just trust your guts and use simple
words because there's progress after all.)

FGD-2 also stated:

“Stick to your guts and use simple words or terms especially

in recitation. Do not pressure yourself and mangita ka ug
other term na mas familiar, it’s because what’s really
important is dapat masabtan ka sa imong mga classmates,
that’s what you have to do, you have to remind yourself na in
every oral recitation there is always fear and you must accept
that. Stick to your guts and use simple words in order for
you to be more articulate than to find other terms that will
make it more complicated.”

(Stick to your guts and use simple words or terms

especially in recitation. Do not pressure yourself and
find other terms that are familiar because what’s really
important to discuss is people should be able to
understand your means. You have to remind yourself
that in oral recitations there is always fear and you
must accept fear that it is there. Use simple terms in
order for you to be more articulate rather than to find
more terms that will complicate everything.)

FGD-1 stressed that:

“Una, dapat dili sa mag estorya, dapat mag

internalize usa ka kung unsa ang maipangutana sa imo
if mag answer ka in English para maka construct ka ug
tama nga answer in front sa imong mga classmates.
Usahay makagamit ko ug code switch pero kung dili code
switch, hinay hinay lang usa sap ag estorya para ma tama
imong tubag.”

(Maybe sometimes I forgot that I used code switch

but first, we must internalize the question that has
been ask, to construct a correct answer in front of
 your classmates.)

Despite the students’ challenges in overcoming those difficulties, they are still

able to find ways to create a more authentic way of learning. Although learning is

challenging, they are nonetheless happy with the strategies they have acquired and

the advancement they have made.

Introspection

Learners can recognize and understand their thoughts and feelings by engaging

in introspection, which teaches them a lot about themselves. As a result, one develops

a stronger sense of oneself, which opens up the door to understanding. This allows

one to process what they've learned, and insights are the solutions they arrive at and

can put into practice.

As stated by FGD-4:

“I keep myself motivated through mag focus lang jud

ko sa akong goals na niadto ko ug eskwelahan to learn
and permi nako gina mind na whether lisod or sayon
ang topic, I need to excel dihaa na field para
makuha nako akong goals, to keep myself motivated.”

(I keep myself motivated through focusing on my

goal. I go to to school to learn and I always think that
whether it is a hard topic, I need to excel in that field
to keep that I am self motivated.)

FGD-5 shared that:

“Gimotivate nako akoang sarili by, gihuna huna nako nga

as an English major dapat expected na hawud ta ana nga
part, kung dili ko magtuon or dili nako ma overcome ang
difficulties maglisod jud ka in the near future. So, need jud
 nato mag agi sa process of learning before ta mahasa.”

(I motivate myself by thinking that as an English major

it is expected that you are good at it. If you aren't able
to overcome those difficulties it is hard for you in the
near future, that is why we need more learning be-
fore it becomes perfect.)

By motivating themselves in whatever task they are performing, they learn how

to present their best selves. Because achieving their goals requires time and effort, they

grow more resilient. They are driven by passion, which gives them a desire to succeed.

When they fail, they view the criticism as a teaching moment.

Maximizing Technology Use

The ability to incorporate technology into the teaching process depends

on the learners' and educators' level of familiarity and comfort with hardware

and software, their opinions on how useful technology is for learning, and how

they currently use it. The other way technology might enhance education by

increasing students' interest and engaging with the material.

As stated by IDI-1:

“Para sa akoa kay magbasa ug libro like English

books labaw na ug sa literature same anang romeo
and Juliet. Another example is mag tan-aw ka ug
anime or kpop, diba ang sub title kay English ug ma
expose ka ana apply man nato na saimong sarili.”

(For me, we must read books like English

books especially about some literature like the
novel "Romeo and Juliet" and to watch some
movies that have subtitles so that we can be exposed
 to English.)

IDI-3 supported by saying:

“The best ways that I do to enhance my English grammar is

that I have a lot of app related to English grammar, related
to my course. I have a vocabulary app so I always open it
every 6 am in the morning after I wake up, with that , there
will be another word that will come up in my mind. I have
this another app also, it is a grammar test, it will test your
grammar and can construct a right word or it, I have also
another app that is also related to my course and it will
help me a lot to write or to writing or oral form.”

IDI-5 also stated:

“Para sa ako, ang pinaka best jud is mag start jud ta sa pinaka
Basic sa grammar and also, karon naa naman tay modern
technology so manan-aw tag mga related videos sa YouTube
like educational video s na mako improve sa atong English
grammar. Dapat pod padayon lang ta sa pag oral recitation
na ma improve imohang speaking skills.”

(For me, the best way is to start from the basic grammar
and also we have now a modern technology to watch
videos on Youtube related to educational videos that will
improve our English grammar. We must continue
participating in every oral recitation that will also improve
our speaking skills.)

FGD-7 shared:

“For me, effective ni na ways na maka help siya when it comes

to speaking or writing grammar. Indulge yourself
In activities that may develop your expertise when it comes
to your grammatical competence or in the word of the English
 language. Mag download ka ug mga English movies or
educational videos about proper usage of grammar and ang mga
basic niana”

(For me it is effective when it comes to speaking or writing

grammar. Indulge yourself in more activities that may
develop your expertise when it comes to your grammatical
competence or in the word of English language because in that
way such as watching English movies or educational videos
about proper grammar.)

Compared to just using print materials, videos and using apps create a more

interesting sensory experience. Students actually see and hear the concept being taught,

allowing them to process it similarly on how they process interactions with others every

day. This way, it helps a lot to become more interested in learning English and an easy

way to cope up and learn since we are now acknowledging the use of technology in this

generation.

Hopes and Aspirations English Major Students in Learning English

The hopes and aspirations of participants in learning the English language may

also be helpful to their fellow students. The hopes and aspirations of other English

major students or those who have similar language learning difficulties can be

influenced by their shared experiences that are pertinent to the phenomenon.

The core ideas and major themes in hopes and aspirations of English learners to

their grammatical competence in speaking English are the following: (1) Being

Resilient, and (2) Groundwork for Effective Communication. These themes were duly

supported and justified by participants’ responses during Focus Group Discussion

and In-Depth Interviews.

 Table 3Bpresents the major themes and core ideas that emerged from the

analysis of the transcripts.

Table 3

Major Themes and Core Ideas on the Grammatical Competence in Speaking

of English Major Students in Kolehiyo ng Pantukan.

Major Themes Core Ideas

 Chose to overcome obstacles.

Absorb the question to
respond correctly to the
teachers and pupils.
 Endure in the face of
Being Resilient adversity. Avoid stress and
use comfortable language.
 Improvement is necessary for
growth. of complicated ones
to be more expressive.
 Confidence helps overcome
speaking difficulties.
 Keep learning if you have
several speaking problems.
 Endure in the face of
adversity.

 Speaking skills matter.

Motivate by setting
objectives and finding
methods to improve.
 Grammatical competency
lets us detect our flaws.
Motivate yourself by
Ground Work for Effective assuming that English majors
Communication should be brilliant at it.
 Grammar is crucial and
 reflects vocabulary
knowledge. Watch YouTube
or other English-speaking
applications.
 Grammatical competency
allows us to assess our
grammatical skills. Watching
English movies or grammar
videos improves
grammatical skills.

Being Resilient

Being Resilient occurs in language learning. It is when we have the difficulties

that come with grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary which are expected to be

experienced when learning a language. Hence, linguistic problems can be noticed in

the experiences of the participants. It is challenging for participants because they don't

just deal with the linguistic factor but also the fear to speak. Participants shared their

experiences they had encountered.

IDI-3 also stated that:

"While having those struggles in communicating in

grammatically correct in speaking English is that, while
struggling I keep on my mind that this struggles won’t
last and I should conquer this so that I could be better
good at speaking English and it’s because I’m an English
major, so it should be our main goal to enhance our skills
in speaking English"

(While having those struggles in communicating, I

always keep in mind that these hardships won't last
and I should conquer it for the better since I'm an
 English major student. And this should be our main
goal to enhance our skills in speaking English)

As continued by FGD 4:

"Sa akoa man gud is naa koy problem like sa akong sarili is
self-trust so in terms ana mag hesitate ko ug answer kung
tama ba ni siya kay sa giingon ni FGD 7 that ulaw jud kayo
in front sa imong mga classmate kay diba pag mag
construct kag sentences lisod jud kayo kung unsa imong
mga gamiton na word appropriate sa ingana na imohang gi
contruct na sentences, ginamotivate lang nako akong sarili
nga mag focus ka and then gina prevent nako akong sarili
na dili mag judge sakong mga classmate kay ulaw jud and
then focus lang jud ko sa akoang goal kung unsa jud like
unsa jud ang pamaagi or unsa jud ang mga need nako
ibutang dira para katong mga sentence nako ma perfect jud
siya"

(For me, my problem is myself. I don't have enough

self confidence to answer whenever I answer a
question in front of my classmates, it is really hard to
choose words that are appropriate to construct
sentences. I just motivate myself to stay focused on
my goals and find ways to make it perfect)

IDI-7 added that:

"For me, when it comes sa akong grammar, kabalo jud ko sa

akong sarili nga daghan kog difficulty ana sigi kog ka mali,
sometimes dili ko confident ug dili dayon ko ka tubag sa
class, and also sa mga public speaking ug uban pa na oral
activities"

(For me, when it comes to my grammar, I know to

myself that I have some difficulties, sometimes I am
not confident to answer in class especially in public
speaking and other oral activities)
Groundwork for Effective Communication

Having groundwork for effective communication can be helpful as

tools to effectively learn new understanding particularly speaking English which
is considered as difficult to learn. If learning comes with difficulty, students will
find a way on how they will cope up with the learnings they need to acquire.
Making speaking as a habit is an effective way to deal with the difficulties.

IDI-1 stated that:

"One of the factors, dili kayo broad ang imohang vocabulary

maglisod ka ug pili ug tama nga word. Tapos ano
pronunciation sad naay mga mali nga mamali ka usahay ug
pronounce sa word."

( One of the factors is, you lack vocabulary in a way

that it is very difficult for you to choose the correct
word. Also, sometimes you mispronounce the words)

IDI-3 also shared that:

"So, I would describe my grammatical competence in

speaking English is I can communicate in simple words like
it is, ginagamit siya as a daily communication but there are
sometimes that I communicate with some deep words though,
I can communicate with some deep word but there are some
instances that the person that I have talked cannot
understand so I rather choose some words that is easy to
understand. I can say that my grammatical competence in
speaking english is in the middle kumbaga magaling na
medyo hindi"

(I would describe my grammatical competence in

speaking English in such a way that I can communicate
in simple words like mostly used in daily
communication however, there are times that I used
high sending words when communicating. But there
are some instances that the person I have talked to
cannot understand, so I'd rather choose some words
that are easy to understand. My grammatical
competence in speaking is in the middle of excellent but
not quite.

IDI-2 Mentioned:
 "My opinion is, I don't think it is very high, I still have
some flaws to work on, but I can say that I can speak
English straightly, sometimes but with some incorrect
grammar"

(My opinion is, I don't think it is very high, still have

some flaws to work on, but I can say that I can speak
English straightly, but sometimes with some incorrect
grammar)

FGD-3 also added:

"Okay so, sa akong experience kay maglisud jud ko when it

comes to constructing sentences especially if sa speaking
kay lahi ra man gud kong mag written ug lahi ra pud jud
kung speaking. Ang speaking man gud kay kaning murag
dili ka-kahuna huna pa unlike sa written nga pwede nimo
siya kaning i-check kung mali ba or tama imuhang
grammar"

(In my experience, I find it difficult when constructing

sentences especially in speaking unlike written tasks.
Speaking will not give you enough time to think more
unlike in written, you can check if your grammar is
incorrect or not)

As stated by IDI-5:

"Akong grammar ilabi na in terms sa speaking ba like sa

oral recitation makulbaan ko kay dili nako mabantayan na
naa diay koy gigamit nga words na dili siya appropriate sa
akong sentence mao siyang magkaroon ug grammatical
error"

(In my grammar in terms of speaking in oral

recitations, I get nervous because I didn't notice that I
already used some words that is not appropriate to
use in a sentence, that is why there is grammatical
error on it)

FGD 1 Continued and said:

 "Na realize nako nga need pajud nako mag sumikap ug learn
more, ug mag study jud pag maayo it's because daghan
pakog lacking and also dili jud ta mag enhance or wala tay
improvement if magpabilin rata kung asa ra taman atong
kaya ug para ma boost atong confidence para ma overcome
nato atong mga fears while talking or speaking"

(I have realized that I need to learn more and to study

more because I still have many failures and to improve.
If we stay still on what we can only do and we need
confidence to overcome our fears while speaking)

FGD-4 Confirmed that:

"I realized that English is so interesting to learn, as what I

have experienced is, fun man mag study sa English although
challenging siya but at the same time it can make us mga
better speakers, even though kabalo nata sa atong mga fears
and weaknesses ok abot sa atong speaking skills dapat dili jud
ta mag stop from learning para makuha nato ang outcomes"

(I realized that English is so interesting to learn. As

what I have experienced studying English is fun
although it's challenging but it can make us to be better
speakers even we have a lot of weaknesses when it
comes to our speaking skills, all we have to do is not
stop learning)
 Chapter 5

DISCUSSION

This part of our study presents the discussion related to the previous chapter. It

particularly dealt with the support to the emerging themes of our study analyzed from

the responses of the participants coming from different authors.

This chapter of our research study also discusses the implications for practice,

the implications for further study, and the recommendation for further research were

all highlighted in this chapter. In addition, the discussion was added to this study to

help researchers better comprehend the participants' experiences with challenges in

speaking English. It gave a clearer perspective on the participants' experiences based

on the themes provided. This qualitative study sought to answer questions about

delving into the difficulties of the participants in learning English language speaking

skills. Along with the discussions were the diverse viewpoints of some authors as

support to the result of the study.

Lived Experiences of English Major students in Learning English

The participants in this study supported the range of experiences they had

undergone with their answers. They also refer to their challenges in picking up non-

linguistic and linguistic English speaking abilities. Despite the difficulties they

experienced, these encounters gave them the motivation they needed to keep going

and keep learning the language.

 The results of the first stated question on the lived experiences of BSED 1 st to

4th Year English majors in learning English speaking abilities revealed the following

themes: (1) communication difficulties, (2) alleviating grammatical apprehensions, and

(3) linguistic competence assumptions.

Communication Difficulties

Participants discussed their difficulties in learning to speak English due to

linguistic issues they had encountered. Many of them claimed that one of their

struggles was the construction of English grammar, vocabulary, and lack of

confidence, which made studying more challenging. Other than that, they prefer using

writing skills to speaking since they could generate more ideas. Furthermore, it was

not easy for the participants to deal with these problems considering their level as

English majors.

Issues with lack of vocabulary, errors in grammar, and poor pronunciation are

a wide-spread in language learning and it seems that many people refuse to speak

English because they are not aware of the rules or they simply speak undermining the

importance of rules. These make students resort to using their mother tongue as it is

difficult for them to convey their messages (Tafida & Okunade, 2016).

Alleviating Grammatical Apprehensions

In the field of linguistics, grammar is a very important component of

language study. Hashemi and Daneshfar (2018) believe that grammar is essential not

because the curriculum and national tests require it to be taught but because it is an
essential element of knowledge about language. The participants stated that one of

their struggles in English speaking is having lack of vocabulary, pronunciation,

difficulty in picking up proper words and fear of making mistakes in speaking under

grammatical apprehensions. However, the participants also suggested some ideas to

alleviate these following grammatical apprehensions.Several studies back up the

findings of this study.

Alnahidh and Altalhab (2020) revealed several sources related to foreign

language anxiety: fear of making mistakes, forced participation, lack of vocabulary,

lack of practice, and grammatical knowledge. However, the participants mentioned

other elements like poor planning, concerning about pronouncing words incorrectly,

and fear of oral presentation. These language apprehension factors have debilitating

effects on English language learning. Similarly, Patil and Karekatti (2012) indicated

that some students are more apprehensive while giving oral presentations or public

speeches than group discussions.

Moreover, the participants suggested some practical ways in alleviating these

difficulties in speaking. It is supported by Ocampo’s (2021) study, which emphasized

that learners should be given more time to practice English to be proficient in various

learning areas such as reading, grammar, and written skills. Also, they must be

exposed to communication language situations such as storytelling, role-playing,

activity cards, dramatization, narrative and description writing, and other interactive

and interdisciplinary activities.

Linguistic Competence Assumptions

 The ability or set of abilities that underlie a student’s language behavior serves

as the foundation for an empirical theory of linguistic competence. However, there are

some assumptions to be considered when struggling in speaking English.

According to Sayuri (2016), speaking difficulties are typically developed by

those who repeatedly make mistakes with their pronunciation, fluency, grammar, and

vocabulary. Also, they experienced English speaking apprehension because they lack

confidence and fear failing, flawed performance, and receiving a poor grade (Cheng et

al., 1999) cited by Musrifatun Nangimah in 2022.

Coping Mechanism of English Major Students in Learning  English

Since English is a universal language, most other nations use it for

communication. Learning English can expand your options in life, allowing you to

communicate with more people, travel more easily, and even land a better job.

However, English language learners who are not accustomed to using this language

may find it challenging. There are times when issues arise for a variety of reasons.

Thus, learners need to establish different ways on how to cope with those problems.  

Under the second question on how do English major students cope with

grammatical competence issues in English, the following themes emerged: facilitative

approaches, introspection, and maximizing technology use. 

Facilitative Approaches

Some of the participants talked about how they learn to deal with their

speaking difficulties in English by figuring out solutions also with the help of people
who are part in the making.These methods, in their opinion, aid in helping them

comprehend and get past their speaking challenges. The issue is also made easier for

the student who is involved.

Berry (2016) delved into the most important aspects of facilitation, and found

that “The essence of facilitation is a willingness to take responsibility for the whole,

seeking to enable each individual to contribute as appropriate.” Based on the idea that

learning entails altering one's own conception of oneself, people have a natural human

desire to learn.

The Child Resilience Alliance describes what effective facilitation looks like.

“Effective facilitators do not hide from or downplay conflict. In fact, they learn to view

conflict as a potentially constructive force that can stir creative thinking and enable a

full exploration of the strengths and weaknesses of different views” (Child Resilience

Alliance 2018).

Introspection

As opposed to sensory knowledge, knowledge is frequently believed to be

more immediate or direct. It has been argued that introspective knowledge can act as a

ground or foundation for other types of knowledge for it is a process of observing and

examining one's conscious thoughts or emotions. Participants discussed how they deal

with challenges by continuing to set goals and being aware of their thoughts and

emotions in order to grow. 

Different theories about the nature of introspection are offered by philosophers

of mind, and it is frequently assumed that philosophical assertions about awareness,

feelings, free will, individuality, thought, assumption, illustrations, perspective, and

some other mental circumstances possess introspective effects or are amenable to

introspective verification. (Winter, 2019)

Researchers tend to construe the ability to consciously and explicitly reflect

upon and analyze one’s own emotional experiences as a late stage or Advanced theory

of mind competency that emerges in middle or late childhood. (Fernyhough, 2015)

Building upon the pre-existing use of introspection in physiology, Wundt

believed the method of introspection was the ability to observe an experience, not just

the logical reflection or speculations which some others interpreted his meaning to be.

(Asthana, Hari Shanker 2015).

Maximizing Technology Use

Technology plays a significant role in education. With the development of

technology, education for students becomes simpler. Students can easily grasp the

concepts thanks to technologies used in schools and colleges. Participants shared their

best ways to learn English using apps platforms specifically when it comes to

speaking.

By introducing technology into the learning process students’ engagement

levels rise and puts them in the driver's seat of their own learning (Preston, 2015).

Some examples of how technology motivates students and promotes positive feelings

towards learning include the use of apps, using phones to communicate with non-

verbal special education students, and general education (Preston, 2015).

 According to Harris (2016) today’s educators are under great pressure to

provide 21st century students with a quality education based on 21st century

standards. Those standards include providing students with the technological and

informational skills needed to compete in an ever-changing, technology-driven world. 

The Hopes and Aspirations of English Major Students in Learning  English

Hopes and aspirations are necessary when you begin to learn new knowledge.

Participant’s hopes and aspirations give them strength to learn. Their motivation is

beneficial for their community to be aware and also be encouraged to learn about

English even with its complexity. They may share their knowledge and insights. 

      The following themes emerged from the results of the third question on the hopes

and aspirations of English major students that can be shared to students in learning

the English language such as: (1) Being resilient  and (2) Groundwork for effective

communication. 

Being Resilient 

Learning happens in a continual process. It doesn’t end when an individual

learns a thing. The participants encouraged other students to continue learning to

achieve continual growth and development. When they already learned about the

basics of the English language, it’s also important to step up and learn more to

continue improving and developing.

According to Keenan and Fontaine (2016), learning is the responsibility of the

learners. It is mostly for students to find out how they can continue learning. English
majors should always find ways to improve their speaking skills as it will help them

express their ideas without getting afraid of what people may say. They can create

their own strategies to maintain the on-going process of improvement.

The best strategy to improve speaking skills is to practice speaking (Sasum &

Weeks, 2018). The only thing an individual can do to improve their speaking is to

speak. With the continuous presence of practice, one can achieve great outcomes. In

connection, the participants consider it as a vital aspect of learning that comes together

with resources, perseverance, and inspiration.

Groundwork for Effective Communication

Groundwork for effective communication has a great part in learning to speak

the English language especially for the participants who encountered struggles and

difficulties. Despite motivational difficulties, the participants are determined to

continue learning. They are determined to understand the English language

particularly their speaking skills using the language and accept constructive criticism

to develop their English language speaking skills. 

In addition, the groundwork and motivation for the grammar of the English

language are allowed and disallowed by their experiences. Some are struggling with

the vocabulary and some are also having difficulties with grammar and

pronunciation. This aspect includes proper speech, confidence, detecting our flaws

and grammar is crucial and reflects vocabulary knowledge. Also, environmental

criticism has the biggest impact on more efforts in learning to speak the English

language. (McKenly, 2016) 

In relation to the above statement, all the criticisms learners receive because of

their mistakes will make them motivated by learning even more to avoid these

mistakes in the future. Despite the difficulties and having to commit a series of

mistakes, corrections come after to improve the learning. These experiences will bring

development if dealt well. It will make the students act or pursue their learning (Liu et

al., 2016).

The English language is named as the International Common Tongue. This

implies that two individuals who come from different countries generally utilize

English as an ordinary language to convey. This fact will give everyone the motivation

to learn to speak English in order to communicate on the international level. Being

able to speak English empowers an individual to communicate effectively with the

people worldwide (Nishanthi, 2018).

According to Seidlhofer (2018), English language speaking skills have been

recognized as essential skills to acquire in order to be successful in the globalized

society. Even some people in the Philippines practice their speaking skills to enter the

international category. Participants also think the same. English speaking skills can be

as useful to us as other skills. It could be a great motivation to think that good things

await those who can speak English well.

Implication for Teaching Practice

 Learning to speak grammatically correct in the English language is one of the

unending issues faced by many learners and teachers as well. In the field of teaching,

the teacher has the primary role in inculcating knowledge and effectively imparting

information to the students. The students must learn the proper pronunciation,

remember the grammar, and expand their vocabulary because these are the best

characteristics of a highly-competent and proficient English speaker.

Further, speaking English is not always about pronunciation, grammar, and

vocabulary, but the inability to do it. Attitude, courage, and confidence must always

come with skills. The student may feel discomfort and experience discrimination due

to lack of knowledge and practice toward speaking English language. It cannot be

denied that even how good the teacher is, a lot of things about the English language

and its grammar are confusing, and the role of teacher is to guide the students in

effectively acquiring it. 

With the aim of the Department of Education and Commission on Higher

Education to provide quality education, they may craft a module specialized for

uplifting the knowledge and developing the speaking skills of all students, because its

significance does not only apply to English majors. The module focuses on the

necessary things to learn in English along with activities that build students’

confidence to speak.  With this, the difficulties of the students will gradually be

addressed. 

Moreover, teachers handling English subjects particularly, the communicative

aspect or oral communication also can be the source of knowledge by the students.

Teachers must have extra time for struggling students on speaking to help the
students properly enunciate the terms or words in English and comprehend its

meaning. Teachers may engage the students into speech events to enhance

communicative skill.

On the other hand, the administrators can provide proper support such as

providing materials such as speech laboratory or any audio material that the student

can use. They can also link with the Commission on Higher Education to plan in

crafting programs and making innovations to address the problem in learning English

speaking skills. 

Through this study, the stakeholders, parents and other concerned individuals

can understand the situation and provide support to the need in addressing the

struggles of learners. They may build a program focusing on language learning.

Finally, because everyone wants to learn to speak English with correct grammar

effectively and properly, appropriate and suitable tools must be provided to dissolve

the problematic situation with regards to the given situation.

Implications for Further Research

This study navigates the lived experiences of English major students in learning

to speak the English language. However, the result of this qualitative investigation is

limited only on the experiences of the fourteen (16) selected BSED-English College

students who qualified in the set inclusion criteria.

To delve more on the experience and coping mechanisms with regards to the

difficulty in speaking English language, this study is recommended for further

research using a greater number of participants. Also, this study was conducted in a
qualitative approach, and further study can be conducted in a quantitative approach

to see if the result is still related. 

Furthermore, further study can be done by following the steps done in this

study to find out if the experiences and insights of the students have not changed over

time. 

Moreover, it is highly recommended to study further the experiences of English major

students in relation to other English major students with speaking difficulty in English

grammar. 

Lastly, since the findings of this study were viewed from the lens of the

students, research may be conducted to determine the teachers’ and school heads’

untold stories with regards to teaching grammar in English language.

Concluding Remarks

Grammatical competence and English language issues are evident in both the

local and global contexts of education. There is a genuine issue with the quantity of

students' English language speaking abilities, even though it is not immediately

apparent to them. Knowledgeable others significantly play a vital role in the learning

experiences of the students. 

As noticed, the majority of the study is concentrating on the real-world

experiences of first language learners in learning second languages, particularly in

speaking, we decided to concentrate on diverse participants, particularly the English

major students who had interacted with the language the most. Hence, we decided to

study English as major students.

 We utilized the in-depth interview and focus group discussion in gathering our

data from the participants. The transcription of their responses served as our main

source of information. The challenge was to obtain the requisite information that is

sufficient and appropriate to answer the research topic presented. Moreover, authentic

responses of the participants during the interview have significantly contributed to the

possible solution of this problem.

Along with the conduct of this study, we experienced difficulty in selecting our

participants from each year level because they were reluctant to participate in an

evaluation and also an intermittent internet connectivity as we conducted our

interview online. Fortunately, they agreed to take the language speaking assessment

and interview after a minute of discussion with regards to the objectives of this study.

We are extremely fortunate that the participants worked nicely and that we were able

to collect adequate information from them without any issues. We gathered all the

required information, and we used it to inform and make as our basis in results and

discussion.

This study has given us knowledge on the lived experiences of English major

students upon studying the language especially when speaking, and their individual

strategies to cope up with the stated difficulties. We also discovered how their

exposure to the language has shaped their perceptions of it and how they have dealt

with it. English is regarded as a challenging subject to learn, especially to English

majors; it basically depends on the ability of students in grammatical competence.

Some of the factors include a limited vocabulary, a lack of motivation, and

pronunciation. The students' common experiences, on the other hand, show that

learning is a gradual and painful process. We occasionally view difficulties as barriers

for learning when they can actually be tools to grow.

Pursuing this research is challenging, in fact, the resources needed to succeed in

this quest include time management, financial considerations, and willpower. But

persevering in this quest pays off. We are overjoyed to see and enjoy the results of our

efforts.

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