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Kisante National High School

Kisante, Makilala Cotabato

Factors Affecting the English-Speaking Skills of Grade 10 Students

In Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements in English 10 Research Paper

Submitted by:
Joenel Capuy

Jonel S. Jabagat

Nor in L. Jomahari

John Mark Pontongan

James S. Puyos

Reyand Grace D. Salinas

Nena Faith J. Tuquib

Submitted to:
Maria Fe S. Oriente
May 08, 2024
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRELIMINARIES
Title Page

TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................3

1.1 Background of the Study....................................................................................3

1.2 Objectives of the Study.......................................................................................5

1.3 Statement of the Problem....................................................................................6

1.4. Significance of the Study ..................................................................................7

1. 5. Scope and Limitation…………………………………………………………9

1.6. Definition of Terms………………………………………………………….10
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE................................................................11

English....................................................................................................................11

Speaking..................................................................................................................11

Individual factors....................................................................................................12

Socio-economic factors...........................................................................................18

School factors..........................................................................................................15

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………….16
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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the study

Language serves as a means for human beings to interact and communicate with

each other. Among the various languages spoken worldwide, English holds a prominent

position as a global medium of communication. In the Philippines, most of the subjects

were taught in English and it also became the second language. Unfortunately, though it

is widely used there are still difficulties and problems that students encountered. On the

current Philippine Educational system teaching, it became part of the curriculum. Thus, it

considered as the automatic language among Filipinos (Generales, Medina & Separa,

2015)

Mastering English is crucial in today's interconnected world, especially when it

comes to speaking fluently, which is particularly important in academic and professional

settings. Grade 10 is a pivotal point in a student's learning journey, where they refine

fundamental skills that will serve them in higher education and their future careers.

Recognizing the key elements that impact English speaking proficiency during this stage

is essential for educators, policymakers, and everyone involved in education.

Ur (2000) asserts that among the four language skills—listening, speaking,

reading, and writing—speaking holds the utmost significance for effective

communication. Davies and Pearse (2000) emphasize that the primary objective of

English language teaching should be equipping learners with the capability to

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communicate proficiently and precisely in English. However, despite years of English

language study, not all learners can achieve fluency and accuracy due to deficiencies in

essential knowledge. In speaking, form and meaning are dependent on the context in

which it occurs, including the participants themselves, their collective experiences,

physical environment and the purpose for speaking.

However, learners' speaking abilities are affected by various factors such as

performance conditions, emotional factors, listening proficiency, and the quality of

feedback received during speaking activities. To assist learners in overcoming challenges

with speaking skills, teachers should recognize these influencing factors. Collaborative

efforts among English language educators are essential for addressing the barriers that

hinder students' speaking proficiency in the classroom, thereby improving the teaching of

speaking skills. Comprehending the complex dynamics of these factors and how they

interact is crucial for crafting successful methods to improve the English-speaking

abilities of grade 10 students. By pinpointing both obstacles and advantages within the

learning environment, educators can customize teaching methods, interventions, and

support structures to meet students' individual needs, creating an environment conducive

to language growth.

This research seeks to explore the diverse factors impacting the English-speaking

skills of grade 10 students, offering valuable insights to educators and other stakeholders

to improve language learning experiences and results. By thoroughly examining these

factors, the study aims to enrich English language education and support the overall

growth of students during this crucial stage of their development. The motivation behind
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this research study was to investigate the factors affecting the English-speaking skills of

Grade 10 students in Kisante National High School.

1.2. Objectives of the Study

The study aimed to achieve the following objectives:

1.2.1. To determine the current level of English-speaking proficiency among Grade 10

students through standardized language proficiency tests, oral assessments, and self-

reported measures.

1.2.2. To identify and analyze potential socio-economic factors that may influence the

English-speaking skills of Grade 10 students.

1.2.3. To examine the impact of individual factors such as motivation, self-esteem, and

language learning strategies on the English-speaking abilities of Grade 10 students.

1.2.3.4. To determine the role of classroom instruction, teaching methodologies, and

learning environments in either facilitating or hindering the development of English-

speaking skills among Grade 10 students.

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1.3. Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to identify and analyze the factors that influence the English-

speaking abilities of Grade 10 students. Specifically, it seeks to address the following

research questions:

1.3.1. What is the current level of English-speaking proficiency among Grade 10

students?

1.3.2. What are the potential socio-economic factors that may affect the English-

speaking skills of Grade 10 students?

1.3.3. How do individual factors such as motivation, self-esteem, and language learning

strategies impact the English-speaking abilities of Grade 10 students?

1.2.3.4. What role does classroom instruction, teaching methodologies, and learning

environments play in enhancing or inhibiting the development of English-speaking skills

among Grade 10 students?

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1.4. Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are beneficial to the following:

To the Department of Education, this study will help them to be aware of this current

issue that affects or influence most of the students. This will also help them provide

curriculum goals that would address the students’ interests and its alignment with

educational objectives, preparation for future endeavors, and contribution to national and

global competitiveness.

To the School Administrator, English speaking can enhance their professional

opportunities and can open up doors to various professional opportunities, such as

attending conference, presenting papers, and participating in professional development

programs.

To the Teachers and the School, the result of the study will guide the school

administrators in designing an effective resource to enhance their teaching methods that

will help the students in improving their English language proficiency. This can help

them grow professionally and implement a good teaching for students.

To the Family, the result of the study will inform the members of the family of their role

as a primary source of guidance and support in the student’s academic endeavors.

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To the Students, this study will help them to articulate their ideas clearly in English and

better equipped themselves to participate in class discussions, present projects, and

understand complex concepts across various subjects.

To the Future Researchers, this study will help them expand their understanding and

knowledge about the English-speaking skills of students and may add/ use other variables

that they think will help in determining the factors that affect the language proficiency of

students.
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1.5. Scope and Limitations

The main focus of this study was on the factors affecting the grade 10 students'

ability to speak English. It was centered on Kisante National High School-Junior high

school students enrolled in grade 10 for the academic year 2023–2024. Due to the

assurance that the study will be able to successfully reach informants and achieve its

objectives with their perception, the study's respondents were restricted to all grade 10

students only. The study encompasses students from various sections, namely Newton,

Archimedes, Rutherford, Joule, and Einstein.

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1.6. Definition of Terms

In order to have a better understanding of this study, the following terms used are

operationally defined:

English subject- it refers to the study of English language, literature, society, culture, and

people. It is an essential component of secondary school education.

Junior high school- it refers to students from the 7th to the 10th grade.

Speaking skills- it refers to the ability to communicate effectively and confidently

through spoken language and it encompass various aspects, including pronunciation,

vocabulary, grammar, fluency, clarity, and coherence.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This part of the study will be discussing the relevant literature connected with the

factors affecting the English-speaking skills of students. This part accounts for the works

that have been published on a topic but accredited scholars and researchers.

English

Nowadays, English is a very crucial in the major aspects of life in this global era.

Because the spread of the English language as a lingua franca throughout the world,

lingua Franca can be defined as a language adopted for communication between two

speakers who have a different first language or between two speakers who use English as

their second language (Harmer, 2001, p.1). English has brought great advantages as a key

priority for progress in different areas such as science, technology, finance, and business

to facilitate international communication.

Speaking

In the four macro skills, speaking is considered as the most important. In general,

people concentrate upon this skill because it represents and tells someone’s knowledge

about the language, he/she knows. The ability to use it effectively and accurately in

communication is the major goal of all English language teaching process and that should

be incorporated with the learners and give them these abilities (Shteiwi & Hamuda,

2016).
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According to Swarthout (n.d), great communication skills are your ticket to

success in the academics and in the business world. Meanwhile, students especially who

are in the grade school level are anxious and are frightened to converse or express their

own thoughts using the English language which has become the main problem of the

English teachers.

Speaking is one of the activities carried out by the students. Moreover, speaking is

a productive skill in English. Speaking helps students to communicate with each other.

Speaking can become a measurement to know students’ ability in English. Regarding to

Brown (2000), he states that speaking is a productive skill that can be directly and

empirically observed. If the students can speak English well, it means they are good at

English.

Speaking is a process of sharing thoughts and ideas with other people orally.

Speaking is not only about producing the words but also the use of language to relay

meanings that other people can make sense of (Cameron, 2001). Torky (2006) defines

speaking as a way to produce the sound that created signals to produce differential verbal

responses in a listener. It related to combining sounds systematically to create meaningful

sentences, speakers and listeners exchanged the messages orally.

Individual Factors

The fear of speaking English is pertinent to some personality constructs like

anxiety, inhibition, and risk taking. Speaking a language sometimes results in anxiety.

Sometimes, extreme anxiety may lead to despondence and a sense of failure in learners

(Bashir, Azeem, &Dogar 2011). Anxiety has a negative effect on the oral performance of
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English speakers. Adults are very careful to making errors in whatever they tell. In their

opinion, errors show a kind of unawareness which can hinder them to speak English in

front of other people. Speaking anxiety may originate from a classroom condition with

the different abilities of language learners. Learners are divided into two groups: strong

and weak ones. The strong learners often dominate the slow and weak ones. The weak

learners do not usually want to talk in front of the strong ones which leads to their silence

during the whole class activity.

Performance conditions impact speaking performance and these conditions

involve time pressure, planning, the quality of performance, and the amount of support

(Nation & Newton, 2009). Some kinds of affective factors related to native language

learning are emotions, self-esteem, empathy, anxiety, attitude, and motivation. Speaking a

foreign language in public, especially in front of native speakers, is often anxiety-

provoking. Sometimes, extreme anxiety occurs when English foreign language learners

become tongue-tied or lost for words in an unexpected situation, which often leads to

discouragement and a general sense of failure. Unlike children, adults are concerned with

how they are judged by others.

Speaking process includes conceptualization, formulation, and articulation

(Levelt, 2007). Conceptualization concern with kinds of information selected to express

meaning. Formulation refers to the ability of speaker chosen the use of proper words in

appropriate grammatical. Formulation deals with speaker’s ability to select proper words

of grammatical structures. Articulation was speech articulatory organs that articulated by

the speaker. These three processes occur simultaneously, because of that sometimes

students make mistakes in face-to-face communication. Therefore, students speaking

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skills can be replaced by “hesitations, false-starts, grammatical inaccuracies, and limited

vocabulary (Hughes, 2002, p. 77).

Furthermore, previous local research works have recognized that students face

difficulty even after completing high school in using speaking skills for real

communication. They are, rather, forced to use their first language instead (Tamene,

2000; Negash, 2006). Therefore, investigating the factors that affect the development of

students' speaking skills has a paramount importance. Accordingly, the current researcher

triggered to assess the factors that affect students' speaking skills.

Socio-economic factors

Socio-economic background has been identified as a critical factor influencing

students' English language development. Research by Sirin (2005) suggests that students

from higher socio-economic backgrounds tend to have greater access to resources such as

private tutoring, language immersion programs, and English-speaking environments,

which contribute to enhanced language skills. Conversely, students from lower socio-

economic backgrounds may face barriers such as limited access to educational resources

and lack of parental support, impacting their English proficiency levels (Bradley &

Corwyn, 2002).

Cultural factors also play a crucial role in shaping students' English language

proficiency. Societal attitudes towards English as a second language, linguistic diversity

within the community, and exposure to English-speaking media all impact students'

language learning experiences (Kanno & Norton, 2003). Additionally, the presence of a

language-rich environment, characterized by frequent opportunities for English language

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practice and immersion, can positively influence students' speaking skills (Cummins,

2001).

School factors

The teacher, according to studies, is the one who sets the tone for learning

activities (Allen & Valette, 1997; Quist, 2000). An English teacher must be highly

communicative because teaching is primarily a form of communication. A teacher must

also be knowledgeable in the language in order to make educated decisions about what

should be taught to whom and in what manner. Furthermore, empirical studies have

shown that if a child's early years at school fail to provide the proper foundation for

learning, no amount of later special provision will be able to help the child reach his full

potential in terms of how his learning will progress and how beneficial his attitudes

toward his future life and learning will be.

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REFERENCES

Allen, E., & Valette, R. (1997). Classroom techniques: Foreign languages and English as
a second language. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Bashir, M., Azeem, M., &Dogar, A. H. (2011). Factor Effecting Students’ English
Speaking Skills. British Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2(1), 34-50.
Bradley, R. H., & Corwyn, R. F. (2002). Socioeconomic status and child development.
Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 371–399.
Brown, G., & Yule, G. (1991). Teaching the spoken language “An approach based on the
analysis of conversational English”. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching language to young learners. New York: Cambridge
University Press.
Cummins, J. (2001). Bilingual children's mother tongue: Why is it important for
education? Sprogforum, 7(19), 15-20.
Davies, D. &Pearse, E. (2000).Success in English Teaching. Oxford, Oxford University
Press.
Generales, L.J., Medina, R.J., and Separa, L.A., (2015) Self-Assessment on the Oral
Communication of Filipino College Students, 21 (7). DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2015.6261retrievedfromhttp://www.ingentaconnect.co
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Harmer, J. (1996). The practice of english language teaching. New York: Longman
Publishing.
Hughes, R. (2002). Teaching and researching speaking. Edinburgh: Pearson Education.
Kanno, Y., & Norton, B. (2003). Imagined communities and educational possibilities:
Introduction. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 2(4), 241-249.
Levelt, W. J. M. (1989). Speaking: From intention to articulation. Cambridge, MA: MIT
Press.
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Nation, P., & Newton, J. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking.ESL &
Applied Linguistics
Shteiwi, A.A., and Hamuda, M.A.,(2016) International Journal of Social Science and
Humanities Research . Oral Communication Problem Encountering English
Major Students: Cause and Remedies, 4(2), 19-26. Retrieved from
http://www.researchpublish.com/
Sirin, S. R. (2005). Socioeconomic status and academic achievement: A meta-analytic
review of research. Review of Educational Research, 75(3), 417-453.
Swathout, D., (n.d) Oral Communication: Definition, types and advantages, 1(11).
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types-advantages.html
Tamene, K. (2000). Classroom Verbal Behavior and Learning Opportunities in Selected
Secondary School EFL Classroom. Unpublished doctorial dissertation, Addis
Ababa University, Ethiopia.
Torky, S. (2006). The effectiveness of a task –based instruction program in developing
the English language speaking skills of secondary stage students. Bachelor thesis
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Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.