International Journal of Education and Research Vol. 5 No.

11 November 2017

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY LEVEL OF SECONDARY STUDENTS

ALAN S. COMPE
SURIGAO DEL SUR STATE UNIVERSITY-SAN MIGUEL
SAN MIGUEL, SURIGAO DEL SUR, PHILIPPINES
e-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT
The study aimed to find out students’ level of English Language Proficiency. The
study used quantitative-qualitative method of inquiry. It made use of a survey
questionnaire to describe the profile of students as subjects of the study. The study reveals
that the students’ level of proficiency is at the average of Moderate Proficiency. In
grammar the students rated High Proficiency. It is in the Writing that the students are
rated Low Proficiency. In Vocabulary, Reading, Speaking and Listening, the students were
rated Moderate Proficiency. High Proficiency level of students in Grammar part tells their
proficiency in the use of language structure. There are factors that contributed much why
students are low proficiency in writing, one of those is that the four macro skills in English
was not fully developed considering that they are graduated from Alternative Learning
System during their completion in basic education. Some of the competency in basic
education was not fully tackled. There are signs that English proficiency of students is not
something to be taken for granted on by secondary teachers. Students have glaring
difficulty in Writing in English. English proficiency enhancement is specifically most needed
in the area of Writing in English.

Keywords: English Proficiency Level, Writing in English, Students Proficiency

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

The concerns of the language teacher in planning the English class first falls on “what
to teach and where to start”. A conscientious teacher will never think only of how he or she
can deliver the lesson and how much lesson he or she can deliver but most of all he or she
should be thinking of how much learning his or her learners will get from the lesson. Given
the curriculum, the teacher is moved to follow what shots of lessons to deliver. With this
reality however, there is always the question of learners’ readiness to a new wave of
learning task. This is especially true to language teaching.
Mittica (2003) said in her TESOL article that while students with limited English
proficiency have the opportunity to take some ESL classes while they are in high school,
they have to fulfill the same graduation requirements as any other student. Of course,
there are some schools that do offer more intensive ESL efforts for those who are new
however, the intent of this paper is to keep informed ESL teachers in regular high schools,
where ESL is seen to be the responsibility of a distinctly separate department, where ESL
teachers typically work in isolation and where opportunities for communication across
disciplines are generally lacking. Is this in the best interests of our teachers or our ESL
students? heritage, language, family, gender, community and other factors shape
experience and impact on learning; that teaching students with exceptionalities requires
the use of specialized knowledge and skills; While students with limited English proficiency
have the opportunity to take some ESL classes while they are in high school, they have to
fulfill the same graduation requirements as any other student.
The global challenge of today to the academic sector is to produce graduates who
are employable everywhere they might find a green pasture. After all, for what end should
everyone struggle for college education if not to land a promising job. Along with this reality
is the significant role of communication skills as a tool of a job seeker to grab the thinnest
slice of job opportunity. Most often, a job seeker will always go through an interview. It is
here where an individual job seeker should gain impression that the employer finds reason
to hire him. Graduates for this reason, must be equipped with high proficiency in English
language.

While teachers at DepEd are tested of their English proficiency, behind this test is
the question of the teachers’ readiness to use the communicative tool in teaching the
students. Reciprocal to the issue of teachers’ English proficiency and readiness in
communicating is the product of their English instruction which is the English Language
Proficiency of secondary students. Only by testing, that levels of proficiency are measured.
It is therefore appropriate to test the high school graduates’ level of English proficiency in
order to find out what has to be improved in the English language instruction of the
secondary schools. The researcher being one of the secondary school teachers of English
has all these reasons to go on the conduct of the study as part of his effort to improve the

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English language instruction for the attainment of high English language proficiency of the
secondary school graduates.
2.0 Conceptual Framework

The essential concept of this study is anchored on the belief of the researcher that
thorough investigation on the level of proficiency of the students will enlighten the
instruction plan to make some innovations to attain a desired high level of students’
English proficiency. Suggestive design for enhancement will be the guide of teachers as to
the process and activities to be done in the English instruction so that whatever is the
difficulty of the students that caused their low proficiency will be remediated.
3.0 Research Design and Methods

This study is descriptive type. It described the level of the students’ proficiency
through which identifying areas of English where students are low was analyzed and
contained as basis for recommendatory enrichment program of English instruction to
remedy or improve the proficiency of students in English. The scientific process of data
gathering was used in order to come up with quantitatively processed data.
The level of students’ English proficiency was described according to the ratings
they get from the test. It is also the individual components in the English proficiency test
that determined where the students are low.
Sampling Procedure

All the students who belong to the graduating class AY-2011-2012 of San Miguel
National Comprehensive High School- Main Campus were taken as subject-respondents
of the study. The graduating students were chosen among the secondary students
because they were recipients of the finished English instruction and curriculum in the
secondary school. It was illogical to take samples from other year levels because the
instruction they have received is not yet the sum of all the English instruction given to the
secondary students.
Research Instrument

The instrument is a test based on a test for English Proficiency provided by

Transparent Language. The test was originally based on standard English vocabulary and
English grammar that one would find in any English language learning material, so that this
proficiency test can measure one’s command of the English language. Some modifications
were made to fit in the Filipino student’s English learning background and was validated by
expert English teachers. Since modifications were made, two English professors and
experts from Private school and one secondary school English teacher from DepEd were
consulted to validate the content of the test and the instrument.

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Data Gathering Procedure

First of all, the researcher sought permission from the principal of San Miguel
National Comprehensive High School to be allowed to conduct the survey and the English
Proficiency test to the graduating students. The researcher prepared the survey
questionnaire where the students filled in for their profile. It is from this survey
questionnaire that the researcher was able to get data about the personal profile of the
respondents.
Another paper prepared was the English Proficiency test for the students to answer
and to undergo in order for the researcher to get the level of students’ English proficiency.
There were seven categories of the test, six of which were answered in pen and paper
while the speaking test was answered orally. There were three raters who inter-rated the
oral proficiency and writing proficiency of the students using the rubrics for each
respectively.
After the test was conducted and the survey questionnaire was filled in by the
subject-respondents, the researcher collected the data and computed the summary of the
individual rating to come up with a description of students’ English Proficiency. The
researcher then scrutinized the result as to what area of English is the students’ lowest
proficiency. This was done in order for the researcher to recommend what area in English
language teaching will be improved to gain a lift in the English Proficiency of secondary
students.
Statistical Treatment

The data gathered was treated statistically for the researcher to analyze easily.
Frequency counting and simple percentage was used to analyze the data gathered
through the query of problem number 1. The ratings revealed in the English Proficiency
test was treated with mean and came up with a qualitative description based on the scale
of parameter.
Scale of Parameter for Speaking Rubric

4.20 – 5.00 -excellent 3.40 – 4.19 – very good 2.60 – 3.39 -good 1.80 – 2.59 -poor 1.00 -
1.79 – very poor
Scale of Parameter for Writing Rubric

3.25 – 4.00 Highly proficient 2.50 – 3.24 Moderately proficient 1.75 – 2.49 Less proficient
1.00 –1.74 least proficient
Scale of Parameter for Level of Proficiency

81 - 100% Very High Proficiency 61–80% High Proficiency 41-60% Moderate Proficiency
21–40% Low Proficiency 1 - 20% Very Low Proficiency

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4. Results and Discussions

Table 1
Profile of the Secondary Students

Specific Profile Frequency Percentage Rank

Age
17 years old 37 61.67 1
16 years old 20 33.33 2
18 yrs and above 3 5 3
Sex
Female 33 55 1
Male 27 45 2
Mother tongue
Surigaonon 1 1.67 4
Ilocano 2 3.33 2
Ilongo 1 1.67 4
Tagalog 1 1.67 4
Manobo 55 91.66 1
Educational Attainment
ALS graduate 42 70 1
Elementary 17 29 2
High School 1 1 3

The subject-respondents’ profile is clearly presented in Table 1. It shows their age,

sex, mother tongue and educational attainment. As to age, it is seen that majority of the
students are in the age of 17 years. There are at most 37 out of 60 (61.67%) subjects who
are at the age of 17. The age profile implies that the students started their school at an
exact age which is 7 years old to start graders’ curriculum. Analyzing from the age and
educational attainment of the subject-respondents, about 70 percent of the students are
graduated from ALS in their elementary which contributed much to the problem of being
unskilled in the four macro skills in English. They have gone through English language
subjects for an average of ten years. After ten years of studies with English as among the
subjects in the curriculum, now the rate of their English Language proficiency.
In the sex profile of the subject respondents, it is seen that majority is females
among the graduating secondary students. There are 33 out 60 who are females. It means
that 55% of the subject-respondents are females. The difference in sexes is not too far
since females are only 5% over the number of males which compose the 45% of the
subject respondents. The findings cannot point out sex difference as the basis of language

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proficiency levels. Whatever the average proficiency level of the students, it cannot be
related to the point that they are girls or because they are boys.
On the students’ mother tongue profile, there are 5 languages spoken as first
language. Manobo language is the mother tongue of 91.66% of the subject respondents.
Manobo speakers are dominant in the group because there are 55 out of the 60 students
under test. It implies that whatever is their learning in English has become, there must be
some influences of the Manobo language as their first language.
The case of this group of subject-respondents’ profile when given weight in relation
to the English Language learning can be pointed to age and mother tongue profile. While it
is true that the secondary students have been in formal school for ten years and have
studied English for ten years, they are also being immersed in their mother tongue which is
Manobo.
Psycholinguistics transfer theory states that, when learning a target language, one's
mother tongue can inevitably have a certain influence on it. This kind of influence is called
"transfer". "Transfer" may be either positive or negative. Much of the early research of the
1970’s was guided by the conception of a "language acquisition device" which facilitates
the process of "creative construction" in the mind of the learner. The behaviorist ideas
state that second language learning is a process of habit –formation in which the major
obstacle to learning is interference from the mother tongue (Davies, Elder, 2006)
Table 2

Students’ Level of Proficiency in the Written English

Language Area Average Rating Adjectival Rating Rank

English Grammar 62% High proficiency 1
English vocabulary 60% Moderate proficiency 2
Reading Comprehension 51% Moderate proficiency 3
Speaking 50% Moderate proficiency 4
Listening 46% Moderate proficiency 5
Writing 40% Low Proficiency 6
Total Mean 51.5% Moderate proficiency

The data presented in Table 2 reveals that the students’ level of proficiency is at the
average of Moderate Proficiency. In the 6 components examined in the English language
proficiency, it is in Grammar that the students rated High Proficiency where they got a
mean of 62%. It is in the Writing that the students are rated Low Proficiency with a mean
of 40%. In Vocabulary, Reading, Speaking and Listening, the students were rated
Moderate Proficiency.

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High Proficiency level of students in Grammar part tells their proficiency in the use
of language structure. Part I of the test measured the ability of the students on how to
string language into a correct structure. Part II measured also the students’ ability to detect
errors in grammar or items in the sentence that make it ungrammatical. It revealed
students’ high proficiency in grammar. There is implication that content coverage of
English.

Part III test measured the ability of the students in vocabulary and its usage.
Students were described moderately proficient in vocabulary. It implies that their ability in
this aspect has not reached maximum level. There is still a need to enhance their
vocabulary power which is essential to string language structure into meaningful and
functional language. If the student is not achieving in the area of fluency, educators should
look into explicitly teach fluency to students in order for them to read smoothly,
comprehending what they read more efficiently (Herron, 2008) states "Students who are
not at least moderately fluent in reading by third grade are unlikely to graduate from high
school"
Part IV was the measurement of the students reading comprehension level of
proficiency. It was described of moderate proficiency. The same with vocabulary
proficiency, it did not reach maximum level. It simply implies that there is still a room for
improvement in the reading comprehension skills of the students. Students may have been
scared at opportunities to read more in-depth reading materials. Correlation according to
the researchers sought to identify the variable that could account for the greatest amount
of variation in reading comprehension. The premise underlying this question is that
vocabulary and grammar as components of linguistic proficiency are involved in reading
comprehension. (Shiotsu and Weir, 2007)

Part V of the test measured the speaking proficiency. This revelation implies an
scarce speaking opportunities of the students. It is related to a major finding of Csizer and
Dörnyei's (2005) study with Hungarian learners is that integrativeness is the primary factor
in the overall motivational disposition of second language learners. Existing evidence
points to the fact that contexts have a profound impact on the way instrumental and
integrative motivations relate to language learning. "The nature and effect of certain
motivation components might vary as a function of the environment in which the learning
takes place.
The part VI of the test revealed the moderate proficiency of the students in listening.
It has an implication that there was not much opportunity of the students to engage in
listening activities in their classes or in their environment.

In the general view of the secondary students’ English Language Proficiency, there
can be not much fulfilment finding them to have achieved only Moderate Proficiency in
English Language. As to Kern & Warschauer, ((2000) Language is all about living the day
to day life especially in this era where technology is very dominant and is using English as
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the medium of its operation. If the academic community has to take this seriously as life
itself, there be can be no smile at this finding. Finding that the secondary students have
reached only moderate proficiency, it is recommendatory that there should be a move for
enhancement of English language instruction. There is the constant push to train teachers
in the use of English language. It is evident in Diokno’s (E.C. Dioko 2004) article
“Teachers’ Bamboo English Won’t Do” which stresses that those teachers handling the
three content areas with English as medium of instruction should be competent users of
the language. Without such competence, the teaching-learning process suffers.
As it is also revealed that the lowest in proficiency of the secondary students among
the macro skills in language is in writing. They got a rating only of 40% in writing which is
described low proficiency. It means that it is also in Writing skills that the students need
more enhancements in instruction. Students were already High Proficiency in grammar.
Competence in grammar is already a good tool in writing skill. The students may have a
good command in English grammar however; they had a problem in organizing the ideas.
In the study of Ghrib (2002) on Secondary School Students’ Perceptions of
Learning Difficulties and Strategies, the research has shown that more focus should be put
on listening and writing since they proved to be the hardest skills. These skills should
therefore be reinforced, and students should be given more opportunities to practice
English; i.e., they should be given more opportunities to listen to, read, write, and speak
the foreign language.
Secondary students’ level of English Language proficiency reached only Moderate
Proficiency level. Their English Writing has the lowest proficiency which is described as
Low proficiency. Their English Grammar is described as High Proficiency, which is a good
tool for students in writing skill. Their problem is in writing but not because of grammatical
incompetence. The students being low proficiency in writing is caused by low
organizational competence. It is well then to recommend the suggestion of Ghazi Ghaith
(2002) to remediate low proficiency of students in English Writing. In this suggested
activities, writing in English is the main target of development, yet other areas like
vocabulary enrichment, listening, speaking and reading proficiency maybe enhanced.
5. Conclusions

Based on the findings of this study conclusions were drawn that sex as variable in
this study does not have any bearing at all in the English Language Proficiency of
students. The fourth year High School students were in the right age and have been
exposed to English as a subject in school for 10 years or so. Being native speakers of
Manobo, these students’ English language acquisition may have been influenced by their
native tongue. Students were already potential in their grammar competence. There are
factors that contributed much why secondary students are low proficiency in writing, one of
those is that one of the four macro skills in English was not fully developed considering
that they are graduated from ALS during their completion in elementary. Some of the
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competency in elementary was fully tackled. There are signs that English proficiency of
fourth year High School students is not something to be taken for granted on by secondary
teachers. Students have glaring difficulty on Writing in English. English proficiency
enhancement is specifically most needed in the area of Writing in English.
6. Recommendations

Based on the foregoing conclusions drawn, the following recommendations are

firmly pushed; Data on the students’ mother tongue shall be given consideration as
influential to the students’ English Language learning. ALS implementers should assure
that their students well equipped with the four macro skills in English. It is important for
secondary teachers to evaluate the English Language Proficiency of students every year
not only among graduating students to assure quality English instruction; Writing in English
of secondary students should be given preferential attention by the English teachers;
Secondary English teachers should be given more training in teaching writing and be
provided materials and multimedia resources for teaching writing strategies
enhancements.

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