The level of English integrated speaking proficiency among public high school students and teachers

Abstract

English is the second language in the Philippines and it is used as a common tool of communication in the government, in business and in the field of education. In addition, the study also aimed to relate results to the problems and difficulties encountered by both teachers and students in determining their English oral proficiency levels. This study sought to identify the level of integrated speaking proficiency of the public secondary English teachers and the public secondary students. Specifically, the study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the integrated speaking proficiency level of public secondary English school teachers? Hypothesis: The public secondary English school teachers are advanced low in their integrated speaking level. 2. What is the integrated speaking proficiency level of public secondary 4th year school students? Hypothesis: The public secondary 4th year students are intermediate high in their integrated speaking level. 3. What is the relationship between integrated speaking proficiency level of the teachers and the following variables? a. Educational Qualification b. Years of Teaching Hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between the speaking proficiency level of the teachers to their educational qualification and years of teaching. 4. What is the relationship between integrated speaking proficiency of the teachers and the students? Hypothesis: There is significant relationship between integrated speaking proficiency of the teachers and the students. 5. What training materials can be developed to enhance integrated speaking proficiency level of teachers? In this study, oral English assessment through the Modified Simulated TOEFL Speaking Test and interviews were conducted by the researcher. The locale of the study is Tayug National High School, Tayug Pangasinan. The researcher made use of the descriptive research as an appropriate design for the study. Under the descriptive design, the researcher prepared modified TOEFL speaking test as a basis to determine the level English integrated speaking proficiency of respondents in reference to the ACTFL Guidelines The data collated based on the specific identified problems were treated with frequency counts and Pearson correlation. Based on the research problems the following were the findings of the study. 1. Public secondary English school teachers largely exhibit low-level to mid-level responses in describing personal experience and in connecting information from the reading passage to the listening passage as target skills in tasks 1 and 2. 2. Public secondary 4th year school students show low-level to mid-level responses as the target skills in describing personal experience, in giving personal preference and in narrating events in the picture as target skills in tasks 1, 2, and 4. b. Years of Teaching Hypothesis: There is a significant relationship between the speaking proficiency level of the teachers to their educational qualification and years of teaching. 4. What is the relationship between integrated speaking proficiency of the teachers and the students? Hypothesis: There is significant relationship between integrated speaking proficiency of the teachers and the students. 5. What training materials can be developed to enhance integrated speaking proficiency level, of teachers? In this study, oral English assessment through the Modified Simulated TOEFL Speaking Test and interviews were conducted by the researcher. The locale of the study is Tayug National High School, Tavug Pangasinan. The researcher made use of the descriptive research as an appropriate design for the study. Under the descriptive design, the researcher prepared modified TOEFL speaking test as a basis to determine the level English integrated speaking proficiency of respondents in reference to the ACTFL Guidelines The data collated based on the specific identified problems were treated with frequency counts and Pearson correlation. Based on the research problems the following were the findings of the study. 1. Public secondary English school teachers largely exhibit low-level to mid-level responses in describing personal experience and in connecting information from the reading passage to the listening passage as target skills in tasks 1 and 2. 2. Public secondary 4th year school students show low-level to mid-level responses as the target skills in describing personal experience, in giving personal preference and in narrating events in the picture as target skills in tasks 1, 2, and 4. 3. The educational qualification and years of teaching affect the integrated speaking proficiency of secondary English school teachers. a) Public secondary English teachers increased adeptness in the language and mastery is related to higher educational qualification and this is connected to better English integrated speaking proficiency. b) Public secondary English teacher's language competency is related to years of teaching. Teacher's daily exposure and regular language use leads to higher English integrated speaking proficiency. 4. There is no significant difference between the teachers' integrated speaking proficiency and the students' integrated speaking proficiency. As other variables such as personality, academic performance, motivation, learning styles, code-switching and code-mixing, teacher talk time and student talk time and teacher's teaching style could attribute to the student's integrated speaking proficiency. 5. The training materials designed highlight the skills needed in improving the integrated speaking proficiency level of public secondary English school teachers. In the light of the findings of the study, the following are the conclusions: 1. The integrated speaking proficiency level of public secondary English teachers is Advanced Mid. 2. The integrated speaking proficiency level of public secondary students is Intermediate High. 3. The educational qualification and years of teaching affect the integrated speaking proficiency of secondary English school teachers. a) The higher educational qualification achieved by the teacher the higher integrated speaking proficiency is reflected. b) In the same manner that the longer years of teaching the teacher has, the more advanced integrated speaking proficiency is. 4. There is no significant relationship between the integrated speaking proficiency of teachers and students. 5. considering the result of teacher's integrated speaking proficiency test, the researcher developed suggested model program and training material to enhance the teacher's integrated speaking proficiency. In relation with the findings and conclusions of this research the following are recommended: 1. It is imperative that school administrators of Tayug National High School should: (1) provide intensive trainings on grammar use and speech, improvement and (2) encourage teachers to grow professionally through post-graduate studies in language programs. 2. It is highly advised that the English teachers and the teachers who use English as the medium of instruction should have Speaking Proficiency Test on a regular basis. 3. The school administrators should include oral proficiency test similar to the modified simulated TOEFL speaking to gauge their actual oral proficiency during the hiring or recruitment of teacher-applicants. 4. Before the school year formally begins, the students should have diagnostic test for their oral proficiency. The test should measure students' fluency, pronunciation, intonation, and accent. 5. Teachers should initiate forming Student's Language Development Group (SLOG) to motivate students to be more enthusiastic in learning the English language. 6. Teachers should provide opportunities for the student's initiation of conversation, nomination of topics or control of conversation as this will strengthen student's oral communication competence. 7. It is highly recommended that teachers should give appropriate feedback and correction after the students attempt to speak in English in verbal and in written form.