CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Every student has unique speaking styles and speaking abilities that cannot

be measured accordingly based some observation from teachers. There are

students have the great ability to speak while reading. There are some students

that have the ability to speak well through answering actual questions. There are

also some students have the great ability to speak when they already memorized

what they want to express. Improving the speaking skill of students in English as

a foreign language or English as a second language becomes an issue. Quite a

few English teachers expect their students to be able to speak accurately after the

teaching learning process. The most learners find it difficult to express

grammatically correct sentences due to the significant differences in the grammar

of the native language of the students and that of the English language and

consequently they prefer to put emphasis in fluency rather than on accuracy

during the speaking activities.

The Grade 11 students of Mindanao State University-Lanao del Norte

Agricultural College (MSU-LNAC) are moving up to the higher level. They are

expectedly engaged more in many speaking situations which can develop more

strategies to improve their different speaking prowess. The various activities such
 2

as the manuscript speech, memorized speech, and impromptu speech can

determine and able them to have great abilities to speak. The different skills to be

determined will give a basis for the speaking activities that can be formulated to

the classroom. Through this study, the teacher can perform a great role in teaching

speaking in which the students will become motivated to learn in speaking the

language.

Additionally, speaking is the delivery of language through the mouth. To

speak, we create sounds using many parts of our body including the lungs, vocal

tracts, vocal chords, tongue, teeth and lips. Speaking is the second of four

language skills, which are; listening, speaking, reading and writing. In learning

English, junior high school students are to master the four skills because they are

the keys to communication. In our own language, speaking is usually the second

language skills that we learn. Among the four skills taught at junior high school,

speaking is the most difficult skill to build in the classroom, whereas, as what

Thombury (2005) says that speaking is so much a part of daily life that we take it

for granted.

Also, speaking can be formal and informal. Formal speaking occurs in

business and academic situations, or when meeting people for the first time.

Informal speaking is typically used with family and friends, or people you know

well. Speaking is probably the language skill that most language learners wish to
 3

perfect as soon as possible. Speaking as one of the language skills becomes

important topics to discuss in language teaching.

However, it is considered that cultural difference can contribute to the

difficulties of English as Foreign Language learners to use English in their daily

conversation (Ho, 2009), (Efrizal, 2012). Despite the faced problems in the

teaching and learning of speaking, Heaton (1988) proposed that in the teaching of

speaking learners must master the three components of speaking; fluency,

accuracy, and comprehensibility or appropriateness. It means that there must be

efforts to choose effective techniques in teaching speaking and willingness to

create and design interesting instructional materials that facilitate achievement of

the three speaking components.

This study determined the different speaking prowess of the Grade 11

students. Teaching speaking to the learners is always a challenge which is having

different speaking styles and skills. These activities can develop more speaking

activities that will fit to the different skills of the learners. For the junior high

school students, they are moving up to the next level. They should be a thoughtful

individual and have to speak clearly and fluently.

In the view of the above discussions, this study was conducted generally to

determine the speaking prowess of the Grade 11 students in Mindanao State

University-Lanao Norte Agricultural College (MSU-LNAC). This study aimed to

determine their speaking prowess in the first semester of school year 2018-2019,
 4

by using different various categories of speaking. The researchers came up with

this study for they believed that as future English teachers conducted different

speaking activities in the classroom as part of teaching the language. It is their

responsibility to share and impart ways to develop more strategies to improve the

speaking prowess of the learners in speaking situations.

1.1 Statement of the problem

This study aimed to determine the speaking prowess of the Grade 11

students at Mindanao State University-Lanao Norte Agricultural College of the

S.Y. 2018-2019 through speaking activities.

1. What is the socio-economic profile in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 sex;

1.3 parents’ educational attainment; and

1.4 parents’ monthly income?

2. What are their attitudes toward speaking activities?

3. What are the problems encountered and coping mechanisms adopted

toward speaking activities?

4. What is the level of speaking abilities in terms of:

4.1 manuscript speech;

4.2 memorized speech; and

 5

4.3 impromptu speech?

5. Is there a significant relationship between the speaking prowess and the

socio-economic profile?

6. Is there a significant relationship between the speaking prowess and

their attitudes toward speaking activities?

7. Is there a significant relationship between the speaking prowess and

problems encountered and coping mechanisms adopted towards speaking

activities?

8. What implications can be drawn based from the results of the study?

1.2 Hypotheses

1. There is no significant relationship between the speaking prowess and

the socio-economic profile.

2. There is no significant relationship between the speaking prowess and

their attitudes toward speaking activities.

3. There is no significant relationship between the speaking prowess and

problems encountered and coping mechanisms adopted toward speaking

activities.
 6

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this was to determine the performance of the Grade

11 students of Mindanao State University-Lanao Norte Agricultural College using

Speaking activities.

Specifically, this study aimed to:

determine the different speaking prowess through the use of various activities:

1. manuscript speech, Memorized speech, and Impromptu;

2. use the strategies to the different speaking activities of the Grade 11

students;

3. show the importance of speaking prowess to the different speaking

activities.

1.4 Theoretical Framework

This study anchored on these theories: The Theory Structural Linguistic

by Simensen (2007), The Theory on Constructivism by Williams (2014), and The

Theory on Behaviorism by Van Patten (2007).

The Theory on Structural linguistics. According to Simensen (2007)

American structuralism had a tremendous influence on second-language teaching

in the period 1950-1970. An important aim for this school was to turn linguistics

into an empirical, objective and descriptive science. Another aim was to produce
 7

accurate descriptions of languages as used by native speakers, not prescriptions of

languages as was done earlier. The American structuralizes also developed new

models for the description of modern languages that were appropriate for the

analysis and description of basis sentence patterns.

In structural linguistics, the language is in the form of speech. This

characteristic indicates the only thing in the form of speech can be called

language. The forms of embodiments in addition to speech cannot be classified in

terms of the actual language, as well as writing. In language teaching, structural

theory spawned direct method with the oral approach.

This theory relates to this study by developing new structure of patterns in

sentence which the students used in speaking. In speaking, the students should

know the correct structure of the language they are using. They can construct a

sentence based on the description and prescription of the language. For every

sentence used, there is a pattern that being analyzed.

The Theory on Constructivism. Constructivist theories believe that

students bring with them their prior knowledge based upon this prior knowledge

(Williams, 2014).

Instead of speaking of truth, indicating that a piece of knowledge matches

reality, constructivists speak of functional fit, by which they mean that their

knowledge is expected to fit into the world of their experience. A concept, a way

of thinking, or a theory is therefore said to be viable if experience shows that it

 8

does what is expected of it. Speaking English can be the first step to clear and

effective communication. To achieve this, teachers of English, feel a

responsibility to guide the students to converse with the people around them in

English.

Theory of constructivism has relevance in this study for the speakers’

construction concerns. Speakers can construct thought based on their prior

knowledge. The ways of their thinking has a big influence of constructing

thoughts. Therefore, the more experiences students have, the more thoughts they

can construct during speaking situation.

The Theory on Behaviorism. Behaviorism is a psychological theory of

learning, which was very influential in the 1940s and 1950s (Van Patten, 2007).

According to behaviorists, language learning is the result of imitation, practice,

and feedback and habit formation. Children imitate the language they hear around

them and continue to use the language on which they get positive response and

stop using the language on which they do not get feedback or get negative

feedback on. In this way the children from habits of correct language use.

The Behaviorist Learning Theory has relevance of this study for

behaviorism concerns the connection between the target language and the

learners. By hearing the words repeatedly, they can easily acquire the words and

use it in their learning. Learners learned new words by hearing the words
 9

repeatedly and realizing what it means and adapting the words in their daily life

routine if necessary.

Those theories are very helpful to this study which all about the speaking

prowess, because from those theories, this research will have a basis for the

results of the experiment to be conducted. As what the past researchers have said

in studying about the speaking prowess, linguistic and constructivism are the

dominant theoretical influences among those theories that have been mentioned.

1.5 Conceptual Framework

The diagram in Figure 1 shows the Independent variables, Dependent

variables, and the Output. The Independent variables consist of socio-economic

profile, attitudes of the learners towards speaking activities, problems encountered

and the coping mechanisms adapted. The Dependent variables consist of the

different speaking activities such as Manuscript speech, Memorized speech, and

Impromptu. The output shows the implications of the study.

 10

INDEPENDENT DEPENDENT OUTPUT

VARIABLES VARIABLES

Socio-economic Profile

 Age I
 Sex Speaking Prowess
M
 Parents’
educational  Manuscript Speech P
attainment - “Procrastination”
 Parents’
L
 Memorized Speech
monthly income
“Life” I
 Impromptu C
Attitudes towards - “Life” A
speaking activities - “Procrastination”
T

Problems I
encountered on O
Speaking Activities N
and Coping
mechanisms S
adopted

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

 11

1.6 Delimitations of the Study

This research includes the thirty (30) Grade 11 students in Mindanao State

University-Lanao del Norte Agricultural College (MSU-LNAC) who were

officially enrolled in the SY 2018-2019. They were subjected to test different

categories of speaking activities. The results were analyzed to determine the

respondents’ speaking prowess.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The result of this research on the respondents’ speaking prowess

established information that can be useful as tangible references for education

services. Furthermore, the gathered data’s may be useful in teaching and probably

solutions to the problem in speaking prowess. The target beneficiaries of this

research include:

Curriculum Planners. This is useful in the evaluation of the existing

teachers in their teaching speaking strategies that can be used in enhancing

speaking prowess of the Grade 11 students.

School Administrators. They can apply the result of the study as basis in

creating programs and school policies for the welfare of students learning

progress which are useful to facilitate in service seminars/trainings based on the

learners’ necessity in terms of speaking prowess.

 12

Students. This study is useful for the students to discover the important

information about speaking activities that will deliver guidance and better

speaking enhancement performance.

Teachers. Useful information can be used as basis of adjustments in terms

of classroom managements, teaching methodologies, and discipline in accordance

to the need of the speaking prowess of the learners.

Future Researchers. Results of the research can be useful for additional

enrichment of the information for future works of both beginners and professional

researchers through the use of appropriate strategies.

1.8 Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined conceptually and/or operationally for the

purpose of clarifying their usage in the study:

Accuracy. This term means extent to which students’ speech matches

what people actually say when they use the target language.

Appropriateness. This term means the suitable or fitting for a particular

purpose, person, occasion, etc.

Attitude. This term used in this study as the internal states that influenced

what the learners likely did during speaking activities.

 13

Comprehensibility. This term means the comprehending or thoroughly

understanding with one’s mind or having an extensive mental range or grasp, as

of a particular subject or many subjects.

Coping Mechanisms. In this study, this term means the ways which the

problems towards speaking activities are managed.

Fluency. This term refers to the extent to which speakers used the

language quickly and confidently with few hesitations or unnatural pauses, false

starts, word searches, etc.

Implications. This term means the conclusion drawn from the speaking

activities being done.

Impromptu Speech. This term means presentation of a short message

without advance preparation. Impromptu speeches often occur when someone is

asked to “say a few words” or give a toast on a special occasion. You have

probably done impromptu speaking many times in informal, conversational

settings.

Linguistics. This term means is to study of language, how it is put

together and how it functions. Various building blocks of different types and sizes

are combined to make up a language. Sounds are brought together and sometimes

when this happens; they change their form and do interesting things. Words are

arranged in a certain order, and sometimes the beginnings and endings of the

words are changed to adjust the meaning. Then the meaning itself can be affected
 14

by the arrangement of words and by the knowledge of the speaker about what the

hearer will understand. Linguistics is the study of all of this. There are various

branches of linguistics which are given their own name, some of which are

described below.

Manuscript Speech. This term means word-for-word iteration of a

written message. In a manuscript speech, the speaker maintains his or her

attention on the printed page except when using visual aids. When giving a

manuscript speech, a speaker reads from a prepared document. The speech is

delivered exactly as it presented in the text. Manuscript speeches are useful when

it is important for wording to be precise, such as with legal issues.

Memorized Speech. This term means rote recitation of a written message

that the speaker has committed to memory. Actors, of course, recite from memory

whenever they perform from a script in a stage play, television program, or movie

scene. When it comes to speeches, memorization can be useful when the message

needs to be exact and the speaker doesn’t want to be confined by notes.

Problems encountered. This term refers the problems encountered by the

students during the speaking activities being done.

Prowess. This term means skill or expertise in a particular activity or

field. In this study it is the superior skill that students learned by study and

practiced and observation, “the art of conversation”.

 15

Speaking. This term pertains an interactive process of constructing

meaning that involves producing and receiving and processing information

(Brown, 2004). Its form and meaning are dependent on the context in which it

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

physical environment, and the purposes for speaking.

Speaking Skills. This term gives us the ability to communicate

effectively. These skills allow the speaker, to convey his message in a passionate,

thoughtful, and convincing manner. Speaking skills also help to assume that one

won’t be misunderstanding by those who are listening.