I.

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background and rationale

Students would feel anxious when it comes to communicating in front of the class.

Different thoughts cross their minds when their teacher asks them to speak in front. Confidence is

lost and fear rises. According to Mustapha, et. al., (2010), anxiety and achievement are

correlated. They would feel pressured and challenged especially when the teacher monitors the

way they speak. Some would try, but there are others who would hesitate.

When a student is asked to write an essay of 200 words in length, he/she could easily

come up with one that is longer. However, when the student is asked to speak for two to three

minutes on a topic in a group discussion or in front of the class, he/she may face some difficulties

in expressing his/her opinions (Osman, et. al., 2010). Students’ affective filter rises, apprehending

that it would be a difficult thing to do. Fear and anxiousness would cover up their minds as they

try to speak. This is common to students of all levels, especially high school students. It is not just

them who encounter this feeling. Even some college students and professionals hesitate to speak

in front of a crowd.

Oral communication is an act of communicating through the mouth while apprehension is

a feeling of anxiety or fear that something bad will happen. According to Amogne and Yigzaw

(2013), oral communication apprehension is a crucial academic success determinant. Students

have crucial mood swings especially towards communicating with others. They can easily be

confident or be afraid with the split of a second. It is not about how the teacher approaches but it

is about the students’ attitude towards communicating with others and how their speaking skills

can be affected.

Speaking skills is the ability to speak well. The Philippines is known to have people who

are good in speaking English. Using instruments to identify the oral comprehension apprehension

of the students and to determine their speaking skills, the results of this study suggest how oral

communication apprehension affects their speaking skills.

1.2. Statement of the problem

This study sought to identify the levels of communication apprehension and its relevance to

the speaking skills of the respondents. Specifically, this study aimed to answer the following

questions:

1. What are the levels of oral communication apprehensions of the respondents?

2. How good are the respondents’ speaking skills?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the respondents’ oral communication

apprehension and speaking skills?

Null hypothesis:

There is no significant relationship between the oral communication apprehension and

the speaking skills of the respondents.

1.3. Objectives of the study

1.3.1. General objective

The main objective of the study was to find out how oral communication apprehension

affects the speaking skills of the respondents.

1.3.2. Specific objectives

1. To determine the levels of oral communication apprehension of the respondents;

2. To find out the levels speaking skills of the respondents; and

3. To determine if there exists a significant relationship between the oral communication

apprehension and speaking skills of the respondents

2
1.4. Significance of the study

Most students face problems on communicating in English, especially that it is not their

mother tongue. They would feel shy, awkward, and insecure when asked to speak in English in

the classroom. This study identified how oral communication apprehension affects the speaking

skills of the students and give suggestions on how to lessen the apprehension of the students.

Besides, the language teachers would also benefit from this study because they will look

into their students’ speaking skills more and may use strategies in teaching that would help and

improve their students.

The students’ parents would also take this as an advantage because they will know how

their children are performing at school and they would establish more speaking activities like

discussion and interview as an additional training to their children at homes.

Upon knowing the results of this study, the school can put up activities or programs like

public speaking, debate or drama for students’ exposure to such activities, and thus develop their

self confidence, the goal would enhance students’ speaking skills and reduce the students’ oral

communication apprehension.

1.5. Scope and limitations of the study

This study was limited to identifying the students’ oral communication apprehension

towards their speaking skills. This study was conducted to 60 Grade 10 students of the Mindanao

State University at Naawan- Integrated Developmental School. The study made use of three

instruments. These were the questionnaire adapted from McCroskey (1982), known as PRCA-24

was used to determine the level of communication apprehension, and a rubric known as PCC-

ESLP was modified and adapted from Pasadena City College, and a Semistructured Clinical

Interview for Children and Adolescents to determine their speaking skills. Since all the

respondents follow the Filipino culture, Filipino English standard was used as basis in the

speaking activities of the respondents, for they are also learners of English as second language.

3
1.6. Definition of terms

Apprehension is the feeling of anxiety or fear that something bad will happen.

Impact and timing is the wait time spent before speaking.

Impromptu speaking is speaking not prepared or planned in advance.

Language is using the English tense properly.

Mindanao State University at Naawan Integrated Developmental School or MSUN-IDS is

the place to conduct the study.

News casting is an activity that broadcasts news.

Nonverbal communication is using eye contact and showing necessary expression anf
gestures.

Oral communication is the exchange of information between people by means of speaking.

Pasadena City College English as Secondary Language Program or PCC-ESLP is the

instrument to be used in rating the students’ speaking skills.

Personal Report of Communication Apprehension or PRCA-24 is a 24-item question

instrument used in gathering data on the students’ oral communication apprehension.

Peer discussion is a talk between two or more people about a subject.

Pronunciation is words accurately pronounced following the Filipino English as an acceptable

standard.

Semistructured Clinical Interview for Children and Adolescents or SCICA is the form to
to be used in asking the students during the clinical interview.

Speaking skill is the ability to speak well.