SELF-CONFIDENCE AND INFERIORITY COMPLEX IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AMONG

GRADE 11 STUDENTS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

Jolo Manuel Balanquit

Lady Bernadette Caguerhab

Dwayne Russell Rojo

Darwin Reeven Rubenecia

Angie Claire Tuballas

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 2018

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

In an English language learning class, particularly in the Philippines, students are

expected to develop micro skills such as speaking, reading, listening, and writing using English

which is considered as the universal language. Understanding this particular language and other

linguistic knowledge enables a learner to master the four skills which will eventually pave the

way to language fluency, effective communication and worldwide understanding.

A person must not only be equipped with essential knowledge but he must also value

self-confidence in doing activities. He must apply his knowledge together with self-confidence

in order for him to carry out tasks successfully.

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 1Shahin (2015) stated, “Confidence is being in the state that makes you feel that you can

achieve what you want in life. That you have the capabilities, the will and the way to live your

life according to your own values and beliefs without stopping to think what others will say or

think about you.”2 In other words, self-confidence makes a person feel good about himself

without focusing too much on other people’s views toward him.

Learners of English language in countries that have non-native English speakers

experience a mixture of feelings when confronted with situations needing the productions of

English language; be it in writing, speaking, even in listening or reading. This does not always

reflect the learners’ difficulty in producing the language, which somehow stems out of the lack

of confidence in producing the language. This situation often affects their performance in

subjects which has English as the medium instruction.

Professor Candice Shoemaker differentiated confidence and self-efficacy.3 Shoemaker

(2014) said that confidence is one’s belief in one’s own abilities that is related to personality

and ability traits while self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in one’s capabilities to learn or

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perform behavior. Self-efficacy is specifically focused on behavior while self-confidence is a

general term that is considered a psychological trait.

Academic performance relies on a student’s confidence level. Being able to get good

grades is to be confident on what a person does. Studies suggest that confidence levels can be

manipulated or situationally-induced.4 (Ibid 2003)

Self-confidence plays a major role in language learning of students. In contrast to this

concept, inferiority complex also exists within an individual in his educational setting. Inferiority

complex, in the field of psychology and psychoanalysis, is a feeling that one is inferior in some

way.5(Inferiority Complex, 2011) According to Alfred Adler, the feeling of inferiority develops

due to the innate human tendency of striving for superiority.6(Britannica, 2007) Each and every

individual strives for superiority. This tendency is so overwhelming that as soon as there is

some obstruction that comes in between the person and his or her needs then he or she begins

to feel inferior.7(Farooqi, 2009) This feeling of inferiority occurs in everybody. It is quite normal

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and natural to have this feeling. According to Adler, people are constantly striving to be

powerful, and feelings of inferiority (or weakness) often pull them into a consuming state of

self-interest. It is important to note that, for Adler, inferiority itself is not negative; rather, it is a

normal and even motivating force in life. All humans have some feelings of inferiority and are

striving to overcome them. It is when one becomes fully consumed in his or her pursuit of

power, or by feelings of inferiority to the point of paralysis, that inferiority becomes a burden. It

is at this point that one shifts from having feelings of inferiority to having what Adler called

the inferiority complex.8(Darity, 2008) Although inferiority is not actually a bad thing, some

people experience such an extreme feeling of inferiority that it leads to an unhealthy response.

When this happens, a person develops either an inferiority complex or a superiority

complex.9(Roundy, 2009) In superiority complex, a person to overcome such feelings of

inferiority complex resorts to be superior with others. Aggressiveness, arrogance, bragging and

self-praise can manifest this attitude.10(Farooqi, 2009)

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 Inferiority can arise when you experience an imagined or conditioned feeling of

inferiority.11(Uebergang, 2013) Inferiority complex starts with the conditioning aspect of an

event. The conditioning aspect of an individual is his actual differences with others which

trigger inferiority. Primary factors of conditioning that determine whether you become inferior

or rise above the circumstance is your attitude towards criticism and failure. On the other hand,

creative imagination aspect lets a person’s inferiority complex grow. A huge difference of man

from animals is that humans are goal-driven. Humans have the option to select goals while

animals don’t have this ability. Animals are preprogrammed from birth to live a certain life.

Humans can create goals and set out to achieve them with our creative imagination. Creative

imagination gives an individual the ability to dream goals and visualize vividly. People

unknowingly use their creative imagination to create inferiority complex. They create scenarios

and thoughts of inferiority from their imagination. Creative imagination is wasted through

aimless daydreaming and creating bad events in life. Inferiority complex is derived from the

latter. There are three common ways psychologists say the creative imagination is wasted

contributing to an inferiority complex: napoleon complex, cultural cringe, and superiority

complex.

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 Napoleon complex is a specific feeling of inferiority about one’s height. Alder named the

Napoleon complex after the great military leader Napoleon Bonaparte who was said to be

motivated in battle from insecurities about his height. People with a Napoleon complex make

up for their “inferiority” through aggressive behaviors. They feel handicapped because of their

smaller stature and attempt to counter this perceived problem through aggressive behavior

and a superficial layer of toughness. A smaller stature is not a true handicap as it just a

perceived handicap made from the creative imagination.

The cultural cringe is an area of the inferiority complex where people feel inferior due to

their culture. Genetic appearance, pronunciation of words, or other factors of the human body

vary between cultures that make the individual feel less than people in other cultures.

The superiority complex is a feeling of superiority over other people. Some experts and

bloggers dangerously suggest it is the solution to an inferiority complex. You fail to overcome

feelings of inferiority by becoming superior. You try to feel bigger, faster, smarter, and wiser

than peers. This only leads to frustration and inferiority. This solution is a temporary patch on a

wound too big. It takes most people an experience of significant superiority, such as earning a

million dollars or being popular with the opposite sex, to realize they still feel inferior.

If you try to feel superior, you still compare yourself to the false measurement stick that

judged the inferior you. External validation is required to prove your superior self-image. If you
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are put out of place through ignorance or you are made to feel less superior, you attempt to

grab back your non-existent podium of superiority by criticizing others and using similar

behaviors to lift you status.

Most studies on inferiority complexes continue to be focused upon individuals, and the

medical world has distinguished between what is known as primary and secondary feelings of

inferiority.12 (Warta, 2008)

A primary feeling is rooted in a child’s first experience of weakness or dependency upon

others. This initial dose of feeling tragically human combined with the escalated comparisons

against parents and siblings, leads to an uncomfortable experience that many of us accept and

bounce back from as our role in life is defined.

Secondary feelings of inferiority come to us as adults, when a person is unable to reach

the final goal of subjective security and success. This can stem from a failed job attempt, the

inability to graduate from school, or a fear of leaving the nest.

Symptoms vary, but often include a distinct level of immaturity and insecurity, an

abnormally competitive nature, or the inability to complete responsibilities either personally or

professionally. Aggression issues, anxiety, and depression are also common symptoms.

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 Self-esteem is somehow related to self-confidence. Roy F. Baumeister, professor of

psychology at University in Cleveland, OH, has been studying self-esteem for decades, and has

published more research on the topic than any other specialist in the U.S.13(Briggs,2014) He

stated, “Self-esteem is, literally, how favorably a person regards him or herself.”

Arnold and many other researchers refer to the importance of affect in the language

classroom.14 (Rubio, 2007) Generally speaking, self-esteem is one of the central drives in human

beings. When the level of self-esteem is low, the psychological homeostasis is unbalanced,

creating insecurity, fear, social distance and other negative situations. Self-esteem can exercise

a determining influence on a person’s life, for good or bad; when there is very low self-esteem,

this may even bring about a need for clinical treatment. However, though in the context of

language learning low self-esteem is a non-clinical phenomenon, it can have serious

consequences. Students may avoid taking the necessary risks to acquire communicative

competence in the target language; they may feel deeply insecure and even drop out of the

class.

13

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 Taking these effects into consideration, in the language classroom it is important

to be concerned about learners’ self-esteem. However, this implies more than doing occasional

activities to make students reflect about their worthiness and competence. As a first step,

teachers themselves need to be aware of their own self-esteem, to understand what self-

esteem is, what are the sources and components, and how applications can be implemented in

the language classroom. This implementation should be based on a valid framework.

The goal of this research is to study Grade 11 senior high school students of University

of Eastern Philippines (UEP) and acquire ideas as to how self-confidence and inferiority complex

relate to each other and describe this relationship in terms of English language learning of the

target subjects.

Objectives of the Study

Specifically, this study aims to:

1. Determine the demographic profile of the respondents.

1.1 Age;

1.2 Sex;

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 2. To determine the level of self-confidence of the respondents in using the English

language

3. To determine the level of inferiority complex when using the English language

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study will be conducted in the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) during the

school year 2018-2019. The scope of this study is the self-confidence and inferiority complex

experienced by the students in learning the English language.

The respondents are the students from Science and Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM), Accounting and Business Management (ABM) and Humanities and Social

Services (HUMSS) . This study is limited to Grade 11 students.

Significance of the Study

The result of this study will provide necessary information to the education system. The

findings of this research will be beneficial to the following:

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 Students. The students will be aware of how self-confidence and inferiority complex

contribute to learning the English language. This research will help the students to understand

the relationship of self-confidence and inferiority complex in their educational setting.

Parents. This research will let the parents know more about self-confidence and

inferiority complex in learning a certain language. Through this study, parents will provide

encouragement to their children in order to increase the children’s self-confidence that will

pave the way to achieve self-efficacy and academic success.

School Administration. This study will be of great value to school administrators,

specifically teachers and educators, of English, because this will give them insights in careful

handling of their students while doing certain activities, recitations, and evaluations involving

English. A learner’s self-confidence shall be given consideration in order for a student to excel in

English.

Future Researchers. This research will serve as a reference for future researchers whose

study is associated or related to self-confidence or inferiority complex in learning the English

language or other languages. This will provide them essential information that will be

incorporated or included in their study.

Theoretical Framework

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Situated Learning Theory (Lave)

In contrast with most classroom learning activities that involve abstract knowledge which is and

out of context, Lave argues that learning is situated; that is, as it normally occurs, learning is

embedded within activity, context and culture. It is also usually unintentional rather than

deliberate. Lave and Wenger call this a process of “legitimate peripheral participation”[2].

Knowledge needs to be presented in authentic contexts — settings and situations that would

normally involve that knowledge. Social interaction and collaboration are essential components

of situated learning — learners become involved in a “community of practice” which embodies

certain beliefs and behaviors to be acquired. As the beginner or novice moves from the

periphery of a community to its center, he or she becomes more active and engaged within the

culture and eventually assumes the role of an expert.

David L, "Situated Learning Theory (Lave)," in Learning Theories, January 17, 2007,

https://www.learning-theories.com/situated-learning-theory-lave.html.

Conceptual Framework

This study focuses on the Self-confidence and Inferiority Complex on English Language Learning

among Senior High School students of the University of Eastern Philippines.

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The evaluation paradigm in Figure 1 was conceptualized on the basis of the two variables,

independent variable which include the demographic profile of the respondents as to age and

sex which gave direction direction to the confidence and inferiority of English learning. The

dependent variable was the self-confidence and inferiority complex of English language

learning.

Paradigm

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

I. Demographic Profile
Inferiority complex in English
1.1 Age language learning

1.2 Sex

Figure 1: Scheme of the flow of the study

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Definition of Terms

For the readers to become familiar of the terms therein used, the following words were

defined both conceptually and, operationally:

Age. Conceptually, it refers to how long something has existed. Operationally, this refers

to the number of years the respondents have lived from birth to present.

Sex. Conceptually and operationally, this refers to the identification of an individual or

respondent whether male of female.

Inferiority. Conceptually, it refers to the little or less importance or value. Operationally,

it refers to the poor quality of a object or behavior.

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 Chapter 2

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Research Design

This study employs the descriptive-correlational research method since its main purpose

is to discover and understand the existing relationship between self-confidence and inferiority

complex of senior high school students of UEP in using the English language.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of this study will include all the Grade 11 students of UEP during the

school year 2016-2019. There are 44 Science Stream freshmen students and 43 BEC students.

They will be the main source of data in this study.

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Research Procedure

The researchers will ask permission from the proposed school to conduct their study. If

the researchers will be permitted to perform their study, they will conduct an interview on the

day of their observation in order to determine the inner thoughts, feelings and views of the

respondents about themselves and their attitude towards self-confidence and inferiority

complex. An observation of the behavior of the respondents during their English class for a

period of days will follow. Documentation will take place during the research. The collected

data will then be analyzed and interpreted through subjective and statistical methods.

Statistical Treatment

The data that will be gathered from the respondents will be tabulated and interpreted

in order to arrive at a valid and credible conclusion. The researchers will utilize the Frequency

counts and Percentages, and Weighted mean. And if possible, the researchers will use the

Pearson correlation coefficient also referred as Pearson R to measure the linear dependence

(correlation) between two variables.

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https://theinnercoach.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/self-confidence-questionnaire.

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 Chapter III

Methodology

Locale of the study

The study will be conducted in the University of Eastern Philippines, Catarman, Northern

Samar. The University of Eastern Philippines is a public university in the Philippines. The

University is the only comprehensive state university in Eastern Visayas, offering the largest

number of undergraduate and graduate degree programs and short-term courses and

certificates among the higher education institutions in the region. Its flagship campus is in

Catarman, Northern Samar. The University of Eastern Philippines is the first State University in

the Visayas.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study will be selected students enrolled in the University of

Eastern Philippines.

Research Design

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 Descriptive survey method will be used in this study so as to elicit the needed data and

to test the hypothesis.

https://www.britishcouncil.ph/teach/state-english-philippines-should-we-be-concerned-2

The Philippines is recognized globally as one of the largest English-speaking nations with
majority of its population having at least some degree of fluency in the language. English has
always been one of the official languages of the Philippines and is spoken by more than 14
million Filipinos. It is the language of commerce and law, as well as the primary medium of
instruction in education.

Proficiency in the language is also one of the country’s strengths that has helped drive the
economy and even made the Philippines the top voice outsourcing destination in the world,
surpassing India in 2012. The influx of foreign learners of English is also on the rise due to the
relatively more affordable but quality English as a Second Language (ESL) programs being
offered locally.

However, in a recent roundtable discussion organized by the British Council, key stakeholders
from the government, academe, private, and non-government sectors acknowledged that even
if the Philippines is doing fine in terms of English competency, concerns on how much of a
competitive advantage it still is for the country were raised. The stakeholders agreed that the
country needs to step up its efforts in improving the teaching and learning of English, developing
it as a vital skill of the workforce. This is an initiative that could potentially strengthen the
Philippines' distinct advantage in this part of the world, particularly with the upcoming ASEAN
economic integration.

Gaps and Recommendations

Enhancing the teaching of English in the Philippines presents opportunities for the country in the
area of tourism.

"...We need to address the gap in qualified ESL teachers and the issues around ensuring the
quality of ESL schools."
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“To maintain the Philippines’ strength as a major ESL destination, we need to address the gap
in qualified ESL teachers and the issues around ensuring the quality of ESL schools. This also
includes exploring how we can extend incentives to ESL schools and teachers,” shares Renee
Marie Reyes, the Chief of the ESL Market Development Group under the Department of
Tourism (DOT). DOT is encouraging local ESL schools to offer structured tour packages to ESL
learners, the majority of whom come from South Korea, China, Russia, and Japan, by
incorporating English learning activities into the travel experience.

Other participants from the government sector underscored the need for an interagency
government body to regulate and support ESL provision in the country in order to further
capitalize on its economic potential.

Representatives from the academe focused on teacher training and professional development,
highlighting the need for skills in differentiated instruction, materials development, and
knowledge sharing.

Dr. Rosario Alonzo, Dean of the University of the Philippines College of Education, says that the
College ensures this by emphasizing to its students that English is a skill to be used for
communication. Education students focus on learner-centred teaching, and are taught to ask
learners to do meaningful tasks using English.

“Our future teachers should ensure that English is a means of communication, rather than a set
of facts to be learned,” says Dr. Alonzo.
“Our future teachers should ensure that English is a means of communication, rather than a set
of facts to be learned,” says Dr. Alonzo. In the same way, the Department of Education focuses
on the needs of learners and ensures that they learn the English language holistically, as
specified under the K to 12 basic education framework.

There is also a greater imperative to further build on the English skills of the labour force,
particularly of those in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

“The demand for BPO services from the Philippines requires more than 1.3 million employees
by 2016, which means that 300,000 more new employees need to be hired by next year,” says
Zoe Diaz de Rivera, the QCCI Manager and Master Trainer of the IT and Business Process
Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).

Representatives from the private sector also suggested corporate social responsibility programs

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to support teacher development, particularly in English language proficiency in teaching other
subjects. They also recommend collaboration between the government and the private sector to
address teacher and student language proficiency in the outlying communities.

The international and development organizations recognize the same gaps and agree with the
recommendations of the other sectors. In addition, they propose to have a platform for
information sharing and communication among stakeholders to avoid duplicating initiatives.

These statements were made amid the decline of the quality of English in the Philippines while
jobs in various industries that require certain levels of English communication skills are left
unfilled. Statistics from the IBPAP show that today, only eight to 10 individuals are hired for
every 100 applicants in the IT-BPO sector.

Nicholas Thomas, Country Director of the British Council Philippines, says that developing a
wider knowledge of the English language is one of the British Council’s founding purposes.

“Part of our work is to share best practice in the teaching and learning of English with partner
countries all over the world. English has a distinctive place in the Philippine education system,
and retaining high standards of English is critically important for the country’s economy and
future development. We look forward to working with partners on more initiatives to support the
teaching and learning of English here,” says Mr. Thomas.

https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/the-english-language-in-the-philippines-
english-language-essay.php

The Filipinos first encountered the English language when British ships arrive at Manila, the
capital of the Philippines, during the Battle of Manila although the language flourished during the
American occupation. The Philippines became an insular area of the United States when the
Philippines was ceded by Spain to the United States for US$20 million dollars in the 1898
Treaty of Paris after the defeat of Spain in the Spanish-American War after being a colony of
Spain for more than three centuries. The Philippines then remain an insular area of the United
States until 1946 when the Philippines gained independence from the Americans. [2]

In 1901, a group of around five 500 American educators called “Thomasites” (derived from the
USS Thomas, the transport ship that brought them to the Philippines) replaced the American
soldiers who also functioned as teachers. They were sent to the Philippines to establish a new
highly centralized public school system, to teach basic education and to train Filipino teachers

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using English as the medium of instruction. In 1902, more American teachers followed the
Thomasites bringing the total count of American teachers to about 1,074 [3] .

In 1935, English was officially added as an official language alongside Spanish in the 1935
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. [4] 38 years later, during the promulgation of the
1973 Constitution, English remained as an official language adding Filipino and dropping
Spanish during the process. [5] The stature of English as an official language remains until
today as stated by the 1987 Constitution. [6]

At present, based on the census released by the Philippine government in 2005, the Philippines
has 27,000 people who considers English as their first language and 42,500,000 who regard it
as a second language which brings the total of English speakers in the Philippines to
45,900,000 making it the 5th largest English-speaking nation behind the United States, India,
Nigeria, and the United Kingdom. [7]

English and its Economic Importance

The Americans, during their 48-year occupation, influenced the Filipinos in a lot of ways: the
American education system, the American form of government, the American Dream and the
Western culture to name a few. But the most important gift that the Americans have imparted
the Filipinos may have been the English language.

English is used in the Philippines by media and various educated Filipinos. English is widely
used in the education field. It is considered as a major subject and is taught in the Philippines
from grade one to college and is the medium of instructions in many schools. Most school
textbooks for subjects such as Biology, Physics, Mathematics and others are printed in English
and are rarely has Filipino versions. Also, for highly technical subjects such as nursing,
medicine, computing, and calculus, English is the preferred medium for textbooks,
communication, etc. Aside from education, it is also used religious affairs, print and broadcast
media, and business. Movies and TV programs in English are not subtitled and are expected to
be directly understood. [8]

The most significant contribution of the English language to the Philippines though might be on
the socio-economic field. Due to the Filipinos strong command of the English language, several
opportunities opened for their country. These opportunities are mainly: overseas employment,
the outsourcing industry, tourism, and enrollment of international students in the Philippines.

The reason for Filipinos leaving the country is simple: life is hard in the Philippines. Around

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35.79 million or 40% of the 91.5 million of the population are under the Poverty Line. The
situation of their country forced the Filipinos to seek greener pasture abroad. Lack of job
opportunities in their country and higher salaries that exceed those given in the Philippines
pushed Filipinos to go abroad in their attempt for better life. As of 2007, there are about 8 million
Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs), who are seeking work overseas. This doesn’t include 3
million Filipinos who are now citizens of other who are now permanent residents of other
countries bringing the total to 11 million, equivalent to about 12% of the total population or 30.7
percent of the country’s labor force of 35.79 million of the Philippines. [9] Annually, an
approximate of 1 million Filipinos depart for work abroad through overseas employment
agencies and other programs, including government sponsored ones. Since Filipinos are
conversant in English, foreign employers prefer them over their counterparts. English-speaking
countries, in particular, saw a rise in the number of Filipinos, mostly OFWS, in their respective
countries making them as preferred places by OFWS because of the absence of a language
barrier due mainly to the English competence of Filipinos. In the United States alone, there
reside around 4 million Filipinos. Meanwhile, United Kingdom is considered home by around
200,000 OFWs. In December 2008, the Philippines passed China as the leading source of
immigrants of Canada. Several Filipinos can also be found in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Nigeria, Middle East, Ireland, Mexico, Iraq, Spain, Japan and etc. OFWs often work as doctors,
physical therapists, accountants, IT professionals, engineers, architects, entertainers,
technicians, teachers, military servicemen, seafarers, nurses, personal service workers,
caregivers, domestic helpers and household maids. Remittances, in the form of money, sent by
the overseas Filipino workers (commonly known as OFWs) back to the Philippines, are major
factor in the country’s economy, amounting to more than US$10 billion in 2005. This makes
Philippines the fourth largest recipient of foreign remittances behind India, China, and Mexico.
The amount accounts for 13.5% of the Philippines’ GDP, the largest in proportion to the
domestic economy among the four countries mentioned. [10]

Meanwhile, the business process outsourcing industry is an area which has rapidly developed
thanks to the Philippines having an English-speaking workforce. Business process outsourcing
(BPO) is a subset of outsourcing that involves the contracting of the operations and
responsibilities of specific business functions (or processes) to a third-party service provider.
[11]

This industry is regarded as one of the fastest growing industries in the world. BPO industry in
the Philippines has grown 46% annually since 2006. This boom is led by demand for offshore
call centers. Industry estimates from the Board of Investments, Business Process Association of
the Philippines (BPA/P) and BPO Services Association (BSA/U) put the number of people

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employed by the BPO sector by end of 2008 at 435,000 (vs. 372,000 in 2007). The BPO output
for 2008 was US$ 6.1B (vs. US$ 4.5B in 2007), putting the Philippines as the 3rd largest BPO
destination (15%) after India (37%) and Canada (27%). It is expected to hit US$ 7.2B to 7.5B in
2009. The industry was optimistic of 18% growth in headcount 2009. Overall, Philippine BPO is
forecast to earn between US $11 to 13 billion and employing 900,000 additional people in 2010.
[12]

Tourism, an industry which has a lot of job-generating opportunities, is another area where
Filipinos are finding more job opportunities for their English skills. The tourism industry plays an
important role in the Philippine economy. The industry has an annual revenue of $2.25 billion
dollars. In 2008, amidst the global financial crisis there were still over three million tourists who
visited the country. [13] Aside from the myriad of cultures, beautiful sights to name a few, the
capability of most Filipinos to converse in English is one of the reasons for the continuous inflow
of tourists in the Philippines.

“Our nation is comprised of 7,107 islands with a diversity of culture that rivals the U.S.,”
observes Emma Ruth Yulo, director of the Philippine Department of Tourism in New York, “but
English is widely spoken throughout the Philippines, making our American visitors feel safe and
welcome.” [14]

In 2004, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of Tourism (DoT), the
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Bureau of Immigration
(BI) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on the “English as Second Language” Program
(ESL), which aims to make the Philippines not only a tourist destination but also a destination
for learning the English language.

DFA Acting Secretary Jose Brillantes said the ESL Program aims to increase tourist arrivals in
the Philippines by offering to foreigners not only a tour of the Philippines but also an English
proficiency program. [15]

This memorandum must been the reason for the recent large influx of Asian students especially
South Koreans that has come to the Philippines to study English. This shows that the
Philippines, third largest English-speaking nation in the world and the biggest in Asia before
being overtaken by` India, have become a haven for people who want quality English education
at an affordable cost.

“The Philippines, following intensive efforts to promote medical tourism in the country, has now

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launched measures to attract Asian students to its colleges and universities. The so-called
‘education tourism’ is targeting students from China and India to join the thousands of
Taiwanese and Korean students already in the Philippines for short-term courses or full college
degrees. Carlito Puno, chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), is leading the
Philippines’ efforts at ‘education tourism.’ In June 2007, the Philippines government and the
Education Ministry of China signed a memorandum that would welcome and allow Chinese
students who are not able to enroll in Chinese universities to pursue their studies in the
Philippines.

The government of the Philippines claims that the country is a good option for foreign students
since it offers tertiary education system and proficiency in English language that is of good
quality at comparatively cheap rates.

According to the Commission on Higher Education, by September 2007, a batch of over 1,500
Indian students is due to arrive and enroll in colleges and universities in the Philippines.
Currently, over 100,000 Koreans are in the Philippines pursuing mostly English-language
courses.” [16]

Decline
Despite of the economic benefits of being an English-speaking nation, Filipinos haven’t been
maximizing it and in fact, studies are showing that the Filipinos’ grasp of the English language is
slipping while other Asians are fast catching up. Studies done by Reputable international
organizations such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) shows that
the English skills of Filipinos are deteriorating. In 2008, in an article written by Karl Wilson
published online by The National, Filipinos scored an overall mean of 6.69 for listening, writing,
reading, and speaking, a very low number based on international standards. [17] In a
nationwide survey conducted on 1200 adults in March 8-14 of 2006 by Social Weather Stations
or SWS, a public opinion polling body in the Philippines, showed the declining English
competence of Filipinos by earlier SWS surveys done in December 1993 and September 2000
to the recent one. [18] Looking at the graph below, we can see that the English proficiency of
Filipinos have been very stable from 1993-2000 and that the decline is just a recent
phenomenon. The most alarming statistic was the rise in the percentage of the surveyed
respondents who are incompetent in English which doubled from a measly 7% in 1993 and
2006 to 147 in 2006.

http://www.sws.org.ph/pr060418vis_02.gif

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Essays, UK. (November 2013). The Related Literature And Studies English Language Essay.
Retrieved from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-language/the-related-literature-and-
studies-english-language-essay.php?vref=1

J.C. Richards (2006) states that the ever-growing demand for good communication skills in the
English language has created a huge demand for teaching English and an enormous demand
for quality language teaching materials and resources. Learners today set themselves the
demanding goal of being able to master English on a high proficiency level. Even employers
demand that members of the workforce exhibit good English language skills, both oral and
written. The demand for an appropriate teaching methodology is therefore an imperative (J. C.
Richards).

According to Carol Rzadkiewicz, communication is vital in an organization because it not only

connects members within a specific department but also connects them to those from other
departments, from other branches, and, in today’s global economy, from around the world.
Moreover, communication can make the difference between success and failure for a company.

Good communication helps ensure the efficient operation of all levels of an organization, from
the lowest to the highest, whereas poor communication often results in inefficiency; and as
successful business leaders know, inefficiency equals a loss of productivity and, consequently,
a loss of profits (Rzadkiewicz).

Lee believes that writing must first be given a clear definition so that a philosophy or an
approach to teaching writing in SLA classroom maybe utilized. Writing as communication may
be defined as “how learners put thoughts down on paper and develop them into some kind of
coherent text” (p.245) (Lee).

Writing skill is a difficult task for it requires prior knowledge of the language components such as
morphology, phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics. These components serve as
broader aspects of language for the underlying foundation of language skills like vocabulary,
capitalization, syllabification, punctuation, sentence structure, sequential order, and initiation
and maintenance of thoughts (Brice).

Beare (2012) revealed that for many ESL learners, learning to write fluently in English is much
more challenging than learning to speak fluently. Even for advanced level learners, written
communications can come much more slowly in English than spoken communications because
written communication is more formal; spoken communication allows for more mistakes; less

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reflection goes into spoken English than written English; and expectations are much higher for
formal written English.

It is important when teaching written English skills – especially for business English – to be
aware of the challenges that learners face when learning to function in a written English
environment and considerations should be given to achieve this. One such consideration is that
acquiring speech is an unconscious act, whereas learning to write takes a conscious effort on
the part of the learner. Another is that written language must be filtered through a system, which
can be phonemic, structural or representative, etc. The individual must not only learn to
recognize the meaning of words orally, but also go through a process of transcribing these
sounds. Lastly, the process of transcribing requires the learning of other rules and structures
thereby cognizing a previously unconscious process (Beare).

Widdowson¼ˆ1978¼‰enumenrates two aspects in language; one is rules, such as grammar,

that determine correctness, and the other is the performative ability that allows people to
undertake meaningful communication. He labels the correctness as usage and the performance
as use. Since the language functions systematically and communicatively, both spoken and
written modes of language cannot leave out either the grammatical and communicative aspects
(Widdowson).

Communicative writing can be described as the act of corresponding. Of course, as

Widdowson¼ˆ1978¼‰acknowledges, the socially reciprocal setting of the written mode is
different from that of the spoken mode because, unlike listeners, readers are not always
available for immediate responses or, even worse, for any form of interactions whatsoever.
However, communicative writing entails the presence of readers as target audience. The
important point is that one can write following grammatical rules, and one can compose in order
to communicate with others through writing, yet, if the one does not write with the target
audience in mind, composition cannot be an act of communication.

According to Richards and Rodgers (1986), the theory of CLT approach is holistic rather than
behavioristic. It starts with a theory of language as communication which implies knowledge of
the grammatical system as well as performance (Richards and Rodgers). Widdowson (1984)
stated that in other words, such competence includes both the usage and use of the language
(Widdowson).

Richards, J. C. (2006) explains that communicative competence embraces three fundamental

dimensions: first, the ability to use linguistic means to realize a variety of language functions;

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second, the ability to use language appropriately with due consideration of the social context in
which communication takes place; and third is the ability to develop strategies to manage the
negotiation of meaning. This specification of communicative competence is the hallmark of the
CLT approach because it cannot be founding the theoretical framework of any other method of
or approach to language teaching (J. C. Richards).

The CLT approach to teaching writing in the second language acquisition (SLA) context
introduces two essential phases: first, a decision-making phase and a second phase whereby
the ensuing writing processes are determined and established (Lee).

The decision-making phase entails “defining the rhetorical problem.” It involves establishing a
purpose for writing, determining an audience and a topic, ac

[1] Global English Corporation, “Philippines: World's best country in

Business English,” Business English Index (BEI), vol. 23, no. 4. pp.
35-40, September 2014.
[2] J. Cummins, Language Proficiency, Bilingualism and Academic
Achievement, White Plains, NY: Longman, 1992, pp. 58-70.
[3] D. Fakeye and Y. Ogunsiji, “English language proficiency as a
predictor of academic achievement among ELF students in Nigeria,”
Journal of Science Research, vol. 37, pp. 490-495, March 2009.
[4] J. K. Aina, A. G. Ogundele, and S. S. Olanipekun, “Students’
proficiency in English language relationship with academic
performance in science and technical education,” American Journal of
Educational Research, vol. 9, pp. 355-358, September 2013.
[5] National Statistics Coordination Board, “Quality of basic education
remains poor but improving,” Eastern Visayas Tops, vol. 12, no. 3,
July 2006.
[6] M. M. Javier, “Language proficiency and mental ability as related to
critical; Thinking and academic achievement of secondary students: A
casual modeling study,” M.S. thesis, Philippine Normal University,
Manila, 2001

In a report published by [1] called Business English Index

(BEI), Philippines was tagged as the world’s best country in
business English proficiency, in not just one but two

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consecutive years. Based on the BEI Report in 2012, only the
Philippines attained a score above 7.0, putting the country
within range of a high proficiency that indicates an ability to
lead business discussions and perform complex tasks.
Moreover, in 2013 BEI report, the Philippines earned 7.95
score, an improved BEI score over the prior year. This maybe
the reason why the Philippines has taken over India as a hub
for call centers in Asia.
However, various studies reveal that the quality of
education in the Philippines is continuously declining. This
notion is based on the results of achievement tests and board
examinations. Not only the elementary and secondary
graduates are affected but also the college graduates. The
Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) reports that
passers of board examinations in all fields of endeavor
continue to go down. One of the important causes for this
phenomenon is the low academic performance in the
elementary and secondary levels. This academic performance
of the students can be attributed to their proficiency in the
Manuscript received February 20, 2016; revised June 12, 2016.
R. M. B. Racca is with the Philippine Science High School-Ilocos Region
Campus, San Ildefonso, Ilocos Sur, Philippines (e-mail:
robelleracca_23@yahoo.com.ph).
R. C. S. Lasaten is with the Mariano Marcos State University College of
Teacher Education (MMSU-CTE), Laoag City, Philippines (e-mail:
ronaldcandylasaten@yahoo.com.ph).
English language.
Educators agree that proficiency in the English language is
the basis for success in academic pursuits. Reading, writing,
and working with numbers are tasks that are based on
language skills [1], [2] describes this as the interplay between
everyday language skills and more advanced communication
skills.
Indeed, language proficiency is a key to academic
performance. A person who does not know English, for
instance, may not have access to the world’s known scientific
and technological discoveries that are predominantly written

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in English [3]. This means that students need to be proficient
in English for a better grasp of knowledge in Technology,
Science, and Mathematics.
As [4] claim, language proficiency in English is
significantly related to academic performance. Academic
subjects like Science, Mathematics and English often requires
the use of language functions. The language functions play a
significant role in critical and analytical thinking required in
science and mathematics subjects. The more language
functions with which students are adept, the more effective
their thinking can be. Thus, the more the students are
proficient with the English language, the more they are likely
to perform well in their academic subjects.
Relative to the said claim, the Department of Education
(DepEd) asserts that students’ proficiency in Science and
Mathematics has a relationship with their language
proficiency in English. Majority of the students had not really
mastered the different learning areas in Mathematics. From
the performance of Grade VI pupils, it was reflected that their
skills in problem solving was only 53%; analysis, 56%; and
computation was 62%. These skills all require proficiency in
English. Likewise, from the results yielded, Science
noticeably tailed at fifth rank with only 56.87% percentile
rank. It was noted that the questions given required
comprehension and analytical skills of the learners. Again,
English has something to do with the skills of the learners [5].
Undeniably, in many a lesson in Sciences and Mathematics,
English is very vital as a tool in comprehension, analysis,
evaluation, and interpretation of results.
Multifarious interventions have been made to address such
claim and assertion. However, still a lot of students struggle in
Science, Mathematics and English. This phenomenon is also
true to Philippine Science High School (PSHS) students who
are marked with excellence in Science, Mathematics and
Technology.
In the study of [6], they contend that Science, in all areas, is
not being mastered by the students. These range from

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interpreting and analyzing scientific data, to explaining and
proving scientific theories or laws, to being able to solve scientific problems or to refute or
confirm a theory. In
Mathematics, the students are poor in solving problems or
even in interpreting and analyzing data. They are also weak in
terms of manipulating numbers and equations. Likewise, they
are weak in thinking conceptually and spatially. Indeed, their
analytical, critical and problem-solving skills are poor.
The study of [6] concludes that the students’ weaknesses in
Science and Mathematics subjects are attributed to the
students’ difficulty in English. As stated in his findings, the
students’ difficulty in English included difficulties in making
inferences and interpretations of information, deducing
meaning, drawing conclusions, and summarizing ideas. All
these boil down to problem on comprehension, leading the
students not to understand what they are reading. They are not
developing proficiency in the language. They have difficulty
in expressing their ideas in spoken and written form.
Obviously, the skills in English are pre-requisites in learning
concepts in Science and Mathematics.
Based on the experiences and observations of their English
teachers, the students normally refuse or react negatively
when given literary pieces and novels for home reading
reports and compositions and analyses for submission. This is
true to most, if not all, experiences of the language teachers in
the said institution. Same observations are also perceived by
the Science and Mathematics teachers. They say that the
students have difficulty in articulating their ideas, analyzing
problem sets and applying theory in given situations.
Generally, the students complain that they could hardly
understand a language that is not native to them even they try
all the means to learn it. To them, even how competent their
teachers are in the language, still they could hardly attain
proficiency in the language.
These observations relative to English language
proficiency and academic performance prompted the
researchers to conduct this study. Particularly, this research

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assesses the relevance of language proficiency to the
academic performance of the students in Science,
Mathematics and English.

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