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not considered a domain for learning English, but there were a few pupils who said that their parents communicated
with them in English at home.
1.1.7 With Whom the Learners Use English
Communicating with other people in a real context facilitates learning of the target language. This makes one
use the language in a practical and useful way, besides the people whom they talk to have great influence in
developing their competence in the use of a language. The following table shows the people with whomthe pupils
communicated to in English.
Table 10. With whom the pupilsuse English
Options f P R
1. With my teacher
2. With foreigners
3. With my friends
4. With my parents
69
59
31
26
96%
82%
43%
36%
1
2
3
4
The table shows that the majority (69) or 96% of the learners used English when communicating with their
teachers. Fifty-nine (59) or 82% preferred to use English with foreigners [the nationalities were not mentioned].
Thirty-one (31) or 43% had their friends to communicate with. The least number, 26 or 36% of the respondents,
said they communicated English with their parents. For the qualitative data, the interview reveals their needs on
this particular aspect:
Pupil 1. I prefer speaking native language with parents, because they don’t know English.
Pupil 2. I prefer using Filipino with friends.
Pupil 3. Sometimes I am using English with parents.
Pupil 4. I prefer using English with my teachers and foreigners.
The interview results suggest that all of them preferred to communicate with their teachers in English.
Seven (7) admitted that their parents didn’t know how to speak English, thus they preferred to talk to them in their
native tongue (Chinese Mandarin). As with their friends, they preferred to talk to themin Filipino.
1.1.8 Classroom Situations Where English Is Being Used by the Learners
To develop learners’ communication skills in English, teachers often conduct classroom activities which are
parts of their lesson plans. Depending on the pupils’ interests and motivation to learn, likewise on the skill of the
teacher to facilitate the activities, learning of English may be enhanced. In this study, learners were asked about
classroomsituations or activities where English was being used by the teacher.
Table 11. Classroom situationswhere English is being used by the pupils
Options f P R
1. Participation in answer-question session in class.
2. Participation in class discussion.
3. Listening to teachers’ instruction.
4. Asking teachers for clarification or explanation.
5. Listening to lectures.
65
65
61
60
59
90%
90%
85%
83%
82%
1
2
3
4
5
The statistical data show that most (65) or 90% of the learners used English when they participated in
answer-question sessions, likewise in class discussions. Sixty-one (61) or 85% mentioned that English was used in
giving instructions which their teachers gave and which they had to listen to. For the qualitative data, the interview
with the learners reveals their needs on this particular aspect.
Pupil 1. Sometimes I ask teacher in Filipino for clarification or explanation.
Pupil 2. Sometimes I use English for participating in class discussion.
Pupil 3. Our teacher should lecture in English but also explain in Filipino.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/379692199-language-learning-needs-as-inputs-for-the-proposed-english-instruction-enhancement-plan-at-200727100053/85/LANGUAGE-LEARNING-NEEDS-OF-FILIPINO-CHINESE-LEARNERS-AS-INPUTS-FOR-THE-PROPOSED-ENGLISH-INSTRUCTION-ENHANCEMENT-PLAN-8-320.jpg)
LANGUAGE LEARNING NEEDS OF FILIPINO-CHINESE LEARNERS AS INPUTS FOR THE PROPOSED ENGLISH INSTRUCTION ENHANCEMENT PLAN
- 1. 1 LANGUAGE LEARNING NEEDS OF FILIPINO-CHINESE LEARNERS AS INPUTS FOR THE PROPOSED ENGLISH INSTRUCTION ENHANCEMENT PLAN Dr. Cecilia L. Calub Ms. Francelle L. Calub College of Education, Tarlac State University Ms. Xiaoying L. Xu Bayanihan Institute – Department of English Philippines Abstract This descriptive research aimed to identify the objective and subjective learning needs of grades 4 – 6 elementary school learners of Bayanihan Institute. It also looked into the most and least important needs of the learners, proposed intervention program to enhance English instruction in the school, and determined the implications of the research findings to the teaching of English as a second language to the young Filipino-Chinese learners. The data revealed that longer exposure to the language; use of bilingual in class discussion; giving more emphasis on the importance of English; use of rich vocabulary for speaking and writing; frequent learn ing of English in school; use of English with teachers and foreigners, and strengthening of learners’ reading and writing skills were the common objective needs of the learners. On the other hand, the use of group method in the classroom; less homework, practice of the language inside and outside the classroom; learning the language by using new English words in sentences; use of television/video/films instructional media; more listening, reading, speaking, and discussion through the board; error correction by teacher done in private; culture study; language games; assessment of proficiency by applying English in real-life situations and through written tests; and non- graded performance were their common subjective needs. Considering the two types of needs, learning the language individually and using the language in real – life contexts were considered both as the most important needs whereas choosing the right words when speaking/writing, learning from posters and bulletin boards, writing compositions, and being informed of performance by grade were all considered least important. The proposed English instruction enhancement plan targeted specific skills and provided instruction incorporating multiple opportunities for guided practice. The four communications skills which are listening, speaking, reading and writing were emphasized within the instructional design of the lessons. Based on the findings, it is recommended that teachers should attend special trainings that focus on the language learning needs of young Filipino-Chinese learners; curricula, teaching methods, and materials should meet the needs of the learners of different ages and at different stages; and that the school needs to enhance or improve their English instruction to meet the objective and subjective learning needs of the Chinese-Filipino young learners. Key Words: language learning needs, objective needs, subjective needs, English instruction enhancement plan Introduction A large number of Filipino- Chinese students living in the Philippines have learned English as a foreign or second language. Some of them have become successful learners, while more of themhave encountered difficulties or problems learning the language. It is necessary for language instructors then to help these learners who experience such difficulties. And the initial step to help themsolve their problems of the students is to identify their learning needs. Recently in elementary English language teaching there has been an emphasis on careful and extensive needs analysis for course design. In any English course, the learners are expected to acquire receptive and perceptive academic skills parallel to developing learning strategies and study skills (Jordan, 1997). Given the
- 2. 2 diversity and complexity of ESL objectives, it is crucial to conduct an in-depth needs assessment before planning and implementing an ESL curriculum and materials. According to Nunan (1990), “no curriculum can claim to be truly learner-centered unless the learner’s subjective needs and perceptions relating to the processes of learning are taken into account.” Many teachers acknowledge the need to understand learners’ preferences, but they may not actually consult learners in conducting language activities. Teachers may believe that learners are not capable of expressing what they want or need to learn and how they want to learn. However, most researchers claimthat learners do have an awareness of what goes on in classes and that teachers should therefore make an attempt to align their task orientation to that of learners. Breen and Candlin ( 2001 ) showed that students were able to identify specific techniques adopted by the teacher that they preferred and believed that it helped them with understanding the new language. Nunan (1988) describes two Australian studies that show learners favor traditional learning activities over more communicative activity types. It should be noted that curriculum developers, syllabus designers, and teachers should become aware of their students’ needs. Once they come to know them, they can, “if necessary,” take into consideration those needs and plan and implement alternative behaviors and activities in their classes. Language learning needs include objective needs and subjective needs (Brown, 1995). Objective needs are those needs determined on the basis of clear-cut, observable data gathered about the situation, the learners, the language that students must eventually acquire, their present proficiency and skill level, and so forth. Subjective needs are generally more difficult to determine because they have to do with “wants”, “desires”, “expectations” (Brindley, 1984). Bayanihan Institute – Elementary Department is one of the schools located in Tarlac City, Philippines which teaches ESL to Filipino as well as Filipino – Chinese learners. Like any other ESL learners, Filipino - Chinese learners have their specific learning needs. Although the English instruction in the school was learner-centered, still inadequacy in terms of learning inputs was observed. To help the learners become more proficient in the language, a language learning needs analysis was conducted. The data gathered became the basis for the proposed English instruction enhancement plan. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to determine the Filipino-Chinese learners’ needs in learning English as a second language (ESL) at Bayanihan Institute located in Tarlac City. Moreover, it specifically aimed to find answers to the following problems: 1. What are the language learning needs of the pupils categorized as: 1.1. Objective needs and 1.2. Subjective needs? 2. What are the most and least important language learning needs of the pupils as perceived by them? 3. What enhancement plan may be proposed to address the language learning needs of the pupils? Research Methods Design. This research used the descriptive design to get the pertinent data. It utilized both the quantitative and qualitative data as inputs for the proposed enhancement English instruction plan at Bayanihan Institute. Survey was conducted to determine quantitatively the frequency of the language learning needs of the pupils, categorized as objective and subjective needs. Qualitative data was gathered through a structured interview. The Participants. One hundred percent (100%) of the total population of the Grade 4, Grade 5, and Grade 6 classes taking English subjects at Bayanihan Institute was taken to get the desired number of respondents. Thus, a total of 72 pupils (Grade 4 – 25, Grade 5 – 23, Grade 6 – 24) participated in the research. Instrument and Data – Collection Procedure. To facilitate gathering of data, the language learning needs questionnaire designed by Brindley (1984) was adopted. This questionnaire has been used and/or adopted by many language education researchers to identify language learning needs of second language learners of English. Language researchers found the instrument useful and effective in identifying the specific learning needs and preferences of their students. For this reason, the instrument was not pilot-tested or validated anymore. The
- 3. 3 questionnaire contained both open-ended and closed ended questions focused on the pupils’ objective and subjective needs in learning English. The items in the questionnaire were categorized as objective and subjective needs. Each item in the questionnaire explored or indicated a particular language need. An English proficiency test on listening, speaking, reading and writing was also conducted. The proficiency test was the same tests yearly used by the Bayanihan Institute to assess their learners’ language proficiency level. Validating the test was considered unnecessary since it has been used several times by the school. The test was a regional proficiency test for elementary school children learning ESL in private schools. This was approved by the Department of Education regional office for use in the classroom. In this study, the test was administered to determine the skill/s where the learners were weak or strong. The Grade 4 proficiency test contained 40 items ( Listening – 4, Speaking – 20, Reading – 9, Writing - 7 ) ; Grade 5 – 50 items ( Listening – 5, Speaking – 19, Reading – 6, Writing - 10 ); and Grade 6 – 38 items ( Listening – 15, Speaking – 10, Reading – 8, Writing – 5) Five (5) learners from each grade level were interviewed after completing the survey questionnaire. The same questions written in the questionnaire, specifically those on objective needs, were asked. Oral responses were recorded and transcribed to determine indication of needs. The data obtained through the questionnaire and English proficiency test were subjected to statistical treatment. Statistical results concerning each item in the questionnaire were presented in tabular form, analyzed, and interpreted. Results and Discussion 1. Learning Needs of the Pupils Categorized as Objectives and Subjective Needs Learning needs has been pointed out by Brindley (1884) as objectives needs and subjective needs. Objective needs are observable factual information about the learners, their personal background, learners’ proficiency, and where or how often students use the target language in real life. Subjective needs reflect learners’ perception of language learning. Learners’ views on goals, priorities, wants, expectations, preference for learning strategies and participation styles are some components of subjective needs. The following tables reveal the statistical data on the objective learning needs of the learners. Such needs were based on the following data: 1) learners’ length of exposure to the study of English; 2) medium of instruction in the school; 3) importance of English to the learners; 4) learners’ perception of their proficiency in English along the four basic communication skills; 5) problems in using English; 6) English learning domains; 7) with whom the learners use English; 8) situations where English is being used by the learners. 1.1. Objective Needs 1.1.1 Pupils’ Length of Exposure to the Study of English The learners’ exposure to the study of English indicates their length of exposure to the English language particularly in the school. How long the child had been learning the target language was one concern of this study. The following table shows how long the learners had been learning English as a second language.
- 4. 4 Table 1. Learners’ length of exposure to the study of English Options f P R 1. 7 years 2. 8 years 3. 9 years 4. 4 years 5. 6 years 6. 10 years 7. 5 years 8. 3 years 17 17 11 9 6 5 4 3 24% 24% 15% 12% 8% 7% 6% 4% 1.5 1.5 3 4 5 6 7 8 The table shows that 17 or 24% had been learning English in the school for 7-8 years. This comprised the majority of the participants in the survey. Eleven (11) or 15 % had been learning English for 9 years, while 9 or 12% had been learning for 4 years. Three (3) or 4%, which comprised the least number of respondents had been studying English for just 3 years. The data suggests that the learners need to learn English for a long period of time. They need to be exposed to the target language in both formal and informal settings. Research findings in the past revealed that the longer the child is exposed to the language, the easier the learning is. For the qualitative data, the interview with the learners reveals their needs on this particular aspect: Pupil 1. I need to learn English to become better. Three years is not enough Pupil 2. I need to learn English for a long time to catch up with classmates who are good in English. Pupil 3. I need to learn more and in a longer time to improve my speaking skills. The interview result suggests that they needed to learn English to become better persons, to catch up with classmates who were good in English, and to improve their speaking skills. 1.1.2 Medium of Instruction in the School English is one of the official languages in the Philippines. It is also one of the media of instruction in the elementary, secondary and tertiary levels. Research had proven that making English as the mediumof instruction in the school helps in developing learners’ competence and proficiency in the use of the language. To determine whether English was used as the medium of communication at Bayanihan Institute, a survey on this was made. The next table shows the statistical data on this. Table 2. Medium of instruction in the school Options f P R 1. English and Chinese 2. English 3. English and Filipino 38 24 10 53% 33% 14% 1 2 3 The table shows that 38 or 53% had been using the combination of English and Chinese (Bilingual) as medium of instruction in the school. This comprised the majority of participants in the survey. Twenty-four (24) or 33% had been using English as sole medium of instruction in the school. Ten (10) or 14%, which comprised the least number of respondents had been using the combination of English and Filipino as mediumof instruction in the school. For the qualitative data, the interview with learners reveals their needs on this particular aspect: Pupil 1. English and Chinese should both be used as media of communication Pupil 2. English should be used as the sole medium of instruction. Pupil 3. English should be used in our school, but we may sometimes speak Filipino during break time.
- 5. 5 The data implies the importance of using English as the medium of instruction the school. Alone or used with Chinese and Filipino, English was still preferred by the learners as their teachers’ means or tool in teaching. 1.1.3 Importance of English to the Learners When asked whether English is important to them, the learners had the following responses . Table 3. Importance of English to the learners Question YES Response f P Is English important to you? 71 97% The table shows that majority (71or 97%) of the learners said that English is very important to them. This comprised the most of the participants in the survey. This suggests that very few learners thought that English was not important. For the qualitative data, the interview with pupils reveal why they considered English as important to them, an indication of their need for the language. It is presented in the following table. Pupil 1. English is important. I can communicate and be understood by others. Pupil 2. English is a daily language in our country. Pupil 3. English is important and it teaches me a lot of knowledge. It could be gleaned from Table 3 that the learners considered as important to them. Their reasons (e.g., to communicate and be understood, a daily language in their country, teaches a lot of knowledge) indicate their real need for English. 1.1.4 Learners’ Proficiency in the Four Communication Skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing) To determine how the learners are rated in terms of their proficiency in the English language along the four communication skills, a proficiency test was administered. Language proficiency or linguistic proficiency is the ability of an individual to speak or perform in English as a second language. Effective writing and reading skills are as important for effective communication as speaking and listening skills . Table 4 shows the statistical results on the proficiency test for combined Grades IV, V, and VI on listening. Table 4. Learners’ proficiency in listening Grade M Description Grade IV (25) Grade V(23) Grade VI(24) 3.56 1.87 7.75 Passed Failed Passed Overall Mean 4.39 Passed The table indicates that the Grades IV and VI learners passed the proficiency test on listening. Grade IV learners got an average mean of 3.56 whereas the Grade VI got an average mean of 7.75. The Grade Vlearners got an average mean of 1.87 indicating that they failed in this test. However, the overall mean was 4.39 which meant the learners in general passed the test. The data suggest that the Grades IVand VI learners were strong in listening test, on the contrary, the Grade V were weak on this skill. Table 5 shows the proficiency test results on speaking. Table 5. Learners’ proficiency in speaking Grade M Description Grade IV (25) Grade V(23) Grade VI(24) 15 14.26 8.08 Passed Passed Failed Overall Mean 12.44 Passed
- 6. 6 The statistics reveal that in the test on speaking, the Grade IV learners they passed, too. On the other hand, the Grade VI obtained 8.08, indicating that they failed. However, the overall mean denotes that the learners as a whole passed the test. The data suggest further that the Grades IV and V were strong in this aspect, whereas the Grade VI was not. The next table shows the results on the proficiency test on reading. Table 6. Learners’’ proficiency in reading Grade M Description Grade IV (25) Grade V(23) Grade VI(24) 6.36 3.6 4.25 Failed Failed Failed Overall Mean 14.21 Failed Table 6 shows that the learners from Grades IV to VI when taken as a whole performed poorly in the reading test. The overall mean was 14. 21 which meant that they failed. This suggests then that they were weak in reading. Table 7 shows the results of the proficiency test in writing. Table 7. Learners’ proficiency in writing Grade Mean Description Grade IV (25) Grade V(23) Grade VI(24) 4.12 6.04 2.3 Failed Failed Failed Overall Mean 12.46 Failed The data suggest that the learners were weak in terms of their writing skill. In general, they failed having obtained an overall mean of 12.46. The proficiency test results suggest that the they were strong in listening and speaking but weak in reading and writing. Although reading and writing have become essential skills for almost every job, the majority of the pupils did not read or write well enough to meet grade-level demands The teachers in these classrooms seemed to be under pressure to improve the academic achievement of their pupils, who often may have difficulty with the foundational reading skills of word recognition and decoding. Although these pupils may have received reading instruction that focused on basic skills in their classroom, they either failed to master or are not able to apply these skills to read with fluency and to easily gain information from print. Once these pupils fall behind in literacy, they rarely if ever close the gap without intensive intervention. The key to getting students at any level to read and write is simply giving themsomething worth writing and reading about. The students who struggle with these activities get the most boring and unins piring assignments. Reading and writing are not just a set of basic skills people are taught at school, they an integral part of each educated individual’s life since they are the basis of written communication. Written communication, in its turn, is another tool for people to express their ideas, and learn about those of others. The findings concurred with that of the recent findings from The Nation's Report Card (2010) in reading which reported that nearly 70 percent of the nation's eighth graders in the United States fail to read at a proficient level. It is ridiculous to learn that these learners were native speakers of English themselves, yet they had difficulty in reading and writing. Likewise, with the findings of Munby (1978) and Li (2001) suggesting that the pupils had difficulty reading and comprehending texts in English. Writing was found to be a very difficult task for many ESL/EFL learners. Many pupils complained that they could not expand their texts or make themsubstantial because they had limited vocabulary though they knew the topic. 1.1.5 Problems in Using English Learners of English do encounter a lot of problems with the language. Chinese-Filipino learners like any other ESL learners may show signs of difficulty in learning the language. The problem may lie in their difficulty to
- 7. 7 pronounce words the correct way and inability to construct correct sentences or longer stretches of utterances. Table 8 shows what the respondents perceived to be their problemin learning English. Table 8. Problems in using English Options f P R 1. Choosing the right word/s while speaking. 2. Saying what I want to say. 3. Conversing/Talking to other person/persons in English. 4. Asking questions 5. Giving answers to simple questions. 28 23 20 18 17 39% 32% 28% 25% 24% 1 2 3 4 5 Table 8 indicates that 28 or 39% had problems in choosing the right word/s to use while speaking; 23 or 32% had problems in saying what they wanted to say; 20 or 28% had problems in conversing or talking to other persons in English; 18 or 25% had difficulty asking questions; whereas 17 or 24% worried about giving answers to simple questions. The statistical results show that the learners had very limited English vocabulary, thus they had difficulty choosing the right words to say while speaking. The findings concurred with those of Brindley ( 1984). The author found out that one of the needs of the learners was adequate vocabulary in the target language. As non- native speakers of English this is not considered an extraordinary problem. However, for them to be effective speakers and writers of the global language they have to expand their vocabulary in English to effectively communicate with people throughout the world whose language is not English. The interview with learners reveals their need to solve their problems in learning English. Pupil 1. Sometimes I could not say what I wanted to say in English. I need to learn a lot of words. Pupil 2. It is very hard to think of the right words to use when I speak and write in English. Pupil 3. It’s hard to write or talk in English if you don’t know what correct word to use. I need to learn more words. The data reveal that the learners indeed have difficulty speaking and writing due to their lack of vocabulary. Hence, there is a need to help them expand or enrich their vocabulary. As English teachers, a variety of teaching techniques may be used for vocabulary enrichment. 1.1.6 English Learning Domains Children may use English anywhere. It could be in the school, at home, in the supermarket, in the church, just anywhere. However, not all learners of English would prefer to speak the language just anywhere due to reasons other than the personal ones. The following table shows the domain where the learners would like to use English to communicate with other people, for instance, their teachers and classmates. Table 9. English learning domains Options f P R 1. In the school 2. In the party 3. At home 70 20 9 97% 28% 12% 1 2 3 The table indicates that majority of the learners preferred to use English in the school. Seventy (70) or 97% chose to use English in the school. Twenty (20) or 28% preferred using English in the party. The least number of the pupils, 9 or 12% of the respondents, chose using English at home. The interview with the learners revealed their English learning domains which are indicated in the following table. Pupil 1. Our parents could not speak English at home. So we prefer to use English in the school with our teachers. Pupil 2. I sometimes use English with my friends. Pupil 3. Sometimes used English at home. The learners who were interviewed said that they preferred to use English in the school. They could talk to their teachers in English. Since Chinese parents talk to them either in Chinese or in Filipino at home, this place was
- 8. 8 not considered a domain for learning English, but there were a few pupils who said that their parents communicated with them in English at home. 1.1.7 With Whom the Learners Use English Communicating with other people in a real context facilitates learning of the target language. This makes one use the language in a practical and useful way, besides the people whom they talk to have great influence in developing their competence in the use of a language. The following table shows the people with whomthe pupils communicated to in English. Table 10. With whom the pupilsuse English Options f P R 1. With my teacher 2. With foreigners 3. With my friends 4. With my parents 69 59 31 26 96% 82% 43% 36% 1 2 3 4 The table shows that the majority (69) or 96% of the learners used English when communicating with their teachers. Fifty-nine (59) or 82% preferred to use English with foreigners [the nationalities were not mentioned]. Thirty-one (31) or 43% had their friends to communicate with. The least number, 26 or 36% of the respondents, said they communicated English with their parents. For the qualitative data, the interview reveals their needs on this particular aspect: Pupil 1. I prefer speaking native language with parents, because they don’t know English. Pupil 2. I prefer using Filipino with friends. Pupil 3. Sometimes I am using English with parents. Pupil 4. I prefer using English with my teachers and foreigners. The interview results suggest that all of them preferred to communicate with their teachers in English. Seven (7) admitted that their parents didn’t know how to speak English, thus they preferred to talk to them in their native tongue (Chinese Mandarin). As with their friends, they preferred to talk to themin Filipino. 1.1.8 Classroom Situations Where English Is Being Used by the Learners To develop learners’ communication skills in English, teachers often conduct classroom activities which are parts of their lesson plans. Depending on the pupils’ interests and motivation to learn, likewise on the skill of the teacher to facilitate the activities, learning of English may be enhanced. In this study, learners were asked about classroomsituations or activities where English was being used by the teacher. Table 11. Classroom situationswhere English is being used by the pupils Options f P R 1. Participation in answer-question session in class. 2. Participation in class discussion. 3. Listening to teachers’ instruction. 4. Asking teachers for clarification or explanation. 5. Listening to lectures. 65 65 61 60 59 90% 90% 85% 83% 82% 1 2 3 4 5 The statistical data show that most (65) or 90% of the learners used English when they participated in answer-question sessions, likewise in class discussions. Sixty-one (61) or 85% mentioned that English was used in giving instructions which their teachers gave and which they had to listen to. For the qualitative data, the interview with the learners reveals their needs on this particular aspect. Pupil 1. Sometimes I ask teacher in Filipino for clarification or explanation. Pupil 2. Sometimes I use English for participating in class discussion. Pupil 3. Our teacher should lecture in English but also explain in Filipino.
- 9. 9 Learners who could speak in Filipino preferred to communicate with their teachers in Filipino for some clarifications or explanations. They also preferred lectures to be given in English but had to be explained in Filipino. The data suggest that the use of bilingual (alternate use of English and Filipino) can also facilitate learning in the classroom. 1.2 Subjective Needs As recognition grew in the 1980’s and 1990’s of the existence and importance of psychological, cognitive, cultural and affective learning needs, a “subjective” interpretation arose in which needs are seen in terms of the learner as an individual in the learning situation (Brindley, 1984), and attention was given to “factors of a psychological or cognitive nature which influence the manner in which learners will perceive and interact with the process of language study” (Tudor, 1996). Subjective needs pertain to the non-content category that looks into individual preferences and styles in actualizing the objective need category. In this study, the learners were asked about the following aspects: 1) working preferences in learning English; 2) preferences for doing their homework; 3) time allocation for homework; 4) preferences for learning inside and outside the classroom; 5) vocabulary learning; 6) media preference; 7) modes of learning; 8) error correction; 9) peer correction; 10) learning activities; 11) assessment of language performance; 12) how they want to be informed of their progress in learning English. The following tables show the statistical data, the analysis of such data, and their corresponding interpretation. 1.2.1 Working Preferences in Learning English Studies on working preferences of learners in the classroom reveal that many would like to work in group, be it in small or in large groups. The importance of group method in teaching and learning process was evident in the learners’ development of their ability to communicate with others, lead and influence a group, decide on matters of concern, show team spirit, and present an activity which they had worked hard for. Language is a sure commodity used in an English classroomwhen working either in group or individually Table 12 shows the class working preferences of the learners Table 12. Working preferences in learning English Options f P R 1.In small groups 2. In one large group 3. In pairs 4. Individually 49 40 35 27 68% 56% 47% 38% 1 2 3 4 Table 9 indicates that majority of the learners preferred to learn English in small groups. Forty-nine (49) or 68% chose to work in small groups to learning English. Forty (40) or 56% preferred to work in one large group, while 35 or 47% to learning in pairs. The least number, 27 or 38% of the participants individually, chose working individually. The interview with the learners suggests their learning/ working preferences, as follows: Pupil 1. I choose working in large group because I can talk to more people. Pupil 2. I don’t want to work individually. I cannot solve problems alone. Pupil 3. I like learning in small group so I can concentrate or focus my attention to learn. Pupil 4. It is not fun to learn alone. The comments suggest that group work is recognized by the learners as important, perhaps even an exciting way to learn English. Through group work, social interrelationship is developed or enhanced. The spirit of collaboration and teamwork is strengthened.
- 10. 10 Previous studies have shown that through group work, the learners develop their communication skills, particularly their spoken skills. Thus, this is considered to be one of the subjective needs of the learners to facilitate learning of the target language (TL). 1.2.2. Preferences for Doing Their Homework In many studies, researchers had found out that many students did not like homework. As observed children never like their homes as extension to their school assignments. To determine whether learners prefer homework in English or not and how much time do they like to spend this, a survey on this was conducted. Tables 13 and 14 revealed the statistical data. Table 13. Preferences for doing theirhomework Question YES Response f P Do you want to do homework? 60 83% The table shows that the majority (60) or 83% of the learners wanted to do their homework. This indicates that homework is still important to the pupils. Such data contradicted with the observation of the researcher that most students dislike doing homework during weekends or at night time to be submitted, perhaps, the next day. Table 14. Time for doing theirhomework Options f P 1. 7 hours a week 2. 5 hours a week 3. 10 hours a week 4. 2 hours a week 5. 3.5 hours a week 24 22 11 10 5 33% 31% 15% 14% 7% The table shows that 24 or 33% of the learners spent 7 hours a week in doing their English homework. Twenty-two (22) or 31% spent 5 hours a week in doing their English homework. Eleven (11) or 15% had been spent 10 hours a week; 10 or 14% spent 2 hours a week, and 5 or 7% spent 3.5 hours a week in doing their homework. The interview with the learners revealed their homework preferences. Pupil 1. I don’t like homework. I would like to prepare and review for the next day. Pupil 2. I also like homework. It is important. Pupil 3. I don’t want to do my homework if it is not easy. Pupil 4. I want to do my homework in the weekdays, not on weekends. The learners confessed that they did not like homework, that they wanted to spend their time reviewing for the next day’s lessons (perhaps, tests), nor for homework. Four (4) said that they did not like homework to be done on weekends; 3 thought that doing homework was important, and 2 said that they did not like doing homework that was not easy. The data implies that learners prefer to do school tasks in the classroom, not at home. They do not like doing difficult assignments at home. They want their teachers around guiding or supervising them to facilitate learning. 1.2.3. Preferences for Learning Inside and Outside the Classroom There are learners who prefer to learn outside the classroom, see other places and meet other persons. Finding out the pupils’ preferences for learning inside and outside the classroomwas done in this survey.
- 11. 11 Table 15. Preferences for learning inside and outside the classroom Options f P R 1. I want to spend some of our time learning in the classroom and sometimes practicing our English with people outside. 2. I want to spend all our learning time in the classroom. 53 45 74% 63% 1 2 The table shows that fifty- three (53) or 74% of the learners wanted to spend some of their time in the classroom and some of their time practicing their English with people outside. Forty- five (45) or 63% preferred spending all their learning time in the classroom. The data suggest that learning of English is not only effectively done in the classroom but also outside. Using English in context and with other people, in addition to their teachers and classmates, is something that the teachers must consider. 1.2.4. Vocabulary Learning Vocabulary learning is a complicated task, though many may perceive it as simple. The learner has to perform several tasks when learning a new word: spelling, pronunciation, stress, grammatical class, semantic category, in combination with other semantics and grammatical elements in the sentence, and possible contextual occurrence in various situations. Thus, a language learner, attempting to learn a word, may overlook these characteristics of the word, and remain content with one or two. To determine whether the learners use the effective way to learn the new vocabulary in the classroom, a tabulated survey result on this is presented. Table 16. Vocabulary learning preferences Options f P R 1.Using new words in sentence 2.Saying or writing words several times 3.Thinking of relationships between known and new words 4. Avoiding verbatim translation 5. Guessing the unknown 57 48 40 32 26 79% 67% 56% 44% 36% 1 2 3 4 5 The table shows that the majority of the learners preferred to learn vocabulary using new words in sentence. Fifty-seven (57) or 79% chose to use new words in sentence to learn vocabulary. Forty- eight (48) or 67% preferred to say or write words several times. Forty (40) or 56% chose thinking of relationships between known and new, while (32) or 44% preferred to avoid verbatim translation and to learn vocabulary. The least number, 26 or 36% wanted to learn vocabulary by guessing the unknown. 1.2.5 Media Preference Multi-media teaching is one modern method in teaching English. Traditionally, teachers use the blackboard, bulletin board, and paper charts to illustrate what they teach. However, with the breakthrough in technology and communication, such teaching aids are not adequate. Children seem to get amazed and motivated to learn when technology is applied. Television, radio, computer, motion picture – these are just some of the modern audio-visual media that a teacher may use to enhance teaching in the classroom. Relative to this, the learners were asked about the media they preferred to be used to learn English. Table 17. Media preference Options f P R 1. Television/ video/films 2. The blackboard 3. Written material 4. Pictures/posters 5. Tapes/cassettes 6. Radio 60 51 43 41 27 17 83% 71% 60% 57% 38% 24% 1 2 3 4 5 6
- 12. 12 The table shows that the majority (60) or 83% of the learners preferred learning by television/video/films. Fifty-one (51) or 71% preferred learning in English by the blackboard. Forty –three (43) or 60% preferred learning by written material, while 41 or 57% wanted to pictures/ posters. Only 17 or 24% of the participants , chose learning in English by radio. The interview with the learners revealed the following: Pupil 1. I don’t like learning by radio. I prefer to watch movie, especially funny movies. Pupil 2. I prefer our teacher to write on the blackboard, so I can take notes. 1.2.6 Modes of Learning Children learn in different ways. They use not just one strategy or style in learning. They use a combination of learning strategies or modes. The following table shows the learning modes used by the learners. Table 18. Modes of learning Options f P R 1. By listening 2. By reading 3. By copying from the board 4. By listening and taking notes 5. By reading and making notes 6. By making summaries 7. By repeating what I hear 65 65 50 46 46 27 25 90% 90% 69% 64% 64% 38% 35% 1 2 3 4.5 4.5 6 7 Table 18 shows that 65 or 90% of the learners preferred learning by listening and reading. Fifty (50) or 69% preferred learning by copying from the board. Forty-six (46) or 64% chose making summaries, while the least of pupils, 25 or 35% of them wanted to learn by repeating what they hear. The data implies that listening and reading are the most common strategies or modes used by the learners to learn a language. The interview with the learners reveals their reasons for using a particular learning mode, which are as follows: Pupil 1. I prefer to just listen to the teacher. If the teacher is good, I will listen well to understand the lesson. Pupil 2. By reading, I will know a lot of words – their spelling and pronunciation. I can also improve my reading skills. Pupil 3. Summarizing is hard. I don’t like it. Pupil 4. I don’t like repeating what I hear. It’s not good. 1.2.7 Error Correction As in any other field, errors in language teaching, learning, perception and production are inescapable. What is important though is coping with them in such a way that they do not frustrate, inhibit and/or discourage language learners. In this study, pupils were asked as to how they would prefer to be corrected by their teachers. Error correction is the teacher reaction that transforms, disapproves or demands improvement of the learner utterance (Chaudron,1977). The correction may come from the student, a peer or the teacher. Results concerning this itemare cited in the table below. Table 19. Error correction Options f P R 1. Later, in private 2. Later, at the end of the activity, in front of everyone 3. Immediately, in front of everyone 45 32 28 63% 44% 39% 1 2 3 The table shows that 45 or 63% of the learners preferred error correction later and in private. This comprised the majority of the participants in the survey. Thirty-two (32) or 44% preferred to be corrected later, at the end of activity or in front of everyone. Twenty-eight (28) or 38 % wanted error correction to be done immediately, even in front of everyone. The interview with the learners reveal their attitude towards error correction.
- 13. 13 Pupil 1. I don’t want to be corrected immediately because my classmates laugh at me. Pupil 2. I want my teacher to correct me privately so I will know my errors. 1.2.8. Peer Correction The next item is also related to error correction. Here, the learners were asked whether (1) they would mind if corrected by their peers or classmates, or (2) asked to correct their own work. In the table below, the results are shown. Table 20. Peer correction Options f P R 1. I don’t mind if my teacher corrects my speaking or my written work. 2. I don’t mind if my classmates sometimes correct my written work. 49 44 68% 61% 1 2 The table shows that the majority of the learners preferred to be corrected by their teacher. Forty-nine (49) or 68% confessed that they would not mind if their teacher sometimes correct their work. Forty-four (44) or 61 % said that they would not mind if their peers correct them or their work. The learners who were interviewed had these to say about being corrected: Pupil 1. I don’t mind my teacher correcting me. She knows my errors better. Pupil 2. I don’t want my classmates correcting me. I feel embarrassed. 1.2.9. Learning Activities There are certain activities which can be done inside and outside the English classroom. However, not all the activities chosen by the teacher are preferred by the learners. The next item delves into what learners find very useful in the classroom: (1) role play (2) language games, (3) songs, (4) talking with and listening to other students, (5) memorizing conversations/dialogues, (6) getting information from guest speakers, (7) getting information from planned visits, (8) writing a learning diary, and (9) learning about culture. The statistical results are illustrated in Table 21. Table 21. Learning activitiesdone in the classroom Options f P R 1. Learning about culture 2. Language games 3. Role play 4. Talking with and listening to other students 5. Memorizing conversation/dialogue 6. Songs 7. Getting information from planned visits 8. Getting information from guest speakers 9. Writing a learning diary 64 61 58 58 54 52 35 34 31 89% 85% 81% 81% 75% 72% 49% 47% 43% 1 2 3.5 3.5 5 6 7 8 9 The table shows that 64 or 89% chose learning about culture as activity to be done in the classroom. This comprised the majority of the participants in the survey. Sixty- one (61) or 85% preferred doing language games in the classroom. Fifty-eight (58) or 81% preferred doing role play, including talking with and listening to other students in the classroom. Fifty-four (54) or 75% preferred memorizing conversation/dialogue in the classroom. Fifty –two (52) or 72% liked songs as activity done in the classroom. Only 31 or 43% of the respondents chose writing a learning diary as an activity they like to be done in the classroom. The data suggest that the majority of the learners like learning about culture in their classroomactivities to learn English.
- 14. 14 When asked which of the learning activities above they perceived to be the most useful and the least useful, the learners gave the responses which were tabulated below. Table 22. Preferences of most and least useful learning activities done in the classroom Options Most Useful Least Useful f P f P 1.Learning about culture 2.Language games 3.Role play 4.Songs 5.Talking with and listening to other students. 6.Writing a learning diary 7.Memorizing conversation/dialogue 8.Getting information from guest speakers 9.Getting information from planned visits 25 16 11 8 4 3 2 2 1 35% 22% 15% 11% 6% 4% 3% 3% 1% 3 2 11 7 6 31 3 4 5 4% 3% 15% 10% 8% 43% 4% 6% 7% The table shows that majority (25) or 35% chose “learning about culture” as the classroomactivity they find most useful. Language games were chosen by 16 or the 22% of the learners. Only 1 chose “getting information from planned visits” as the most useful activity. The least useful learning activity to the majority was “writing a learning diary”. Forty-three (43) chose this activity. Chosen by the least number of the participants as the least useful was language games. The statistical data suggest that most of the learners believed that studying their own culture and perhaps the culture of the Americans (or English) is important. Language is embedded in culture, and it is interesting to learn both. Writing a learning diary seems disliked by the pupils. This implies that the learners do not want their teachers to know what they have been doing or what they have done. Or, it could be that, writing is too difficult for them. 1.2.10. Assessment of Language Performance With the next item, a question on how learners would like their language performance be assessed was determined. Their choices were: (1) through written tasks set by the teacher, or (2) ability to use the language they have learnt in real-life situations. Results are presented in the table below. Table 23. Assessment of language performance Options Response f P R 1. Seeing if they can use the language she/he had learnt in real-life situations. 2. Written tasks set by the teacher. 58 54 81% 75% 1 2 The table shows that the majority (58) or 81% of the learners wanted to find out how they can use English in real-life situations. Fifty-four (54) or 75% of them said that by being able to answer written tasks set by their teachers is already a clear indication that they can put into use the language they learned. The findings implies that as long at the learners are able to use the language proficiently in real context and are able to express themselves in writing without being ‘graded’ by a classroom teacher, then they are assured that they have effective language performance. 1.2.11 Informing Learners of their Progress in Learning English The satisfaction felt for their L2 performance varies from student to student. Many are after high marks; some are after command of L2; others go for both. In this study, learners were asked if they get a sense of satisfaction from having their work graded, from being told that they have made progress, or from feeling more confident in situations which they found difficult before. The results received are given in the table below:
- 15. 15 Table 24. How pupilswant to be informed of their progress in learning English Options f P R 1. I want my work to be graded. 2. I want to be told that I made progress 3. I want to feel more confident in communication situations that I found difficult before 65 57 53 90% 79% 74% 1 2 3 The table shows that the majority ( 65) or 90% of the learners preferred to have their work graded to be informed whether they made progress in learning the language or not. Fifty-seven (57) or 79% wanted to be informed of their progress while 53 or 74% said that if they felt more confident in communication situation that seemed to be difficult before, that to them means they had learned. On the other hand, the interview with the learners revealed their preferences in expressing satisfaction or progress in learning English: Pupil 1. I want to be told that have made progress, so I will be very happy. Pupil 2. I want to see the work graded, so I will know the improvement. Pupil 3. I want to be feeling more confident in situation that found difficulty before. 2. The Most and Least Important Learning Needs of the Learners as Perceived by Them Effective language teaching and learning can only be achieved when teachers are aware of their learners' needs, capabilities, potentials, and preferences in meeting these needs. In this study, we have only dealt with the preferences Conducting a needs analysis is an important first step in the development of a curriculum that is being developed from scratch for a completely new program (Brown, 1995). According to Brown (1995), the definition of a needs analysis is “the systematic collection and analysis of all subjective and objective information necessary to define and validate defensible curriculum purposes that satisfy the language learning requirements of students within the context of particular institutions that influence the learning and teaching situation” (p. 36). The outcome of a needs analysis should be a list of goals and objectives for the parties involved, which should “serve as the basis for developing tests, materials, teaching activities, and evaluation strategies, as well as for reevaluating the precision accuracy of the original needs assessment” (Brown, 1995, p. 35). In addition, teachers must know what constitute their students’/pupils’ learning needs in English. Finding out the common needs of the elementary schoolchildren was one of the concerns of this study. Tables 25 and 26 below present the most and least important objective and subjective learning needs of the Chinese-Filipino learners. Table 25. The most and least important objective needs of the learners Options f P R 1. English must be used not just in the school but anywhere and in several situations with different people. 2. Must be taught well how to converse in English to other persons. 3. Need longer time to learn English. 4. There must be adequate and appreciate activities and exercise in listening, speaking, reading and writing. 5. Must be taught how to pronounce the words exactly. 6. Must be taught how to ask questions and answer simple questions. 7. Must be taught how to choose the right words while speaking and writing. 25 15 10 10 5 4 3 35% 21% 14% 14% 7% 5% 4% 1 2 3.5 3.5 5 6 7 The table evidently shows that of the seven (7) objective needs cited, majority (25) or 35 % of the participants chose “English must be used not just in the school but anywhere and in several situations with different people”. It ranked 1st. Thus, it was the considered to be the most important objective needs of the learners. Only 3 or 4% chose “Must be taught how to choose the right words while speaking and writing” as the most important. On the other hand, “Must be taught how to choose the right words when speaking and writing” ranked last. It was chosen by only 3 or 4% as an important need to them, hence, the least important. The data imply that
- 16. 16 communicative competence is what the learners are after. They want to apply their ability to communicate in English not just in a formal setting such as the classroom but also in varied contexts and with different people, perhaps at home, in the market, in the church, just anywhere where there are people around to communicate with. It is worth to note that of all the objective needs mentioned, choosing the right words to use when speaking or writing was the least important to them. This is perhaps due to the fact that what is important for these children is their ability to communicate and send their message in an easy and practical without putting so much pressure on themselves as to what words they would use when they talk or when they write. Despite this finding it is still necessary to help the learners enrich their vocabulary, particularly words that they must appropriately use in real-life situations. The most and least important subjective needs of the learners are tabulated below. Table 26. Most and least important subjective needs of the learners Among the subjective needs cited, majority (25) or 35% chose “Prefer to learn English individually” as the most important need, while each of the following was chosen by only 1: “Like learning English from posters and bulletin board”, “Prefer writing different compositions like poems, diaries, songs, short stories”, and “Prefer to be informed about his/her performance in English by their teacher through grades”. The findings suggest that the learners want to learn or be taught individually. What they mean perhaps by this is that they preferred to be tutored or be attended to individually when learning in the classroom. Thus, what the learners prefer is the individualized type of instruction. In addition, most of them would rather choose to work on their own and study alone with concentration and focus. As regards the least important subjective needs, the data imply that most learners do not consider poster and bulletin boards as the best tools to learn English. Writing composition types seems not important to them. This is not doubtful since based on investigations conducted learners thought of writing cognitively challenging, mind-exhausting task, a task where within a limited time they would be asked by their teacher to produce a composition that should be free from errors in content, grammar, mechanics and in the use of words. It is noteworthy that the learners disliked being informed of their progress Options f P R 1. Prefer to learn English individually. 2. Like learning English from mass media like television, video, films and radio. 3. Prefer to learn English in large groups. 4. Prefer to learn English in small groups. 5. Want to spend most of my time learning English in the classroom. 6. Prefer to learn English in pairs. 7. Prefer to learn English by practicing with people outside the classroom. 9. Like learning new vocabulary. 10. Prefer my teacher to teach us English through the blackboard. 11. Like learning English taking notes fromlecture. 12. Prefer to be corrected where he/she had mistakes or errors in speaking and writing. 13. Prefer a variety of language games in the classroom. 14. Like homework. 15. Prefer dialogue, skits or dramas in the classroom. 16.Like learning English from printed materials like books, newspapers and magazines. 17.Like learning English from posters and bulletin boards. 18. Prefer writing different compositions like poems, diaries, songs, short stories. 19. Prefer to be informed about his/her performance in English by their teacher through grades. 25 11 7 6 6 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 35% 31% 10% 8% 8% 5% 5% 4% 4% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 3% 1% 1% 1% 1 2 3 4.5 4.5 6.5 6.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 14.5 14.5 14.5 18 18 18
- 17. 17 through grades. This concurred with the findings of many composition experts who found that students do not often agree with the grades their teachers put for their ideas. To have a clear idea of what constitutes the most and least important needs of the learners are, the following summary table is presented. Note that only the needs that ranked first ( with majority votes) and last ( with the least votes) are tabulated. Table 27. Summary of the most and least important needs Type of Need f P R Description 1. Objective English must be used not just in the school but anywhere and in several situations with different people 25 35% 1 Most Important Must be taught how to choose the right words while speaking and writing. 3 4% 7 Least Important 2. Subjective Prefer to learn English individually 25 35% Most Important Like learning English from posters and bulletin boards. Prefer writing different compositions like poems, diaries, songs, short stories. Prefer to be informed about his/her performance in English by their teacher through grades. 1 1 1 1% 1% 1% Least Important The table shows that in relation to their objective needs that the learners really need to prove their communicative competence and the practical use of the language in several social contexts and with different people. This suggest that using the language within the confines of the four corners of the classroomis not enough. The learners may have thought that their freedom to use the language in whatever means they choose to and in varied settings seems to be hampered with the presence of the teacher watching and perhaps grading their ability to use it. They seem to want to test themselves and prove that they can already use the language they learned fromtheir teacher in communicating with others. In like manner, learning individually was preferred by most of the learners. This suggests that they also prefer to learn the language by themselves alone. Each learner may want to prove, perhaps, that even without the teacher’s intervention, each can manage to learn how to use the language in communication. This may also suggest that the learners want to be taught or to be trained how to use the language on a one-on-one approach, that is, the teacher giving more focus or attention to every learner who may need his/her supervision. On the other hand, most of them chose not to be taught how to choose the right words while they speak and write. This suggest that they would like to experiment and be creative in choosing the words which for them are appropriate in the context where they use it. As regards subjective needs not chosen by many, they considered posters and bulletin boards as not an important source of learning the language. Most may have thought that writing compositions such as poems, diaries, or short stories are demanding and difficult, with their inadequacy of the English vocabulary, the reaction is just expected. It is also interesting to learn that only one learner considered evaluation of performance through grade (numerical) would not do them any goo d. This may mean that they would rather choose to be praised or encouraged to learn more or be corrected ones a mistake is committed, rather than graded for their ideas they have worked hard for to think and say. 3. Proposed English Instruction Enhancement Plan to Address the Language Learning Needs of the Learners Based on the statistical results, there is a need to enhance the English instruction in the school for Filipino- Chinese learners. Thus, the English instruction plan below was proposed. The plan is expected to serve as the instrument for delivery of high quality, systematic ESL instruction for the pupils not only for the Grades 4, 5, and 6 but also for the other grade levels.
- 18. 18 PROPOSED ENGLISH INSTRUCTION ENHANCEMENT PLAN Objectives Strategies/Activities Persons Involved Time Frame Success Indicator 1. To meet the diverse needs of the pupils in learning English as a second language. 1.1 . Expose the pupils to the language through the following: Regular conversation with them in English Movie/film showing/video presentation in English Inviting native speakers of English to talk in their class 1.2. Use Grammar-Translation , communicative competence, and Total Physical response Methods in teaching English, allowing for translations and use of bilingual for effective discussion ofthe lesson and class interaction 1.3. Giving the pupils communicative tasks that will be done in real-life situations ( e.g. buying and selling at the mall, writing letters to a friend) 1.4. Use different and varied vocabulary learning strategies (e.g. mnemonics, phonemic awareness, graphic organizers, semantic mapping, spelling, context clues) 1.5. Organize and implement “Speak English” campaign in the school. 1. 6. Use individual for greater English teaching methods for collaborative learning 1.7. Provide adequate and quality time for classroom learning to lessen the quantity of homework. 1.8. Provide more and enriching listening, reading and listening comprehension activities/exercises. 1.9. Correct pupils’errors pleasantly and in private. 1.10. Teach pupils about their culture and the culture of other countries especially those of United States 1.11. Use language games for a more enjoyable learning 1.12. Use non-graded performance tasks. Numerical ratings may be used. Praises may be given as positive reinforcers. School administrators, English instruction program planners, ESL department head, teachers, guidance counselors, parents,pupils June – March The diverse needs of the pupils in learning the English language were met with 95% success. 2. To strengthen listening skills of the pupils 2.1. Use visual cues (overheads,drawings, maps, demonstrations,visual samples of new vocabulary). 2.2. Face student directly when speaking. 2.3. Repeat or rephrase what other students say highlight texts/study guides. 2.4. Provide note-taking assistance during lectures to allow hearing/ visually impaired pupils to concentrate on the teacher. 2.5. Use peer tutoring. School administrator, English department head, ESL teachers, pupils June– March The listening skills of the pupils were strengthened with 95% success.
- 19. 19 The proposed program targeted specific skills and provided explicit and fast-paced instruction incorporating multiple opportunities for guided practice. It was based on the findings of this research that aimed to enhance the ESL instruction at Bayanihan Institute by meeting the learning needs of the pupils. The four communicatio ns skills which are listening, speaking, reading and writing were emphasized within the instructional design of the lessons. As reflected in the plan, the learners are provided with activities and/or strategies to regularly reinforce these essential communication components, enumerating some personnel to be involved. The time frame set for the implementation of the plan is yearlong, that is, from June to March of each year. . Conclusions 2.6. Pre-teach vocabulary. 2.7. Use captioned videos,films, etc. 2.8. Show videos, etc. before presenting information to provide a knowledge base for students. 2.9. Simplify vocabulary 3. To improve speaking skills of the pupils 3.1. Use graphic organizers to organize ideas and relationships. 3.2. Use cues and prompts to help student know when to speak. 3.3. Use realia or authentic materials such as shampoo sachet,list of menus from a restaurant 3.4. Use choral reading or speaking/Readers’ Theater/Chamber Theater 3.5. Use rhythm or music. 3..6. Allow practice opportunities for speaking inside and outside the classroom School administrator, department head, teachers, parents,pupils, people in the community June - March The pupils’ speaking skills were improved with 95% success. 4. To enhance reading skills of the pupils 4.1. Use peer tutoring or buddy reading 4.2. Use taped or audio recorded materials (text or study guides). 4.3. Use videos with advanced organizer.. 4.4. Allow students to quietly read aloud (sub- vocalization). 4.5. Use graphic organizers. 4.6. Identify 5 W’s–who,what, when, where, why. 4.7. Use preparatory set–talk through what a reading passage is about using new vocabulary and concepts. 4.8. Provide adequate time for reading . 4.9. Provide meaningful practice, review, repetition. 4.10. Teach vocabulary in context. 4.11. Use computer-assisted instruction: online researching, typing compositions, watching/listening to videos School administrator, department head, librarians, teachers, pupils, parents June – March The reading skills of the pupils were enhanced with 95% success. 5. To help the pupils improve their writing skills 5.1. Shorten writing assignments. 5.2. Provide note taking. 5.3. Allow computer for outlining, word-processing, spelling and grammar check. 5.4. Allow visual representation of ideas. 5.5. Apply collaborative writing.. 5.6. Provide model of writing. 5.7. Use flow chart and other non-prose forms for writing ideas before the student writes. 5.8. Grade on the basis of content,do not penalize for errors in mechanics and grammar. 5.9. Reduce quantity of homework School administrator, librarian, teachers, parents,pupils Yearlong The pupils’ writing skills were improved with 95% success.
- 20. 20 The following conclusions are based on the findings as discussed above. 1. The needs of the pupils are related to the exposure to the language; use of bilingual approach, emphasis on the use of English; strengthening of pupils’ reading and writing skills; vocabulary learning for speaking and writing; frequent use of English in the school; ability to communicate in English not only with their teachers but also with foreigners; group learning, reduction of homework, more classroom learning and practice outside, use of technology in teaching, provision of more listening, reading, speaking, and discussion through the board; appropriate error correction, integration of culture lessons, language games; assessment of proficiency by applying English in real-life situations and through written tests; and non-graded performance instead of the numerical grades. 2. The pupils need to use English not just in the school but anywhere and in several situations with different people, have longer time to learn the language individually and in group; likewise, have to learn the language with the use of modern technology. 3. Based on the results of the needs analysis, the school needs to enhance or improve their English instruction to meet the objective and subjective learning needs of the Chinese-Filipino young learners. Recommendations Based on the findings and conclusions presented, the following recommendations are given: 1. The proposed enhancement plan for English instruction may be implemented in institutions for young Chinese- Filipino learners. 2. The learners must always be informed of their performance in the test either through grades or through descriptive terms. 3. With the introduction of English at the elementary school level, teachers need special training on the language learning needs of young learners. Curricula, teaching methods, and materials should meet the needs of the learners of different ages and at different stages. 4. A restructuring of the curriculum informed by learners’ concerns and teachers’ expertise while utilizing the school’s resources is a necessary step toward creating a unified educational community. However, teachers cannot do this without the voice of their learners, and especially not without the help and support of the administration. 5. Teachers must improve their English proficiency with an emphasis on communicative instruction at elementary school level English education. 6. Teachers must employ variety of language teaching approaches/methods such as the Communicative Approach, Audio-Lingual, Direct or Berlitz Method, Grammar-Translation, Total Physical Response, Suggestopaedia, Bilingual Approach, Reading Approach, or the Silent Way . 7. More resources, such as internet, computers, computer- assisted language learning (CALL) systems, television, films, books for extensive reading, and English magazines must be available. 8. Remedial centers for pupils with reading and writing problems must be put up. Tutorial classes where bright pupils can be utilized to tutor slow readers or poor writers be organized. 9. Language learning needs survey and analysis in every grade level may be conducted yearly Bibliography “A Needs Analysis of Pakistani State Boarding Schools Secondary Level Students For Adoption Of Communicative Language Teaching.”A Published Dissertation. MA TESOL School of Arts & Education of Middlesex University, London. http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/thesis_Hamid_Ali_Khan.pdf Berwick, R. (1989). ‘Needs assessment in language programming: From theory to practice’. In Johnson, R.K., (ed.), The Second Language Curriculum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Boyle, J. 1980. “Teaching English as communication to Mainland Chinese”. English Language Teaching Journal 24, 4, 298-301. Breen, M.P. & Candlin, C. (2001). ‘The essentials of a communicative curriculum in language teaching’. In Hall, D.R. & Hewings, A. (eds.) Innovation in English Language Teaching. London: Routledge. 9-26. Brindley, G. (1984). Needs analysis and objective-setting in the adult migrant education program. Sydney: Adult Migrant Education Service.
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- 22. 22 Outstanding in Linguistics Research by the Philippine Normal University – Manila. She has conducted a number of research focusing on linguistics, language education, and gender advocacy and has presented most of them in in-house research reviews, as well as in national and international conferences. Francelle L. Calub is a full-time technical staff of the Office of Technology Development Transfer and Commercialization (OTDTC), Tarlac State University. She taught English-related subjects in the same university for almost eight years. Ms. Calub graduated with the following degrees: Bachelor of Arts in English and Master in Education, major in English Language Teaching. At present she is pursuing her Ph.D. in Language Education . Xiaoying L. Xu is a pre-school teacher from DaTian, FuJian, China. Granted scholarship to take up a post- graduate course by a Chinese philanthropist from Tarlac City, Ms. Xu enrolled at Tarlac State University (TSU) in 2009 and completed her Master of Arts in Education , major in English in 2011. While in the Philippines, she stayed at Bayanihan Institute located in Tarlac City and handled English as well as Chinese subjects in the said institution. Her bachelor’s degree in Pre-School Education was taken at FuJian College of Education in China. After her graduation from TSU, she went back to China to continue her teaching career.