LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS OF SENIOR

LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL: TOWARDS A PROGRESSIVE COMMUNICATION PROGRAM EDGAR R. ESLIT, Ph.D. St. Michael’s College, Iligan City, The Philippines KAREN G. VIOLA-BANGELISAN, M.A. St. Michael’s College, Iligan City, The Philippines

Abstract Deficiency in speaking and listening is inevitable among non-native speakers of the English language. While English proficiency is a desirable goal for all language learners, the current study has a different scenario of the issue. Anchored on Communicative Language Theory, Speech Acts Theory and The Behaviorist Theory, this study was geared towards determining the linguistic competence of the respondents in terms of their speaking and listening skills. The study was carried out among the fifty respondents. The descriptive correlational research method was employed. Data were collected using the IELTS-Based test. Further, this study utilized the frequency and percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test and ANOVA. Results revealed that there was a notable statistical significance to the profile of the respondents in terms of sex and that the respondents’ communicative competence was highly significant relative to their Grades in English. Furthermore, results revealed that the respondents’ speaking and listening skills revealed a high significance which can be deduced that the respondents are not effective communicator. Hence, addressing this gap, a Communication Enhancement Program was proposed to address the speaking and listening needs of the respondents. Keywords: Communicative Competence, Communication Enhancement Program, English Proficiency, Listening, Speaking

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Introduction Speaking and listening stood in the heart of language learning but they are least understood, least researched topic in language learning and teaching, and both are often discounted by most language teachers. Research has found that improvement in both skills have a positive effect on other language skills: reading, writing, and comprehension. Now that speaking and listening are crucial for learning, it is worthwhile to underpin these fundamental skills in this study. There is a real need for speaking and listening skills for students today. With this in mind, to help establish the premise of this study, an appraisal on how the English language affect the language learning and teaching in the locality and the country as a whole need to be weighed upon. Paper Summary This study aimed at finding out the Speaking and Listening Skills of Senior High School Students of Abuno High School (Annex). This study hoped to come up with a communication enhancement program that will cater the communicative competence of the students in terms of speaking and listening thus it assesses the individual deficiency of the language and prepares the appropriate measures to be implemented in order to help them become proficient in the English language and to become more globally competitive in the future. Specifically, the study endeavoured to: (1) determine the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, parents highest educational attainment, Grade in English (Grade 10), availability of reading materials at home, and frequency of reading materials (how often they read) (2) determine the communicative competence of the students in terms of speaking and listening skills, (3) identify the significant difference on the respondent’s communicative competence in terms of speaking when grouped according to their profile, (4) identify the significant difference on the respondent’s communicative competence in terms of listening when grouped according to their profile, (5) identify the significant relationship between respondents’ speaking and listening competence, (6) identify the significant relationship between the respondents’ demographic profile and their speaking and listening competence and (7) implement a communication enhancement program base on the findings of the study. Summary of Findings Having analyzed the significant points involved in the study, 1. It was disclosed that there is an equal number of males and females as respondents and majority of them aged 17 years old. 2. With regard to respondents’ Parents’ highest educational attainment, respondents have claimed that their fathers and mothers have finished elementary or at elementary level. 2

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Most of the students, 31 or 62 percent specialized, ICT is one of the Senior High School Track (TVL) and majority of the respondents. 4. 11 or 22 percent got 75 Grade in English (Grade 10), 5. Majority of the students had few reading materials and most of these were dictionaries with a frequency of 45 or 90 percent and from the availability of reading materials the most read was the books with a frequency of 20 or 40 percent. 6. Interpreting results, it yielded a mean of 1.10 with Elementary Proficiency (S-1) description. This evidences that majority of the respondents with 45 or 90 percent were at the Elementary proficiency (S-1) level of communicative competence in terms of speaking. 7. On the other hand, respondents’ communicative competence in terms of listening, it yielded a mean of 2.62 with Elementary description. This evidences that majority of the respondents with 28 or 56 percent were at the Elementary level in terms of listening. 8. It was disclosed that there is no significant difference on the respondents’ communicative competence in terms of speaking when grouped according to age, sex, Parents’ Highest Educational Attainment, Senior High School track, availability of reading materials at home and the frequency of reading materials (how often they read) but it was found out that the grade in English (Grade 10) was a factor in establishing significant associations in the communicative competence of the respondents in terms of speaking. For the Final grades, given by the English teacher would somehow assess the respondents’ performance in the subject specifically in his performance in oral communication activities. 9. There were no significant difference on the respondents’ communicative competence in terms of listening when grouped according to age, Parents’ Highest Educational Attainment, availability of reading materials at home and the frequency of reading materials (how often they read), but it was found out that sex implies a significant difference on the respondents’ communicative competence for as per study that females better listen than males, second was the grade in English (Grade 10) was a factor in establishing significant associations in the communicative competence of the respondents in terms of listening thus, this means that if you have low grade in previous English it would really affect your performance in communication skills and lastly, the senior high school track (TVL), was also a factor in establishing significant difference for majority of the HE were females, and based on the results females better listen than males. 10. It was disclosed that there were highly significant relationship of the respondents’ listening and speaking competence which implies that a good speaker is a good listener, vice versa, that in order to become an effective communicator one must know how to listen in order to express his learning, one must know how to express so he would know also how to listen. 11. As seen on the results of the study, in speaking competence, Grades in English (Grade 10) gave a highly significance that would somehow give an implication that their grades would really affect their speaking competence and in listening competence, sex was one of the factors that establish a significant relationship thus their Grades in English (Grade 10) also gave a highly significance in terms of 3

speaking and listening competence. This implies that gender differences and their grades in the previous year would really affect their communicative competence of the respondents in terms of listening and speaking competence. Therefore, the respondents are not generally effective communicator. CONCLUSION Guided by the theoretical concepts on Linguistic Theory and Behaviorist Theory, Social Learning Theory, this paper addressed the students’ difficulties in terms of speaking and listening that needed a communication enhancement program that would somehow lead them to become proficient in speaking and listening. Typical senior high school students of Abuno High School (Annex) are mostly at the age of 17. Their parents both graduated in elementary or at elementary level, majority of them got 75 grade in English (Grade 10), most of them specialized ICT, and have few reading materials at home which they frequently read. In regards to their communicative competence, the respondents were found to be relatively deficient in terms of speaking and listening; in speaking, it implies that age, sex, Parents’ Highest Educational Attainment, Senior High School track, availability of reading materials at home and the frequency of reading materials (how often they read) doesn’t give significance. However, grades in English (Grade 10) yielded a significant difference. On the other hand, in listening, age, Parents’ Highest Educational Attainment, availability of reading materials at home and the frequency of reading materials (how often they read) doesn’t resulted to significant difference but the sex, and the senior high school track gives significant difference however grades in English (Grade 10) gives highly significant difference. There was a high correlation between speaking and listening skills. Therefore, gender differences and their grades in English in the previous year would really affect their communicative competence; therefore, imperative to deduce that a good speaker must be also a good listener. Recommendations Based on the findings and conclusions made, the following recommendations are presented: 1. To the School Head, the proposed Communication Enhancement Program design by the researcher will be implemented in order to address the needs of the students, and the teachers of ABMHS-Abuno High School (Annex). 2. They should also send language teachers to seminars and trainings to uplift their professional growth and development which can be put into practice during the lesson in order to motivate students to participate in class and to do interaction activities to develop listening and speaking skills. These activities allow students to feel more comfortable and sure when they have to hold a conversation in 4

English and they make the skills more effective in order to get a perfect acquisition of the second language, covering all the skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. 3. To the Language teachers they should promote a motivating atmosphere so that all students are interested to participate in any communication activities and various listening activities and help improve the confidence of the students to speak English. They should engage students to a meaningful and enjoyable English speaking activities in order to help boost students’ confidence in language and to develop speaking and listening skills. 4. To foster desirable changes, students must be encouraged to speak the language regularly especially within the school premises and expose them to speaking materials such as IELTS and other standardized test which will enhance speaking. 5. The school, the English Club should promote the advocacy on SPEAKING ENGLISH inside the campus. 6. The proposed Communication Enhancement Program should be implemented by the language teachers of Abuno High School (Annex). 7. To the Future Researchers, this study will be an example to you for another new research to do.

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