Department of Education
Region V (Bicol)
Division of City Schools
City of Iriga
Title: The Level of Proficiency in Grammar of Grade 7 Students of Rinconada National Technical Vocational School
Researcher: MARICEL B. BERNAL
School: RINCONADA NATIONAL TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
Sto. Domingo, Iriga City
Abstract:
The Filipinos' use of the English language is deplorable because of grammatical incorrectness and inaccuracy. The only remedy for this dreadful use of the language will be for Filipinos young and old, to set out to learn correct English by means of a careful study of grammar rules and realize that good command of English is greatly affected by one's knowledge of grammar rules and its effective application. K to 12 Basic Education Program emphasizes the need for students to meet the standards in the Integral Language Arts Curriculum. Eventually, the students are expected make meaningful use of the English language governed by rules and systems.
This study aimed to determine the level of proficiency in English grammar of Grade 7 students of Rinconada National Technical Vocational School, Sto. Domingo, Iriga City in an attempt to address the difficulties encountered by students. Specifically, the study identified the level of proficiency, strengths and weaknesses in grammar areas like parts of speech, morphology and syntax; and the enrichment material that may be proposed for enhancement of the skills.
In the findings of the study, the level of proficiency in grammar is below average. In parts of speech, the students garnered an average performance level of 39.54% with the qualitative description of below average. It revealed that the students could occasionally identify and apply few rules correctly. The average performance level in morphology is 47.62% and 43.94% in syntax which is also below average.
The findings pointed out that of the three areas of grammar the respondents scored the highest in morphology while the qualitative descriptions in parts of speech and syntax were the same. In parts of speech, the students got the highest in interjection with 56.20% and the only area in parts of speech which is average. The students graded below average in pronouns, adjectives, nouns and conjunctions while they are poor in verbs, adverbs and prepositions. The results showed that in morphology, the respondents were able to identify most of the rules in plural noun formation, comparing using adjectives and analyzing structure of words. However, they needed more exercises to at least improve the below average performance in properties of nouns, word formation, voices of verbs and properties of nouns. Syntax concerns the possible arrangements of words in a language. The structure of the sentence dictates whether it makes sense and conveys the meaning it is expected to express. Unfortunately, the students found it hard to identify the kinds of sentences according to structure. They missed to use appropriate conjunctions to fit the sentences given in the teacher-made test. Both sentence patterns and tense consistency with the same performance level confused the students. Just like other Grade 7 students, they scored below average in subject-verb agreement and modification of adverbs. Though below average in pronouns, they are average when it comes to pronoun-antecedent agreement. They are also average in prepositional phrase and kinds of sentences according to function.
As a whole it could be gleaned from the aforementioned data, the students have strengths in tenses of verbs, interjection, prepositional phrase, plural noun formation, degrees of comparison, pronoun-antecedent agreement, structural analysis and kinds of sentences according to function. They could occasionally recognize or identify and apply the rules on parts of speech, morphology and syntax. However, the study discovered their weaknesses in kinds of sentences according to structure, tense consistency, sentence patterns, preposition, adverb, verb and uses of conjunction. This also brings to light that the students do not have mastery of most of the rules on grammar areas included in the test.
Based on the data presented, the researcher concluded that the students alarming poor performance in grammar has affected his performance in the subject English. With their little understanding of how grammar operates in the use of the English as a language, they unsuccessfully communicate using this language. Therefore, with the importance of developing the language that conquers half of the world, it is truly significant to give attention in making our learners realize and understand its role in communicating thoughts, feelings, desires and aspirations. It is undeniably essential in man's daily life.
It is also affirmed that proficiency in English grammar will benefit students to use the English language in daily communication, in future career and in life as a whole. There is a need for students to undergo remediation to improve their performance level on the different grammar areas identified. Many forms of remediation can be given to the students like the use of supplementary material, cross-age grammar tutoring, etc.
With such unveiled truth, it is therefore deduced that, in order to attain a high performance level in grammar, one has to harness his linguistic intelligence to its fullest degree. If one wants to achieve the highest level in the use of language, he needs to run an extra mile and expose himself to different experiences to unfold his linguistic prowess.
Introduction
Language grows out of life, out of its needs and experiences.
--Anne Sullivan
Language is a social institution. Men have invented and developed language to satisfy the need to communicate with one another. It enriches personal living and deepens understanding of social relationships. Through language, our ideas, thoughts and feelings are expressed and understood. One of the greatest discoveries of men, language flourished and allowed lives to grow triumphantly.
As a basic instrument in the maintenance of the democratic way of life, the 1987 Philippine Constitution highlights the importance of language dictated by the need for unity and convenience. Thus, Section 6 of the constitution states: "The national language of the Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages."
Moreover, Section 7 declares that aside from Filipino, the country's national language for purposes of communication and instruction, English is as well considered valuable in achieving the country's goal for development. It has been and still the medium of instruction in all levels of our educational system. It is truly an important tool to gain access to information and can enhance the quality of one's life. It facilitates an eventual participation in the world of business, science, mathematics and higher technology as well as in society.
However, the acceptable fluency in the English language by Filipinos is now declining. Studies have shown the Filipinos' grasp of the English language is slipping. Another survey reported that Filipinos' proficiency in English language has declined over the past 12 years.
In the light of all these, the Filipinos' use of the English language is deplorable because of grammatical incorrectness and inaccuracy. The only remedy for this dreadful use of the language will be for Filipinos young and old, to set out to learn correct English by means of a careful study of grammar rules and realize that good command of English is greatly affected by one's knowledge of grammar rules and its effective application.
All these prompted the researcher to engage in this study and to search for answers to questions that revolve around this topic. For the existence of this study is because of the need to address this problem.
This study aimed to determine the level of proficiency in English grammar of Grade 7 students of Rinconada National Technical Vocational School, Sto. Domingo, Iriga City as a basis for a proposal of an enrichment material.
Specifically, the study sought answers to the following sub-problems:
1. What is the level of proficiency in English grammar of Grade 7 students of Rinconada National Technical Vocational School in terms of:
a. Parts of Speech
b. Morphology
c. Syntax?
2. What are the strengths and weaknesses in English grammar of Grade 7 students of Rinconada National Technical Vocational School?
3. What enrichment materials may be proposed to address the weaknesses in English grammar?
Brief Review of Literature
Language is an essential feature that makes human beings unique from other beings. According to Wardhaugh, among other species, "human has the capacity to handle the syntactic organization of signing in which finite system of principles and operations allows users to create sentences out of infinite set possibilities (Wardhaugh,1993).
People need language to help each other. Language serves as the guiding light and leads races to understand and interact effectively.
Noam Chomsky points out that language is a mirror of mind in a deep and significant sense (Cook, 1998). It is a product of human intelligence created anew in each individual by operations that he far beyond the reach of will or consciousness.
One person may argue that not everyone is blessed with skills in the language but everyone may have been born with such skill, but just like any skill, it may be developed. And the crucial role of the teacher comes in.
Language teaching today is premised on a theory which views learning as enjoyable and spontaneous. This is where learners move in a stress-free environment, where they function as thinking, sensible and responsible individuals. Moreover, the teacher plays the roles of a backgrounder, facilitator and guide. Hence, language is used as a whole, in context that provides a meaningful and interesting language practice.
With these views in mind, language serves as a vehicle for communication not just for linguistic manipulation thereby creating opportunities for spontaneous and meaningful communication.
Shaefer stated that language is the foundation or every culture which does not simply describe reality but shapes the reality of a culture (Shaefer, 1995).
Undoubtedly, language is an indispensable human attribute. Language continued to grow and develop with new knowledge and new ways of doing things. Language used in daily human interaction continues to change and grow.
Batstone asserted that language without grammar would be chaotic: countless words without the indispensable guidelines for how they can be ordered and modified. Grammar involves two interrelated areas: syntax, the study of the principles and rules for constructing sentences and morphology, the study of how words are formed out of smaller units. With the two areas, grammar reveals a structure and regularity through which one can specify the ways in which words can be systematically modified (Batsone, 1994).
Communicative competence coined by Dell Hymes (Douglas, 2000) refers to the aspect of human's competence that enables them to convey and interpret messages and to negotiate meanings interpersonally within specific contexts. Grammatical competence is but one of the four components that make up the construct of communicative competence.
Cited by H. D. Brown (2000) from Canale and Swain, grammatical competence encompasses knowledge of lexical items and of rules of morphology, syntax, sentence-grammar semantics and phonology.
On the other hand, discourse competence, the complement of grammatical competence is the ability to connect sentences in stretches of discourse and to form a meaningful whole out of a series of utterances.
Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of the socio-cultural rules of language and discourse. This type requires an understanding of the social context in which language is used.
The fourth component, strategic competence as described by Canale and Swain is the verbal and nonverbal communication strategies that may be called into action to compensate for breakdowns in communication.
Competence in grammar can pave way to a great success. This is why emphasis is placed in learning grammar in a language, particularly English.
English grammar ought to be taught to children as soon as they have a capacity for it, which is generally very early. As Chomsky concluded, "children have an inborn faculty for language acquisition." This natural faculty has become known as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). He expressed that all human language share common principles, Therefore, the people around him such as the parents and teachers share equal responsibility in developing his language.
Dr. Howard Gardner (1992), a Harvard psychologist in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences proposed eight different intelligences to account for a broader range of human potential in children and adults. He explained that a well-developed linguistic intelligence shows itself in attention to words, relations among them, syntax and the beauty and substance of style.
Those who are gifted in linguistic intelligence are able to communicate their viewpoints in a clear, beautiful and refined manner.
Aside from Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, four major theories attempted to explain the acquisition of language: behaviorist, nativist, interactionist and cognitivist cited by Hermosa from Glazer 12:
Behaviorists, notably the psychologist B.F. Skinner, believe that language is learned through environmental conditioning and imitation of adult models. The child hears a word and imitates its sound, even without knowing its meaning. The adult praises the child in order to reward the child's attempt to use language. Learning, so to speak, can be summed up by this equation: "Listen, imitate, receive a reward, repeat for recall."
Some linguists like Chomsky, insist that language is native, natural and innate to human beings. Every child is born with a built in device for acquiring language. It is now the responsibility of the people that surround him to nurture the endowment. This theory is known as the Nativist Theory or Innateness.
Interactionists combine the ideas of behaviorists and nativists. They propose that language is a product of both genetic and environmental factors. Infants are born with the ability to produce and learn language by using their genetic abilities and by interacting with other people. Their ability to think helps them learn to speak and interactions with adults will help them develop concepts.
The Cognitive Theory with the Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget placed acquisition of language within the context of a child's mental or cognitive development. He argued that a child has to understand a concept before she/he can acquire the particular language form which expresses that concept.
It is interesting that the children learn how to speak with no formal instruction, often applying "the rule" in anomalous and amusing fashion. Language is a system which relates meanings to substance. It is a mental phenomenon that is innate. The conceptualization is predominantly a linguistic phenomenon. Language skills are located in the left side of the brain which is first used by the child after his birth. Specifically, Broca's brain illustration area deals with grammar and fluency, while Wernicke's area deals with sense and understanding.
Any language learner needs to feel secure and know that some are obvious reason for learning and using language, English in particular. When a learner knows why he needs to acquire and develop the language, backed up by the activities that enhance his competence, his understanding of the language is sharpened, thus general interest is increased.
Synthesis of the State-of-the-Art
The preceding reviews all focused on the use of language and its importance as well as the theories which explain language acquisition. It reveals that to compassionately understand English language learners, educators must fully experience language learning for themselves. And that the teacher holds the crucial role in language teaching.
The literatures presented claim that language learning and teaching entails knowledge of the processes involved. Further, knowledge that underlie will determine the extent it can be learned.
The current study recognized the importance of teaching of the English language early. It is because in the early stages, social activities and connections can launch the language learning experience. It also allows more intense and enjoyable language experiences.
Errors in grammar make one feel inferior and unconfident. Thus, speaking and writing are greatly affected by these errors. Such situation calls for an immediate action thus justifies the necessity to conduct this study.
Above all, mentioned authorities put prime importance in achieving the most needed proficiency in English which drew the remarkable line between Philippines and other countries in terms of the ability to use English whether in speech or writing.
Theoretical Framework
Language is, without doubt, the most momentous and at the same time the most mysterious product of human mind.
Several theories function as the backbone of this study and at the same time lay down the groundwork of this endeavor and unveil the mystery embodied in language acquisition.
Dr. Howard E. Gardner postulated the Theory of Multiple Intelligences where he believed that the brain has evolved separate systems for different adoptive abilities which he referred to as "intelligences," common to all cultures- each with its own pattern of development and brain activity. Each of these types is developed in various degrees in every individual. These potentials include linguistic, mathematical, spatial, bodily kinesthetic, intrapersonal, musical and naturalistic. He explained that a well-developed linguistic intelligence shows itself in attention to words, relations among them, syntax and the beauty and substance of style. Those who are gifted in linguistic intelligence are able to communicate their viewpoints in a clear, beautiful and refined manner.
In relation to the study, knowing about linguistic intelligence will enable an individual to harness the endowment and use it to achieve optimum results.
Behaviorists, notably the psychologist B.F. Skinner, believe that language is learned through environmental conditioning and imitation of adult models. The child hears a word and imitates its sound, even without knowing its meaning. The adult praises the child in order to reward the child's attempt to use language. Learning, so to speak, can be summed up by this equation: "Listen, imitate, receive a reward, repeat for recall."
The theory explains the fundamental role of the parents and the community in the development of language in an individual. They must maintain harmonious and cooperative relationships.
As Chomsky advanced, "children have an inborn faculty for language acquisition." This natural faculty has become known as the Language Acquisition Device (LAD). He expressed that all human language share common principles, Therefore, the people around him such as the parents and teachers share equal responsibility in developing his language. Just like Chomsky other linguists insist that language is native, natural and innate to human beings. Every child is born with a built in device for acquiring language. It is now the responsibility of the people that surround him to nurture the endowment. This theory is known as the Nativist Theory or Innateness.
In addition, Dan Slobin affirmed Chomsky's ground-breaking theory about natural faculty. He suggested that it may be more like a mechanism – a set of procedures and inference rules used to process linguistic data. These mechanisms are such that, applying them to the input data, the child ends up with something which is a member of the class of human languages. The linguistic universals, then, are the result of an innate competence rather than the content of such a competence.
The Cognitive Theory with the Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget placed acquisition of language within the context of a child's mental or cognitive development. He argued that a child has to understand a concept before she/he can acquire the particular language form which expresses that concept.
Cognitivists provide insights into how a child's mental processes underlie many aspects of his development.
Information-processing theories are based on similarities between the human mind and a computer, both of which are high-speed information processing devices. These theories describe cognitive growth as the gradual acquisition of more sophisticated strategies for organizing information, solving problems, storing and retrieving knowledge and evaluating solutions. It also elaborates that children acquire these skills through everyday efforts to understand and master intellectual challenges.
Interactionists combine the ideas of behaviorists and nativists. They propose that language is a product of both genetic and environmental factors. Infants are born with the ability to produce and learn language by using their genetic abilities and by interacting with other people. Their ability to think helps them learn to speak and interactions with adults will help them develop concepts. An individual acquire language because they need it to function in their worlds.
These theories shed light to understanding of how language is acquired and how competence in grammar (focal point of the present study) will be achieved guided by the principles embodied in these concepts.
Conceptual Framework
The study drew out the level of proficiency in grammar of the Grade 7 students who are the respondents. Based from the assessment, the common grammatical errors were identified. The results became the basis for the proposition of an enrichment material. After the implementation of the enrichment material, it is assumed that the students will achieve competence in English grammar.
Methodology and Research Design
In the conduct of the study, the researcher identified the grammatical structure given in the students' learning package in English for Grade 7. Then, after the careful selection of what the researcher considered most important, she prepared a table of specifications aimed at ensuring content validity. After making the TOS, the researcher constructed a grammar test.
To validate the content, the teacher-made test was shown to teachers of English. After the evaluation made by the authorities, the researcher coordinated with other teachers in English and took note of the respondents' schedule for English class. Then, the researcher administered the test to the respondents.
After the final administration of the test, the researcher with the help of trustworthy and dependable students checked the papers. Then, each item was analyzed to determine the individual or group the strengths and weaknesses of the respondents along the grammatical items tested. Contextual analysis on skills unmastered was also done. The findings will be used as basis for the preparation of recommended enrichment learning materials.
The respondents of the study were the randomly selected Grade 7 students of Rinconada National Technical Vocational School.
To gather data for the purpose of achieving the aims of this research, a teacher-made test was administered to the respondents.
The descriptive statistics was employed in this study. The respondents' answers were checked, tallied and tabulated for the analysis and interpretation of data.
The tools used were frequency count, percentage and average mean. Frequency count was used to determine the number of correct responses to the items in the test. The respondents' responses were divided by the number of respondents, thus,
Performance Level (PL) = No. of Responses
No. of Respondents
Percentage was used to get the percent of error in each grammar area. Percentage is obtained as follows:
Percentage of Errors = 100 – PL
To determine the average performance level for each grammar area, the summation of performance level is divided with the number of items for each grammar area. Thus, Average PL = Σ PL
No. of Items
The average percent of error is computed as follows:
Average PE = 100 % – Average PL
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The teacher-made test was composed of 150 items which has 40 items on Parts of Speech, 55 items on morphology and 55 items on syntax.
The average performance shows that the students have below average performance. The average performance level by grammar area was obtained by adding the performance level in every rule divided by the total number of rules in every grammar area. In parts of speech, the average performance level of 39.54% has the qualitative description of below average. It revealed that the students could occasionally identify and apply few rules correctly, while the average performance level in morphology is 47.62%. The average performance level of 43.94% in syntax is below average.
The findings pointed out that of the three areas of grammar the respondents scored the highest in morphology while the qualitative descriptions in parts of speech and syntax were the same.
In parts of speech, the students got the highest in interjection with 56.20% and the only area in parts of speech which is average. The students graded below average in pronouns, adjectives, nouns and conjunctions while they are poor in verbs, adverbs and prepositions.
It is surprising to note that the students had a hard time identifying adverb and preposition in sentences. Further, they had a difficulty distinguishing common nouns from proper nouns, deciding the type of the underlined pronoun, verb, adjective and conjunction.
As manifested by the data, it can be deemed that the students were able to identify most of the rules in plural noun formation, comparing using adjectives and analyzing structure of words. However, they needed more exercises to at least improve the below average performance in properties of nouns, word formation, voices of verbs and properties of nouns.
In addition, they were unable to fully analyze that smallest linguistic pieces with grammatical function can be put together to create meaningful parts. With the knowledge how smallest of syllables or words attached to words affect its meaning; they can become aware how dynamic language is.
Syntax concerns the possible arrangements of words in a language. The structure of the sentence dictates whether it makes sense and conveys the meaning it is expected to express. Unfortunately, the students found it hard to identify the kinds of sentences according to structure. They missed to use appropriate conjunctions to fit the sentences given in the teacher-made test. Both sentence patterns and tense consistency with the same performance level confused the students. Just like other Grade 7 students, they scored below average in subject-verb agreement and modification of adverbs. Though below average in pronouns, they are average when it comes to pronoun-antecedent agreement. They are also average in prepositional phrase and kinds of sentences according to function.
As a whole it could be gleaned from the aforementioned data, the students have strengths in tenses of verbs, interjection, prepositional phrase, plural noun formation, degrees of comparison, pronoun-antecedent agreement, structural analysis and kinds of sentences according to function. They could occasionally recognize or identify and apply the rules on parts of speech, morphology and syntax. However, the study discovered their weaknesses in kinds of sentences according to structure, tense consistency, sentence patterns, preposition, adverb, verb and uses of conjunction. This also brings to light that the students do not have mastery of most of the rules on grammar areas included in the test.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the data presented, the researcher concluded that the students alarming poor performance in grammar has affected his performance in the subject English. With their little understanding of how grammar operates in the use of the English as a language, they unsuccessfully communicate using this language. Therefore, with the importance of developing the language that conquers half of the world, it is truly significant to give attention in making our learners realize and understand its role in communicating thoughts, feelings, desires and aspirations. It is undeniably essential in man's daily life.
It is also affirmed that proficiency in English grammar will benefit students to use the English language in daily communication, in future career and in life as a whole. There is a need for students to undergo remediation to improve their performance level on the different grammar areas identified. Many forms of remediation can be given to the students like the use of supplementary material, cross-age grammar tutoring, etc.
With such unveiled truth, it is therefore deduced that, in order to attain a high performance level in grammar, one has to harness his linguistic intelligence to its fullest degree. If one wants to achieve the highest level in the use of language, he needs to run an extra mile and expose himself to different experiences to unfold his linguistic prowess.
REFERENCES
Ronald Wardhaugh, Investigating Language, Central Problems in Linguistics (Blackwell, 1993), p.64.
V.J. Cook, Chomsky's Universal Grammar, An Introduction (New York: Blackwell, Inc., 1998), p.18.
Richard T. Shaefer, et al, Sociology, 5th Ed. (USA: Mc. Graw Hill, Inc., 1995), p.67.
Rob Batstone, Grammar: Language Teaching (Oxford University Press, 1994), p.2-4.
H. Douglas Brown, Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (New York: A Pearson Education Company, 2000), p.246.
Hector S. De Leon, Textbook on the Philippine Constitution (Quezon City: Rex Printing Company Inc., 2004), p.447.
Stephen Krashen."The Effects of Formal Grammar Study: Still Peripheral".TESOL Quarterly. 1993,vol.27:722-725.
Rommel Lontayao, Filipinos proficiency improving. Global Pinoy (May 16, 2008) http://global pinoy.com
Belen B. Pili, A Proposed Intervention Program to Improve the Linguistic Ability of the Senior Secondary Students (Unpublished Master's Thesis, University of Northeastern Philippines, Iriga City, 2010).
Norma Samantela."Grammatical Competence level of Freshmen Students: Basis for Proposed Enrichment Learning Materials" (Unpublished Master's Thesis, Legazpi City, 1998).
Consuelo G. Sevilla, et al, Research Methods. Revised Edition, (Manila: Rex Bookstore, 1998), p. 94-95.
