Republic of the Philippines

Don Honorio Ventura State University

Bacolor, Pampanga

Written Report on a Case

Study in Second Language
Acquisition

Prepared by:
Mikaella S. Guzman
MAED – 1C

Submitted to:
Dr. Mildred Crisostomo

Date: March 14, 2020

 Republic of the Philippines
Don Honorio Ventura State University
Bacolor, Pampanga

Title: A Social and Affective Dimension of Early Second Language Acquisition (a total of
around 30 hours’ worth of close interaction and about three years of observation comprise the
data)
Researcher: Trexie O. Alawi
Subject/Participant(s): Loloy (not his real name), a six year old boy who was already fluent in
his first language which is Visaya.

I. Introduction

In this modern era of dynamic information technology, the need to communicate clearly and
effectively, thus unambiguously, has become imperative. Effective communication, however,
goes beyond mere grammatical and writing competencies. It entails the ability to express
feelings and thoughts in appropriate ways at an appropriate time and the ability to make
compensation strategies in cases where there is communication breakdown. Despite felt
recognition of the advantages of communicative teaching strategies in achieving fluency and,
eventually, accuracy in communication, classroom settings in the Philippines, where English
is taught as a second language, still reveal a teacher-centered and curriculum-controlled
pedagogy. Although we acknowledge that learners should be at the core of all our
pedagogical efforts, a closer look at classroom situations of our public or state schools would
show that the learners are pushed to the margins. Instead, the deadlines on topic coverage and
scores for achievement tests control the actions and decisions of most of the public school
teachers.
II. Human Subject Information

Name: Loloy (not his real name)

Age: 6 (six) years old
Descriptions:
Loloy is a six-year old boy (not his real name). His parents were both language
teachers and his older sister, who is an honor student, was also studying in the same
elementary school. The subject was chosen for analyzing second language acquisition
processes because he was deemed fluent in his first language- Visaya- and is just starting to
learn English as a second language.
Unlike his sister, Loloy was never exposed early to speaking English at home or with
friends. When he was born, the Visayan language (the Cebuano variety) was the language of
conversation at home because relatives and household helpers (all Cebuano speakers) came to
live with them. All the adult members of the household did not speak “motherese” so Loloy
did not experience “baby talk.”

III. Methodology

To ensure that the data will not only come from the self-report of the learner, the researcher
devised questionnaires and follow-up interviews to solicit opinions and observations from
parents and teachers. Also, flash cards for a linguistic test the researcher devised and
checklist containing categories such as family, colors, fruits, shapes, animals and recorded
observations of interaction with Loloy.
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Honorio Ventura State University
Bacolor, Pampanga

IV. Results
There is no question as to his language aptitude because results of his written exams
and interaction with him during their sessions proved that he has achieved a level of linguistic
competence.

 Social Dimension
In terms of family influence, further interviews from the parents reveal that
unlike his elder sister, Loloy was not used to speaking English. The parents would
talk to the sister in English and they would still have enough time to read to her and
watch cartoons or TV shows in English together. During Loloy’s time, relatives
(grandmother, uncle, aunt, and two working students) were staying with them. The
parents said that they felt awkward talking to him in English with all the Visayan-
speaking family members around who now would watch TV shows in Tagalog most
of the time and speak in Visayan only.
Although Loloy would still watch a lot of cartoons in English with his sister,
the time to read books was lessened because of the internet connection at home; he
would spend a lot of time playing games. The parents also admitted that with hectic
schedules in the university, the reading time with the kids was reduced. The only time
he would sit down to read was when he would join his sister studying her lessons or
preparing for exams.
 Affective Filter
Loloy, his apparent shyness and lack of confidence contribute much to the
lack of willingness to communicate in English. His family and teachers could attest,
based on my interviews,that Loloy had very little participation most of the time when
it comes to oral interaction. He would refuse to participate and would only smile or
grin when asked by the teacher. This smile according to the mother is the same smile
he would put on when faced in a frightening experience or when being reprimanded.
When I asked him this question, he simply said, “maulaw man gud ko” (I’m shy).
When asked why Loloy, unlike the sister, was so inhibited to talk and perform
when teased by his parents’ friends and colleagues, the mother said that Loloy might
be influenced growing up by the ‘monitoring’ or corrections he would hear from his
parents when CJ would commit mistakes in her exams or performances. A keen
listener at home, he probably absorbed the fear every time they would reprimand the
sister when she committed errors in her exams and activities. This situation made him
hesitant to speak in English for fear of being scolded by his parents.
Being a typical conservative Filipino family in a province, the parents would
always remind Loloy and his sister to behave well in public, to lower their voice when
speaking with others, to sit properly, and so on. This explains why according to his
chaperone who peeks to observe him from a glass window, he would only sit properly
and observe his classmates running about the room and would not talk much with
anybody. But when asked by his parents what the activities were during the day, he
could recount all the tasks and would even perform them at home.
 Republic of the Philippines
Don Honorio Ventura State University
Bacolor, Pampanga

In a classroom setting, there was one instance that proves that indeed anxiety
or fear could debilitate learning. I was wondering what happened to his score in a test
I took a picture of. It was obvious that he knew the answers because in other similar
activities he got them right. The mother explained that when he asked Loloy about it,
he said that he rattled because the teacher was shouting to some students who were
unruly during the test. She said this perhaps affected his listening concentration as the
items of the test were dictated to the students. When I asked Loloy about it, he said he
did not like that teacher (a substitute to the full-time teacher) and added, “maldita man
s’ya ug musyagit.” Rough translation to this would be: She’s not nice and she shouts.

V. Recommendations

The following are the recommendations of the researcher after the research findings:

 Social-affective factors are not just imagined concerns but are as real as they are
crucial in the acquisition of a second or a foreign language. These factors-
motivation, self-esteem and willingness to communicate, are not entirely personal
disposition. They are shaped by the family (home) and the teachers (classroom).

VI. Conclusion
The findings of this case study have implications on the following stakeholders:
 It is recommended that teachers conduct research embedded in the realities of
classroom practice so that language teaching methodologies are firmly based on
research studies that understand how the variables of language learning and
acquisition interact with one another.
 Curriculum developers and planners need to base policies and decisions on
researches on language learning and acquisition and in-depth investigations such as
case studies to guide and point our educational system to the right and more
promising direction.
 School administrators must be involved in creating a more nurturing and supportive
environment: rather than curriculum-centered, it should be learner-centered.
 It is recommended that the family ensure the learners’ early language exposure for
them to build their confidence and develop positive attitude towards the target
language.
English language teachers must ensure that the student feels like he or she belongs and is a
valued part of the classroom by making your classroom a nurturing environment, a place
where students are not afraid to speak. Employ task-based learning as a way to encourage
students to speak English in a more non-threatening environment. Be careful when
correcting the learners’ errors. Prepare varied and appropriate instructional materials and
assessment tools to test the competence of both the shy and non-shy members of the class.
Lastly, wear that smile, though exhausted you may be.