CHAPTER 1:

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction
As we all know, many people around the world are not that fluent because of the
fact that their vocabulary proficiency is narrow. They are lack of instructional materials
to learn and broaden their English vocabulary.
In other countries, English is a means of communication because it is considered
as the international language. Clear vocabulary is crucial to language learning because it
underlies all other language skills, can be a stepping stone to advanced language use, and
can help students achieve language fluency more quickly.
Learning vocabulary is not an easy task. It needs creative processes to help
students develop interest in words. The more words that the learners know, the better they
can listen, read, speak and write. A good vocabulary helps them to express their thoughts
clearly. A person with a large vocabulary can understand and enjoy more activities and
be a more interesting person than one who knows only a small number of words. They
need more words as they learn new facts or varied activities.

Vocabulary is the entire words that make up a language. Before someone studies
about the English skill, he should learn about vocabulary as the first step. Vocabulary is
one of the important factors in all language teaching, student must continually be learning
words as they learn structure and as they practice sound system (Gushendra, 2017).
According to Alqahtani (2015), vocabulary learning is an essential part in foreign
language learning as the meanings of new words are very often emphasized, whether in
books or in classrooms. It is also central to language teaching and is of paramount
importance to a language learner.
As a student, English is a must to teach learners and explain to them the value of
English language. To be proficient in English, learners should learn the language itself
and it will not be achieved if they only have limited stock of vocabulary. Thus, there is
the necessity for the researcher to measure the learners’ vocabulary proficiency level and
the factors that may affect their proficiency level through this research study.
 Al-Atoum (2017) indicated that cognitive flexibility is an important component of
creative thinking and indicates the automatic cognitive state by changing the situation or
its characteristics. This means the ability to produce a variety of ideas about a specific
problem or situation and the shift from a certain type of thinking to another when
responding to a stimulus that challenges the individual's thinking.

Vocabulary is very important as it is the basis of any language. They are the raw
building blocks we can use to express our thoughts and ideas, share information,
understand others, and develop personal relationships. Even if we barely know a
language and have no knowledge of grammar, we can still communicate.

A person who lacks of vocabulary may encounter difficulties when speaking

because of the fact that they are inexperienced and does not have enough exposure in
reading. The researchers would want to study and analyze the English language variables
and the vocabulary proficiency level of the students in the Tanauan Institute Inc. where
they are currently engaged in to provide an enhance instructional material to develop
reading skill.

Background of the Study

Nowadays, learning English has become more important in all levels of students.

It has been necessary at primary and secondary school because it is used as a standard in

National Examinations.

Teachers, concedes to the fact that there is an immense deterioration in the quality

service of education in our country more so in the expanse of the English language. One

significant basis is that when the Department of Education officially disclosed that there

was a notable decline in the results of the National Achievement Test, particularly in the

area of English.
 Also, in a classroom scenario, the researcher observed that most students have

difficulty in reading and writing in English. These days, most of them do not understand

the meaning of some words commonly understood by students of their age level.

Moreover, the researchers are concerned about the ability of the students to understand

and make sense of the vocabulary they encounter in the lesson.

The present research study is anchored on determining the related variables and

vocabulary proficiency level of second year college students and how it is being affected

by the profile of the respondents, learning English related variables, home related

variables and vocabulary proficiency related variables. With the deteriorating results in

the expanse of vocabulary in various achievement tests, the purpose of this study is to

assess the vocabulary level of the students and determine the factors that largely affect

their level of vocabulary proficiency.

Conceptual Framework

The foregoing illustration describes the three distinctive parts of variables, namely

the independent variables or the input, the intervening variables in the throughput or the

means/ process and the dependent variables or the output training.

The first block contains the profile of the respondents, respondents’ perception on

learning English, respondents perceive their vocabulary proficiency and the vocabulary

proficiency level of the respondents.

The second block which is the throughput analysis of English language

vocabulary proficiency, distribution, retrieval and analysis of the questionnaire and the

application of the appropriate statistical treatment on the data gathered.

 The third block contains Significant/Non-Significant differences in the vocabulary

proficiency level of the respondents when grouped according to sections and the enhance

instructional material.

Input Throughput Output

Profile of the respondents Use of questionnaires in Significant/ Non-Significant

gathering data to identify as differences in the
formulated in the statement Vocabulary Proficiency
Respondents’ perception on of the problem Level of the respondents
learning English
when grouped according to
sections
Data gathering procedure
Respondents perceive their
vocabulary proficiency
Enhance Instructional
Analysis and Interpretation of Material
Vocabulary Proficiency Level data
of the respondents

Utilization of statistical tools

for the treatment of data.

AN ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE VARIABLES AND

PROFICIENCY LEVEL OF THE SECOND YEAR
BACHELOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION MAJOR IN
ENGLISH STUDENTS IN TANAUAN INSTITUTE INC.

Figure 1. Research Paradigm of the Study

Statement of the Problem

The main purpose of this study is to assess the learning English related variables

and proficiency level in vocabulary of second year college students at Tanauan Institute

Inc. that can be a basis for teaching English as a second language. Specifically, the

present study sought to answer the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondent in terms of :

1.1 Gender ;

1.2 Parents’ Educational Attainment ;

1.3 Parents’ Occupation ; and

1.4 Extra-curricular involvement ?

2. What are the respondents’ perception on learning English in terms of:

2.1 Multiple Intelligence ;

2.2 Attitude towards English ;

2.3 Reading Habit ;

2.4 Learning Style ; and

2.5 Peer Influence ?

3. How do the respondents perceive their vocabulary proficiency in terms of

the following:
 3.1 Context Clues ;

3.2 Synonyms/Antonyms ;

3.3 Word Structure ; and

3.4 Word with Multiple Meanings?

4. What is the vocabulary proficiency level of the respondents in terms of

4.1 Context Clues ;

4.2 Synonyms/Antonyms ;

4.3 Word Structure ; and

4.4 Words with Multiple Meanings ?

5. Are there significant differences in the Vocabulary Proficiency Level of

the respondents when grouped according to sections?

Research Hypotheses

1. The vocabulary proficiency levels of second year students are not significantly

related to the following factors:

1. Profile of the Respondents

2. Learning English Related Variables

3. Vocabulary-Related Variables
 2. There are no significant differences in the vocabulary proficiency level of the

respondents when grouped according to sections.

Significance of the Study

The results of this study have great advantage.

Administrators. The results of this research study maybe used by the

administrators in the preparation of plans and programs inclined to foster and promote the

use of the English Language especially when it comes to vocabulary proficiency. It can

also be an instrument for them to encourage teachers to work with diligence and

efficiency so as to achieve the institution’s goal of producing quality and globally-

competitive graduates.

Teachers. The findings may be a feasible basis for the teachers to assess and

evaluate whether their teaching strategies are effective or not. Through this study, they

can seek the help and support of parents and peers in motivating and guiding the

students so that instruction and learning in school can be supplemented commensurately.

Students. Knowing the importance of the English Language in globalizations, the

results can make the students realize the value of improving one’s vocabulary level. It

will serve as their passport in competing with the rest of the world

Parents. Through the findings of this research study, the parents may be able to

know the importance of parental motivation in learning thus, serving as veritable basis

for them to employ good parenting style and motivation. This may also serve as an eye-

opener for them in inculcating in their children the value of improving one’s vocabulary.
Though it may require parents to spend more time teaching their children than doing the

chores at home, it will definitely establish a strong bond and create harmonious

relationship between parents and children.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The present study is a descriptive correlational research that deals with the study

“An Analysis of English Language Variables and Vocabulary Proficiency Level of

Tanauan Institute Inc. Second Year College Students: Basis for an Enhance Instructional

Material to Develop Reading Skill of the Second Year Bachelor of Secondary Education

Major in English Students in Tanauan Institute Inc.”., situated in the town of Tanauan

Province of Batangas. Surveys were conducted for the School Year 2021-2022.

This study will be limited to second year college students in Tanauan Institute Inc.

for the school year 2021-2022. The total number of two hundred (200) students were

taken as representative of college department in Tanauan Institute Inc.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally to help the readers and other future

researchers understand this study better.

Attitude towards English pertains to the orientations and behaviors of the

learner towards the English language.

Context clues. It refers to the hint in the sentence that helps the reader defines

the unfamiliar words.

 Learning Style refers to the individual’s unique approach to learning based on

strengths, weaknesses and preferences.

Multiple Intelligence indicated in a checklist that will identify pupil’s different

learning abilities, skills and capabilities.

Reading Habit considered as the active skill-based process of constructing

meaning and gaining knowledge from oral, written and visual text.

Parents’ Educational Attainment. This refers to the highest education level

reached by the parents of the intermediate pupils.

Word with Multiple Meanings refers on how student can identify words with

more than one meaning.

Word Structure refers to how a student can identify the formation of words

which includes inflection, derivation formation and compounds in a sentence is to what

the term refers to.

Vocabulary Level considered as the degree, amount, and quality of the stock of

words of the respondents as measured by the given test.

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

 This chapter presents the related literature and studies which are deemed

important in the development of the present research work.

A. Related Literature

Foreign Literature

According to Bashir & Mattoo (2012), Both reading and academic achievements

are interrelated and dependent on each other. Students often come from different

environments and localities with different levels of academic achievement. Therefore,

they differ in the pattern of reading habits. While some students have good reading

habits, others tend to exhibit poor reading habits. Academic achievement means how

much knowledge the individual has acquired from the school.

Moreover, Nordquist (2017; 2018) said that anyone who has learned English

alongside other local languages in a community that uses the language for a variety of

domains may likewise be considered as a native speaker. The continuous development of

Philippine English and its growing corpus of innovative features which make it different

from Standard American English may be attributed to the unique language profile of

Filipino users of English.

In addition, Evans (2017) explained that how hard English is to learn depends on

what your native language is; and this follows as languages are more (or less) closely

related to one another; if your native language is more similar, in terms of sounds,

vocabulary and grammatical patterns to another – for instance you're a speaker of Dutch

or German – then English will be easier to learn. But if your mother tongue comes from a

more distantly related tongue - say Japanese - then English is more likely to prove a
tougher nut to crack. This proves that the learners really had a hard time performing in

English because they were exposed to a different language.

Moreover, Polish (2018) mentioned that students cannot speak English well

because they speak a language other than English especially in their homes and have a

limited proficiency in English. This suggests that the learners were not exposed much to

Standard English. Sad to note, no one got a rating of Outstanding. This means that the

target language was really difficult to learn for the respondents. No one was able to speak

fluently using Standard English. This also implies that the target language is yet to be

learned, to be used and practiced more regularly, and to be mastered.

However, Issa et al, (2012) stated that Reading is an essential tool for knowledge

transfer and the habit of reading is an academic activity that increases skills in reading

strategies. To know about the world and its environment, a child helps himself through

reading books, newspapers and other magazines. Once the child has been taught to read

and has developed the love for books, he can explore for himself the wealth of human

experiences and knowledge through reading. Reading is an intellectual action which is

possible only if a man forms a habit of reading and practices these from childhood.

Reading habits, therefore, play a very crucial role in enabling a person to achieve

practical efficiency. “Laws die but books never.” Indeed, books are the most suitable

medium through which knowledge is transmitted from generation to generation.

Likewise, Snow (2013) mentioned that availability of reading materials has been

shown to play key roles in children’s literacy development. Interactions around print

materials can take many forms. Perhaps the most studied parent-child interaction around
print materials involves storybook reading. Storybook reading has been shown to support

young children’s language development as well as some literacy skills.

In addition, Palani (2012) implies making meaning out of recorded information

either printed or non-printed in the life of an individual. People read for different reasons

and purposes, some of which include for pleasure, leisure, relaxation, information and for

knowledge. Reading is the identification of the symbols and the association of

appropriate meaning with them. It requires identification and comprehension.

Comprehension skills help the learner to understand the meaning of words in isolation

and in context. He believes reading is a process of thinking, evaluating, judging,

imagining, reasoning and problem solving.

However, Agrawal and Hundekeri (2013) found that higher percentages of rank

holder belong to homes with higher parental education and higher percentages of failed

students belong to those who have lower parental education.

Parallel to this, Kebiel (2012) investigated teachers and students’ perceptions in

vocabulary learning strategies. It was found from the study that the majority of the

teachers and students don’t have adequate knowledge about learning strategies and

vocabulary learning strategies. Teachers are not aware of the importance of vocabulary

and vocabulary learning strategies and those vocabulary strategies are not integrated in

the English curriculum.

According to Al-Darayseh (2014) investigated the impact of a combination of

both vocabulary teaching strategies on developing EFL learners’ vocabulary size and

their reading whose findings revealed that the combination of explicit and implicit
vocabulary strategies has proved to be effective in increasing students’ vocabulary size

and their reading skill.

Zarin and Khan (2014) mentioned that investigating vocabulary learning

strategies among undergraduate learners revealed that memory strategy was found as the

most frequently used strategy whereas metacognitive strategy as the least frequently one.

Local Literature

According to Dimaculangan (2018), The following on the importance of

Philippine English. First, teach the learners that the varieties of English may enhance the

development of their linguistic, academic and cultural skills. And second, everyone

should be lenient, respectful and grateful of our Asian brother‟ Englishes and cultures as

well to enjoy conversing with one another and will learn other cultural communication

means that may sustain the intelligibility of our Englishes.

Moreover, Dayon (2018) has proven that Philippine English flourishes in samples

from multiple sources of corpora such as student composition, print media, virtual

communication, billboard ads, and office communication.

However, Hebreio (2013) said that the term “learning styles” is commonly used

throughout various educational fields and therefore has many connotations. In general it

refers to the uniqueness of how each learner receives and process new information this

senses.

According to Parba J. (2021), Filipino 300 level courses aim to enhance students’

proficiency in the four language skills but have broadly focused on speaking and writing

in order to comply with institutional expectations for classes that have an oral and writing
focus. These skills, however, are not taught in isolation and are often taught in tandem

with and to support other skills. For instance, some reading activities are used for

enhancing speaking, writing, and comprehension skills. Listening activities are likewise

used for building students’ comprehension, vocabulary development, and writing skills.

Cuarto & Rivera (2018) Learning of English as second and even foreign language

has been stressed out in all levels of education. Thus, teachers and researchers have been

focusing on describing externally observable behaviors of language learners, followed by

attempts to label categorized strategic behaviors and link them to language proficiency.

This descriptive correlational study aimed to describe the extent of learners’ use of the

language learning strategies (LLS) and determine its relationship with the English

proficiency test performance of college students (N=82). The Oxford’s Strategy

Inventory Language Learning (SILL) and a standardized College English Proficiency

Test were the main instruments of the study. Results showed that memory,

metacognitive, cognitive, compensation, organizing and evaluation and affective learning

strategies do not significantly affect students’ English proficiency test performance;

whereas social learning strategies is a strong predictor of students’ English proficiency

test performance. This research provides a basis for utilizing social learning strategies as

an intervention for improving students’ English proficiency.

Delgado (2015) With the diversity of learners, identifying their multiple

intelligences and vocabulary levels has a significant contribution to the academe. The

study, which employed mixed methods, aimed to determine the multiple intelligences and

the vocabulary level of the teacher education students enrolled in a state university in the

Philippines. The quantitative data were obtained using the MIDAS-24 and the validated
vocabulary test; while the qualitative data were obtained from interviews and some

documents. The numerical data were processed considering the percentage, mean,

standard deviation, and ANOVA, using the SPSS software. The text data were subjected

to qualitative analysis, such as documentation, and coding and categorization. The

findings revealed the following: (a) considering the multiple intelligence(s) they

possessed, the students were grouped into seven clusters, where the most number of them

had interpersonal intelligence; (b) when considered as a whole and when classified

according to their multiple intelligences, they had an “average” vocabulary level, or they

had a limited vocabulary; and (c) no significant difference existed in their vocabulary

levels when grouped according to multiple intelligence classification. The results then

served as bases on the development of instructional materials designed to complement the

students’ multiple intelligences and to improve their vocabulary.

Aguisando (2013) Language proficiency has remained a relative term in linguistic

parlance and tended to depend on one’s grammar and vocabulary abilities. In particular,

the decline of the oral proficiency among Filipinos is so alarming that it warrants an

investigation regarding some factors that can uplift the speaking competency of students.

This study aimed to establish the influence of grammar and vocabulary on the speaking

competency of the University of the Immaculate Conception Education students.

Specifically, it sought to determine the grammar and vocabulary proficiencies, and the

level of speaking competency in terms of fluency, pronunciation, sentence structure and

word use of student participants. The study employed a descriptive-correlation design

using researcher-made questionnaires patterned after standardized English tests to

determine the grammar, vocabulary and speaking proficiencies of 80 students selected

through purposive sampling. The findings revealed that the students’ grammar,

vocabulary, and speaking proficiencies are average. Pearson r test revealed that grammar

proficiency is not significantly correlated to any of the indicators of speaking competency

(p>0.05), whereas vocabulary proficiency showed a weak significant relationship with

word use (r= 0.22; p-value = 0.05). Hence, grammar and vocabulary proficiencies may

not be used as predictors of the speaking competency of the Education students.

Tado (2019) The Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Program, the Reading

Preferences, Vocabulary and Comprehension Skills of the Teacher Education Students

were the focus of the study. Specifically, this study aimed to: (1) determine the level of

implementation of the DEAR Program; (2) determine the reading preferences of the

students; (3) find out the level of vocabulary skills of the students; (4) find out the level

of comprehension skills of the students; (5) determine if there is a significant relationship

between the following variables under study: the level of implementation and the reading

preferences; level of implementation and vocabulary skills; level of implementation and

comprehension skills; the reading preferences and comprehension skills; the reading

preferences and vocabulary skills; and, the vocabulary skills and comprehension skills of

Teacher Education Students. In addition, this study aimed to get information on how

these TES think and feel about the implementation of the DEAR Program, the insights

gained in terms of vocabulary skills, moral lessons obtained and reflections/reactions

cited. The study used the DEAR logs submitted by the TES for the level of

implementation, moral lessons obtained and reflections/reactions cited. For the level of

vocabulary and comprehension skills, the researcher conducted a test validated by a

Language Expert of the school. For the reading preferences, it used a survey, and for the
issues and concern and insights of the program, the researcher used group interviews to

students. For relationships there is no significant relationship between the level of

implementation and the reading preferences, the level of implementation and vocabulary

skills, level of implementation and comprehension skills, reading preferences and

vocabulary skills, and between reading preferences and comprehension skills. On the

other hand, there is a significant relationship between the vocabulary and comprehension

skills of the students. Based on the findings of the study, first, the DEAR Program has not

strengthened Teacher Education students’ vocabulary and comprehension skills level for

some levels are low and some are moderate. Second, the preferred reading materials by

TES were non-fiction but this has no bearing with their vocabulary skills and

comprehension skills for it does not show significant relationships.

Barraquio (2015) This undertaking quantitatively assessed the grammar

proficiency of Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba college students to identify

weaknesses and eventually improve instruction and the quality of learning of students.

Using the descriptive method of research, the researcher assessed the college

students’ grammar proficiency by using a teacher-made questionnaire to identify the

specific areas of grammar difficulties. A 50-item multiple choice test, which evaluated

knowledge of the 10 areas of grammar, was specifically used. Grammar areas were based

on 30 common grammatical errors of second language users resulting from the study

done by Andrea Lungsford and Robert Corner of the University of California in San

Diego. Demographic profile of students, as well as their perceptions on the importance of

grammar to the use of correct English, was considered. Using proportional stratified

random sampling, this study tested 359 students enrolled in the 2nd semester of AY
2005-2006 across all departments and in all year levels. The study likewise included a

total enumeration of all the nine full-time and part-time college faculty of English.

In general, Letran Calamba college students received fair ratings in parts of

speech, possessive nouns, and verb mood and tense. Areas of plural nouns, pronoun

usage, adjective and adverb usage, and pronoun-antecedent agreement needed

improvement. The students failed in the areas of sentence structure, subject- verb

agreement, and sentence construction. Respondents perceived grammar as extremely

important to the correct use of English. No significant relationship was established

between the overall perceived importance of the study of grammar to the correct use of

English and student’s overall grammar proficiency. There was also no significant

difference between the faculty and students’ perception regarding the importance of

grammar to the correct use of English. Moreover, grammar was found to be extremely

important in writing and speaking as perceived both by faculty and students.

Research findings showed that grammar was relatively important in the

development of identified English competencies among Letran Calamba college students.

Hence, the school should consider making all freshmen students enroll in English 101 or

Remedial English.

According to Biglete (2013), he mentioned that gender is considered as a societal

construction of one’s genetic sex. Gender construction play out in various aspects of both

males and females lives. One way in which this gender is played out is in gender

stereotypes.
B. Related Studies

Foreign Studies

According to Vygotsky (2017), The Level of English proficiency of learners

describes their ability to use English to make and communicate meaning. It also describes

one's ability to understand and produce English, including reading and writing if

applicable. Having a wide range of vocabulary doesn't necessarily mean one has more

English proficiency. If a person with a smaller vocabulary speaks confidently and

communicates well, then said person has stronger English proficiency than someone who

isn't as comfortable speaking. Comparison on the level of English proficiency of learners

taught in Philippine English and Standard English refers to the means of examining

which of the two English yielded a higher performance rate of the respondents in their

Oral Communication in Context class.

According to Apthorp, H., Randel, B., Cherasaro, T., Clark, T., McKeown, M.,

Beck, I. (2012) A cluster randomized trial estimated the effects of a supplemental

vocabulary program, Elements of Reading: vocabulary on student vocabulary and

passage comprehension in moderate- to high-poverty elementary schools. Forty-four

schools participated over a period spanning 2 consecutive school years. At baseline,

1,057 teachers and 16,471 students from kindergarten, first, third, and fourth grade

participated. The schools were randomly assigned to either the primary or intermediate

grade treatment group. In each group, the nontreatment classrooms provided the control

condition. Treatment classrooms used the intervention to supplement their core reading

program, whereas control classrooms taught vocabulary business-as-usual. The

intervention includes structured, weekly lesson plans for 6 to 8 literary words and

aural/oral and written language activities providing multiple exposures and opportunity

for use. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to estimate both proximal (Year 1) and

distal (Year 2) effects on vocabulary and passage comprehension. The intervention had

positive and statistically significant proximal effects but no statistically significant distal

effects. The results indicate that the intervention can improve targeted vocabulary and

local passage comprehension, but expecting global effects may be overly optimistic.

However, Al-Eiadeh’s (2016) also mentioned that the learners face many

problems related to speaking skills, such as confusion and embarrassment, not learn

speaking lessons correctly at school, and difficulty in pronouncing some words. The

results also showed that the most frequent problems were the limited amount of

vocabulary among learners, while the least frequent problems were the difficulty in

understanding questions.

In addition, Camp (2017) stated that the common sense aside, there is

overwhelming evidence that learning takes time, and that places where students get more

time to ask are places where students tend to excel. In other words, it means that students

are said to excel better in a place which allows them to study and ask many questions.

School is one of the places which provide students with teachers who can help them with

the learning materials. Some teachers make masterful use of their minutes with students,

advancing the powerful use of 20 their time with students to something of an art form.

The lesson hours used by teachers and student is very crucial and plays big role in

determining the students understanding in the materials and their ability.

 In contrast, Orbe (2016) wrote that “in sum, Philippine English is a highly

intelligible and acceptable language, its vocabulary is dynamically expanding, and its

rules and conventions in grammar, style, and usage is flexible and eclectic. Because of

these characteristics, Philippine English is continually evolving, benefitting from a multi-

dimensional effort of propagation through education, media, and literature, and the

dominance of „accented‟ Filipino agents in call centers in the country.” This is very true

in the Semestral General Average of the learners taught using Philippine English which is

89 with a descriptor of Very Satisfactory.

Reading habits are well-planned and deliberate pattern of study which has

attained a form of consistency on the part of students toward understanding academic

subjects and passing at examinations. Reading habits determine the academic

achievements of students to a great extent.

According to Putri (2016), the lack of materials about indicators above showed

that the learning materials didn’t cover the overall needs of students to fulfill the basic

competencies in order to achieve intermediate level of proficiency. It showed the need of

teachers to find suitable textbook to use in teaching and learning process. The text book

chosen should cover all the indicators of basic competencies. In other words, the low

proficiency level of students was caused by two factors. Those are the insufficient

learning materials and lesson hours. Thus, the researchers proposed these factors to be

improved by all relevant parties.

According to Samuelson & McMurray (2017), Early language exposure is central

to this environment and, as such, of critical importance not only to these early
achievements but to life trajectory (e.g., achievement and employment). During the first

three years there is a rapid expansion in early vocabulary.

Moreover, Weisleder and Fernald (2013) found the quantity of input directed to

children at 19 months to be associated with expressive vocabulary size at 24 months of

age and Hirsh-Pasek et al. (2015) found the quality of parent-child interactions at 24

months predicted children’s expressive language at 36 months of age.

In contrast, Rowe (2012) said that one study evaluated the relative importance of

SES (maternal education and income), maternal input, and early vocabulary growth in the

first 30 months as predictors of vocabulary skill at 54 months in monolingual English

children. As expected, early SES and input were associated with later vocabulary skill,

and early child vocabulary growth emerged as the strongest predictor.

However, Hoff, Burridge, Ribot, and Giguere (2018) proposed that the influence

of maternal education is language-specific: level of education in English should support

children’s English vocabulary and level of education in Spanish should support Spanish

vocabulary. Maternal education in English (dichotomously coded as college completion)

was associated with English vocabulary size at 30 months and with growth from 30 to 60

months of age. Maternal education in Spanish was marginally associated with Spanish

vocabulary size at 30 months, but not with vocabulary growth.

Local Studies

In the study of Miguel (2012), girls develop linguistic skills reading and talking

earlier than the boys. Boys on the other hand, develop spatial manipulation skills earlier
than girls. For this reason, boys are more physical while girls are more skilled

interpersonally.

According to Burce (2016), she cited in her study that learning style is the natural

process of acquiring new or modifying and reinforcing, existing knowledge, behaviors,

skills, values or preferences and may involve synthesizing different types of information.

People and animals possessed the ability to learn. Learning does not happen all at once. It

requires time. It is built upon and is shaped by previous knowledge. Learning produces

changes in the organism and the changes produced are relatively permanent.

In addition, Reyes (2013) stated that peer group or peer influence provide form

where teens construct and reconstruct their identities. Studies show that the decline of

English use and proficiency greatly affects learning the output and the performance of the

school itself. Poor achievement of the students in the three core subjects namely English,

Mathematics and Science are attributed to insufficient vocabulary and comprehension.

According to Villamin (2015), she cited in her study that home environment has

been critical in the development of variety of cognitive and linguistic skills that have

been revealed to be important factors in early literacy development.

Accroding to Haber (2014) The main objective of this study was to determine the

learning strategies used by College Freshmen to enhance the development of English

language proficiency; and to find out the extent of using them along phonology,

vocabulary and grammar. The survey-results served as the basis of devising an

instructional tool that would offer more learning techniques and ways that would enhance

further the development of English proficiency. The descriptive method of research was
applied. Survey questionnaires of two parts were used. Part 1 was a diagnostic test in

English focused on phonology, vocabulary and grammar. Part 2 was an inventory of

English Language learning strategies that emphasized reading and study skills, which

also determined the extent of using them along the three (3) elements of English. The

research venue was Camarines Sur State Agricultural College where 255 College

Freshmen served as respondents. The statistical tools used were score interval, weighted

mean, averaging and ranking systems.

Results showed that the College freshmen are moderately proficient both on

vocabulary and grammar but are hardly proficient on phonology. Varied learning

strategies on reading and studying exercises are frequently used by the respondents in

developing English proficiency. The extent or frequency of using learning strategies

along the English language elements revealed that the respondents moderately used target

learning strategies along phonology while they frequently used said strategies along

vocabulary and grammar elements of English language.”Language Strategies for Better

English Proficiency” was devised to offer more learning ways and techniques that would

enhance English proficiency development. The teaching tool entitled “Language

Strategies for Better English Proficiency” was found valid to be used in the curriculum.

In agreement with Dapiawen (2015) This study sought to describe the vocabulary

learning techniques among the students of the School of International Hospitality and

Tourism Management. A questionnaire-checklist was utilized to gather the needed data.

The participants in the study were the Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant

Management (BSHRM), the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management (BSTM), and

the Associate in Hotel and Restaurant Management students enrolled in English 1 for 1st
semester of the A.Y.2014-2015.The sample size of 488 participants were randomly

picked from the different sections of the three courses. Frequency counts and weighted

mean were used to get the data on the students’ frequency of using the vocabulary

learning techniques, and their degree of agreement on the perceived benefits of having a

wide or rich vocabulary. The findings reveal that the students rarely use the vocabulary

learning techniques, but they strongly agree on the perceived benefits of an enhanced

vocabulary.

As stated by Bellido & Rico (2021) This study aimed to determine the level of

vocabulary skills of Grade 9 students of Botolan National High. This was identified by

using the DepEd E-class Record transmutation table and descriptive rating. The study

which used descriptive analysis research was also utilized to know the level of

vocabulary of 155 Grade 9 respondents of Botolan National High School SY 2019- 2020.

Results and findings of the study led to the development of the supplementary

instructional materials to enhance the level of vocabulary of Grade 9 students. The

findings revealed that the level of vocabulary skills of the students before exposure to

context clues was Fairly Satisfactory, while the level of the vocabulary skills of the

students after exposure to context clues was Satisfactory. The level of vocabulary skills

of the students before exposure to visual association was Fairly Satisfactory while the

level of the vocabulary skills of the students after exposure to visual association was also

Fairly Satisfactory. There was significant relationship on the level of vocabulary skills of

the students before and after exposure to context clue and visual association strategies. It

is recommended therefore that appropriate supplementary instructional materials be

devised and utilized in order to enhance the level of vocabulary skills of Grade 9

students.

In accordance with Mocero (2018) The study assessed the barriers and innovative

strategies in developing the English language proficiency of secondary school students in

Mataasnakahoy District. The results were used as a basis for an action plan in English

language enhancement. Thus the findings show that majority of the respondent are

moderately proficient or approaching proficiency in English. The respondents moderately

agreed that the linguistic barrier affects their proficiency. They further attested that they

need to be proficient in diction and pronunciation. Also, the students are moderately

affected by physical barriers, specifically in differentiating meaning and sentences

structure development and reading. The respondents positively attested that support

coming from friends and appreciation of people positively affects them, and that is why

they have slight hesitance to join speaking activities. On the other hand, the respondents

are psychologically motivated to learn English as they have a high interest and love for

English words, however;, they still lack the confidence to speak the language most of the

time. Meanwhile, the teachers strongly utilized strategies to correct the effects of the

physical barrier by simplifying, clarifying and explaining difficult information in order

for the students to merge the information well. The teachers strongly agreed that they

fully utilize counteract measures for social barriers of proficiency by explaining each

collaborative activity's value and engaging the students to participate more fully in

activities. The teaching strategies that respond to the psychological barriers of proficiency

are strongly utilized by fostering students' encouragement and welcoming students

inquires. The physical and linguistic aspects are not related to the student's proficiency in

English, unlike that of the social and psychological barrier.

According to Uychoco (2012) The study described the academic reading

proficiency level of incoming college freshmen which served as an input to the design of

learning modules. It used a validated 50-item researcher made test and two sets of

questionnaires to determine the adequacy of learning activities and the extent of

utilization of academic reading strategies by content area teachers. The research found

the student respondents unprepared for college work given the moderate academic

reading proficiency index. Concerned language and content area teachers failed to

provide enough learning activities and sufficient opportunity and training in the use of

academic reading strategies that will enhance students’ level of proficiency in content

area reading. It is recommended that topics designed to develop academic reading skills

of senior high school students be included in the course content in secondary schools; that

English teachers provide more learning activities and experiences expected in content

area reading; and that content area teachers become active reading teachers by facilitating

comprehension through the use of time-tested academic reading strategies.

According to Beck, McKeown, and Kucan’s (2013) three-tiered model of

vocabulary to gauge the vocabulary level of the students. Moreover, the researchers used

quasi-experimental research to test whether or not collaboration between teachers and

parents is effective in improving the vocabulary skills of students. This study used pre-

test and post-test to measure students’ vocabulary skills. A training matrix was developed

by the researchers to be used for the month-long duration of the experiment. In the

matrix, the researchers employed vocabulary exercises during the experiment. The data
gathered were statistically analyzed using SPSS. The results of the study are presented

and discussed with reference to the aim of the study; based on the computed mean of the

pre- and post-tests, it was found out that there is an increase in the students’ level of

performance in vocabulary. Moreover, the results accepted the hypothesis that there is a

significant difference before and after the exposure to parent-teacher collaboration.

Lastly, it is proposed that parent-teacher partnership shall be the next priority of the

school Continuous Improvement Program (CIP) which will highlight communication

skills primarily.

Synthesis

The foregoing discussions of literature and studies focus mainly on the analysis of

English vocabulary proficiency level of the students and english related variables of the

students.

As Agrawal, Zarin, Rowe and Hoff have common idea in their studies which

states that the parental education, occupation and income affect the children’s knowledge

about the vocabulary. As Zarin mentioned undergraduate learners are more inefficient

when it comes on learning English Language and unable to expand their vocabulary due

to social economic status.

On the same side are the studies of Bashir, Issa and Palani which mentioned that

the students’ English vocabulary proficiency is dependent in their reading habit. Bashir

think that they differ in the pattern of reading habits. While some students have good

reading habits, others tend to exhibit poor reading habits.

The studies of Issa, Kebiel, Al-Darayseh, Cuarto and Rivera are mainly focus on

the learning and teaching strategies of how students perceive English vocabulary. The
perspectives of teachers and students in vocabulary learning practices were explored. The

majority of teachers and pupils, according to the study, lack adequate knowledge of

learning methodologies and vocabulary learning procedures.

As stated by Camp and Villamin, their studies agree to each other that the

vocabulary proficiency learning development of the student is base in the place where

they are studying. There is abundant evidence that learning requires time, and that

students who have more time to ask questions excel in environments where they have

more time to ask.

In opposition to previous positions are the different studies of Biglete and Miguel.

Gender is viewed as a societal creation of one's genetic sex, according to them. Gender

construction affects both males and females in different ways. Gender stereotypes are one

way in which this gender is expressed.

 Chapter 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES

This chapter aims to show the research design of the study, the respondents of the

study, the sampling procedure, the research instrument, the validity and reliability of the

instrument, the data gathering procedure and the statistical treatment used in the present

study.

Research Design

The research design will be descriptive/correlational design. To be able to gather

pertinent data and information needed to answer the problem the researchers employed

descriptive research utilizing questionnaire as data gathering instrument. A set of

questionnaires was prepared for the students. The descriptive method was used to

establish the relationships that exist, practice that prevail processes going and effects that

are developing.

Descriptive Method was used in this study. It includes the collection of data in an

attempt to test the hypotheses and different questions formulated with regard to the status

of the subject under the study. Descriptive research, is used to describe characteristics of
a population or phenomenon being studied. It does not answer questions about

how/when/why the characteristics occurred.

According to Alberto (2011), descriptive method is also known as statistical

research, it describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being

studied. This research method is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical

calculations. Often the best approach prior to writing descriptive research, is conducting a

survey investigation. The characteristics of this method were used a tool to determine if

clothing affects the self-esteem of teenagers. This method is used to gather information in

order to test hypothesis or to answer questions concerning the currents status of the

subject of the study.

Correlational method is used to define the relationship between two variables. The

whole purpose of using correlations in research is to figure out which variables are

connected. Correlation is used to test relationships between quantitative variables or

categorical variables. In other words, it's a measure of how things are related. The study

of how variables are correlated is called correlation analysis. It aims to show the

correlation between English language variables and English proficiency level of the

students.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of the study are 28 college students from the department of

Secondary Education Major in English in Tanauan Institute Inc. during the Academic

Year 2021-2022.

Locale of the Study

 The researchers chose the Tanauan Institute Inc. as the locale of the study because

they believe that the students of the said school can provide the necessary information in

this study.

Figure 1: Map of Tanauan City showing the school used in this study.

Legend: School used in in the study Tanauan Institute Inc.

Research Instruments

The researchers adopted-made questionnaire is the instrument used in gathering

the data from the respondents through the use of google forms. To achieve the reliability

and authenticity of the result, the researchers gave a series of vocabulary tests to the

respondents before the final test. Vocabulary tests were divided into a series of tests.

Each test was composed of five (5) sets: ten (10) items for context clues, ten (10) items

for synonyms, ten (10) items for antonyms, ten (10) items for word structure and ten (10)

items for word with multiple meanings in total (50) items in each series of test.

The final test was constructed to complete the English Vocabulary Test. The

questionnaire is composed of three parts:

Part I included the profile of the respondents in terms of gender, parents’

educational attainment, parents’ occupation, and extra-curricular involvement.

Part II was the perception of the students on English in terms of multiple

intelligence, attitude towards English, reading habit, learning style and peer influence.

Part III was the respondents’ perception on vocabulary proficiency related

variables in terms of context clues, synonyms/antonyms, word structure and word with

multiple meanings.

Part IV was the final English vocabulary test that assessed the vocabulary

proficiency of the respondents. It is composed of four (4) sets of tests: Vocabulary test for

context clues, synonyms/antonyms, word structure and word with multiple meanings.
Each set is composed of ten (10) multiple choice items, each is made up of the target

word and four choices from which the respondents’ knowledge of English terms that are

normally used in different classroom setting can be determined.

The content validity of the questionnaire was highly regarded by the researchers.

It was subjected to nitpicking and review of the adviser and teachers of English. The

questionnaires/test was personally distributed by the researchers to the respondents in

Tanauan Institute Inc., School Year 2021-2022.

Validity of Questionnaire

The questionnaire was created using the information specified in the Statement of

the Problem.

The initial draft was completed and sent to the adviser for modifications,

alterations, and improvements. The second was created and submitted to a panel of

experts consisted of three professionals in the field of education who were not involved in

the study for its content to be able to prove its validity, based on the adviser's constructive

criticism and suggestions.

Reliability of the Questionnaire

To verify the reliability of the questionnaire, there was a dry run to where it was

piloted and given to the students through the use of google forms in First Asian Institute

of Technology and Humanities of Tanauan who were not included in the respondents of

this study.
 The answers from questionnaire were collected and evaluated through percentage

and rank, weighted mean and Pearson correlation. The Pearson correlation were used

whereby after a week of the first administration of questionnaire will be administered

again. This were done to confirm whether the perception of the teachers after the first and

second test administration showed significant bearing with one another.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers seek the permission to the adviser or deans of studies and the
advisers to conduct and distribute questionnaires to students enrolled in Tanauan Institute
Inc.’s second year college of Bachelor of Secondary Education. The study will begin
disseminating the questionnaire through an online survey. However, the researchers will
send the respondents a copy of the questionnaire via online platform (e.g., Google Form).
Survey questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents.

Furthermore, after the respondents have taken the questionnaire, the research must
collect the questionnaires and all the data collected and evaluated during the survey.

Statistical Treatment of Data

The following statistical tools were used in order to arrive at the analysis and
interpretation of the data gathered.

To answer SOP number 1, 2 and 3 and 4 the Average/Mean the formula was used.

X= (f x s)

Where x = sample mean

 N = number of cases

F = frequency

Percentage

P = ( n / N ) x 100%

Where P = percentage

N = number of respondents in the group

N = number of total respondents

To answer SOP number 5 for the Significant Difference, this formula was used.

F = MST/MSE

MST = SST/ p-1

MSE = SSE/N-p
SSE = ∑ (n−1)

Where,

F = Anova Coefficient

MSB = Mean sum of squares between the groups

MSW = Mean sum of squares within the groups

MSE = Mean sum of squares due to error

SST = total Sum of squares

p = Total number of populations

n = The total number of samples in a population

SSW = Sum of squares within the groups

SSB = Sum of squares between the groups

SSE = Sum of squares due to error

s = Standard deviation of the samples

N = Total number of observations