THE AWARENESS IN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND READING STRATEGIES

TOWARDS TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF LEVELS OF

READING COMPREHENSION OF GRADE 12 STUDENTS AT CGCI

Quantitative Research

A Language Research Presented to the

Faculty of Teacher Education Department
Core Gateway College, Inc.

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Secondary Education
Major in English

Mariel Ann Relota

Cazandra Joy Matic
Daisyree Licayan
Sharmaine Joy Dizon

August 2024

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 INTRODUCTION
Background Information
Reading is an integral part of human life and a gateway to an endless world of
knowledge, understanding, and imagination. It is a synthesis of various cognitive processes
known as decoding of written symbols, comprehension of meaning, and the integration of
information with prior knowledge. Marie Clay (2019) a well-known literacy expert, stresses that
reading is not a passive but in fact, an active process of creating meaning. This active process
involves not only the recognition of words but also the ability to make inferences, connect ideas,
and conclude.
Nevertheless, for many students, particularly those who are learning English as a
second language, reading comprehension can prove to be a challenging task. The skill of
understanding and interpreting written text is essential for educational achievement, personal
development, and social inclusion. Nevertheless, a host of reasons may prevent students from
reading comprehension, thus impeding their learning experience and development. Many
researches have pointed out the great value of the understanding reading in achieving academic
learning. Of course, the study by Duong Dara in 2019, it was suggested that teachers should
create "good quality reading material and develop a positive learning environment" and also give
learners the links between reading and their interests and experiences. This is the background of
the necessity of making reading more interesting, and more proportional to the students'
preferences, so that learning situations would be created for the students to link what they learn
to their own experiences. Likewise, Imalda Mallipa (2024) explored the relationship between
lower language proficiency and comprehension capabilities in senior high school students. These
results call for both a more profound understanding of the factors affecting reading
comprehension and the creation of effective treatments to cure these problems. While Elleman
(2019) has called attention to the importance of background knowledge as one of the key factors
in the process of reading comprehension. However, students with a strong knowledge base of
specific topics have the capacity to master difficult material. Educators can increase students’
background knowledge by for example providing them with field trips, guest speakers, and
research projects. He argued that background knowledge plays the important role in
understanding the comprehension part of reading. The writer is of the opinion that prior
knowledge, which refers to the information and experiences a reader has before reading a text, is
a powerful factor to determine what they can comprehend and interpret.
This study seeks to determine the the awareness in language proficiency and reading
strategy towards to the improvement of levels of reading comprehension of Grade 12 students at
CGCI. The study gives insight for educators and policymakers who aim to make effective
reading instruction and attainment of student success possible. And the study will ultimately
benefit students by contributing to the development of more effective reading instruction that
addresses their specific needs and challenges. This can lead to improved reading comprehension
skills and academic success.

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 Review of Related Literature
The previously conducted studies on reading comprehension show that a multitude of
factors affects students’ skills in understanding and interpreting texts. Topics pertinent to the
subject are discussed in the literature which consequently formulates a framework to agree with
the challenges and opportunities of improving reading comprehension.
Language Proficiency
A recurring theme that emerges from a several of studies on the subject is the importance of
language proficiency in reading comprehension. Duong Dara and Imelda Mallipa’s studies
illustrated that children who lack speaking abilities in English are faced with complex texts.
According to him, students who had difficulties speaking English were the ones that struggled in
understanding difficult texts, especially with words they had never seen before as well as long
sentences. The reason they run into trouble is that they did not have much exposure to the
language, and they were hardly given the chance to practice speaking. In the same manner,
Imelda Mallipa (2024) also noted that the lower English proficiency of the students is the reason
for their coming short in grasping the content of complex texts, specifically, in the face of
entangled words and grammatical structures. She stated this her due to their lack of knowledge
and the ability they are not so fluent in the English language. And One of the articles (Elleman,
2019) will be particularly the one reasoning the indispensable role of prior knowledge in the
process of comprehending reading. He argues that students who have already mastered a specific
subject through comprehensive learning tend to easily explain and interpret challenging texts in
that subject. The idea reflects the significance of giving students the opportunity to learn
different concepts and interrelate the information they get from the text with what they have
already learned.
Rao (2016) emphasized in her study that proficiency equates with fluency, but there is a
distinction between both of them. It is possible to be fluent without being highly proficient, as it
is also possible to be highly proficient without being fluent. She further mentioned that when it
comes to second language learning, a few major aspects of fluency lay in the prosody of the
language, pronunciation, and the timing of dialogue. Fluency is impossible to attain without
engaging in dialogue with a fluent speaker of the language. Proficiency, on the other hand, is the
primary focus of your ability to understand and communicate precisely in the language.
Proficiency is best practiced through reading and writing. Proficiency is regarded as a continuum
(James, 2015, p.2.) which means proficiency can be considered as a scale of related skills of
language slightly and continuously changing at each level. As a continuum, proficiency is split
into levels that include the gradually changing successive abilities in the use of language with the
prior level prerequisite accomplishing the following levels (Heilenman & Kaplan, 2014, p. 61).
For the use of language “function, context/content, and accuracy” are accepted as the three
criteria. The function represents the individuals’ ability to complete a task linguistically, like
asking questions, or describing; context/content refers to the setting of the functions; and

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accuracy means the level of correctness of an individual’s language use and each factor extends
in breadth as the level of proficiency increases (Bragger, 2015, p. 80).
According to O’Sullivan (2015), it is difficult to define the limits of the language that is used
in a context, although identification of the specific aspects of language use, like vocabulary or
syntax, can be described in a given context to attain information about the needs analysis of the
language use given in a specific context (O’Sullivan, 2016). The aspects of language used should
be specified and what language is used in the given context needs to be determined to assess the
language proficiency level.

Reading Strategies
Mallipa (2024) recommended teaching reading comprehension skills and strategies to
improve students' abilities. The list includes such tactics as previewing the text, identifying main
points, making inferences, and summarizing. One of the most important literacy development
strategies is reading comprehension skills. The reader should rather take a minute to go through
the title of the text and gather information from the heading, subheading, and the length of
paragraphs before reading the whole text through. This comprehension skill enables learners to
discern critical information throughout the text, for example, in the introductory paragraph.
Students' abilities to grasp the author's main idea and the significance of paragraphs are
sharpened by teaching them how to make inferences. Summarizing, however, is the fundamental
factor for those learners to be able to amalgamate the inputs and get the gist of what has been
read. By demonstrating these methods explicitly, the teachers are able to invoke student to take
the autonomous and relentless learning process to the next level. The National Reading Panel's
(2018) report on reading comprehension emphasized the critical role of direct instruction in
reading comprehension strategies. The report proposed that teachers should instruct students in a
number of ways: for example, they should be able to give examples of, indicate the overall idea,
make assumptions, suggest ideas and summarize and underline the significance of regular
evaluation to keep track of the performance of the students and pinpoint the specific areas where
they need help. The report enumerates the use of a variety of assessment tools, such as formative
assessments like quizzes and reading logs, and summative assessments like standardized tests.
While Duke and Pearson (2016), suggested that students should engage in different types of texts
such as fiction, non-fiction, and informational texts to be able to develop their reading skills.
This research makes a strong case for the introduction of various reading texts, and, the need for
teachers to create a lively and inclusive reading environment that conveys a positive attitude
towards reading. And Guthrie and Wigfield (2015) argues in their study on knowledge
background in comprehending reading dismissed the notion that students’ knowledge cannot be a
factor that can greatly interfere with their ability to understand a new knowledge. This is the
evidence that judgment passed on educators for fostering student realization in different areas,
thus education cannot come from just one activity, should be spent to provide guidance on
suitable action, such as interactive trips to the field, visitor discussions, and researching
assignments.

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Reading Comprehension
Many reading experts and researchers have shared their own definitions of reading
comprehension. For example, Snow and Sweet (2015, p. 11) defined reading comprehension as
the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through the interaction and
involvement with written language. Veeravagu et al. (2014, p. 206) gave a long definition of
reading comprehension as a thinking process by which a reader selects facts, information, or
ideas from printed materials, determines the meanings the author intended to transmit, decides
how they relate to previous knowledge, and judges their appropriateness and worth for meeting
their own objectives. Furthermore, McKee (2016, p. 46) stated that reading comprehension is the
ability to understand a text, analyze the information, and interpret correctly what the writer is
stating. Based on these definitions, three common elements are required to comprehend text: the
text, the reader, and the reading activity in which comprehension is a part (Snow & Sweet, 2017,
p. 11). To help understand the reading process, reading theorists have developed models of
reading. There are three main reading models: 1) bottom-up, 2) top-down, and 3) interactive. The
bottom-up reading model is a data-driven process and a form of decoding, according to Gough
(2016), the most prominent bottom-up theorist. To achieve reading comprehension, readers build
meaning from the smallest units and work up to the highest conceptual level. In other words,
readers need to identify letter features and then link them for letter recognition. After that, they
combine the letters to recognize spelling patterns and proceed to words, sentences, paragraphs,
and text-level processing. In this reading model, the teachers encourage the students to
understand the meanings of every word in the reading text and go over it sentence by sentence
without using the students’ background knowledge to help enhance their reading comprehension.
The top-down reading model emphasizes the background knowledge readers use to comprehend
the written text. The main theorists of this model are Goodman (2015) and Smith (2017), who
believe that to understand the reading text, readers selectively sample the information in the text
and then predict what is coming next. After that, they use subsequent information in the text to
confirm or disconfirm their prediction. An example of students using the top-down process in the
classroom is when they are asked to predict what the text is about or skim it in the prereading
activity. The interactive model of reading has been widely accepted until now because it
provides the best explanation. According to this interactive model, developed by Rumelhart and
Stanovich (2017), reading comprehension occurs through the interaction between the text and
reader. Specifically, to be able to understand written material, this interactive model focuses on
both the role of language and the readers’ background knowledge. Based on the interactive
model, this study categorizes reading strategies into bottom-up and top-down and investigates
the relationship between these two categories and the participants’ reading comprehension
ability. The relationship is also examined between overall reading strategy use and reading
comprehension ability.

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Objectives of the Study
This study aims at the determination of the various factors that have a significant effect on
English reading comprehension levels among Grade 12, Senior High School students at Core
Gateway College Inc. Specifically, the study will try to answer the following:
 Determine the Socio Demographic Characteristics
 Determine the level of awareness in language proficiency
 Determine the language level used in reading strategies
 Determine the language level in reading comprehension
 What is the relationship between language proficiency and reading comprehension?
 Is there a relationship between reading strategies and reading comprehension?
Time and Place

This research will be carried out at Core Gateway College Inc., San Jose City, Nueva
Ecija, Philippines., during the month of September in the 2024-2025 academic year. Core
Gateway College Inc. was chosen as the research site because it is the school of the researchers.
This geographical proximity to the research site is a stepping stone for a successful experiment.

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This is the ground where questionnaires can be easily reached and the data can be brought
without any hassle.

METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This investigation will use the quantitative research methodology. Creswell, 2014 define
Quantitative research as a systematic and objective method of collecting and analyzing numerical
data so as to explain phenomena in terms of patterns, relationships, and trends. Statistical
analysis is the basis of the technique for the testing of hypotheses and the formation of the final
conclusion. In these cases, the researchers will use a descriptive research design, which describes
and summarizes the characteristics of a population or phenomenon. This framework suits
research that seeks to determine the awareness in language proficiency and reading strategy
towards to the improvement of levels of reading comprehension of Grade 12 students at CGCI.

Data Gathering Instrument

The researchers will use a passage and analytical rubric suitable for a grade 12 reading
comprehension assessment and questionnaires to be the source of data collection to Determine
the Socio Demographic Characteristics, level of awareness in language proficiency, reading
strategies and language level in reading comprehension. The passage and analytical rubric, will
assess respondents reading comprehension. And good questionnaire will be selected by ensuring
its relevance and validity.

Sampling Method
Simple random sampling will be used as a probability sampling technique where each
student in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample. This method will
be used to select 60% of the 172 Grade 12 students at Core Gateway College INC. This will
result in a sample of 103 students.
Data Gathering Procedure
The research topic concerning the “Awareness in language proficiency and reading strategy
towards to the improvement of levels of reading comprehension of Grade 12 students at CGCI”
is examined as a result of the perceived problems students confront in English reading
comprehension at the institution. The researchers recognized this as a pertinent and a significant
area of investigation, intending to comprehend the underlying factors that contribute to these
problems. In order to elicit the information highly relevant to the research, it is planned to select
a representative group of the students of Grade 12 at Core Gateway College Inc. The researchers
will maintain the simple random sampling approach to this end by making sure that each

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students odds of inclusion in the sample are equal. This strategy helps to minimize bias and the
establishment of random sample of the data which reflect all variables that are present within the
entire population of the school. A short passage and concise questionnaire which is to be created
for data collection from the chosen respondents will assist in the process. The main purpose of
the questionnaire is to know the relationship between language proficiency and reading
comprehension and relationship between reading strategies and reading comprehension. Other
areas, including daily socio demographic characteristics, language proficiency, reading strategies,
and level of reading comprehension will also be covered with the help of the short passage with
analytical rubric and questionnaire. The researchers will take informed consent from the student
before study proceedings start. Before each study, we will make sure that they are informed of
the purpose, procedures, and confidentiality of the particular study. Researchers will send the
passage and questionnaires to a representative sample of Grade 12 students at Core Gateway
College Inc. Simple random sampling will be use, where each student has an equal chance of
being selected for the sample. These characteristics are relevant to the research question and aim
to ensure that each subgroup is represented in the final sample. Once the data is collected, it will
analyze using Descriptive Statistics: The data collected from the Socio Demographic
Characteristics (SDC) will be analyze using the frequency distribution, to measure the level of
awareness in language proficiency, level of Reading strategies, and level of reading
comprehension will be using mean and standard deviation. And Pearson product moment
correlation will be use to know if there is any significant relationship between language
proficiency and reading comprehension and relationship between reading strategies and reading
comprehension. Moreover, this application will enable the geeks to carry out a few types of
statistical analytic procedures. The analysis at this stage will be used to measure the level and
explain the relationship, similarities, and differences in the data, and they will lead to better
understanding of what contributes to English reading comprehension among the students from
the study of English language institute.

Methods of Data Analysis

Descriptive Statistics: The data collected from the Socio Demographic Characteristics
(SDC) will be analyze using the frequency distribution. While the questionnaires to measure the
level of awareness in language proficiency, level of Reading strategies, and level of reading
comprehension will be using mean and standard deviation. And Pearson product moment
correlation will be use to know if there is any significant relationship between language
proficiency and reading comprehension and relationship between reading strategies and reading
comprehension. These tools offer a user-friendly interface and a comprehensive suite of
statistical tools for analyzing quantitative data.

Ethical Considerations

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 The study will adhere to the ethical guidelines all through the research process. Each
student who agrees to take part in the study will be required to give informed consent, and their
names will not be disclosed. The information gathered will only be used for research purposes
and will not be shared with any third party. The researchers will also make sure that the test is
suitable for the age and developmental level of the students. This research work is intended to
build a better comprehension of English reading ability among a senior high school student at
Core Gateway College Inc.
Questionnaires

Part I. Socio-Demographic Characteristics

This part aims to gather some background information from respondents in relation to
the main variables of the study. Kindly put a check on the indicated box.

Name (Optional): ___________________ Age: _____

Grade Level: __________________ Sex: ( ) Male ( ) Female

Family Income Range (Monthly):

( ) 50,000 – above

( ) 49,000 – 25,000

( ) 24,000 – 18,000

( ) 17,000 – below

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Part II. Reading Comprehension Assessment

Direction: Read the passage and answer the following questions below.

“The Handmaid’s Tale”

Margaret Atwood

Questions
“There is more Answer
than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom
1. What
from.are
Inthe
thetwo types
days of of
thefreedom discussed
old order, there was freedom to, but there was also freedom
by Aunt Lydia?
from responsibility. Freedom to, for example, go to the liquor store and buy a bottle of
gin. Freedom to, for example, go to the clinic and have an abortion. Freedom to, for
2. What are some examples of “freedom to” in
example, go to the bank and get a loan, and then not pay it back. But there was also
the “old order”?
freedom from, freedom from the consequences of these actions. Freedom from, for
example,
3. What are thehaving to bringofupthea “freedom
consequences child you did not want, or could not afford. Freedom
from, for example,
to” in the “old order”? working at a job you hated. Freedom from, for example, being
responsible for what you did. We have been given freedom from, now. It is a great
freedom.”
4. What is the “freedom from” that Aunt Lydia
claims has been given to the women?

5. What is the author’s tone in this passage?

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Analytic Rubric

This rubric will be use to assess student comprehension level after they read the short passage
entitled “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood

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 Analytic Rubric 5 3 1 Score
Correctly Partially identifies Does not
identifies both one of the two mention or
types of types of freedom incorrectly
Identifying Types of freedom discussed by Aunt identifies the
Freedom discussed by Lydia. two types of
Aunt Lydia freedom
(freedom to and discussed by
freedom from). Aunt Lydia.
Provides Provides one Does not
multiple correct correct example provide any
examples of of “freedom to” in examples or
“freedom to” in the “old order”. provides
Understanding the “old order”. incorrect
“Freedom To” examples of
Examples “freedom to” in
the “old order”.
Correctly Partially discusses Does not
identifies and the consequences mention or
discusses the of the “freedom incorrectly
Analyzing consequences to” in the “old identifies the
Consequences of of the “freedom order”. consequences
“Freedom To” to” in the “old of the “freedom
order”. to” in the “old
order”
Correctly Partially discusses Does not
identifies and the “freedom mention or
discusses the from” that Aunt incorrectly
Understanding “freedom from” Lydia claims has identifies the
“Freedom From” that Aunt Lydia been given to the “freedom from”
claims has been women. that Aunt Lydia
given to the claims has been
women. given to the
women.
Analyzing Author’s Provides a clear Provides a partial Does not
Tone and accurate or vague analysis mention or
analysis of the of the author’s incorrectly
author’s tone in tone in the identifies the
the passage. passage. author’s tone in
the passage.

Part III. Reading Strategies

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Instructions: Choose one of the five possible answers by putting (/) mark on the
indicated box.

Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly

Disagree (Neither agree nor Agree
disagree)
1 2 3 4 5

Statements/ Questions

1. I write down the meaning of unknown words

that appear in the dictionary while reading

2. I slow down when I have difficulty in

reading.

3. I form a mental picture of the text while

reading.

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 4. I use my general knowledge to work out the
meaning while reading.

5. I re-read what I do not understand while

reading.

6. I try to get the main ideas while reading.

7. I ask myself questions about the meaning of words or

phrases while reading.

8. I link the present information to the other pieces of the

text while reading.

9. I make a survey of the text before reading it, such as

looking at the pictures and length of the text, skimming it
and,etc.

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10. I predict what will come next while reading.

Part IV. Language Proficiency

Instructions: Choose one of the five possible answers by putting (/) mark on the
indicated box.

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 Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Disagree (Neither agree nor Agree
disagree)
1 2 3 4 5

Statements/ Questions

1. I am confident in my ability to understand spoken

English.

2. I can easily follow conversations in English.

3. I am able to express myself clearly and

effectively in English.

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 4. I am comfortable reading English texts.

5. I can understand the meaning of most English

words I encounter.

6. I am able to write grammatically correct

English sentences.

7.I can easily understand English

grammar rules.

8.I am confident in my ability to use

English for academic purposes.

9. I am able to communicate effectively in English with

people from different backgrounds.

10.I enjoy learning and using the

English language.
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