Results indicate that 14 out of 17 micro-skill items compared showed significant differences. The three micro-skill items that did not show significant difference are those pertaining to words in sentences, a writing micro-skill;
form of words, a speaking micro-skill; and sentence constituents, a listening micro-skill. The significantly different label indicates that the students’
proficiency scores are not related to the teachers’ frequency assessment and are independent of each other. This further means that in majority of the micro-skills evaluated, no relationship could be established between the students’ performance and the teachers’ assessment. It was only in three micro-skill items that a link can be established. These three micro-skill items are significantly related in terms of the students’ performance and the teachers’
assessment.
4. Difficulties Encountered by Students in the Four Modes of Language.
In the aspect of difficulties encountered by students in the four modes of
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language, seven out of 17 test areas of the four modes of language had students’ proficiency rating of below 50 percent. These areas are punctuation and modifier placement in writing, word order and use of stress in speaking, meaning of words and topic sentence in listening, and summary statements in reading. These areas can be considered as difficulty areas encountered by the students in the four modes of language. While the order of the students’
proficiency in the four modes of language arrange from lowest to highest based on the total numerical rating scores is Speaking <Writing<Listening
<Reading, the difficulty areas showed the order from lowest to the highest score as Writing <Speaking <Speaking<Listening <Writing <Reading
<Listening.
There were two difficult component items each for writing, speaking, and listening and only one item for reading. This means that reading in spite of being the most advance skill, difficulties are still encountered by students in this modality, particularly in making summary statements. This skill in reading is a relatively advance skill that entails comprehension and analytic activities to be able to express the reading material into simple and concise terms like a summary. The areas found difficult are more varied for the other modalities like word order and use of stress in speaking, punctuation and modifier placement
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in writing, and meaning of words and topic sentence in listening. It can be observe that these areas are not only specific but fine and advanced skills in the other modes of language.
5. Teachers Assessment of the Students’ Modes of English Language Performance
Results of the study indicate that 17 items obtained an agree score of
>84.91 percent. Eight of the items recorded a score of 100.00 percent. This indicates that the teacher respondents are in complete agreement that the 17 micro-skills are valid language micro-skills that can be used to assess students’ language proficiency.
The same micro-skill items were evaluated by the teacher respondents according to how the students frequently apply these skills. Findings showed that all the items got ratings of >3.7 which is verbally equivalent to often. This indicates that all the micro-skills are used often by the students. The item with the highest mean frequency score is the item that pertains to the use of correct words, a writing micro-skill. This is followed by the item on fact and inference, a reading micro-skill, and the item on form of words, a speaking micro-skill. The item with the lowest mean frequency is the item on adjective and adverb form of modifiers, a writing micro-skill and another item on meaning of words and
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context, a listening micro-skill. This indicates that the frequency of use of the different micro-skills by the students are randomly spread across the different modes of language, that is, the macro-skill frequencies do not cluster according to the modes of language.
Looking at the average frequency scores and ranks of the micro-skills clustered according to their mode of language, it can be noted that the average frequency score of reading, writing and speaking is 3.9, corresponding to a rank of 8.5 while that of listening is 3.8, corresponding to a rank of 13.0. This indicates that the three modes of language namely; reading, writing and speaking are generally equivalent in frequency while listening slightly lags behind.
The teacher respondents rated the 17 micro-skill items according to their degree of importance. The result showed that all of the items had ratings >4.3 which means that the items could range from moderate to very important. This indicates that the teacher respondents perceived all these language-mode specific micro-skills to be of high degree of importance and are necessary to be included as part of the teaching scheme and competency assessment of students.
6.Proposed Supplementary Workbook in Basic English Course
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THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines
To address the micro-skill deficiencies of the students in four modes of language, some criteria are considered as bases and these would include the parameters examined in this study namely: students’ proficiency ratings in the different micro-skill areas in the four modes of language, the difficulties encountered by the students in the different micro-skills test, the teachers’
assessment of the students’ performance in terms of frequency of use, and the significant relationships of students’ proficiency ratings in the different micro- skill areas and the teachers’ assessment of student performance in terms of frequency.
The seven micro-skill areas where the students obtained a correct score of less than 50 percent are punctuation and modifier placement in writing, word order and stress in speaking, meaning of words and topic sentence in listening, and summary statements in reading. These micro-skill areas obtained low scores in the frequency assessment of the teachers as well but not all of them like those of use of stress, modifier placement, summary statement and topic sentence.
Conclusions
Based from the findings of the study, the following were the conclusions formed:
1. College students generally have an average proficiency in the
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performance modality of reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
2. All the 20 micro-skills items are valid items for student micro-skill assessment and are practiced often by the students. Perceptual- communicative skills and intrasentencial structure and semantic relations skills are the most frequently practiced while perceptual- communicative skills and and intonation skills are the most important.
3. Students’ performance and teachers’ assessment showed significant differences in 14 items. Only three items were found with no significant difference.
4. In the aspect of difficulties in the four modes of language, the proficiency rating of the students were below 50 percent in the seven out of 17 micro-skill test areas.
5. As for the 17 micro-skills in the four modes of language, all were found to be oftenly practiced by the students. In terms of degree of importance, all of the items ranged from moderately important to very important.
6. The proposed supplementary workbook was based on the criteria regarding difficulties encountered by the students in the different micro-skills test and the teachers’ assessment of the students’ performance.
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THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines Recommendations
Based on the foregoing findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are offered:
1. The proposed supplementary workbook be reviewed, tried out and evaluated.
2. Teachers need to be given series of trainings along language teaching.
3. This study may be replicated along this area in other universities.
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THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY Socialist Republic of Vietnam Republic of the Philippines