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CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Language, either spoken or written, is the core of human interaction. It

connects culture, builds community, and gathers people of different origins.

English, for instance, is a language which has greatly influenced people and the

second most spoken language widely used in the world next to Mandarin; it is

taught all over the globe under numerous different contexts. In the Philippines,

although a second language, it is extensively utilized in the business, media, and

academic world.

The Philippines, being the third largest English-speaking nation in the

world, has an estimated 93.5% of the population who can speak and understand

English. The countrys Tourism Department proudly says that it has a lot of

advantages as an alternative destination for foreigners who wish to study English

and the influx of foreign students taking English classes in the Philippines is quite

noticeable. With the countrys cheap education, low cost of living, warm and

hospitable people, and resplendent islands, taking English classes in the

Philippines is more like taking a vacation. The country is widely considered a

nest of language centers being run by professionals and specialists. Inarguably,

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the Philippines is truly a greatif not the bestplace to learn the English

language. (http://ptd.com.ph/education/learning-english-in-the-philippines/)

The University of Makati's mission is to mold Makati youths into productive

and efficient citizens of the community. In order to obtain their vision, they should

mold highly competent professionals and skilled workers from the children of the

Makati residents while inculcating in them good moral values and desirable

personality development by offering baccalaureate degree, graduate degree, and

non-degree programs with parallel on campus social, cultural, sports and other

co-curricular activities. Under the College of Education, one course being offered

by the university is Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Major in

English. This is a four-year degree program that will prepare the students in

teaching English subjects in high school. This course will bring the students

closer to the development of linguistics and literature.

Is the English curriculum offered to the English majors of the University of

Makati adequate to produce competent English teachers? In order to formulate a

credible response, the researchers are obliged to accumulate information from

III-A BSE English majors. The study aims to assess the current English

curriculum and to come up with a proposal that would help enhance it, if ever

found unsatisfactory. With the substantial content of this research, the subjects

which require emphasis and improvement will be identified.

To discern its current status, the researchers focus is to assess the

English curriculum currently offered to third year students of the University of

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Makati, under the program Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education Major in

English. This will help the University be informed about dependable and genuine

information of the program and making just proposals and adjustments if ever

needed.

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to assess the English curriculum of III-A BSE students of

the University of Makati, Academic Year 2013-2014.

It specifically seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What is the respondents' assessment of the goals and objectives of the

following courses incorporated in the English curriculum:

1.1 Speech and Stage Arts (English M-1);

1.2 Introduction to Linguistics (English M-2);

1.3 English for Specific Purposes (English M-3);

1.4 Structure of English (English M-4);

1.5 Survey of Philippine Literature in English (English M-5);

1.6 Afro-Asian Literature (English M-7);

1.7 Creative Writing (English M-8);

1.8 Translation and Editing of Text (English M-9);

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1.9 English and American Literature (English M-10);

1.10 The Teaching of Speaking (English M-12);

1.11 The Teaching of Writing (English M-13);

1.12 Language and Literature Assessment (English M-14);

1.13 Intro to Stylistics (English M-15);

1.14 The Teaching of Literature (English M-16);

1.15 Language Curriculum for Secondary Education (English M-17);

1.16 Mythology and Folklore (English M-19); and

1.17 Literary Criticism (English M-20)?

2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current English curriculum of

III-A BSE of the University of Makati?

3. What course enrichment program can be proposed to help improve the

English curriculum of the University of Makati?

Assumption

There are certain areas in the English curriculum that need enhancement.
PROCESS
Conceptual Framework Assessment
through
Survey
questionnaire
and interview
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III-A BSE English

students OUTPUT
INPUT
Curriculum
modification;
Current English Meaningful
curriculum; learning
experience;
Major English
Subjects Quality English
major students

Figure 1. Paradigm of English curriculum assessment of III-A BSE students

Figure 1 above is a paradigm of English curriculum assessment of III-A

BSE students. It shows how the different variables are related with each other.

The researchers believe that there are certain areas in the current English

curriculum of the III-A BSE students such as a number of major English subjects,

which need to be streamlined. In order to achieve that, an assessment must be

conducted with the entire population of the said class. As a result, if found

unsatisfactory, curriculum modification has to be initiated and executed for a

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meaningful learning experience, and eventually, for production of quality English

majors.

A cycle has to be established for the achievement of desirable outcomes.

Each of the variables directly affects one another such that the absence of one

will mean adverse results to the cycle.

Significance of the Study

The results of this study will bring about benefits to the following people:

Students. Students, specifically the III-A BSE English majors will have a full

grasp of their current English curriculum - its components, strengths and

weaknesses, and effectiveness.

Teachers. New approaches and strategies in teaching can be learnt and applied

for a more effective, interactive and meaningful learning.

Curriculum Developers. Areas in the current English curriculum that need

amelioration can be determined for the English departments, the universitys,

and the future English majors' benefit.

University of Makati. Trainings and Re-trainings for teachers can be initiated

and conducted for best delivery of daily lessons on subjects in the curriculum that

need heavy emphasis. The possibility of having a higher percentage of Licensure

Examination for Teachers (LET) passers may increase.

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Future Researchers. The ideas and data presented in this study can be used for

future related researches.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is conducted to assess the English curriculum of the entire

population of III-A BSE of the University of Makati during the Academic Year

2013-2014.

Students enrolled in other areas of specialization in the BSE course

namely: Mathematics, Biology, Social Studies, Special Education, Technology

and Livelihood Education, are excepted in this study. Furthermore, only

seventeen (17) major English subjects (M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4, M-5, M-7, M-8, M-9,

M-10, M-12, M-13, M-14, M-15, M-16, M-17, M-19, M-20) are assessed and

other areas such as Professional Education subjects are not included due to

unavailability of resources.

In the seventeen (17) major English subjects, only the measurable specific

goals and objectives per subject will be assessed. Other components such as the

general objectives and expected outcomes are less considered.

Definition of Terms
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Academic Year - the period of the year during which students attend an

educational institution, which is also called School Year.

Assessment - a method of measuring and evaluating the nature of the learner.

What he learns and how he learns. It is a continuous process that involves

gathering, analyzing and interpreting data. Its purpose is to determine whether

expectations match the standards set by school authorities.

Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education (BSE) - is an educational course

that aims to produce competent and effective teachers in the secondary level.

The program also integrates theory and practice in order to provide the students

not only with the necessary pedagogical skills but also with adequate and

updated knowledge in their field of specialization.

Curriculum - the sum of all learning content, experiences and resources that are

purposely selected, organized, and implemented by the school in pursuit of its

peculiar mandate as a distinct institution of learning and human development.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This section presents relevant concepts, principles and information from

some foreign and local authorities which are related to the present study.

Discussions are provided to support the goals and objectives of this research

proposal.
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Related Literature

Foreign

Communication and Language. The ability or the skill to transfer ones

thoughts, ideas and information from the sender to the receiver with the latter

being understood the same effectively and efficiently is known as communication

skills. It is one of the greatest of the soft skills and its importance is growing

rapidly due to the rising complexities as a result of technological inventions.

Every day, in many ways, people communicate with other people. Sometimes it

is verbally other times it through the written word, and they even do it non

verbally through what is called body language. For that matter, images are used

to communicate, and even a scent can carry a message. If someone expects to

get a point, his/her message, its meaning across it is important that he/she

should have good communication skills. In order to work in an office function or

school or interact with people in any situation, communication is needed.

There are systems of conventional spoken o written symbols used by

people in shared culture to communicate with each other. A language both

reflects and affects a cultures way of thinking and changes in a cultural influence

the development of its language. Related languages become more differentiated

when their speakers are isolated from each other. When speech communities

come into contact (e.g. through trade or conquest), their languages influence

each other. Most existing languages are grouped with other languages

descended genetically from a common ancestral language. The broadest

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grouping of languages is the language family. Relationships between languages

are traced by comparing grammar and syntax and especially by looking for

cognates (related words) in different language. Language has a complex

structure that can be analyzed and systematically presented. All languages begin

as speech, and many go on to develop writing systems. All can employ different

sentence structure to convey mood. They use their resources differently for this

but seem to be equally flexible structurally. The principal resource are word order,

word form, syntactic structure, and, in speech, intonation. Different languages

keep indicators of number, person, gender, tense, mood and other categories

separate from the root word or attach them to it. The innate human capacity to

learn language fades with age, and languages learned after about age 10 are

usually not spoken as those learned earlier.

Second language learning occurs all over the world for a variety of

reasons such as immigration, the demands of commerce and science, and the

requirements of education. Learning of another language may be the most

ubiquitous of human intellectual activities after the acquisition of the mother

tongue (Seliger and Shohamy, 1995).

Consequently, people like to use the global village to describe the

present world. Because of frequent cross-cultural communication, the world has

become smaller and smaller. Therefore, it seems that most people live in the

same village. However, it does not necessarily mean that differences of cross-

culture become smaller and smaller. On the contrary, it may be that there is an

increase in misunderstandings and communicative barriers because of frequent

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cross cultural communication. Foreign language learner should not only learn the

knowledge of language, but also try their best to contact the social and cultural

aspects of English countries and learn the background knowledge of literature,

history, geography, local condition and customs. They should use every means to

enlarge their field of view. Only in this way, they can get better understanding of

differences between English culture and Chinese culture, for example, so as to

eliminate the comprehension barriers of cross culture communication and

improve the overall abilities in English reading culture.

(http:/www.asian-efl-journal.com/sept_03_sub1.php).

Linguistic Competence. The language first learned is called ones native

language or mother tongue; both of these terms are figurative in that the

knowledge of particular languages is not inherited but learned behavior.

Nonetheless, since the mid-20th century, linguists have shown increasing interest

in the theory that, while no one is born with a predisposition toward any particular

language, all human beings are genetically endowed with the ability to learn and

use language in general.

According to transformational (or generative) grammar, introduced by

Noam Chomsky, the idiosyncratic vocabulary and grammatical conventions of

any natural language rest on a foundation of deep structure, a universal

grammar underlying all languages and corresponding to an innate capacity of the

human brain. This theory implies not only that there are constrains on what may

constitute an intelligible human language, but also that, however numerous or

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striking, the differences between two languages are less fundamental than their

similarities.

Linguistic competence is the knowledge that a person has of his/her native

language. Good skills in one native language(s) are essential for further learning,

as a native language is thought to be a base of thinking, however this is highly

controversial. Incomplete first language skills often make learning other

languages difficult. Native language has therefore a central role in education.

Linguistic Competence is defined as the ability of a speaker to speak and

understand language in a grammatically correct manner. Linguistic competence

is the use of grammatical rules of a language, whereas communicative

competence is the use of social language rules.

Noam Chomsky founded the idea of communicating with the

understanding of grammatically correct expressions. Chomsky took more of a

textbook approach to analyze language than a real-world use of the language.

According to Damerau, to understand Chomskys approach to linguistic

competence, two things must be made clear: (1) the subject matter of linguistics,

and (2) the properties that are necessary in a model for it to be regarded as an

adequate model for language. In other words, Chomsky had an ideal approach to

language which consisted of an undiversified speaker-hearer environment. In

real world situations, it is difficult for the speaker-hearer to exercise their linguistic

competence. According to Ottenheimer, Chomsky actually thought of real

situation as distractions. Chomsky felt that people cannot successfully practice

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being linguistically competent due to distractions such as social norms. The

interference from social norms in communication forces the speaker to develop

communication competence. Although someone who is speaking in a

linguistically competent manner may use perfect grammar, a communicatively

competent speaker would take into consideration the appropriateness of the

situation. Analyzing how the people in a culture use linguistic competence to

communicate can determine the rules of a language.

Communicative Competence

On the contrary, Stephen Krashens Theory of Second Language

Acquisition opposes Chomskys idea. According to him, Language acquisition

does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not

require tedious drill. In the real world, conversations with sympathetic native

speakers who are willing to help the acquirer understand are very helpful.

Stephen Krashen (University of Southern California) is an expert in the

field of linguistics, specializing in theories of language acquisition and

development. Much of his research has involved the study of non-English and

bilingual language acquisition. During the past 20 years, he has published well

over 100 books and articles and has been invited to deliver over 300 lectures at

universities throughout the United States and Canada.

Krashens theory of second language acquisition consists of five main

hypotheses: (1) the Acquisition-Learning hypothesis, (2) the Monitor Hypothesis,

(3) the Natural Order hypothesis, (4) the input hypothesis, and (5) and the
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Affective Filter hypothesis, The Acquisition-Learning distinction is the most

fundamental of all the hypotheses in Krashens theory and the most widely

known among linguists and language practitioners.

According to Krashen there are two independent systems of second

language performance:

the learned system. The acquired system or acquisition is the product of a

subconscious process very similar to the process children undergo when they

acquire their first language. It requires meaningful interaction in the target

language natural communication in which speakers are concentrated not in

the form of their utterances, but in the communicative act. The learned system

or learning is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious

process which results on conscious knowledge about the language, for example

knowledge of grammar rules. According to Krashen learning is less important

than acquisition.

The Monitor hypothesis explains the relationship between acquisition and

learning and defines the influence of the latter on the former. The monitoring

function is the practical result of the learned grammar. According to Krashen, the

acquisition system is the utterance initiator, while the learning system performs

the role of the monitor or the editor. The monitor acts in a planning, editing,

and correcting function when three specific conditions are met: that is, the

second language learner has sufficient time as his/her disposal, he/she focuses

on form or thinks about correctness, and he/she knows the rule. It appears that
 15

the role of conscious learning is somewhat limited in second language

performance. According to Krashen, the role of the monitor is or should be

minor, being used only to correct deviations from normal speech and give

speech a more polished appearance.

Krashen also suggests that there is individual variation among language

learners with regard to monitor use. He distinguishes those learners that use the

monitor all the time (over-users); those learners who have not learned or who

prefer not to use their conscious knowledge (under-users) and those learners

that use the monitor appropriately (optimal users). An evaluation of the persons

psychological profile can help to determine to what group they belong. Usually

extroverts are under users, while introverts and perfectionists are over-users.

Lack of self-confidence is frequently related to the over-use of the monitor.

Linguists are aware of the interrelationship between language and the

society, because it is in society that language has its existence. But they have not

succeeded in describing such a relationship. Phonology, Lexis and Syntax, which

are objects of linguistic description constitute only a part of the elements in the

code used for communication. The meaning(s) of an utterance (a sentence, a

clause, a phrase, a word, etc.) do(es) not depend entirely on its form; a lot

depend on who says what, to whom, where, why, in what manner and in what

effect. In other words, the context of situation in which an utterance is said, who

said it, and to whom, are very important. For instance, the occurrence Can I

have the salt please? is interrogative in form but expresses a polite request in a

dining room.
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Grammatical knowledge is not enough to help us participate effectively in

communicative situation. In addition to acquainting oneself with the forms of

language, one must know the following in order to communicate appropriately.

(1) The socio-cultural relation including attitude, values, conventions,

prejudices and preferences of the people who use the language.

(2) The nature of the participants which shows the relationship between

speaker and the listener, their occupation, interest, socio-economic status, etc.

(3) The rule of the participant, such as the relationship in social network,

father- son, teacher-student, boss-subordinate, landlord-tenant, doctor-patient,

etc.

(4) The nature and function of the speech deals with whether it is face to face

to talk persuasion, confrontation, or a casual conversation, or a request informal

situation, or a telephonic conversation, etc.

(5) The mode (medium) of communication, whether spoken or written form or

reading from a written script, or unprepared speech.

Communicative competence, indeed, includes the whole of linguistics

competence plus the whole of the amorphous (indefinite shape or form) range of

facts included under socio-linguistic pragmatic competence (the rules and

conventions for using the language items in context and other factors like

attitudes, values, and motivation). Dell Hymes says that one who studies

language should be able: to account for this fact that a normal child acquires
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knowledge of sentence not only as grammatical but also appropriate. He or she

acquires competence as to when to speak, when not and as to what to talk

about, with whom, when, where, in what manner. In short, a child becomes able

to acquire a repertoire (all the skills, etc that a person has and is able to use) of

speech act to take part in a speech act, and to evaluate their accomplishment by

others.

Chomsky believes that linguistic competence can be separated from the

rest of communicative competence and studied in isolation but socio-linguist, like

Dell Hymes believes that the notion of linguistic competence is unreal and that no

significant progress in linguistics is possible without studying forms along with the

ways in which they are used. In addition to this, basically the linguistic

competence falls under the domain of communicative competence because

communicative competence is made up of four competence areas including

linguistic, socio-linguistic, discourse and strategic.

For one thing, social interaction is actually skilled work, and it requires

effort. It is not in innate (inborn or genetically endowed). It has to be learnt from

others. A person who faces to learn and make himself and others uneasy in

conversation and perpetually kills encounters is a faulty person. Dell Hymes

maintains that competence is dependent upon the four features that follow:

(1) Whether (and to what degree) something is possible;

(2) Whether (and to what degree) something is visible (in relation to the

means available);
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(3) Whether (and to what degree) something is appropriate (adequate, happy,

in relation to the context in which it is used);

(4) Whether (and to what degree) something is performed (actually done and

what the doing entails)

All these show that the linguistic competence is largely a part of

Communicative Competence. Dell Hymes criticism of the concept of linguistic

competence is that it is an abstraction without any relevance to actual use. The

same criticism has been directed against the notion of communicative

competence. According to Widdowson, if linguistic competence is an abstraction

of grammatical knowledge, communicative competence is an abstraction of

social behavior. The notion of communicative competence does not include in its

purview (the scope somebodys activities or influence) the actual procedure,

which language users adopt in order to participate in language based on activity.

So, along with linguistic competence and communicative competence, pragmatic

competence should also be brought into focus.

English for Specific Purposes

Relatively, English for Specific Purposes (ESP) is a young and developing

branch of EFL in Russia. As T. Nazarova (1996) shows, for many years ESP

instruction was limited to training special lexicon and translating numerous texts.

Of course, such methods did not reflect students interests and resulted in low

learner motivation and poor participation. With the spread of the student-centered

approach in Russia and the continued increase of international contacts in

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various spheres, much attention has been paid to the design of ESP courses that

can prepare students for professional communication. However, developing new

courses along such lines raises the issue of training teachers. Designing a

course that can best serve learners interests and needs is an obstacle for many

instructors. How can teachers develop a new course? Where should they start?

What can be done about students poor motivation? How do teaching materials

should be selected? These are some of the questions that are often asked by

many teachers.

Instructional Communicative Teaching/Communicative Language Teaching

Consequently, the rapid globalization and digitalization of societies have

gradually made changes to educational methods and goals. Nowadays, in

literacy classroom, instructors not only teach students how to read and write but

also aim for equipping them with the so-called multi-literacies (New London

Group, 1996) so that they can cope with challenges in the new constantly

changing society.

Notions about how best to teach adult English language learners have

changed over the years and have been influenced by research in how second

languages are learned. Today, perhaps the most accepted instructional

framework in adult ESOL education is communicative language teaching (CLT).

The goal of CLT is to increase communicative competence, which means being

able to understand and interpret messages, understand the social contexts in

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which language is being used, apply the rules of grammar, and employ strategies

to keep communication from breaking down (Savignon, 1997). With CLT,

instructional emphasis shifted from grammar translation, memorization of

dialogues, and drills and practice of structural patterns to using language in real-

life contexts for meaningful purposes (Savignon, 2001). Grammar practice with

drills can be appropriate at certain times, but CLT demands authentic use of

language, which means people interacting with other people.

The primary principle underlying CLT is that language learners need

opportunities to use the language in authentic conversations. After all, daily life

requires people to communicate in a wide range of contexts for many diverse

purposes. This interactive view of language teaching has its root in SLA research

studies that have examined how interactions contribute to SLA (Moss & Ross-

Feldman, 2003) studies report how negotiation of meaning an exchange

between a speaker and listener to solve a comprehension problem affects what

learners produce (Ellis, 1999; Pica, 2003). Researchers have studied interactions

between native speakers and language learners as well as interactions

exclusively between language learners. They have also examined social

interaction between individuals and the interaction that occurs in our mind (e.g.,

the interaction among our knowledge of the first and second languages, the

content of a message, and our background knowledge).

On the other hand, the Test of English for International Communication

(TOEIC) was introduced in December, 1979, as the result of a cooperative effort

between Educational Testing Service (ETS), the Japanese Ministry of

 21

International Trade and Industry and International Communications Incorporated.

ETS, a not-for-profit private corporation located in Princeton, New Jersey, USA, is

a leading center for educational and psychometric research in the United States,

which develops and administers a variety for tests. Some of the more commonly

known ETS-developed tests for academic mission include the Scholastic

Assessment Test (SAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and the Test of

English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is the

examining board for ESL/EFL students. This examining board is usually

represented at conferences to provide information on their tests, but the

practitioners themselves rarely focus on testing Business English situations.

There is an increasing demand for qualifications, and this is likely to lead to

testing being given a higher profile. The problem now in obtaining data and the

lack of research mean that little analysis of spoken interactions has taken place

(TOEIC Research Report, July 1996).

TOEIC was developed by ETS to measure English language proficiency

needed for practical use in the professional world. Organizations use TOEIC to

evaluate the skill levels of their employees for purposes such as hiring,

assignment to overseas posts, for training, or for promotion to positions requiring

English.

Originally administered in Japan, TOEIC has now become an international

standard or measuring English proficiency, and is used throughout Asia, Europe

 22

and the Americans. In 1995, the test was administered to more than 934,000

people in more than 2,000 public and private organizations around the world

(www.etsliteracy.org/Media/Research/pdf/TOEIC-RR02.PDF).

Local Literature

The following literature provided by some local authorities is believed to be

very useful to the present study because they are found to be supportive to the

objectives of this research work.

Filipinos and the English Language

Many Asian people today clamor to learn English. Why? English is the

most widely spoken language for business and education around the world, that's

why. Demand is high, and many schools are available as well as online sources

for instruction. What is the best way to learn English?

There are probably as many answers as teachers and students. Joking aside,

English is a difficult language to learn if you are an Asian. There are some

fundamental differences in the way western or Latin based languages approach

grammar, syntax, and pronunciation.

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The best way to learn any language is to immerse yourself in its total

experience. this is called a holistic approach. simply put, surround yourself with

English speaking native speakers. One way to accomplish this is to live in

America, the UK, or Australia. Live there fro a year study and speak English

every day. Obviously, we all can't do this. It is simply not feasible for us to

interrupt our lives and go live in an English speaking country.

Thankfully there are economical alternatives to going to the U.S. The

Philippines offers a great opportunity to study in Asia, in an English speaking

country with an abundance of qualified native speakers available. Here you can

surround yourself with people speaking English every day. One can practice their

English just by going shopping or taking a taxi. In addition, the Philippines offers

many tourist venues and boasts a tropical climate to make a stay here like a

working vacation.

Learning English is a practiced art, and yes language is an art as well as a

skill. We not only have to learn grammar and vocabulary, we have to visualize

ideas and concepts in English to become proficient. In addition, we have to train

our brains to think in English as well. This process is called assimilation.

Idiomatic expressions, figures of speech, and phrasal verbs simply have to be

internalized by either memorization or repeated usage.

Living in a culture of English is the fastest way to accomplish this. There is

no substitute for practice and using all your senses to assimilate English in a

native speaking environment. So consider the Philippines as a language learning

 24

destination. The Philippines is close (a few hours from Korea by plane)

economical, and English is spoken by nearly all the local citizens.

(http://philippinesesl.blogspot.com/)

Jonathan Hicop, a correspondent who made a report on Koreans Flock to

the Philippines to Learn English related that They come in their thousands every

month, eager to learn what is considered as the language of some 1.8 billion

people worldwide. For South Korean students, the Philippines is now a haven as

far as learning the English language is concerned.

The last five years saw the phenomenal rise of the Philippines as the prime

source of English education for South Koreans. Whether they come to the

Philippines to study English or sit in front of their computers at home in Seoul and

learn the correct pronunciation of English words from a teacher in Manila, South

Koreans are bent on learning English as a second language as part of the

globalization plan implemented by the government. English education has been

included in the curriculum of the South Korean education system from

elementary level to college. President Lee Myung-bak, for instance, has made

the teaching of the English language a core program of his administration. The

English education explosion in the Philippines among South Koreans was a

product of ideal factors that fit together. The Philippines -- ranked in the top 10 in

terms of English-speaking population - has affordable education. This is coupled

with its strategic distance from South Korea: Manila can be reached by plane in

just four hours from Seoul. In addition, the Philippines has a low cost of living,

making it an appealing place for South Korean students to stay and live. Throw in
 25

the allure of its white-sand beaches and tropical weather and you'll have a

formula to make it a favored travel destination. Today, hundreds of schools

throughout the Philippines offer English as a Second Language (ESL) courses

for foreigners, but South Koreans stand out as the leading group that comprises

the majority of the ESL market in the Philippines. The Philippine Bureau of

Immigration, headed by Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, is the leading agency

that issues permits to foreign students who want to study in the country.

Foreigners who want to enroll in Philippine schools are required to get either the

Special Study Permit (SSP) or a Student Visa. SSPs are granted to students who

want to enroll on short-term courses that last for less than one year while student

visas are for those who want to take up long-term or degree courses. Based on

data provided to The Korea Times by the bureau's student desk division

headed by Teodulo Estrada, chief, and Adela Camtal, assistant chief South

Koreans who were issued Special Study Permits increased by 500 percent from

2004 to 2008. In 2004, the data showed 5,877 South Koreans were given SSPs

in the Philippines. The figure increased three-fold to 17,904 in 2005. The

numbers continued to increase over the next three years. In 2006, 21,876

Koreans obtained SSPs while 27,322 got the permits in 2007. Last year, 29,155

Koreans were granted permission to study short-term courses in the country. In

total, 102,134 South Koreans studied in the Philippines from 2004 to 2008 -- or

an average of 20,427 students per year, or 1,702 students per month. In addition,

13,937 South Koreans were granted student visas from 2004 to 2008. The visa

allowed them to study degree courses in the Philippines. In the last five years,
 26

South Koreans became the largest group of foreigners to study in the Philippines.

The numbers continue to rise as more schools offer ESL courses. De La Salle

University, one of the Philippines' top universities, is one of the schools

accredited by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration as an English-language

learning center for foreigners. The university's Manila campus has the Center for

Language Learning (CEL) that provides year-round short English courses. The

length of each is three weeks, ranging from basic grammar to conversational

English.

(http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/09/113_51729.html)

The Philippines ESL (English as a Second Language) Tour Program is a

tourist activity in which the study of English as a second language forms part of a

structured tour package. The study of English becomes more exciting and fun

through dynamic and creative ways of learning where participants get to interact,

practice and use English more often in real-life setting thru games, outdoor

activities, excursions and immersions. Aside from learning the English language,

participants get to see the beautiful sceneries of the Philippine countryside and

immerse with the local culture.

Why study English in the Philippines? The Philippines has the following

advantages as your alternative destination for the study of English not too far

away from your home country: a. English is widely spoken in the Philippines. It is

used as the business language as well as the medium of instruction in schools

and universities, 93.5% of Filipinos can speak and understand English well; b.

The Philippines offers the same quality English education at a much affordable
 27

cost; c. The Philippines prides itself with rich natural and cultural resources that

fascinate visitors. (www.wowphilippines.com.ph/Special/esl3.asp)

Business English in Philippine Industry

Lockwood and Elias (2007) present a framework on

repositioning/reconceptualizing intercultural training for the globalized workplace

that incorporate a highly contextualized and dynamic approach including: (1)

nationality; (2) global business place; (3) industry specific need; and (3) core

business communication. Significant contributions have been made by Hofstede

and Trompenaars in differentiating and articulating intercultural issues in

business workplaces. However, little research has been since carried out within a

global business environment that has been undergoing radical change. Holden

(2001) was arguing five years ago the cross cultural management studies were

seriously out of touch with the workings of the modern global economy with its

emphasis on knowledge sharing, organizational learning and network

development.

Consequently, Communicative Language Teaching veers away from other

traditional methods of instruction by putting focus on the learners, their needs

and the social context in which they are putting communication in practice. In the
 28

BPO industry, the primary requirement for recruitment is good communication

skills. When training newly recruited agents, they need to exit with near-native to

native speakers capabilities. As this may be possible to a certain extent, a glaring

issue stands out. How can they communicate well in an environment that is

unknown? (Cabuang & Reyes, 2007)

Legal Bases of ESL Education in the Philippines

In accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7722

otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994, and by virtue of

Resolution no. R324-97 series of 1997, and the Commission and for the purpose

of keeping apace with the demands of global competitiveness, and world class

standards, the Policies and Standards of Humanities, Social Sciences, and

Communication are hereby adopted and promulgated by the Commission, thus:

Article 1: Mission Statement

Section 1. Education in the Humanities, Social Sciences and

Communication, as in other professional disciplines, is intended to facilitate the

integral development of an individual in order to enable him/her to effect changes

to himself/herself and his/her environment to realize fullness of human life.

Section 2. The general component of Humanities, Social Sciences and

Communication Education refers to a program of non-specialized and non-

vocational learning essential for all members of a free society.

 29

2.1 It is a continuation of the general education started at the

elementary level and carried through the secondary level;

2.2 In terms of curriculum, it refers to a program of studies that

provides a foundation for advancement into a major field of specialization;

and

2.3 It seeks to develop critical thinking, effective communication,

sound judgment and formation values.

Research Method

In assessing the English curriculum of III-A BSE students, which primary

objective is to discern its status in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, the

Descriptive Research Method will be used. The said design describes the

existing conditions of a particular situation or phenomenon through assessment

in order to determine its effectiveness and efficiency, and the extent to which it

affects the concerned group of individuals. Results of the assessment will then

be used to make policy decisions whether to expand, change or curtail a program

(based on the descriptions of Descriptive Research, the Best, 1963 cited by

Sanchez, 2002; and Evaluation Research by Monette, et al., 1994).

 30

Research Locale

The University of Makati traces its roots from Makati Polytechnic

Community College, which was founded in 1972. Due to the growing number of

curricular offerings, its status was elevated in 1987 to that of a full-

fledged college, and was then renamed Makati College. Three years later, it was
 31

merged with the former Fort Andres Bonifacio College on January 10, 1990.

This event paved the way for the transformation of the college into a university.

By virtue of Municipal Ordinance No. 433, the Pamantasan ng

Makati became a chartered university on December 19, 1991 under the

administration of Jejomar C. Binay. On August 27, 2002, City Ordinance 2002-

111 was approved amending City Ordinance No. 99-443 revising the

Pamantasan ng Makati Charter to change the official name of Pamantasan ng

Makati to University of Makati.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of this research are the III-A BSE English students of the

University of Makati, Academic Year 2013 2014. The class is composed of a

total of thirty eight (38) students, both male and female, and within the age

bracket of seventeen (17) and thirty seven (37).

Sampling Procedures

This study involves only one set of sample group. It is composed of thirty

five (35) regular and three (3) irregular students, thirteen (13) male and twenty

five (25) female, of III-A BSE English of the University of Makati.

This study used purposive sampling procedure since it specifically

identified the participants based on some given criteria.

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Instruments

A self-made instrument patterned after the curriculum of Bachelor of

Secondary Education (BSE) major in English of the University of Makati is the

tool used in measuring how the respondents assess the existing course. It is

composed of seventeen (17) subjects/areas of concerned namely: (1) Speech

and Stage Arts; (2) Introduction to Linguistics; (3) English for Specific Purposes;

(4) Structure of English; (5) Survey of Philippine Literature in English; (6) Afro-

Asian Literature; (7) Creative Writing; (8) Translation and Editing of Text; (9)

English and American Literature; (10) The Teaching of Speaking; (11) The

Teaching of Writing; (12) Language and Literature Assessment; (13) Intro to

Stylistics; (14) The Teaching of Literature; (15) Language Curriculum for

Secondary Education; (16) Mythology and Folklore (17); and Literary Criticism.

Each area is composed of three (3) indicators which describe the goals and

objective of each subject which the students are expected to develop/acquire

after undergoing the four-year BSE program. (Please see appendix for the tool

sample)

Validation Procedures

Likewise, the researchers have consulted with some authorities and

educators in language and materials development as well as in test and

 33

measurement for content validation of the tool. Since it is patterned from an

existing curriculum in BSE English, they all agreed that the instrument can be

utilized by this research work.

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers have initially prepared all the necessary communications

to ask permission from the authorities of the University of Makati for the approval

of the study. This will be followed by coordinating with the concerned Heads and

subject area teachers. A letter to the respondents will also be written and

administered. Additionally, survey/interview will be conducted. The researchers

will do their best to get one hundred percent participation from the target

respondents.

Statistical Treatment of Data

In measuring the data gathered from the respondents of this study, the

following treatments will be used:

1. Frequency Distribution will be used in finding the scores of the respondents

from the assessment questionnaire.

2. Weighted Mean will be used in the identification of the average of all the

assessment scores obtained by the respondents.

 34

The formula is shown below:

Wx = w

wherein:

Wx means weighted mean

w means summation of the product of frequency and weights

means summation of frequency

3. Standard Deviation will be used to find out variations among scores obtained

by the respondents which is necessary for the computation of the other statistical

measures.

The formula is reflected below:

SD = (X-X)2 n

wherein:

SD refers to standard deviation

X refers to responses or assessment of the respondents

 35

X refers to mean scores

(X-X)2 refers to the summation of the square of the distance from the

mean scores

Title: An Assessment of the English Curriculum of IIIA-BSE Students of the

University of Makati, Academic Year 2013-2014